Loreon Vigne

Loreon Vigne

ArchPriestess of Isis, Fellowship of Isis

Founder Isis Oasis Sanctuary & Temple of Isis (Legal branch of FOI)

June 8, 1932 – July 15, 2014

(photograph courtesy Tim Laughrin, Convocation to Ma'at 2006)

If it was not for the work of Loreon Vigne many Isians would not have heard the call of Isis.

Personally, my own Isis "awakening" occurred due to visiting, unbeknownst to me, Isis Oasis Sanctuary in the heart of Alexander Valley, California in the early 2000s.

Loreon Vigne had a presence like no one I have known. I would like to describe her as a modern day Cleopatra, with the glamour of Elizabeth Taylor, but exerting the deep resonance of Isis herself. Loreon had this queenly presence about her that everyone could attest to. She thoroughly enjoyed the arts in many forms and her life, legacy, and the gift she gave to the world, Isis Oasis Sanctuary, clearly illustrated her artistic vision being channeled from Isis as her priestess.

Loreon was very knowledgeable and had years upon years of experience when in came to ancient Egypt, the Goddess, the occult and metaphysics. Loreon was serious about being a priestess and everywhere she went and with everyone she met ,she blessed and shared the light and joy of the divine Goddess. Loreon's devotion to Isis was insurmountable and she truly held the light of Isis for many finding their way in the darkness of ignorance.

Loreon Vigne visited Utah for Isis Fest 2012 and gave a beautiful past life journey. She was a delight and joy to be around, living in truth and always spreading beauty and joy wherever she went. She will be greatly missed. May Loreon Vigne's spirit and inspiration live as an imperishable star in the heavens. She truly left the world a better place...

Kasey Conder, July 30th 2014

Salt Lake City, Utah

Below is compiled selection of works by the Rt. Rev. Loreon Vigne and works dedicated to her honor and memory. May she inspire! Blessings of Isis.

The 42 Ideals of Ma'at of the Temple of Isis

A Positive Confession for the Present Day

by Loreon Vigne

Founder, Temple of Isis, Geyserville

We venerate Ma’at within the Isian community as the personification of Truth, Justice and Right Action. Her Laws create Divine Order out of Chaos and anarchy, and are the sacred and redemptive precepts by which we in the Temple of Isis strive to live.

The 42 Laws of Ma’at were revealed to Priests and Priestesses in ancient Egypt and codified by them over 5000 years ago. They are a comprehensive set of spiritual and moral laws as valid to us today as they were to worshipers of Isis so many millennia ago. These Laws command our love and respect for the life, dignity and Goddess-given rights of all living things, as well as imposing upon us divine obligations and duties toward them, and our precious planet. By their observance we reflect the light of Isis upon the world, fusing virtue with justice, and aligning individual rights with righteousness.

Today, in the Temple of Isis, we honor the Goddess Ma’at, beloved of all ancient Egyptians. The Translation of Her ‘Laws,’ as they are called, we have now changed to ‘Ideals,’ which may be closer to the meaning of just what they were. It seems that they were a guide to a better way to live. A kind of self help program. Those who were living during ancient times attempted to use these guidelines knowing that the entire society would fare better if they had a kind of code of behavior. It was part of being a civilized human. Upon death one was expected to know how to recite these ideals and to have lived by them. The example of the Feather of Truth being weighed beside the heart of the deceased is a powerful one.

How had one lived their life? If one had done do so in an exemplary manner, that person would be rewarded by having a beautiful afterlife. Otherwise, persons who had lived in a way contrary to Ma‘at, would be totally destroyed by a horrible beast.

These concepts in many ways echo the sentiments of a host of religious beliefs from around the world. It is indeed common for most human beings to want to do good. Yet there are many who ignore this natural phenomenon of our soul. I use the word soul for the ancient Egyptians did not put much significance on the brain, for them intellect came directly from the heart.

