New French Translations

Two translations of the FOI liturgy into French have been uploaded to FOI Central. They are both from the liturgy book "Melusina: Life Centres of the Goddess". With gratitude to Rarius Chandalen and Lavindelf for their work. Their sponsor is Sarah Rooke. The rituals are: Rituel 9. Musique des Spheres  and Rituel 10. Ouverture de l'oeil de vision

New Italian Translation

A new Italian translation of an FOI liturgy rite has been uploaded. It is ritual no. 3 from Sophia, Cosmic Consciousness of the Goddess. With many thanks to Ivana Modesto for her work on these translations and her sponsor Aglaia Francesca who began this work some years ago, who has encouraged and supported Ivana: 3. Risveglio mistico del Toro e Iside

Happy Summer Solstice!

"Invocation: I invoke the Sun Goddess Grainne. (Devotee drops incense on the fire or in the pot.) Divine Grainne, accept this incense, in gratitude for Thy life-giving rays.

Let there be music throughout the ceremony.

Devotee: The teaming summer has come, bringing life in its arms, and strews rosy flowers on the face of hill and dale. In lovely harmony the wood has put on its green mantle, and summer is on her throne, playing her string music. The willow whose harp hung silently when it was withered in winter, now gives forth melody - Hush! Listen! The world is alive.

Dancers glide towards the fire, and one, representing Grainne, sinks by the altar, as if asleep. The others, representing planets, form a maze dance around the fire.

Devotee: The God Lugh stretches His long white arm above the hills. Across the sky fly the Immortal Children of the Light, the White Swans of Lir. They call upon their sister, who gilds their wings with gold." 

~ Olivia Robertson from 'Summer. Ritual of the Sun' from "Dea, Rites and Mysteries of the Goddess" 

(Photo: Olivia conducting a Midsummer Alchemical Ritual at her temple)

FOI Chicago Annual Autumn Goddess Festival

Hello Everybody!

FOI Chicago in cooperation with the Prop Thtr will host the

FOI Chicago's 26th Annual Autumn Goddess Convention & Festival 

Thursday, Oct. 3, Fri. Oct. 4, and Sat. Oct. 5 at:

Prop Thtr, 3502 N. Elston Ave., Chicago, IL 60618.

Our featured liturgy is from the FOI liturgical book, Urania:  The Magic of Saturn and Astarte.

The Call for Presentations includes not only topics relating to the liturgy, but those of your own

special interests: Nature, the performing and visual arts, music, spiritual practices, the ancient world,

astronomy, astrology, poetry, divination, animal and human rights, cultural studies, etc.

It is a three day event this year, something we haven't had an opportunity to do for a very long time.

Some merchants will be on hand with their wares only on Saturday, others might be there for Thurs. and Fri.

Space is limited, we have to provide our own tables but the theater has chairs.  Vendors are encouraged

to have standing displays if possible to maximize the spaces.  We'll work with all for the best results possible.

The tentative program is in development.  There will be some merchants each day.

The program, speakers, entertainers, vendors, volunteers, etc. are beginning to be booked now.

Thurs., Oct. 3 - Festival Day - Rehearsal and fine tuning the set up.  Thursday is dedicated to Dionysus as patron god of Performance, Transcendence, and Transformation, and the Muses for Inspiration and Creativity.

There will be a couple of Powerpoint slideshows and an Open Mike. (Sign up soon!)

Fri., Oct. 4 - Reception and Pagan Cabaret - over 21 only.  Presentations, music, dancers, and divination.

Light refreshments will be served at the reception.  Astarte, Adonis, Aphrodite, Eros, and Hermes are the featured

deities of the afternoon and evening's activities.  We are blessed to have performers from the Harem of Oddities who will dance for us and the gods this night. 

Sat. Oct. 5 - Convention Day - registration at 9:30 AM, program begins at 10 AM.  Astarte & Adonis altar,

Ancestor Shrine, Saturn & Rhea/Cybele shrine, Astarte workshop, Powerpoint presentations, meditation, liturgy, ritual, and fellowship. 

Free Parking is available on the streets around the theater.  A small public park and playground

are across the street at Troy Ave., and Elston, a welcome bit of Nature in the midst of the city.

Restaurants, bars, a shopping center, bank, and stores are close by as well as the Kennedy

Expressway (I-90-94) at Addison or Belmont.  The nearest CTA Blue Line station is at Addison and

the Kennedy, about 5 or 6 blocks away; the Kimball bus is only 3 blocks west of the theater, while the

California bus turns around a few blocks from there.

