Theosophy News Worldwide 4th Quarter 2022

This issue was published on 2023-01-28 or 1 year 6 months ago.

Editorial

Dear friends of Theosophy,

a new year -- or starting a new cycle on our impressive way around the sun -- has begun, but with this 36th issue of Theosophy World News we take a look back at all that happened in the matter of Theosophy in the last quarter of 2022.

First, many international events took place, f.e. European School of Theosophy's International Theos. History Conference and European School of Theosophy 2022 in October, but I did not find videos about it yet, also the 15th Indo-Pacific Conference and the VI International Theosophical Congress in Russia, all Adyar-related. Find the future events in the events section.

Secondly, I have been told from various sides the presumed reasons (officially no exact reasons have been given) for the liquidation of the Adamant Lodge Russia by TS Adyar, we reported in the last issue. Adyar was probably forced to separate, because the members of the lodge openly and actively declared their support for the course of their president. Please forgive me for formulating this in such a neutral way. There are some things I don't want to have anything to do with and politics in a broader sense is one of them.

And what else? Well, that you can read in this issue. In the Topic of the Quarter we deal again with the topic of the $64 million land deal of TS Adyar Chennai, because believe it or not, the leasing contract has been completely leaked to the (digital) public.

In the press outside the Movement, Theosophy has been in the last quarter mainly under the sign of Hilma af Klint, besides (f.e.) Shambala, Eddy Brothers' farm and Atlantis. Now, that this also Theosophy-inspired artist is in her rightful place in history, as the founder of abstract art, for which this history had to be rewritten a few years ago (better late than never), the wave of enthusiasm continues, recently f.e. in the Guardian. There is an exhibition at Tate Modern in London from April, NFTs (digital art objects in the context of the blockchain hype) and a biography were published, she makes her debut in the Metaverse (Mark Zuckerberg's idea of the future of the digital world) and her works embellish London's Regent's Park in digital form (augmented reality).

And of course there are again interesting news, from the theosophical societies: there is an interesting cooperation with Anthroposophists and Rosicrucians, a special peace edition from the magazine Lucifer and beside other news, finally the videos of the 39th European Congress Adyar are online. And also again numerous published theosophical magazines, and articles in theosophical blogs, which all are created with a lot of love. The social media and video section is unfortunately omitted due to time constraints.

Not least I would like to draw your attention to a new independent theosophical website from a long time member of TS Pasadena: https://www.theosophicalvisions.com and to a new publication in the Occasional Papers Series (No. XV)., read f.e. in theosophyforward.com. As James A. Santucci, Ph.D. told me:

The publication came out in September 2023 and is available only in print form. Originally it was intended to serve as a catalogue for an exhibit held between September 15, 2016 and March 2020, but since then it was expanded to include a more complete picture of the Point Loma Theosophical community from 1897 to 1942. This is the most extensive review of all the activities of LOMALAND currently in print.

You can purchase it or get more information about it via jsantucci@fullerton.edu.

If you don't already receive this great time saver by email, check in now. And now I wish you an informative read and a peaceful winter (or summer, as the case may be).

With kind regards from Germany

Steven Otto
Editor of Theosophy World News

PS: Feedback is welcome and please spread Theosophy.news -- the must read quarterly -- with your theosophical friends. Thank You for supporting this independent theosophical non-profit project.

You will find the following sections below:

Topic of the quarter

Leasing contract between TS Adyar and Shiv Nadar Trust uncovered

Tim Boyd, President of TS Adyar, briefly addressed the leasing deal with Shiv Nadar Trust at the 147th Adyar Convention, specifically at its opening, see the video excerpt here, he said among other things: that the deal is a

"financial benefit for the TS for many years to come,... first thing that had to be known ... the place [Damodar garden] is dedicated to harmlessness, vegetarian diet ... will be a requirement from our site... respect for the environment, ecologically is a requirement ... respect for the lifeforms that are here is a requirement, dissecting of animals is an impossibility, so these were basic things before we even starting to talk ... [and this] is what this school [Shiv Nadar Trust] met and going beyond in the sense that ecologically speaking its going to be a school that is not only will be carbon neutral ... any tree that is there, any older grown tree will minimally be moved to a new place or will be build around ... we not loosing any of that."