‘Know thyself,’ ‘know thy soul,’ ‘know thy heart,’ and ‘know thy purpose’ - this is what they believed. Somehow, even today, it still sounds so right. Thousands of years later, these laws offer insight into a deeper spiritual understanding.

The Laws of Ma’at were re-written and updated from the ancient texts by a panel of nine of our Temple of Isis Priestesses while traveling together in Egypt from November 22 to December 22 in 1995. They were re-written for use in the Temple of Isis as a Positive Confession, instead of in the older form, which is called the Negative Confession. We preach no rigid dogma wthin the Temple of Isis. We embrace all races and genders, and follow the positive and benign principles of the renowned international Fellowship of Isis, out of which, the Temple of Isis was born.

Let us go over the 41 Ideals of Ma’at once again, starting our examination with the first one. We have been changing them a bit from the time since we were first inspired to re-create them for the present day from their older form. The ancient Egyptians listed the first Law of Ma’at as “I have not done iniquity.” We had changed it in 1995 to “I honor virtue” but later felt the word ‘virtue’ was a bit old fashioned, and may not be the right principle. We instead quickly added ‘kindness’ but I realized that we already have the Ideal, ‘I am kind’ and therefore we still needed to find a different principle to honor. I meditated on this for a time, and the best I came up with was ‘I honor Enlightenment’ or ‘I honor Higher Consciousness.’

I consider the first law very important. It needs to encompass just the right sentiment, for within the Laws of Ma’at are all the components that promote a life of purity, harmony and sanctity. “Ma’at is a philosophy, a spiritual symbol as well as a cosmic energy or force which pervades the entire universe.” (Muata Ashby)

In the end, we decided to keep ‘I honor virtue’ as the first Ideal of Ma’at of the Temple of Isis. ‘Virtue’ is the opposite of vice which made me think ... why not a ‘virtue president’ instead of a vice president? Just a thought ...

The 42 Ideals of Ma’at of the Temple of Isis

A Positive Confession for the Present Day

1. I honor virtue

2. I benefit with gratitude

3. I am peaceful

4. I respect the property of others

5. I affirm that all life is sacred

6. I give offerings that are genuine

7. I live in truth

8. I regard all altars with respect

9. I speak with sincerity

10. I consume only my fair share

11. I offer words of good intent

12. I relate in peace

13. I honor animals with reverence

14. I can be trusted

15. I care for the earth

16. I keep my own council

17. I speak positively of others

18. I remain in balance with my emotions

19. I am trustful in my relationships

20. I hold purity in high esteem

21. I spread joy

22. I do the best I can

23. I communicate with compassion

24. I listen to opposing opinions

25. I create harmony

26. I invoke laughter

27. I am open to love in various forms

28. I am forgiving

29. I am kind

30. I act respectfully of others

31. I am accepting

32. I follow my inner guidance

33. I converse with awareness

34. I do good

35. I give blessings

36. I keep the waters pure

37. I speak with good intent

38. I praise the Goddess and the God

39. I am humble

40. I achieve with integrity

41. I advance through my own abilities

42. I embrace the All

About the Author: Loreon Vigne is a member of the ArchPriesthood Union of the Fellowship of Isis, in which she has long been both a member and an ordained priestess. She founded the Temple of Isis at Geyserville, California in 1996. The Temple of Isis is a legally recognized church which offers legal minister status for FOI priesthood members. Loreon writes: "We honor the Goddess Isis, who equates with Mother Earth, and has been worshipped longer than any other deity known on this planet." Loreon also owns and manages the property named Isis Oasis in Geyserville, a retreat center which houses two active temple buildings, the Isis Chapel and the Main Temple.

Original published in "Mirror of Isis" http://mirrorofisis.freeyellow.com/id354.html Shared with permission.

Isis stain glass window at Isis Oasis Grand Temple by Loreon Vigne. Photo Coutesy Tim Laughrin.

