Theosophy News Worldwide 1st Quarter 2021

This issue was published on 2021-05-01 or 2 years 8 months ago.

Editorial

Steven Otto

Dear friends of Theosophy,

we should congratulate Adyar. Even if different numbers are reported, from 2,264 registered participants from 80 countries [1] to 2,713 from 73 countries [2], the 145th Adyar Convention shows that hybrid events, with digital and analog presence, seem to be the future. I also remember reading that this was the first convention where revenues exceeded expenses.

And to stay with the topic Adyar: Is it really an election, if there is only one candidate to elect? And if this candidate then receives less than 1/3 of the possible votes [5,162 votes received from 15,746 members], is that a success? Are these rhetorical questions? However, one thing was done different with this (re-)election of Mr. Boyd as president of TS Adyar, than seven years ago: It occurred much quieter with much fewer problems (we reported back then, see section News from TS's).

And sometimes it's curious to read the news. Stephen McDonald, new President of TS Adyar Australia, tells us about his recent conversation with HBP and Olcott ("Last night I had a dream or possibly it was a real event.") about the future of his TS and the world. I wonder if he has regular visits now? In any case, he has our attention, even if I would be one thing above all with such a dream (could happen to all of us): very very skeptical.

Beside this I learned who owns an 1888 hand-painted tarot deck bearing the stamp of Madame Blavatsky or that the painter Clarice Beckett, currently with an well reviewed exhibition in Sydney/Australia could be considered theosophically inspired but also, that the abstruse theories of a humanity infiltrated and controlled by "Reptiloids" goes back, according to some media, to... tadaaaa: Madame Blavatsky. Justified? No! If media (NBC-News etc.) do their remaining work like this, I'm not surprised about the loss of confidence, which more and more people experience with mass-media, see the section Press about Theosophy.

We saw a few months ago the efforts to connect Theosophy and the so called far-right QAnon movement, now the next furious step. Will Theosophical Society/ies react as they should, according to HBP? From experience? You guessed it, a rhetorical question.

But nothing is so shocking (and so explaining) as to find that the major part of the organized theosophical movement, whether Adyar, Point Loma, ULT etc., is led by the counterpart of Theosophy, by means of its esoteric schools or sections, see the last issue of this Newsletter. I'm still struggling with this, more on that in the Topic of the quarter: Black magic, abomination, and spiritual sorcery within the Theosophical Society.

On the other hand, we see that people are talking to each other, digitally, in different formats, worldwide, together on many theosophical topics. Of course it would be better to act than to talk only, but maybe a good development and in this broad almost unthinkable just 5 years ago, see f.e. the social media or video section.

And there are many more interesting things to discover here!

I wish you an interesting reading and a peaceful spring. With kind regards from Germany

Steven Otto
Editor of Theosophy World News

PS: Feedback is welcome and don't forget to spread Theosophy.news -- the must read quarterly -- with your theosophical friends. Thank's for sharing.

Topic of the quarter

Black magic, abomination, and spiritual sorcery within the Theosophical Society

First: I asked within the last Issue: Must secret theosophical organizations be disbanded immediately? And more than 2/3 of the participants answer this question with a clear YES. After all, a clear majority, who understood the problem, like many before us. What kind of problem you may wonder?

The assertion, supported by Blavatsky and the founders of the movement, that so far every secret society -- and the esoteric schools are such -- has been infiltrated and exploited by the opposite of Theosophy (which 2/3 of the readers of this newsletter see similarly) must have it's visible effects. Even if it concerns ULT, Point Loma and almost all other Societies, let's start with Adyar at the example of the 145th Convention.

It starts with numerous prayers, even though Balvatsky made it clear (f.e. in the Key to Theosophy)  that the Theosophical Society does not pray, but rather acts. I wonder what Blavatsky would say about starting a Theosophical Convention with 10 prayers? But it gets much worse, because then, the President (and please don't misunderstand me, it's not about the president here, it's not about people) opened the Convention as follows:

Now let us please rise for the invocation to those Great Ones who guide and protect the Society: May those who are the embodiments of Love Immortal bless with their help and guidance this Society, founded to be a channel for their work. May They inspire it with their Wisdom, strengthen it with their Power, and energize it with their activity. I am now pleased to open this 145th Annual Convention of the TS. [Source: Video, PDF]

But this is not only a useless, naive prayer according to Theosophy, because every reader of the Secret Doctrine knows, that we cannot make the "Hierarchies" obedient to us [SD:1:276], nor that those simply override karma because of human desires, no, this prayer (or invocation) asks for blessing, help and strengthening regarding the own Society, or in other words, a prayer to gain one's own advantage!

