"The Druid Clan of Dana focuses on the development of telepathy, spirit communication and awareness of other spheres." - From the "Handbook of the Fellowship of Isis", edited by Olivia Robertson, Cesara Publications, quote used by permission.

"The emphasis of the Clan, based on the elemental powers innate in every sacred spot on earth, is to develop psychic gifts." - From the "Handbook of the Fellowship of Isis", edited by Olivia Robertson, Cesara Publications, quote used by permission.

"Nature is restoring the psychic faculties, which are part of the endowment of Homo Sapiens.  Here, then is a tentative theory which might explain the loss and also the return of the Cult of the Goddess." - From "The Religion of the Goddess" previously published as "The Cult of the Goddess", Lawrence Durdin-Robertson, from a lecture given at the Wexford Arts Centre, October 26th, 1974.

The village of Cluain na nGall, or in English, "the Meadow of the Stranger" is set in a valley between the Blackstairs and Wicklow Mountains. Another form of this name is Claun i Gabhla, named after Eithne of the Long Fork. It is situated where the rivers Slaney (or Slainte, River of Healing) and Derry (or Doire, meaning Grove of the Oak) meet near the boundaries of the counties Carlow, Wicklow and Wexford. Locally this area was known as the foot of the Macha, one of the many aspects of the Irish Mother Goddess, and tradition holds this location to be an ancient matriarchal center for the mysteries. This is also the site of Cluain na nGall, or Clonegal Castle, the hereditary home of the founders of the Fellowship of Isis.

The Robertson branch of Olivia and Lawrence’s family is descended from the 17th century Lord Esmonde who built Clonegal Castle in 1625, and married Ellice O’Flaherty, grand-daughter of Grace O’Malley, hereditary Queen of Connaught. This castle is one of the few remaining 17th century castles still in private ownership, and still in ownership by the founding family. The ancestral lines of the Durdin-Robertson family go back even further than that, to the Clann Donnachaidh of Ireland, which emigrated to Scotland around 1,500 years ago. Donnachaidh, or Duncan, was later changed to Robertson to honour Robert the Bruce. Herbert Robertson, M.P. who was the grandfather of Lawrence and Olivia returned to Ireland when he married Helen Durdin, the owner of Clonegal Castle. Herbert Robertson work the book "Stemmata Robertson" which traces the family’s ancestral roots deep into Irish history. The author Robert Graves, a cousin of the Durdin-Robertsons, included in his work "The White Goddess", the Druid Tree Alphabet.

When she was a young girl, Olivia, accompanied by her brother, would visit an elderly hermit who was a Druid, named Daniel Fox. He was the one who first taught them about the Old Druidic Ways. Philip Ross Nichols, who was the Chosen Chief of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids also visited Clonegal in the 1960’s and joined them in Druid rituals. During this period, he gave both Olivia and Lawrence Druidic initiations. Philip Carr-Gomm, the successor of Philip Ross Nichols, also visited and worked with Olivia and Lawrence at Clonegal Castle during the late 1960’s through the 1970’s. This is the lineage upon which Olivia and Lawrence founded the Druid Clan of Dana within the Fellowship of Isis in 1992.

Rites were performed at the Temple of Dana completely in the Gaelic tongue by Ben McBrady, who also offered a prayer in Gaelic invoking the Goddess Dana and the Tuatha de Danaan, asking them to protect the earth.  Ben McBrady was titled Brady (or Chief) of the Name and Herenach of the Two Kilmores. He was Aircinneac and Herenach of a pre-Druid Megalithic Order which was called “The Old Gaelic Order,” often referred to simply as “The Order.” (*see Note, below)

Olivia had her first vision of the Goddess Dana in 1952. Olivia says "Wherever Dana comes, She brings love, compassion and wisdom." Olivia, worked regularly with the medium Dorothy Ryan, and sometimes with John Doran, a famous Healer, seventh son of a seventh son. Between 1960 to 1974 the Goddess Dana appeared to them regularly in a series of visions.

Olivia and Lawrence founded their own Grove of Eithne at Clonegal Castle. Druidic rituals are still practiced at the ruins of the Old Abbey, parts of which date to the 14th century, and which is situated on the property of their ancestral home. The Old Abbey is now called The Temple of Dana, within it is found a dolmen altar and two marble vessels containing rain water. Also near the castle in a field is the ancient Bullawn Stone, used thousands of years ago for grinding corn, the depression in it holds rainwater still used for purposes of healing by the local people. At the turn of the century a meteorite landed near the castle avenue and glowed for two years and provided a warm perch for crows, the birds of Morrigan. A meteorite is a legendary marker for a holy place. Olivia and Lawrence began using the Old Abbey as Temple of Dana and the Bullawn Stone for Druidic rites in 1963 with Philip Ross Nichols.

The purpose of the Druid Clan of Dana is to develop psychic gifts. This can be done by attuning to the elemental powers innate in every sacred spot on earth. Druid Clan of Dana centers are called Groves, and the Patron and Patroness Deity of each Grove can be of any pantheon, or cultural heritage.

