The Convocation of the Fellowship of Isis at Geyserville, CA 2004 began Friday October 8, at nightfall with a traditional Maori call by Priestesses Moyae Kennedy and Eva Gambos, both from New Zealand. In clusters of two and three, the attendees gathered around the trunk of the ancient Fir tree at the heart of the recently rejuvenated isis Oasis property. It was quite a sight to see: the hushed crowd of Isis devotees slowly ascended up a long stair flanked the length on either side by flickering candles, to Her Temple. The scent of ocelot musk charged the air and on either side doves and exotic birds murmured in the deepening darkness.

As we reached the summit and stepped onto the portal of the Temple, each attendee was prompted to choose a card from a box. I barely glanced at the card I had drawn because the lighted threshold of the Temple held my attention, magnetically drawing me in - brilliant and beautiful, shining with many candles, lotus flowers, golden icon, and jewel-like stained glass panels of the Egyptian ‘neteru‘.

The central altar was arrayed for the Goddess we had come to honor this weekend: Selket. Beneath winged Isis stood golden Selket, her open arms protecting and embracing a glass pyramid - in which resided a rather intimidating live scorpion surrounded by ankhs and flowers and white candles.

My feelings for this temple are strong. The fact that it is open and public pleases me immensely and makes me feel strong and brave in my faith. It feels as if the Goddess dwells here. Looking a the glowing altar and the proud icon of our beloved Goddess, the flushed faces and bright eyes of the women and men assembled caused my heart to bloom with a feeling I can only describe as love.

I meditated for a while (until I had conquered the lump in my throat) and then my room mate, Rowan Fairgrove and I examined our cards. My card had an image on it: a black widow spider. Rowan’s had a snail. On the back of the cards was a short description of “our” bug. Rowan and I had just met, but we enjoyed each other’s company ad so we chatted and laughed softly as we waited for all the people to assemble and the Homage to Selket ceremony to begin. Rowan mused that the snail totem well represented her tendency to be self-sufficient, “carrying her house on her back,” as she put it. As for me, I nearly always dress in black, I am a web designer, and my husband is a rather petite person compared to my rather corpulent self! All around us we could hear others finding their own meaning in their insects, laughing and teasing.

Then, with the sesheshet sound of the sistrums, Lady Zarita and the attendant priestesses, robed in white and gold, entered the Tempel carrying pots of incense. With ritual gestures, they made offerings of “first fruits”, wine and prayers. In particular the goddess Selket was invoked and honored in her many names of protection, healing and fiery magic, the priestesses calling out and the congregation responding as one throbbing voice, female and male, old and young.

A delightful “Dance of Selket” was performed by Le’ema Kathleen Graham and yogic dancer Sakti Iva Trinka, and then the founder of the Fellowship of Isis, Lady Olivia Robertson came forward to offer her warm welcome and blessing. Next, our hostess, Lady Loreon introduced a group ceremony she called the Akhu Abi. This fun dedication of divine insects to Selket was also an opportunity for the attendees to introduce (or reintroduce) themselves to the Fellowship by approaching the altar one by one, honoring the Goddess, and then telling the congregation a little about oneself and the insect that had “chosen” them. As is to be expected in a Goddess gathering, the synchronicities were thick! From centipede to arachnid ladybug to butterfly, everyone’s creepy crawly totem was “just right” for them, providing not only a perspective on the Goddess but also a glimpse into the hearts and lives of our fellow devotees.

On Saturday morning Priestess Linda Iles guided the congregation in a ritual for “Selket of the Seven Secret Magics” - “She Who Causes the Throat to Breathe.” Linda explained that her ritual was based on the daily awakening ritual for Horus at the Temple of Edfu and that she felt comfortable integrating Selket into this structure because it is known that the ritual of awakening was often the same from temple to temple. “The Goddess,” Linda said in her calm voice, “is approachable for all who come to her with a loving heart.”

Time was set aside in the afternoon on Saturday for the attendees to laze around the pool or gather in the Pavilion. I chose the pool with Erik Hornung’s “Conceptions of God in Ancient Egypt” as my textual companion. “Conceptions” is a rather scholarly work and what with the warm California sun and the lazy figure eights of a Peregrine Falcon high above, my eyelids were soon fluttering and I drifted off into the rustling hieroglyphs - when suddenly I became bodily aware of an aroma and beautiful singing. I couldn’t quite make out the words and very quickly drowsed … until I became dimly aware of the name of Inanna (the first goddess I ever honored) thrilling in the air .. My heart leapt in my chest: these ‘nefer’ sounds, this expanding coil of sage and incense wafted from the Temple! Time for the presentations! I turned to see robed figures moving just beyond the trees. Quickly changing into my clothes, I sped up to the Temple stairs. I was afraid that I may have overslept. Instead, I was right on time. Beautifully robed and diademed priests and priestesses stood on the “front porch” of the Temple, blessing each and every one with incense and icons. The liquid mix of confident, mature women’s voices singing a hymn to Isis Myrionymos spilled onto the courtyard. Once again If elt all gangly and shy-eyed before the perfection of this moment.

“We all come from the goddess …”

Inside the Temple all the Isis folk were gathered in their finery. No sooner had I entered and taken the seat saved for me by Rowan (who knew the song and was smiling and singing full-throatedly) when the priestesses under Nancy Dew’s instruction took the stage. Their costumes were handmade - unique and wonderful. Nancy, High priestess of the Iseum of Isis-Mary, explained, “Each initiate takes on or embodies a goddess. She has lived and learned from her goddess for a year.” It was truly gorgeous to behold! My throat ached with unshed tears. Each woman positively glowed with excitement and joy as she personified her goddess. The initiates each made their presentations, adopting attitudes, aspects, postures and mudras, in the moment, ‘True of Voice.’ It was evident that the initiatory process had been profoundly and uniquely transformative for each woman.

