The modern Theosophical movement, inaugurated in 1875 by H.P. Blavatsky and others with the formation of the Theosophical Society, had nearly perished by the time Madame Blavatsky moved to London in May of 1887. Although a worldly success, attacks from without and a lack of support from within had rendered the Society almost lifeless. The Secret Doctrine, H.P. Blavatsky's magnum opus published in 1888, proved to be a tremendous catalyst for serious student inquiry. Questions about the book and its subjects, particularly cosmogenesis, were the topic of the weekly meetings of the Blavatsky Lodge. The first installment of the Transactions of the Blavatsky Lodge - discussing some of these subjects - was published in 1890, carrying a note that the printed version was "somewhat condensed from the original discussions," and presenting the material in an anonymous question and answer format. Another volume shortly followed, and though others were indicated, nothing further appeared. The Secret Doctrine Dialogues contain 21 handwritten folios of over 30 pages each - including the original material of the Transactions - and provides a useful commentary on the ideas expounded in The Secret Doctrine. As much as possible, it is a word-for-word transcription from the original handwritten reports of the meetings. This volume is intended neither to replace nor to correct the existing Transactions of the Blavatsky Lodge, but may be viewed as a companion work. We are treated to H.P. Blavatsky's broad, philosophical and penetrating mind, her biting wit, her gentle and not-so-gentle impatience with human foibles, and her self-deprecating willingness to inquire into ideas and engage the minds of others. Here is HPB direct - wise, articulate, grumpy, sharp, raw, unedited - and we are Given a "fly-on-the-wall" ear to the world's first study class in The Secret Doctrine, with the author, or writer, rather, HPB herself presiding!

The Secret Doctrine Dialogues

Politics & Social Sciences

Blavatsky, Helena P.

Philosophy

Theosophy Company

H.P. BLAVATSKY (1831-1891) completed The Key to Theosophy in 1889, less than a year after publication of her monumental work The Secret Doctrine.  As she says in her Preface, “It traces the broad outlines of the Wisdom Religion, and explains its fundamental principles, while meeting, at the same time, the various objections raised by the average Western enquirer." H.P.B. (as she was known to her students) endeavors to "present unfamiliar concepts in a form as simple and in language as clear as possible.” The Key is written as a dialogue between a Theosophist and a somewhat skeptical inquirer, and over the years students have found it an invaluable textbook. In its fifteen chapters, Blavatsky points out the historical roots of Theosophy and sets forth a concise and approachable presentation of its main teachings. These include the concept of Deity as an impersonal, universal and unifying principle; the ideas of Karma and reincarnation as dynamics of human growth and evolution; and the various animating principles, both physical and transcendental, which make up the human being.  While many of these ideas may not seem as unfamiliar as they did in 1889, having since been absorbed into the vocabulary of contemporary life, their meanings are often neither fully nor practically understood. Perhaps most importantly, H.P.B. places a great emphasis throughout on the profound moral implications of these age-old teachings. That these transforming aspects of the ancient Wisdom Religion might be made more widely known and find expression in the minds, hearts, and daily lives of those who take up this study was the mission of her life’s work.  The present publication is a verbatim reproduction of the original edition of 1889 and carefully preserves its layout and pagination. To this has been added both the Preface H.P.B. wrote to the second edition of 1891 and the Glossary of terms included with that edition. 

The Key To Theosophy

Lord Krishna strings the sacred teachings of the Bhagavad Gita on the golden thread of mental posture, the relation between the spiritual seeker and Divine Wisdom embodied as the Light of the Logos in lustrous beings. Mental posture refers primarily to an attitude of mind, and constitutes the sacred trust between chela and guru. Those who wish to become sincere and true servants of all humanity with its immense suffering, and of the Great Masters of Wisdom with their inexhaustible light, must prepare themselves by a process of purgation whereby they negate the false conceptions of themselves derived from the world into which they are born through their heredity, upbringing, environment and education. This is done by a method of intense self-questioning. Upanishadic-Platonic thought is essentially a dialogue with oneself. When people really begin to ask questions of themselves, and also attempt to apply the principles evolved in formulating questions in a multiplicity of contexts, then they gradually begin to glimpse the dynamic, albeit mysterious, relation between the manifest and the unmanifest.The constant, underlying theme of all these essays is the crucial need for unconditional devotion to Universal Good as a prerequisite for traveling on the spiritual Path. There is simply nothing else that can serve as a substitute for the highest of noble motives for living the spiritual life. But these writings also bear upon the crucial and thorny problem of translating theoria into praxis, and they shed a pristine light upon the obstacles and difficulties encountered by every aspirant who self-consciously chooses to tread the Path of Renunciat

The Bhagavad-Gita

JUDGE, WILLIAM Q.