For more about the work and history of the Druid Clan of Dana please click here.

 

INITIATION into a Grove of the Druid Clan of Dana

The FOI Liturgy rite "Rite of Dana" is the ritual used for Initiation into a Druid Clan of Dana Grove. This rite confers the designation of Grove Companion upon an individual who is willing to commit to the work of the Grove. This rite is separate from the Rites of the Grades listed above.

The Rite of Dana (Druid Initiation)

The Druid Clan of Dana of the Fellowship of Isis was founded in 1992. “The Rite of Dana. Druid Initiation.” was published in 1992.  The first Groves of the Druid Clan of Dana were founded that same year (1992), most notably the Grove of the Four Elements of London, which counted John Merron, Caroline Wise and Steve Wilson as founding members. The guidelines presented below, containing a spiral of twelve rituals for the Druid Clan of Dana, were introduced much later, in 2002. Many FOI Druid Clan of Dana Groves were in operation for several years, some for as long as long as 10 years, before the guidelines below were created.

FOI Co-Founder Olivia Robertson writes (*) that the work of all FOI centres, including their individual coursework, ordinations, consecrations and certification of degrees is honored. There can be no ‘rigid laws’ as exist in hierarchic Churches and Orders. Heads of centers rely on psychic consensus of the group and guidance through intuition and the manifestation of particular attributes of the Deity or Deities concerned in their centre, therefore there can be no set curriculum. Thus, heads of centres, through inspiration from their particular Deity or Deities, produce their own training course, which is based on the rituals of the FOI liturgy. 

Many heads of centres have had long experience in the spiritual field and choose to create their own course. The following is intended as a suggestion for those others, who desire guidelines for the forming of a course.

(*) Sources: Original Fellowship of Isis Handbook (1992). Original College of Isis Manual (1992). 

Rites and Grades of the Druid Clan of Dana

The Druid Clan of Dana has 12 Initiations divided into 4 Grades. It is up to the ArchDruid/ess of each Grove to provide a structured course of study which centers around the Druid Clan of Dana Initiation Rites. As with all other branches of the Fellowship of Isis, each course of study offered within a Grove is unique and original to that particular Grove, based on divine guidance and awareness as presented to the Head of the Grove by the Patron or Patroness Deities. Each Grove is dedicated to a God and a Goddess, thereby providing a balance of male and female energies.

The Grades and Rites for the Druid Clan of Dana are to be found in the FOI books, "Fortuna: Creation Through the Goddess", "Rite of Dana" and "Isis of Fellowship, How the Fellowship of Isis was Founded", chapter 9.

A newer book of rituals incorporates additional rites into a second spiral for the Druid Clan of Dana.  The title is "Isthar of the Starry Heavens, Shape-Shifting of the Alchemical Twins".  The first three rituals are used for the First Grade, the second three rituals for the Second Grade, the third three for the Third Grade and the fourth three for the Fourth Grade.

A link to "Ishtar of the Starry Heavens, Shape-Shifting of the Alchemical Twins" and a listing of the rituals and the grades they are corresponded to is provided directly below.

Ishtar of the Starry Heavens, Shape-Shifting of the Alchemical Twins (All Rites)

1st Grade: Bard

1. Magic of the Centaur

2. Who May Know Leviathan?

3. Prophecy of the Raven

2nd Grade: Druid/ess

4. The Cobra Rises

5. White Transformation

6. Golden Eyes: Black Night

3rd Grade: Herenach

7. Divine Madness of the March Hare

8. The Virgin Chooses the Unicorn

9. Mirrors of Deception

4th Grade: Archdruid/ess

10. The Dark Horse of Night

11. Wings of Heaven

12. Dragon Seed

A link to "Fortuna, Creation Through the Goddess" and a listing of the rituals and the grades they are corresponded to is provided directly below.

Fortuna, Creation Through the Goddess (All Rites)

1st Grade: Bard

1. Riddle of the Sphinx

2. Monkey Pilgrim

3. The Power Users

2nd Grade: Druid/ess

4. Throne of Destiny

5. Rainbow Bridge

6. Cesara’s Ark

3rd Grade: Herenach

7. Weighing the Heart

8. The Plumed Serpent Awakens

9. The Tablets of Fate

4th Grade: Archdruid/ess

10. The Shining Twins

11. Pillar of Fire

12. Cone of Creation

CONSECRATION of Bard, Druid, Herenach and ArchDruidess

The Archdruid/ess of a Druid Clan of Dana Grove has the authority to create consecration rites for the following grades:

Bard

Druid

Herenach

Consecration of an Archdruid/ess is performed when a Herenach of a Grove has finished the course of study and dramas to qualify as an ArchDruid/ess. The new ArchDruid/ess then has the right to found a Grove within the Druid Clan of Dana. This rite is separate from the Rites of the Grades listed above. 

Consecration of an ArchDruidess / ArchDruid