Dear friends of theosophy,
with this 33rd quarterly issue Theosophy World News starts it's 9th year to give all interested people a quick overview of international happenings in the field of Theosophy. And while the 4th quarter is often a very busy one, the 1st quarter is usually quieter.
Serveral events came in, for example a new World Congress and new European Congress were announced, but also an International Seminar: Exploring the Powers in Humankind with a very interesting science oriented line up, in which also one of my former professors participates, Dr.rer.nat. Dr.phil. Walter von Lucadou, more about it an the other upcoming international Theosophy-events in the Event section.
Did you know that something that the Voyager spacecraft carrying, floating somewhere in outer space, comes from the Blavatsky Lodge in Gamdevi? Or that the spiritual beliefs of the author of the novel "What Dreams May Come" (the same name movie is well known) including the 19th-century Theosophy movement? This and other interesting mentions of Theosophy, this quarter e.g. in the Financial Times, The Washington Post or The New York Times, you can read in the Press Review section, where also Annie Besant is a major topic.
And moral education, in my opinion one of the most important tasks of Theosophy, was not neglected either. Theosophical Movement Magazine featured an article The Power of Ideal or Purification and the Higher Spiritual Path by William Wilson Quinn in the January-issue of the Theosophist and last but not least the current issue of Theosophy Downunder leads in this direction, for example Practical Spiritual Practice. More of this and other stuff in the section with all 15 newly published magazines.
What else? The second time the blog Theosophy Watch was without new content, which would really be a loss, anyone know more? And who always wanted to know how many members TS in America has: currently 3,371 (Source).
As always, there is much more to discover here, just scroll down and read what the movement moves and if you haven't signed up for this free newsletter yet, do so now, so you don't miss the next issue.
I wish you an informative read and a peaceful spring.
With kind regards from Germany
Steven Otto
Editor of Theosophy World News
PS: For all German readers, I've launched a new website, Theosophie.online, take a look...
You will find the following sections below:
Topic of the quarter | Upcoming (int. or nationwide) events | News from Theosophical Societies | Articles from Theosophical sites | Theosophical Magazines | Press about Theosophy | Twitter | Facebook | Videos | New Books | Letter to the editor | Comments
THEOSOPHY
An incredible but true story told to us by gqindia.com: "Floating somewhere in outer space, about three billion km away from the sun is the Voyager spacecraft carrying two phonograph records... On one of these records.. is the voice of a lady called Kesarbai Kerkar. It was at Blavatsky Lodge in Gamdevi that Kerkar recorded a song that would eventually be selected by ethnomusicologist Robert E Browne to be sent out into space." more about it here.
Annie Besant, Mohandas Gandhi and the independence of India alongside Theosophy were a big topic not only in the Indian press: Theosophy and Gandhi: How Mahatma learned from occult group (dailysabah.com), Annie Besant: The Champion Of Women’s Rights (madrascourier.com), These ‘Foreign Hands’ Left Their Homes to Fight For India’s Freedom (thewire.in), Once Upon a Time, India Inspired the World (foreignpolicy.com) or Why These Westerners Disavowed Imperialism to Fight for India's Independence (time.com) are examples of this.
But besides the "glorification", there are also harsher tones in the reporting of the international press in connection with Annie Besant, namely in connection with Krishnamurti. In the newly published book "Accidental Gods", f.e. Financal Times and thecritic.co.uk reoprted, Anna Della Subi, the author, writes about "a tragicomic story concerns Annie Besant", when "in 1909, Besant and her ally, the pederastic priest, Charles Leadbeater, began grooming the ten-year old Jiddu Krishnamurti as the incarnation of the World Teacher". The innocent Krishnamurti graces the cover of the book beside politicians and princes worshipped as deities. That Krishnamurti would have been worshipped as a god, however, is not to be reconciled with the facts.
The Buddhism revival in Asia at the turn of the century before last is closely linked to Theosophy. Thecitizen.in highlights a lesser known aspect of this history with Bengali Bhadralok, which was "16 when he met Theosophists Col. Henry Olcott and Madam Helena Blavatsky in Colombo".
Risingkashmir.com published an article about the The Heritage Institution mentioned “The Kashyapa Lodge of the Theosophical Society came together under the inspiring leadership of Prof S.K. Toshkhani .... to achieve the aim we must educate females. This resulted in the formation of the Woman's Welfare Trust in 1925 - the golden jubilee year of the theosophical society” in Kashmir.
ART
Do you know Richard Matheson? Then maybe the known movie "What Dreams May Come"? He wrote the book about it (a novel 1978) and too many more, read about his work in Richard Matheson, The Influential Science Fiction Writer You've Never Heard Of at slashfilm.com. His "spiritual beliefs including the esoteric 19th-century Theosophy movement", interesting, isn't it?
In different parts of the world Hilma Af Klimt was again a subject inspired by theosophy. Recently Hilma af Klint was the most visited exhibition ever for the Guggenheim Museum in New York, with 600,000 visitors (we reported) and you can read about her relationship with Steimer here (scoop.co.nz). Also the New York Times reports about her current exhibition ‘Cosmic Geometries’ in Manhattan, which also shows works by her. Additional: 9 Women Artists Celebrating the Spirituality and Legacy of Hilma af Klint (artsy.net) even if I can recognize, if at all, only 3.
