Photo: FOI members enact the Mystery of Isis and Osiris. Photo © Johnny Merron.
Members
of the Priesthood of the Fellowship of Isis, including Steve Wilson (in striped robe, arms upraised),
Caroline Wise, Ingrid Fischer and
Johnny Merron enact The Mystery of the
Awakening of Osiris with Lawrence and Olivia near the balustraded
portico entrance
to the Temple of Isis at Clonegal Castle.
Johnny is seen here lying prone as Osiris. He had a time lapse on his
camera, which enabled him to set it and have
time to get in position before the photo was taken.
It is with great
sadness FOI Central announces the passing of Steve Wilson, Archpriest,
Hierophant, Grand Knight Commander and Archdruid of the Fellowship of Isis.
Steve Wilson was
a priest in the FOI and dedicated to the Goddess Nuit. He joined in the mid
80s. He was originally a member of Isis Lyceum of the Stars, in London, the
first Lyceum in the British Isles (The first FOI Lyceums were in the USA).
Steve was made a
Druid in the Druid Clan of Dana by Olivia and Lawrence, at their request, and
edited the Druid Clan of Dana’s official magazine “Aisling”, which was produced
by FOI priest Karl Duncan with Caroline Wise at Atlantis Bookshop. It carried
original articles and research into the origins of Modern Pagan Witchcraft and
Druidry. Steve wrote “Robin Hood: The Spirit of The Forest” in 1993. It was published by Neptune Press in London. His book “Chaos Ritual” was published in 1994, and a second edition of
this book was republished ten years later by Neptune Press. Steve wrote
numerous articles on the theory and practice of contemporary magic for
many publications throughout the years.
He contributed
to Olivia’s spiritual autobiography "The Call of Isis" (Neptune Press edition
only) and stayed at Clonegal Castle on several occasions with Olivia and
Lawrence and in the early days, Pamela.
Steve was very
active in speaking up for pagans and druids, and had a central role in the
Council of British Druid Orders as representative of the Druid Clan of Dana. He
was vocal in defending pagans from scurrilous attacks in the press at the time
of the ‘Satanic Abuse’ libel. He appeared on Television and in the press
often. This article appeared in the Independent, a British national newspaper.
He also liaised with the government via the Home Office on pagan rights and
Stonehenge issues. http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/my-week-steve-wilson-druid-1338121.html
Here is a letter
that appeared in The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph newspapers in
August 6th 2007:
“So the next Archbishop of Canterbury
has become a "white druid" (Rite on, August 6) and denounced any
attempt to link it with paganism, labelling such suggestions as
"offensive". As a pagan druid I find
his dismissal of pagan druidry offensive. Druids made up the first known
national culture in these islands.”
Steve Wilson
Media officer, Council of British Druid
Orders”
Steve
was a very active member of the pagan scene generally. He was particularly
active in the FOI in the mid-nineteen-eighties through late-nineteen- nineties.
He was involved with the “Moot with No Name” in Deveraux Court in London for many years, and gave talks at other venues throughout that city. He was also an active member of the Pagan Federation and the Standing Advisory Councils for Religious Education (SACRES) through the British Humanist Association and a founder of PEBBLE (Public Body Liaison Committee for British Paganism Committee), which is helping to create government guidelines for recognising paganism.
Steve was very supportive of FOI
Central Website and kindly gave permission for his interview with Olivia to be
posted there, along with an article about the Fellowship of Isis, an article about the College of Isis; quotes from him are featured several places on the site,
including information about the first central FOI webpage which he programmed and hosted in London in
the mid nineties, and his involvement as a representative for the FOI via the Council
of British Druid Orders. He was present at a ceremony marking gaining access to
Stonehenge after a long struggle of several years. He had grown quiet within
the FOI for the past few years, but his heart remained with the Goddess and he
loved Olivia greatly.
The First Lyceums with an excerpt from an introduction written by Steve Wilson for the “Call of Isis” published by Neptune Press on the nature of the College of Isis:
http://www.fellowshipofisiscentral.com/college-of-isis---college-of-isis-and-first-lyceums-1986
The
Druid Clan of Dana and the CoBDO at Stonehenge:
The
First FOI Convocations:
FOI
“Firsts” on the World Wide Web – First FOI Homepage, London, 1995 - 1999