All these are things, we knew already since summer [theosophy.news reported within the Q2.22-issue] either from the TS (via The Theosophist, July 2022, page 41) or from the Shiv Nadar Foundation itself (via Indian Times), except, that in the Theosophist was still the talk about "carbon-positivness" and the "highest LEED-standards" (see Wikipedia for explanation) as follows:

"The school will be constructed to the highest LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) sustainability standard, and will not only be “carbon-neutral” but will actually be “carbon-positive”, creating an environmental benefit by removing carbon dioxide from its environment."

In the further Boyd downplays the topic, as a not necessarily major topic, only an income stream, nothing for which the TS was founded, but he is convinced, that without this income stream, the work of the TS would disappear, what one can see like this, but certainly does not have to see like this.

But now, latest at the beginning of November, it became known, that Mr. Ramadoss from Theos Talk got and later published the contract between TS Adyar and Shiv Nadar Trust, which is in public domain, if you know, where to search, as Mr. Ramadoss stated. Here you can view and download the contract, if you are a member of Theos talk group.

Now is the chance, to take a closer look at the many promises. What of them is really contractually secured?

First, the "vegetarian diet" etc. seems so (Mr. Ramadoss disagrees in this point), even if there is no talk of banning but only of "discourage", one can find:

"9.10 In Consonance with the core values of Lessor, the Lesse shall actively discourage bringing and / or consuming non-vegetarian food items, alcoholic beverages and tobacco based items in the school premises, and would take appropriate and reasonable action against anyone found in violation of this clause."

In India, given the facts and circumstances, anything else would probably quickly end in problems. But what can you find in the contract about the subjects of trees, impossibility of dissecting animals, carbon-positivness or the highest LEED-standards?

Nothing, nothing specific.

And that's quite disappointing, isn't it. Did they just want to see the first wave against this project, which was to be expected with such an intervention in such a place, smoothed with soothing words (more exact: nice promises)?

If you put planning and current conditions in Damodar Garden side by side, as happened in this picture --- which I made from this source, the Shiv Nadar School-YouTube-Channel, which contains, among other things, a look into the future and shows the planning --- you can see that relatively many of the trees will not survive this impact, even, if the Banyan-Tree is in the planning.

And now your opinion is needed, what do you think: Will they stick to the warm words and nice promises that have been uttered, or will they ultimately only fulfill what is written in the contract?

Press outside the movement about Theosophy

THEOSOPHY

_{cbdnews.com.au}

Melbourne Theosophical Society turns a page with new-look bookshop

The CBD’s Melbourne Theosophical Society (MTS) has announced its iconic metaphysical bookshop and library has reopened with a new-look community space.
read more

_{mentalfloss.com/sub>}

Madame Blavatsky, the Woman Who Brought the Occult to America

In October 1874, a Russian woman named Madame Blavatsky arrived on a farm in Chittenden, Vermont. It was no ordinary country outing: She had traveled to the Eddy Brothers’ farm
read more

_{iflscience.com}

Why Archaeologists Are Not Looking For Atlantis

This book [Ignatius Donnelly, Atlantis: The Antediluvian World] and Madame Blavatsky’s had a huge impact on what would become known as “Atlantaology” but are also the beginnings of the idea that real historical (and notably, non-white) ancient civilizations weren’t capable of sophisticated existence without the help of a mythical people, an ideology that would take a very dark turn.
read more

_cracked.com

The Real Time The USSR Tried To Visit A Magical City

The Theosophists came to believe that Shambhala was the wondrous city of the Ancient Masters, located deep within the Earth, which could only be reached through a hidden valley in Tibet. It was this version of Shambhala that Barchenko became obsessed with reaching. But 1920s Tibet was a wild and dangerous place
read more

_scroll.in

How an Irish poet [James Henry Cousins] and playwright became a part of India’s cultural mosaic