About the theosophy inspirated Painter Agnes Pelton and her Transcendental Painting Group you can read here in floridaweekly.com.
And other Artists associated with Theosophy found mention in the press, for example Scriabin, "reading HP Blavatsky’s The Key to Theosophy in French translation, a book which seemed to further fuel his ambition for his Mystery project" (classical-music.com), Franz Marc "close friend of Kandinski Expressionist group of artists known as Der Blaue Reiter ... but both artists were fascinated by theosophy" (christies.com), Rukmini Arundale "a dancer who adopted theosophy as a way of life" (indiatoday.in), Francesco Clemente "his philosophical engagements with Jiddu Krishnamurti and theosophy are well-known aspects of his biography" (artforum.com), the recently deceased Maria Mariani "guided by theosophy" (brooklynrail.org) and not at least Piet Mondrian (donga.com) and Vasily Kandinsky in the Wall Street Journal about its current exhibition at Guggenheim Museum through Sept. 5.
MISCELLANEOUS
The first woman to "hold an endowed lectureship in the English Department at the University of California at Berkeley", "eccentric Irish mystic, poet and Celtic mythologist Ella Young", was a topic at irishecho.com, as we get to know, her "interest in the spirit world led her to join the Hermetic Society, the Dublin branch of the Theosophical Society".
Sylvia Cranston’s book "H.P.B.: The Extraordinary Life & Influence of Helena Blavatsky" got a mention in I like unusual books. Here’s what I’d read — if I had time at the WashingtonPost.com, Helena Blavatsky itself and her work The Secret Doctrine in the article What is manifesting and can it help you attract what you want? "which ideas was backed up by 20th-century writers Napoleon Hill (Think and Grow Rich, 1937) and Louise Hay (You Can Heal Your Life, 1984)" (getthegloss.com) and in the article Gnosticism and Modern Science at least tries to connect the occult f.e. Blavatsky, with the big bang from a christian point of view seems forgetting that this theory was conceived by a Catholic priest.
If the ʺspirit,ʺ or the divine portion of the soul, is preëxistent as a distinct being from all eternity, as Origen, Synesius and other Christian fathers and philosophers taught, and if it is the same, and nothing more than the metaphysically‐objective soul, how can it be otherwise than eternal? And what matters it in such a case, whether man leads an animal or a pure life, if, do what he may, he can never lose his individuality? This doctrine is as pernicious in its consequences as that of vicarious atonement. Had the latter dogma, in company with the false idea that we are all immortal, been demonstrated to the world in its true light, humanity would have been bettered by its propagation.
TS Adyar Australia and others
ITC-Board (ULT, TSPL, Adyar)
TS Adyar Netherlands and others
ITC Naarden / TS Adyar
Europ. Fed. of the TS Adyar and TS Adyar in England
European School of Theosophy
European School of Theosophy
TS Adyar
The TS Point Loma published an article to help restore Peace.
TOS USA gave us an Update about it's Work with Ukraine, Animal Healing Network and started also the "Legacy Project", which purpose is to interview Theosophists via Video.
ULT London informs us about new price list with some prices reduced
As said, this newsletter should become more focused, so here no more references to the new events or published magazines of the individual TS, since these are to be found in the Event section and the magazine section.
For some of the most watched new published videos from the different TS visit the video section.
Via social-media (see Facebook section) I received the news of the passing away of C.V.K. Maithreya, a worldwide known and appreciated theosophist, on 17th January 2022. My condolences to the relatives. There were a noticeable number of obituaries this quarter (e.g. for Thich Nhat Hanh or Dr. N.C. Ramanujachari).
At this point also 2 notes, for the sake of fairness, because I also often criticize: Mr. Smoley, editor of Quest Magazine, in his editorial points to a specific non-profit project of the TS in America, the Prison Program, which is "often overlooked" and featured in the current issue and Mrs Linda Oliveira, former international Vice-President of the TS, also National President of the TS in Australia, gives an insight about how she see the Esoteric Section Adyar in the article The Esoteric School of Theosophy in the February issue of the Theosophist.
By the way, in the last issues topic of the quarter (where I have dealt in detail with the membership crisis of TS) asked the question whether there is still hope for the organized part of the theosophical movement and (only?) 65% answered with a firm yes.
Devachan is the idealized continuation of the terrestrial life just left behind, a period of retributive adjustment, and a reward for unmerited wrongs and sufferings undergone in that special life.
The TS (Pasadena) Australasian Section
TS (Adyar) in Australia
The Aquarian Theosophist
United Lodge of Theosophists (ULT)
Theosophy Watch without new content, also Blavatsky News and Mr. Reigle's blog etc., in fact it has not been that quiet so far in this section.
Theosophy Forward
Montreal Theosophy Project
Theos Talk
The function of Theosophists is to open men's hearts and understandings to charity, justice, and generosity, attributes which belong specifically to the human kingdom and are natural to man when he has developed the qualities of a human being. Theosophy teaches the animal-man to be a human-man; and when people have learnt to think and feel as truly human beings should feel and think, they will act humanely, and works of charity, justice, and generosity will be done spontaneously by all.
Thank you for mailing the…
Hello Brigitte, thank you…
Hello Brigitte, thank you for your warm words but to be correct, here's only an international newsletter, not a society :)
Local infos from the web maybe helpful:
HERMES LODGE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY
V5S 1Z1 Vancouver
British Columbia - Canada