Lady Olivia Robertson

Olivia Robertson

by Linda Iles, Prs. H.

Isis, Lotus of Alexandria Lyceum, San Deigo, California

Olivia Melian Robertson was born on Friday, April 13th, 1917 at Paddington Hospital in London. She has been the guiding force of the Fellowship of Isis since its inception. She began having significant psychic experiences as a young girl, after moving to the Durdin-Robertson ancestral family home, Clonegal Castle in County Carlow, Ireland in 1925. She studied at Heathfield School, Ascot, and later at the Grosvenor School of Modern Art in London. During her years of study she was awarded the Purser-Griffith Scholarship and received her Diploma as a graduate in the study of European Art History from the National University of Dublin. Olivia is also an accomplished pianist and has maintained a strong interest in the effects of music on the human psyche. Olivia Robertson answered a query recently from Arthur Freeheart about her favorite music: “I love all classical music but especially the ‘Hymn to Ptah’ in Aida, and the wonderful ‘Hymn to Isis and Osiris’ in Mozart’s ‘Magic Flute.’ ”

During W.W.II Olivia served as a nurse in VAD, Voluntary Aid Detachment, for the Red Cross in Great Britain. After the war, she worked for the Corporation City Playgrounds in Dublin. It was while living and working in Dublin she realized that children’s games were in fact based on ancient mysteries. She investigated and wrote about the work of Sister Mary Kenny and the work of Estrid Dane. During this period, she had a career as a very successful novelist and artist. Her first exhibition of illustrations was held when she was only 21 years of age. Her books received extremely good reviews in the London Times Literary Supplement and the Chicago National Herald. One of them, "Field of the Stranger" was named Book Society Choice in London. Her last novel, "The Dublin Phoenix" was produced in 1956.

Although she did not acknowledge her own gifts of psychism until a later period, it was during this time that she began a search for others who could commune with deity. She began a journey of self discovery, which took her into investigations of various branches of Christianity, Theosophy, Hinduism, and Sufism. During her investigations, awareness of the Goddess developed, and she realized that the Goddess embodied the Divine Chalice, the Holy Grail. As a symbol of the Divine Feminine Principle, it began to have an transformative effect upon her life. It was not long after this that she began working closely with her brother Lawrence and sister-in-law Pamela, setting up a Meditation Society and doing local charitable work. Together, privately they continued their work with psychism, providing wonderful visions of the Goddess, which eventually led to the forming of the Fellowship of Isis.

A delegation of Fellowship of Isis members, headed by Olivia Durdin-Robertson, was invited to participate in the Second Parliament of the World’s Religions Centennial Session in August of 1993. This marked the first time that the religion of the Goddess was acknowledged as a world faith by prominent religious leaders. As one of only two women and sixteen men who were asked to give an address during the opening ceremonies, Olivia gave a blessing of Isis to the world.

Today, Olivia still travels extensively, and provides lectures, rituals, and oracles that enrich the Goddess Community. Her liturgy for the Fellowship of Isis has been sold worldwide and seen many additional printings since the rites were first written. Olivia has continued writing these liturgical rites, the latest series of rituals is titled "Athena: Arcadian Awakening". She is very active as FOI co-founder, Global Advisor and Overseeing Consultant to the many branches of the Fellowship of Isis.

More inforamation about the Fellowship of Isis, Co-Founder, Lady Olivia Robetson, can be found on the Fellowship of Isis Central Webpage.

Used with permission of Fellowship of Isis Central. Copyrighted. No part of this may be used without author's permission. All photos except top deTraci/Olivia photo, used with permission of the Fellowship of Isis Central Webpage.