Tour of the Temple of Isis - Part 2
By Lawrence Durdin-Robertson

Part Two of the Tour Continues:

"Now it is the Chapel of the Mothers, used for initiations. Its barrel vaulted roof serves to represent the womb. Facing the door is the Great Mother, in a modernistic style, and on the wall to its right is a West African Mother Goddess mask. This Chapel also, contains many animal, vegetable and mineral figures made by members, representing the realms of Nature in the Great Mother's womb.


Chapel of the Mothers

"The Chapel has a loophole facing the door, which looks into the Tower room. On the left is the sign Leo, with a naked Venus torso from Yew wood by David. Then follows the sign of Cancer, with Juno Queen of Heaven. At the South angle of Temple beyond Cancer is a passage way in the South, going through the thickness of the walls (6 feet).

Cancer/Juno Shrine

"To the left of the passage is Gemini and the Offertory, at which anyone may choose to light a candle making an intention or a wish. To the left of the Offertory is the sign Taurus, on the right side of the fireplace. Then on the left is the sign Aries with the ram-headed god Amun - Ra on the side of the fireplace; above is a wooden pediment with Isis blessing the Nile. There are two pillars separating the chancel from the nave. Pisces is on the right having a small figure of the Virgin Mary with a miraculous medal of her beneath; this was presented by a nun of the F.C.J. convent of Bunclody, flanked by two small figures of the Boddhisatva.

Foreground: Gemini, Background: Pisces
Aries on Left, Taurus on Right

"Passing through the two pillars one comes into the Chancel on the N.E. wall between the two stained glass windows on the N.E. side is Aquarius, with a dancing figure of Uzume.

Shrine of Aquarius

"Facing the two pillars is the high altar upon which stands a carved elm figure of Isis, carved by David aged 15. It is flanked by 4 candle sticks with a little lamp in front and an African figure on each side. It is within a baldequin, the former brass tabernacle cover from Bunclody Church. The altar-table came originally from the old Chapel. Flowers, either artificial, or natural, often given as gifts, are placed on either side of the altar.

The High Altar

"The South angle of the temple leads into the Hindu chapel, on the N.W. wall just inside the door is a picture of Lakshmi, Goddess of wealth or prosperity (Shree), with the Elephant God Gayanana on one side of her. At the far side of her is an Indian picture of Shiva and Parvati, the Third Persons of the Hindu Trinity. The East has a truer idea than the great Western religions; Judaism, Christianity and Islam do not accept the female as having any official part in the Godhead. Through a narrow door on the N.E. corner is a healing chapel with a large plaster head of Tutankhamon; on each side of him are wooden busts of African Masai female and male figures, presented by Mary Rose and John Macken. Bottles with coloured fluids are on the window sills, used for colour therapy, and also a large cauldron contains different herbs for aroma therapy. This chapel is a sort of museum, with the old Beeston furnace and remains of the hot pipes installed about 1880 by Herbert Robertson, and fire-irons, a spinning wheel, an old kitchen chair. In the southern corner is a large female statue by David of Ceridwen, the white Welsh Goddess 'The White Rock', on the S.W. side is a large oil painting by Anna Currey of a female centaur.


The Healing Chapel

"In the South corner of the Lakshmi chapel is a door with stained glass leading out into the patio supported with brick and granite Monolithic columns. There is some mosaic work on the capitals and some Greek and Cretan tiles. In a trilithon type shrine on the N.E. is a stone carving of Sappho. To the left are the steps to the balcony. Up the steps is an iron figure of Atlanta by Dugel of Paris."

Statue of Atlanta


Return to the FOI History Section
Revisit Part 1 of the Tour

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