Iyer, Raghavan

Crosbie, Robert

Theosophy Trust Books

While there are several very accessible editions (not to mention the facsimile version of the Original Edition) of Isis Unveiled already available in print, what does this Theosophy Trust Books edition offer that the others do not?Simply a higher degree of readability. The Original Edition was a spectacular work, given that the enormous complexity of the content – with a range of drawings, and a complex mixture of Sanskrit, Hebrew and Greek words – along with a very complex arrangement of the subject matter, presents uniquely difficult challenges. More recent editions have tried to remedy some of the problems found in the O.E., but some introduced other difficulties as well, such as editorial "explanations" and comments, as well as sectarian subject matter. The aim of this edition is to preserve all of the original content and modes of presentation – including even the archaic use of punctuation in the headings – while improving upon the accessibility and usefulness to the reader. To this end, we have included several features that may prove to be useful improvements. First, we have inserted a new set of minor section headers that indicate what that particular section discusses. These minor section headings do not replace the original section headers that also appear as line items in the Table of Contents; they simply provide some convenient reference points for the reader, and do not disturb the listings in the original Table of Contents. Second, the headers more consistently reflect the chapters where they are located. Third, we have selected a larger format book to allow us to set the entire book in 9.5 point Palatino Linotype, an elegant and highly readable typeface, replacing the original 8 pt. font. Fourth, as the footnotes contain some of the most interesting and provocative statements in the book, we have numbered all of the footnotes with consecutive numbers, so that the reader will more easily be able to retrace their path to these remarkable statements.Taken together, this Theosophy Trust edition is a beautifully crafted book, unique in its organization, that will reward the reader with an enjoyable reading experience and a valuable addition to their library.

Isis Unveiled - Volume II: The "Infallibility" of Religion

Religion & Spirituality

Religious Studies

Astrology includes many things, has many forms, and serves multiple purposes. Taking just three common examples, typical astrological charts show the positions and relations of the planets at the moment and location of birth. Progressed astrology maps the return of planets to their birth positions as well as the times and ways they cross and relate to those original positions and to one another. And horary astrology looks at the positions of the planets in the zodiac at a given moment when some decision is to be made (e.g., when to lay the foundation stone of a temple). And then there is the astrology once commonly found in newspapers, where planets were taken in conjunction with the signs of the zodiac to give general indications of what to expect for the day, given one's birth sign. This latter was never taken seriously by knowledgeable astrologers, being rather like the sentiments found in fortune cookies ending meals in Chinese restaurants. "People admire your attitude," for example, can apply to anyone's self-image, and so it "works." But such messages are random, and the newspaper's astrological messages each have to be general enough to cover about 1/12 the population, because there are 12 signs in the zodiac. There is much more to any system of astrology than the mechanisms for casting a chart or giving naïve interpretations, as, for example, Mars means conflict, Jupiter wealth or generosity, Mercury intelligence, and so on. Like all sciences, astrology is a complex of symbols and principles of interrelationships. And like all science, astrology is also based on experience and observation. In some ways, astrology is more like medical science than physics, since its variables are often multivalent and context-dependent. And like all sciences, astrology is based on assumptions about the nature of reality and the universe. It shares with all sciences the assumption that there are discoverable laws of nature that are invariant, at least over long periods of time. It shares the assumption that nature and the universe is intelligible to a reasoning, observing consciousness.

Theosophical Astrology (The Wisdom and Practice Series)

Valborg, Helen

Iyer, Raghavan N.

A wonderful collection of essays written by H.P. Blavatsky on esoteric and occult psychology and consciousness along with Hindu philosophy on the mind and the after life.

The Kosmic Mind: Esoteric and Occult Psychology

New Age & Spirituality

Independently published

Plato and Platonism and Related Esoteric Essays: Theosophical Classics

Wilder, Alexander

TAYLOR, THOMAS

Darrow, Fritz Sage

Lamp of Trismegistus

The unifying factor of this collection is that, without exception, every author included here was in some way or another involved with or interested in the occult. In some cases, they were members of an occult organization, such as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the Theosophical Society or similar such groups. Others simply had a strong personal interest in the subject matter or practiced some form of the esoteric sciences in private, their interests having been preserved through diary entries and letters to their peers or documented by the publishing legacy they left behind. The co-mingling of fiction and non-fiction is very much how this written material would have been published at the time. Writers include Manly P. Hall, Aleister Crowley, Algernon Blackwood, Helena P. Blavatsky, Arthur Machen, Franz Hartmann, Lafcadio Hearn, Lord Dunsany, C. W. Leadbeater, William Q. Judge, H. W. Percival and Richard Garnett.

A Collection of Fiction and Essays by Occult Writers on Supernatural and Metaphysical Subjects: Esoteric Classics

Literature & Fiction

CROWLEY, Aleister

Hall, Manly P.

HARTMANN, FRANZ

MACHEN, ARTHUR

Hearn, Lafcadio

Blackwood, Algernon

Genre Fiction

Madame Blavatsky is the mother of modern Theosophy. She was a prolific author and teacher during her lifetime. Presented here are four essays on magic: Ancient Egyptian Magic, Animated Statues, Black Magic in Science and African Magic.

Essays on Ancient Magic: Esoteric Classics

Theories About Reincarnation and Spirits: Esoteric Classics

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