“Blessed Be!”

Sekhmet (Alisa English) shown with bright kinetic ferocity in an expressive dance with narration. Isis Myrionymos (Emily Nelson) re-membered Osiris and spoke of serpents, the uraeus, kundalini and healing. Cerridwen (Karen Cappa), goddess of transformation and inspiration, wore a bright pink wig and tall witch’s hat and bore a cauldron. After she invoked her goddess, Tara (Tara Burkhardt) led the congregation in a chant - “tarataratara” - while seated lotus style on a plinth, crowned with a golden Hindu tiara. A Valkyrie disir (Melanie Oelerich), perhaps Freya, peered bright-eyed through a leather half-head mask as she spoke of dread and desire, struck the stage with her staff and threw back her raven black cloak to reveal fair shoulders and an hourglass figure “to die for.” Embracing mother and terrifying leviatan of the cold, watery abyss, Tiamat (Kathye Hitt) was clad in sea foam and navy blue and draped in yonic cowries. Shekina (Barbara Goodman) appeared in subtly feathered white robes and identified with the feminine soul, the “dwelling place’ of JHVH. Brigid in fructifying green (Nancy McCann) spoke of the eternal return of light and Spring. Mary Magdalene (Jill Barker) was moved to tears as she embodied the Black Madonna. Kwan Yin (Candida Covington) radiated a gentle serenity as she spoke quietly of the vast love and compassion of her bodhisattva. Finally, as it should be, the maid of desolation, the night hag, Lilith (Nancy Dew) threw off her dark robes and strode forth unbridled and unrepentant, crowned, naked, winged, with blood red Cretan labyrinths inscribed on her body and breasts. “In every generation,” says Lilith, “there is a woman who belongs to me.”

That evening we were treated to the play “Isis and Her Seven Scorpion Companions” by Loreon and Zarita. Everyone laughed themselves silly as a whip-cracking Set (gentle Warren) threatened pregnant Isis (Zarita + lump pillow) whereupon the Seven Scorpions spirited Her away to safety, singing “Het tep, Het tep, It’s Isis we protect!” to the tune of the seven dwarves‘ “Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, It’s off to work we go!” Did I mention that the Seven Scorpions each had an oddly familiar attribute .. Shall we say Disneyesque? One sneezed, another was a curmudgeon, a third yawned constantly, and so on. Ptahmassu as the Scorpion King deserves a special shout out for his hilarious spontaneity. I laughed so hard my cheeks hurt! “Author! Author!” shouted the players and everyone came out for a bow.

Sunday morning Rev. Ptahmassu K. M. Nofru-Uaa and Rev. Brent Fraser led us in a soul-stirring service “In the Footsteps of Isis.” After the consecration of the Temple of Isis and the Awakening of the Goddess, each supplicant ‘anointed’ the Goddess and received bread and wine. Then Ptahmassu acknowledged Lady Olivia, Loreon and Zarita in a touching ceremony.

The event concluded with a tearful remember of Lorna McGaw, (mother of deTraci Regula) to whom the devotional program was dedicated “In Loving Memory.”

“Hallow Thy Heart …”

Sunday afternoon was the time for Ordinations in a circle beneath the ancient Douglas Fir. The sun dapples were dancing and tiny insects and pollen were suspended in the golden air, as if this spot were just this side of Faery. There came an influx of newcomers, family and friends who had come specifically to witness the Ordinations, which were presided over by Lady Olivia Robertson, Lady Loreon and Lady Zarita. For each initiate, Lady Olivia anointed their forehead with oil, hallowed the heart with a mantle, dignified the head with a crown and strengthened the hands for good with a staff or wand.

Then she instructed the new Priests, Priestesses and Hierophants to state their intentions and receive blessings and acclamation from those assembled. As they stepped forward, each woman and man who had been ordained shone with the light and love of the Goddess an their words were so heartfelt and true that I fought back tears the entire time and was utterly exhausted at the conclusion of the ceremony. It was like attending a dozen weddings all on the same day!

A Selket Incubation

Early Monday morning I had a scorpion dream: what had at first seemed to be a flea on the forehead of a small ‘Toto’ dog transformed into the shiny brown carapace of a very large scorpion that leapt up and clamped its claws onto each of my sister’s brows, poised to sting her right between the eyes. I was almost paralyzed with fear and indecision about what to do. But the scorpion didn’t strike, nor did it let go. And my sister seemed quite unconcerned. “Don’t worry about it,” she kept saying, waving her hand as if to shoo me off. “Really, it’s okay.” I discussed the scorpion dream with Linda and Falcon at breakfast and they had some very interesting insights - which is another wonderful thing about physically getting together with Priestesses, Priests and devotees - you can actually talk about such things face to face over coffee! No one give you looks. Instead, they jump right in and start talking. And they know what they’ve talking about! What a joy!

All in all, I’d have to say that Convocation was a blast! I had never been to a convocation and this was only my second goddess gathering. I am thrilled to have been a part of honoring Selket and I learned a lot about other Goddesses and traditions, as well. The rituals were so moving and the Ordinations wee wonderful, but I think that thing I enjoyed most was something quite simple: meeting and sharing with like-minded others. I look forward to attending Convocation next year. Perhaps I’ll see YOU there! And perhaps you’ll see me: I’ll be the one dressed all in black, the black widow spider ;-)