Yes, the president (and it's not about the person here) does not pray directly for himself, but he (and all members) prays for his society, which he represents as president, just as, for example, a business leader may pray for the success of his company (from which he also benefits). And what do we know about such efforts with the help of spiritual forces? In Blavatsky's words:

Thus, every such “sacrifice” or prayer to God for [selfish] help is no better than an act of black magic. [SD:1:416] [or] ...send up waves of will-power for selfish or unholy purposes! For this is black magic, abomination, and spiritual sorcery. [Key to Theosophy]

So, Adyar starts it's convention (in my opinion) with a "black magic ceremony", which was to prove, or does anyone believe, that this would happen, if the true founders were the rulers of this society (again, it's not about the persons here, they may are a sincere and good persons!)?

And this is what I mean by saying, that by assuming that the opposite side dominates organized Theosophy (indirectly via indirect influences through the esoteric sections, and of course, black magic attracts bad karma, which in turn makes the bad influences stronger again), a great deal of understanding of the situation of the Theosophical Movement can be gained.

Just the tiny tip of a huge iceberg? However, what do you think: Is this a selfish Invocation and therefore a Black Magic-Prayer?

Is prayer for strenght, inspiration and energy of one's own society selfish and thus black magic?

Choices

Press outside the movement about Theosophy


Art


theIndependentbd.com

W. B. Yeats: The search for the divine, soul, and the identity
It is believed that he was also influenced by theosophy, which is a kind of assimilation of western and eastern philosophy. According to Blavatsky, “Theosophy holds that there is an ancient and secretive brotherhood of spiritual adepts ... read more

 

theConversation.com

Clarice Beckett exhibition is a sensory appreciation of her magical moments in time
Like others around the world, Beckett came under the popular esoteric movement’s spell in the early years of the 20th century. She owned a well-thumbed copy of Madame Blavatsky’s seminal occult text The Voice of Silence, attended spiritualist meetings and moved in artistic circles where post-dinner seances were often held. read more or here

 

25yearslatersite.com

Twin Peaks Episode 17: Midseason Mirage
The organised efforts of the Great White Lodge are directed toward lifting the organised forces of materialism to a higher and spiritual plane.” It even makes an appearance in James Joyce’s Ulysses in a section discussing theosophy and Helena Blavatsky. read more

 

thewire.in

A Portrait of Ruttie Jinnah That Doesn’t Hold Up
Nevertheless, her flirtation with theosophy, under the influence of her friends Annie Besant and Ranji Dwarkadas, a faith which she in the end rejected, seems to point to a wavering commitment to Islam. read more

 

flaunt.com

How We Learned To Stop Worrying and Love The Eye in the Sky (Along with Liars, Fashion, and Ice Pick Lobotomies)
Victoria Turner, Sarah. Enchanted Modernities: Theosophy, the Arts and the American West. Fulgur. Sept 2019. read more

 

hestnuthilllocal.com

Mt. Airy's Krishna Temple explored in powerful new book
Nickels' extremely well researched book examines in fascinating detail local avatars of Hare Krishna, Scientology, “Pop-up Messiahs,” Theosophy, the Amish, Father and Mother Divine, “cults that have become mainstream,” people who claim to be psychic, etc. read more

 

theconcordian.com

Mathematics and spirituality: decoding Hilma af Klint’s work
Born in Stockholm in 1862, af Klint went on to study at Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Meanwhile, she began to immerse herself in spiritualism and Theosophy, a religious movement established in the late 19th century. read more