It was also in Dublin that James met his wife Margaret (Gretta as she preferred to be called), a key figure in the women’s suffrage movement in Ireland. The two embraced and propagated vegetarianism and became involved in Helena Blavatsky’s Theosophical Foundation. Around the time of the beginning of the First World War, they decided to make the life-changing move to India.
read more

_{nationaltoday.com}

Jawaharlal Nehru

From an early age, he became interested in theosophy and aware of the religious and cultural heritage of India through Buddhist and Hindu scriptures. However, the Second Boer War and the Russo-Japanese War brought about a new chapter, as his views became more nationalist-oriented.
read more

ART

_{theartnewspaper.com}

Hilma af Klint goes multimedia: NFTs launched on Pharrell Williams's Goda platform are latest digital offering of Abstract artist's work

Af Klint—who dabbled in spiritualism and automatic drawing in a group of Stockholm women artists called the Five—followed Rudolf Steiner, the philosopher of spiritual science, and the mystic Madame Blavatsky into the fashionable, well-funded Theosophical movement.
read more

_{theartnewspaper.com}

Walk with Hilma af Klint: AR brings works by the mystic mother of abstraction to London's Regent's Park

Af Klint, who dabbled in spiritualism and automatic drawing in a group of Stockholm women artists called the Five, followed Rudolf Steiner, the philosopher of spiritual science, and the mystic Madame Blavatsky into the fashionable, well-funded Theosophical movement.
read more

_{nftevening.com}

Hilma af Klint Artwork Makes Its Metaverse Debut

Furthermore, Hilma af Klint was originally a Christian but began exploring spiritualism. As a result, she became interested in Rudolf Steiner’s Rosicrucian theosophy and anthroposophy.
read more

_{traveltomorrow.com}

Hilma af Klint: the mystical pioneer of abstract art

Hilma Af Klimt, born in 1862 in Sweden, was a mystic and spiritist who dedicated her life to giving form in her paintings to the invisible reality of the spirit world. She was a follower of the then-contemporary “theosophy” movement (inspired by the Russian Helena Blavatsky)
read more

_{theguardian.com/sub>}

Hilma af Klint: Swedish mystic hailed as the true pioneer of abstract art

Almost 80 years after her death, a biography will be published this month, Tate Modern plans a 2023 exhibition, and she is the subject of a film, as she is finally recognised as a visionary artist
read more

_frieze.com

Immerse Yourself in the Visionary World of Hilma af Klint

The publication of the final volume of the artist’s Catalogue Raisonné, and a VR experience in London in Frieze Week, offer a unique encounter with the trailblazing artist
read more

_{fadmagazine.com}

Hilma af Klint + Piet Mondrian : Forms of Life

Across Europe, artists and thinkers like af Klint and Mondrian turned to esoteric movements like theosophy and anthroposophy as a way of reconciling religion with the modern world // Hilma af Klint and Piet Mondrian: Forms of Life, Tate Modern, 20th April – 3rd September 2023 // This will be the largest presentation of Hilma af Klint’s work in the UK to date.
read more

_{theguardian.comsub>}

Hilma af Klint: A Biography by Julia Voss review – portrait of the painter as a mystic

The Swedish abstract artist who conversed with the dead is described as a woman years ahead of her time in this scholarly, sympathetic study Hilma af Klint: A Biography by Julia Voss (translated by Anne Posten) is published by University of Chicago Press (£28). To support the Guardian and Observer order your copy at guardianbookshop.com.
read more

_forbes.com

The Timeless Shimmer Of Beatrice Wood

A follower of Theosophy and of its main proponent Krishnamurti, she settled near Ojai, California to be near his center.
read more

OTHER

_{news9live.com}

Edwin Lutyens: Know about the British architect who designed New Delhi and Rashtrapati Bhavan

In April 1897, Lutyens married Lady Emily Bulwer-Lytton, daughter of the late Viceroy of India, Edward Bulwer-Lytton. They had five children, but the marriage experienced a period of near-estrangement on account of Emily’s heavy involvement with Theosophy and devotion to the spiritual leader Jiddu Krishnamurti.
read more