We Honor the Earth

By Loreon Vigne

Today we honor the earth ... truly a marvel ... All creatures live on it's surface. It is the Mother of us all. You have to love the earth for it is your very foundation. When one considers the magnificence of the earth and all that which it manifests, it is difficult to imagine why anyone would consider destroying any part of this sphere of total beauty or any of the beings that live upon Her. Still, some are blind or asleep and do not see the gift that the Goddess has given to all Her creatures. Each has a way to survive in a design that suits it's ability to be alive. The pattern of each aspect of that which is intrinsic to the earth is nothing short of a magical miracle.

One of the reasons we have birds and animals and even some insects here at Isis Oasis is to share these precious beings with others. Many never see these creatures otherwise and cannot get in touch with the amazing qualities that they represent. The more wealthy ancient Egyptian households always had compounds of animals giving them insight into the special qualities of these beings. They saw the attributes of animals, birds and insects akin to the spiritual aspects of the Goddesses and Gods and created the anthropomorphic Deities that they worshiped.

Today, as I drove north I contemplated the Earth for it was such a beautiful day. After the rains the green was becoming ever more prevalent and the clouds hung mystically in the valleys of the hills. Some of the trees had turned to a red or orange shade which gave a wonderful effect against the variations of green and the blue of the sky. I remembered a time when I took a drive in March when the pink flowers were coming out on the plum trees while the yellow mustard was sprouting between the black twisted vines. One again the hills were so verdantly green and I passed the river flowing between sturdy boulders and lacy trees. I was so moved that I wrote a song as I drove and copied it down when I came to my destination. It is a song to honor all the manifestations of the earth, and so it is a song to honor Isis as well for She and Osiris are Children of the Earth God Geb and the Sky Goddess Nuit. Nephthys and Set are also the Children of these two and it puts me in mind of the principal that there is also positive and negative, light and dark, and many other manifestations of duality on the earth.

In order to become a Priestess or Priest in the Temple of Isis one needs to be doing something of significance for the planet. This could take many forms. One needs to write a spiritual biography to indicate what it is that they are accomplishing that will enhance life on earth. It need not be a major work but it must have heartfelt meaning. The Goddess, it would seem, has assignments for those that choose to follow her, and she makes this work known in subtle ways.

In the Temple of Isis, we have healers using a wide assortment of modalities. We have groups that work with the military, in hospitals and in prisons. Many work with animal rescue or saving endangered species by breeding them as we do here at Isis Oasis. Others work with children in the teaching profession especially in alternative forms of learning.

And we live by certain sacred principles, some of which are:

I affirm that all life is sacred.

I honor animals with reverence.

I care for the earth.

Original published in "Mirror of Isis". Shared with permission. http://mirrorofisis.freeyellow.com/id600.html

Loreon Vigne: Priestess of Isis

June 8, 1932 – July 15, 2014

By Linda Iles

There simply is no way to write about the life of Loreon Vigne without writing about the Temple of Isis in Geyserville, California at Isis Oasis. She purchased the property and moved onto it in 1978. Once there, she began to envision a future for the land, which involved creating a sanctuary for the Goddess. When she and her husband Paul Ramses visited the three FOI Co-Founders in Ireland in 1983, Loreon had a long talk with Lawrence Durdin-Robertson about her hopes for Isis Oasis. Lawrence took Loreon on a walking tour of the castle and the grounds. He told her “You just have to meet the Goddess halfway.” Shortly after returning to her home at Isis Oasis, she received a letter signed by both Lawrence and his sister Olivia asking if Loreon and Paul would like to become part of the Isian clergy of the Fellowship of Isis. The rite took place by attunement not long after.

I first met Loreon in person during the FOI Convocation in October of 1997, though I had heard of Isis Oasis and spoken to Loreon on the phone before then. Over the years, I became aware of the huge amount of time the day-to-day running of this property entailed. It had become the focus of Loreon’s work as a priestess, it was her life’s work and her legacy, Isis Oasis changed her life. Not many outside of those who were her friends can ever guess what a huge undertaking it was to preserve the land and the temple. It was a responsibility not many would have been able to perform. But Isis knew the heart of Her Daughter Loreon, and Isis chose well.