 

artfixdaily.com

New Exhibition 'Hilma af Klint: The Secret Paintings' To Open In Australia
The Art Gallery of New South Wales will present Hilma af Klint: The Secret Paintings, the first major survey in the Asia Pacific region of visionary Swedish artist Hilma af Klint (1862–1944), whose remarkable body of abstract and mystical paintings bring new perspectives to the narratives of modern art and has become an international sensation. read more

 

globenewswire.com

Athena Gregory shares her journey of spiritual empowerment in ‘Goddess in Residence’
New autobiography inspires and empowers readers to awaken the Goddess hidden within read more

 


False Allegations


nbcnews.com

Like QAnon's Capitol rioters, the Nashville bomber's lizard people theory is deadly serious
The writings of the Russian-born mystic Helena Blavatsky, the founder of Theosophy, bristle with cosmic energies and mysterious knowledge — including her claim of an ancient race of dragon men from a lost continent mentioned in her esoteric 1888 tome, "The Secret Doctrine." read more

 

phindie.com

Religious Cults in Philadelphia: Interview with author Thom Nickels
Madame Blavatsky, called “the great Russian bear,” smoked 200 cigarettes a day and lived in a brownstone at 3420 Sansom Street (now the White Dog Café). In 1874, there were some 300 mediums in the city. Many belonged to different branches of Theosophy and most advocated strict vegetarianism. read more

 

wonkette.com/

Well Of Course The Nashville Bomber Was A Lizard People Guy
If you are not familiar, the general Lizard People theory is that the British Royal Family, the Bushes, the Clintons, the Rothschilds, Kris Kristofferson and others are all 12-foot-tall reptillian humanoids from the Alpha Draconis star system who came here thousands of years ago to rule humans from a secret underground base. Like most crazy shit, this originated with Madame Helena Blavatsky, and was later expounded upon by others. read more

 


Other


The Jerusalem Post

Budapest's Jewish Quarter is being destroyed
Ten years later, followers of the Theosophical Movement, founded by Helena Blavatsky, bought the building. This esoteric movement influenced some of the greatest minds of the turn of the 20th century, including Thomas Edison, Alfred Russel Wallace, Vassily Kandinsky, Paul Gauguin, Arthur Conan Doyle and even Maria Montessori. read more

 

dailynews.com

Filmmaker seeks out esoteric texts for his vast collection on the occult
The expansive collection contains not just books, but esoterica like an 1888 hand-painted tarot deck bearing the stamp of Madame Blavatsky, who co-founded the Theosophical Society of New York. In London, where the deck is from, she established the Blavatsky Lodge in 1887, which inspired a like-minded organization, The Golden Dawn, the following year. read more

 

To be true, religion and philosophy must offer the solution of every problem. That the world is in such a bad condition morally is a conclusive evidence that none of its religions and philosophies--those of the civilized races less than any other--have ever possessed the TRUTH. The right and logical explanations on the subject of the problems of the great dual principles, right and wrong, good and evil, liberty and despotism, pain and pleasure, egotism and altruism, are as impossible to them now as they were 1880 years ago. They are as far from the solution as they ever were, but. . . . "To these there must be somewhere a consistent solution, and if our doctrines will show their competence to offer it, then the world will be the first one to confess, that ours must be the true philosophy, the true religion, the true light, which gives truth and nothing but the TRUTH. . . .

From the article "The Theosophical Society: Its Mission and Its Future" by H. P. Blavatsky, published in Lucifer, August 1888 and especially this paragraph HPB has quoted from the so-called "Maha Cohan Letter".

Upcoming events

TS Adyar Australia

R E A R R A N G E D: National Convention
from july 2021 to january 2022 Perth, Australia
more information

 

TS Adyar Europe

39th European Congress 2021
Healing oneself, healing the World, 2 to 7 August 2021 York, England
more information

 

News from Theosophical Societies

TS Pasadena Australasian Section also published it's March-Issue of its Quarterly.The American Section of TS Pasadena published the fifth Issue of The Spiral Path.

TS Adyar Australia published it's Theosophy in Australia Quarterly, March 2021-Issue, with the first (and directional) editorial of the new president Stephen McDonald.