_{thehansindia.com}

Book: The Crash of a Civilization

As noted earlier, Jesus was most likely born in the sect called Essene. The founder of the Theosophical Society, Helena Blavatsky, suggested that Jesus had secretly been trained by the Essenes and later left the community and became a traveling healer.
read more

_{bitterwinter.org}

Ernest de Gengenbach: Satanist, (Pseudo-)Surrealist, Roman Catholic

He wrote a fake surrealist poem titled “L’Abbé de l’Abbaye,” became famous for his public apostasy that happened in the Adyar Temple of the Theosophical Society and for the publication of “Satan à Paris,”
read more

_{devonlive.com}

Torquay house once the most haunted in England

Claiming to be psychic from a young age, she [Violet Tweedale (1862-1936)] became involved in Spiritualism and Theosophy, and was a close associate of the occultist Helena Blavatsky. Violet was also a member of the magical Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, one of the largest single influences on twentieth century occultism.
read more

_{theconversation.com}

To Die Alone: On Coco Picard’s “The Healing Circle”

Has the modern world discovered the ancient truths of Buddhism or simply invented a new version? American civil war veteran Henry Steel Olcott and Russian aristocrat émigré Madame Helene Petrovna Blavatsky, travelled together to Ceylon (modern-day Sri Lanka) and joined the struggle there against Christian missionaries.
read more

UNTRUTHS

_{catholicexchange.com}

Theosophy: An Old Error In New Packaging

The quest for forbidden knowledge began even in the first century with the Gnostics and continues in our day with permutations of the so-called New Age movement. An important link in that chain of errors is Theosophy, a set of esoteric beliefs formulated by the Russian Madame Helena Pavlovna Blavatsky
read more

_ucsb.edu

The Old Roots of New Age: New exhibit explores how once-obscure beliefs spread through publishing and pop culture

As early as 1885, these ideas were being circulated by Helena Blavatsky, “an aristocratic world traveler” and founder of the Theosophic Society. Blavatsky claimed she was passing along wisdom she obtained from Tibetan gurus. “I don’t know if anyone believed her, even at the time,” Gartrell said, “but she told a good story.” And good stories get passed around.
read more

_{leftcoastrightwatch.org}

“A NEW CHURCH for RACISTS”: INSIDE the CHURCH of ARYANITY

Many of the “prophecies” espoused by CoA’s leader stem from Helena Blavatsky’s “root race” theory. These theories, which the 19th century con woman posturing as an occultist outlined in her book, “The Secret Doctrine”, have long been cited in attempts to affirm the beliefs of those who ascribe to Nazi ideologies.
read more

_{history.denverlibrary.org}

The Man Who Hitched A Ride To Venus (Allegedly)

While I don’t fault the underlying principles, some of the phrasing and concepts gave me pause. You may recall my previous mention that Adamski was a practitioner (and teacher) of the neo-theosophical movement.
read more

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.

H.P.B in "Isis Unveiled", p. 283.

Upcoming events

_{ITC-Board (ULT, TSPL, Adyar)}

International Theosophy Conference 2022: Universal Symbolism of Theosophy - Unveiling the Language of Divine Thought

July 19 – July 23, 2023 online event
more information

_{TS Adyar}

12th World Congress of The Theosophical Society (Adyar)

23 – 29 July 2025, Vancouver, Canada
more information

News from Theosophical Societies

Many international events took place: European School of Theosophy's International Theos. History Conference (The Theosophical Movement Innovations in Esotericism and Spirituality) and European School of Theosophy 2022 (The Voice of the Silence: A Manual for Mystics) in October, but I did not find videos about it yet, also the 15th Indo-Pacific Conference (Finding Joy Amidst Uncertainty) and the VI International Theosophical Congress in Russia, both in November and all Adyar-related.

TS Point Loma Blavatskyhouse released a special edition of it's magazine Lucifer – the Light-bringer dedicated to peace. This special peace edition is available in six languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Dutch and Russian.

TS Adyar Australia published it's Theosophy in Australia Quarterly with the National President's Annual Report and Annual Membership Analysis.