Loreon wrote these words, taken from a conversation she had with Paul during a getaway weekend in December of 2004:

“We spoke of the Temple of Isis and the reason for its existence. Was it an important entity to maintain in the world? Yes … there is a reason for keeping the Goddess Isis alive today. She is there to wake humankind up to the essence of the Feminine Principle.

If humans could incorporate this concept they might see the uselessness of war and destruction and concentrate more on working hand in hand with nature, to enhance her in all her glory. They would become as nurturing mothers to each other and the whole world would change.”

Caroline Wise sponsored the first FOI Convention in London in 1990. Caroline and several others in London offered meetings of iseums and lyceums, which served as a springboard for future growth of the Fellowship of Isis. Over the years, members have offered their private homes for FOI events. The late Deena Butta facilitated FOI meetings and events in her home for members of FOI Chicago for decades. She also orchestrated annual events, which took place in a local hall.

It has been the vocation of some members to manifest land, which serves as a permanent meeting place for honoring the Sacred Feminine. There are two notable examples within the Fellowship of Isis. The three FOI Co-Founders created the Temple of Isis, the Old Abbey and the Druid Grove on the grounds of Clonegal Castle; in the United States, Loreon created Isis Oasis, home of the Temple of Isis in Geyserville, with a plot of land featuring an Isis Chapel, a theatre which doubles as the Main Temple, a Dining Pavilion and buildings, which offer accommodations to guests.

While the theme of Isis Oasis is predominately ancient Egyptian, deities from other pantheons are honored too. There is an outdoor shrine to Kwan Yin by the tree next to Loreon’s gallery, which was planted in memory of Paul Rameses. Diveena Shapouri, who has Native American ancestry, honored the local spirits and deities on the grounds in ritual work for a decade. Brigid has been honored at Imbolc and the Goddesses Ngame and Yemaya have been honored, to name a few.

To have an actual physical area to gather together away from our homes, to share in fellowship our adventures in life and on our spiritual path is a great blessing. It is a ‘joining of individual hearths’ for a space in time, which proves life changing. Individuals join in ritual, prayer and meditation, and receive confirmation of their experiences from others; and life-long friendships are formed. So many of us have said to each other since the passing of Loreon, how else would we have ever met? For many of us the answer is this – it is unlikely that we would have!

Does the existence of these physical temples take away from the importance of the individual “hearths of the Goddess” within our hearts and homes? No it does not. It adds to the whole experience! What we all bring away from these places we share with others. This demonstrates a favorite saying of Olivia’s “The Goddess adds, She does not subtract.” And that is the mark of a true Goddess devotee, and by extension a true priestess or priest. They do not detract from the work of another, which is a kind of subtraction, instead, they rejoice in the good that others do in the Name of the Goddess.

I would like to close with these words written by Loreon Vigne:

“We all know the saying ‘The Goddess changes everything She touches and everything She touches changes.’ We have been granted so much beauty, love and abundance. Let each of us look inside to see where we can improve and help others to do so as well. Little by little we can help change things and begin to create a world that is truly worth living within.

Let us find a way to bring harmony into our lives through our families, friends and acquaintances. Let us have compassion for those who have little and help them on their way as much as we can. Let us see humanity as one entity, each of us connected to the other. Let peace prevail on earth.

This year is a seven (2014). Like our own bodies we renew all our cells every seven years. Seven was a very magical number in ancient Egypt. Let us circle our altars seven times in silence while contemplating how we are going to make changes in our lives. Think of what it is you want most to be happening for you this year. Give it a form allowing it to manifest into actuality. You too have the power as a Child of Isis to create great changes.”

Evohe, Isis!

Republished with permission of Linda Iles and Isian News. Original published Isian News Issue 153: Lughnasadh 2014 http://www.isiannews.blogspot.com/