TS Adyar in India was, as so often, very hardworking, as you can see here with many publications, find all -- as the others -- in the magazine-section of this newsletter too. I recommend the article from Tim Boyd's Presidential Address to the 145th International Convention, as a good overview of various activities of this TS.

TS Adyar Chennai (Adyar-HQ) published the January-, February- and March-Issue of The Theosophist, the recorded sessions of the International Convention 2020 and here the President's Report of Adyars Theosophical Activities (YouTube). And see here the short Message of the re-election of Tim Boyd as International President of the Theosophical Society Adyar for 7 more years.

Do you remember his last election? We reported 2014 here the nominations or about the irregularities and here about the discussion afterwards, what a drama. In this election only one candidate was nominated. Is this even an election, you might ask, but anyway, 15,746 members were eligible to vote and Tim Boyd, as the only candidate, received 5,162 votes or 32,8% (258 were against him, blank or invalide).

TS Adyar America published some articles from the recent Quest Magazine and TS Point Loma - Blavatskyhouse it's new Issue of Lucifer, No. 1 - 2021.

There is a second Issue of The Pan-American Journal of Theosophy Investigation and Paractice from TS Adyar Region Central America and The Caribbean.

The ULT India also published some new Issues of The Theosophical Movement Magazine, see in the magazine section.

 

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.

Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, The Key to Theosophy (London: Theosophical Publishing Society, 1893), p. 90.

Theosophical Magazines

The TS Pasadena Amnerican Section

The Spiral Path
publisher, Issue 005 (pdf)

 

TS (Adyar) in Australia

Theosophy in Australia Quarterly
Newsletter/Quarterly of the TS (Adyar) in Australia
publisher, March 2021 (pdf)

 

The TS (Pasadena) Australasian Section

Theosophy Downunder
Newsletter of the Theosophical Society (Pasadena) Australasian Section
publisher, March 2021 (pdf)

 

The Aquarian Theosophist

The Aquarian Theosophist
publisher, January 2021 (pdf), February 2021 (pdf), March 2021 (pdf)

 

United Lodge of Theosophists (ULT)

The Theosophical Movement Magazine
publisher, January 2021 (pdf), February 2021 (pdf), March 2021 (pdf)

 

The TS Adyar Indian Section

The Indian Theosophist Magazine
publisher, February 2021 (pdf), March 2021 (pdf)

 

The TS Adyar Indian Section

Bombay Theosophical Federation Bulletin
publisher, January 2021 (pdf), March 2021 (pdf)

 

The TS Adyar in North-America

The Quest Magazine
publisher, Winter 2021 (pdf)

 

The TS Adyar HQ

The Theosophist
publisher, January 2021 (pdf), February 2021 (pdf), March 2021 (pdf)

 

The TS Point Loma (TSPL)

Lucifer
publisher, 01/2021 (pdf)

 

New books

Turning Stone Press

The Chela’s Handbook, Compiled by:  William Wilson  Quinn
read more

Balboa Press Australia

Athena Gregory shares her journey of spiritual empowerment in ‘Goddess in Residence’

read more

More books?

There are often in the mentioned magazines above book-reviews or see f. e. the current Blavatsky-News

Articles from Theosophical sites


Hermes-Magazine.com


  • is OFFLINE now

KrotonaArchive.com



Book of Dzyan Blog



TheoScience.org



Theos Talk



Montreal Theosophy Project



Blavatsky News



Theosophy Watch



Theosophy Forward


Videos

Presidential Address TS Adyar - 2020

MAHATMA LETTER 41 and 42 by SANDHYA RANI in THEOSOPHY INDIA - You Tube Channel

THEOSOPHY: THE LOGOS DOCTRINE & THE CYCLE OF LIFE

What is Theosophy? | A Studio Vach Podcast

Joy Mills: Some Fundamental Principles of Theosophy

Talk by Chaganti V K Maithreya on Adyar Day February 17, 2021

THEOSOPHY​ - The Virtual Centre of Theosophical Studies

The “Wisdom religion” is the inheritance of all the nations, the world over.

HPB, SD:1:xviii (Itroductory)

✴✴✴ The End  ✴✴✴

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Thank you - always an interesting read - in fact, my 'go to' for news around the globe anent Theosophy.

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