TS Pasadena Australasian Section published it quartlery Theosophy Downunder which is almost entirely devoted to the theme of salvation in an overview of various religions and philosophies.

Find all the other magazines within the magazine-section, f.e. The Theosophist, The Indian Theosophist, The Theosophical Movement Magazine, The Aquarian Theosophist and The Spiral Path.

TS (Adyar) Chennai published it's Adyar Newsletter - Quarterly Q4-2022.

The International Theosophical Centre (ITC, Adyar) at Naarden reports about a Cooperation with Anthroposophists and Rosicrucians named the "New Gold", that was, as stated, very successful with close to 300 participants joined, the maximum of the premises rented, with another 150 persons on the waiting list.

News of TS (Adyar) Ukraine can be found here.

TOS (Adyar) informs about the new TOS Director in Spain, Alejandro Bruno.

Finally the videos of the 39th European Congress (Europ. Fed. of the TS Adyar and TS Adyar England): Healing Oneself Healing the World are now online, watch here. Also this TS recently transferred videos of the 37th European Congress. from it's Vimeo channel to the YouTube channel.

European School of Theosophy (EuST, Adyar) launched a Franz Hartmann Collection, see here in it's Newsletter. Some other EuST-News can be read here, a Tribute to Colin Price here.

ULT invites to take a 1 year subscription to "The Theosophical Movement" magazine.

The 147th International Convention of the Theosophical Society on the theme Our Responsibility in the Interconnected World took place from 31 December 2022 to 4 January 2023 at the TS Adyar International Headquarters in Adyar, India, and online. You can watch all public lectures on it's Youtube channel here.

The most active TS on Youtube is still by far TS (Adyar) in (North-)America, visit the channel. We already reported back in 2021 that money could play a big role here. Some videos are also listed below in the video-section, with others.

TS (Adyar) in (North-)America published a lot of videos on it's YouTube Channel, see f.e. also the video-section. Also TS Adyar England, Theosophy Dehli, ULT Bethesda, Wellington Theosophical Society and TOS USA have active Youtube-Channels.

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 Point Loma Blavatskyhouse}

Lucifer

Periodical magazine for seekers of truth
publisher, Special Peace Edition 2022 (in six languages)

_{The TS (Pasadena) Australasian Section}

Theosophy Downunder

Newsletter of the Theosophical Society (Pasadena) Australasian Section
publisher, Dec. 2022 (pdf)

_{TS (Adyar) in Australia}

Theosophy in Australia Quarterly

Newsletter/Quarterly of the TS (Adyar) in Australia
publisher, Dec. 2022 (pdf)

_{The Aquarian Theosophist}

The Aquarian Theosophist

publisher, Oct. 2022 (pdf), Nov. 2022 (pdf), Dec. 2022 (pdf)

_{United Lodge of Theosophists (ULT)}

The Theosophical Movement Magazine

publisher, Oct. 2022 (pdf), Nov. 2022 (pdf), Dec. 2022 (pdf)

_{The TS Adyar Indian Section}

The Indian Theosophist

publisher, Bombay Federation Bulletin – Dec. 2022 (pdf), November 2022 (pdf), The Indian Theosophist – Nov. 2022 (pdf), Oct. 2022 (pdf), Dec. 2022 (pdf), Vishwa Bandhutwa January – Nov. 2022 (pdf),

_{The TS Adyar HQ}

The Theosophist / Adyar Newsletter

publisher, Theosophist Oct2022 (pdf), Nov2022 (pdf), Dec2022 (pdf), Adyar Newsletter - Q4-2022 (pdf)

_{The TS Pasadena American Section}

The Spiral Path

publisher, 012 Winter Solstice 2022 (pdf)

Articles from Theosophical sites

Blavatsky News

Montreal Theosophy Project

Book of Dzyan Blog of David Reigle

Primordial Darkness in Original Sāṃkhya

Theos Talk

Theosophy Forward

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.

H. P. Blavatsky to the American Conventions, letter 1

✴✴✴ The End ✴✴✴