CTA Blue, Brown and Red Lines also connect with Addison and Belmont buses bringing one

within a block or three of the theater.  Hotels are in a radius of about 15-40 minutes driving time,

depending on traffic and location.  There's quite a few bed & breakfast places around the area,

which is close to Wrigley Field, Boys' Town, Lakeview, Logan Square, Bucktown, Wicker Park,

Old Irving Park, Thai Town, and more. 

I'm excited to share this good news with you as we work on our convention and festival.

The Facebook event page will be updated as things develop.

Questions, ideas, comments?  Please write to me and let me know what you think.

Wishing You All the Best Summer Ever,

Demetria

Lyceum of Alexandria Mishigami,

Iseum of Neith, Hathor, and MahaLakshmi,

Fellowship Of Isis, Chicago

(Photo: Deena Butta (left) and Olivia Robertson (right) in ritual)

Beltane Isian News 2019

Greetings Aset Shemsu! Isian News 2019 Beltane Issue No. 172 has just been uploaded. You may view it at this link: Beltane 2019 Isian News. Heartfelt thanks to all those support members who continue to support and contribute to Isian News.
A new Oracle of the Season - the oracle of the Goddess Vesta from ritual no. 5, "Bohemia: Where is Bohemia?" Part I in "Athena - Arcadian Awakening" by Olivia Robertson

Painting of the goddess Dana by Olivia Robertson

Remembering Olivia Robertson

 

The Sacred Flame: Remembering Olivia Robertson

April 13, 1917 – November 14, 2013

The religion of the Goddess centres around the Hearth. Whether this be the inner sun flaming within the matrix of our earth, or the sun itself, this is the source of manifested life. Within the body of all mothers, whether Goddesses, women, female creatures that give birth to egg or seed, the inner fire is the Divine Centre. In this nucleus is our own heart's life, that heart whose rhythmic beating keeps us alive and sets moving the rhythmic Dance of Creation. This Heart-beat of the Cosmos sets moving all heart-beats, even the tiny pulse within a blade of grass. On the earthly level the heart brings life. On other levels it is Love. For the Heart exists on all levels.

Woman is natural Priestess to the Great Goddess, and so presides over the hearth. Wherever any living flame burns, there is the Vestal Fire guarded by Hestia. The tradition in Ireland, and in many countries, is that the hearth fire must never die. At the time of the winter solstice the fire is renewed with embers from the dying fire of Yule. It is woman's task to keep this fire alight. It is man's task to bring her fuel for her task.

To create a shrine to the Goddess there needs to be this matriarchal flame. In any impersonal hotel room, in a town flat, in a small garden, the vestal flame is the same, and gives the same power as that bestowed by the Goddess in the mighty temples of antiquity. This sacred flame may be represented by a lighted candle, an incense stick, a resinous torch or small fire. The smoke represents Air, the holy breath which keeps the fire alive, as does our breath combine with our heart-beats. By the divine law of correspondences, everything material in this world is a symbol for some reality in another sphere. When a fire, candles or incense are burnt with the intention of honouring Deity, a communication centre is created, which forms a link in a golden chain that brings through the fiery power of the Deity invoked.

Having made the centre of our shrine, we need a shell, a Matrix to protect it. In the past this was the duty of the man who built the home or the temple. This Matrix in greater form may be understood to be the darkness of Outer Space which holds galaxies in its embracing blackness. It is the blue atmosphere with fleecy clouds which protects our earthly vegetation as a robe: it is the crust of the earth, a chrysalis that conceals the mystery within. Beneath this rocky shell of earth are two lava flows of magma which, like fiery dragons rotating in contrary directions, protect the golden apples that shine in the glowing heart of our planet. And so also is the Matrix the protecting womb that enfolds the unborn child and small animal: the snake that conceals her eggs within her the nut shell and husk that guard the living kernel and seed within.

Though we respect great temples, a simple room or grove of trees form a Matrix that protects our altar fire. A shrine may be a psychic temple not made with hands. The Devotee, sitting in silent contemplation, even in a crowded room, may yet build in creative imagination a shrine that guards the privacy of the soul. For the Matrix is not only a womb or shell: it is also the individual aura. We carry our temples about us.

Excerpt from introduction to “Dea, Rites and Mysteries of the Goddess”

Text and photo © Fellowship of Isis Central Website

New Italian FOI Liturgy Translation: Realm of Taurus

A new translation into Italian has been uploaded: Ritual 2. Realm of Taurus from Nuit of the Milky Way." Thank you so much Ivana Modesto!  Rite 2. Reame del Taurus