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Theosophical History Theosophical History A Quarterly Journal of Research Volume IX, No. 2 April 2003 ISSN 0951-497X THEOSOPHICAL HISTORY THEOSOPHICAL HISTORY: OCCASIONAL PAPERS A Quarterly Journal of Research (ISBN 1-883279-00-3) Founded by Leslie Price, 1985 Editor: James A. Santucci Volume IX, No. 2 April 2003 EDITOR an affinity to modern Theosophy. The subscription rate for residents in the U.S., James A. Santucci Mexico, and Canada is $22.00 (one year) or $39.00 (two years). California resi- California State University, Fullerton dents, please add $1.71 (7.75%) sales tax onto the $22 rate or $2.95 onto the $39 VOLUME I Witness for the Prosecution: Annie Besant’s Testimony on Behalf of H.P. Blavatsky in the rate. For residents outside North America, the subscription rate is $26.00 (£18 N.Y. Sun/Coues Law Case ASSOCIATE EDITORS British Sterling) (one year) or $47.00 (£31) (two years). Air mail is $40.00 (£26) Introduction by Michael Gomes Robert Boyd for Europe and Asia and $36 for Pan American nations (one year) or $74.00 (£48) for Europe and Asia and $67 for Pan American nations (two years). Single issues are †John Cooper $8.00 (£5.50). Electronic (PDF) issues are $2.50 (£1.75) each or $10 (£7) for any University of Sydney four available issues and $17.00 (£12) for any eight available issues. Subscriptions VOLUME II Joan Grant: Winged Pharaoh may also be paid in British sterling. All inquiries should be sent to James Santucci, John Patrick Deveney Department of Comparative Religion, California State University, P.O. Box 6868, By Jean Overton Fuller New York, NY Fullerton, CA 92834-6868 (U.S.A.). Periodicals postage paid at Fullerton, California 92631-9998. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Theosophical April Hejka-Ekins History (c/o James Santucci), Department of Comparative Religion, California VOLUME III Ammonius Saccas and His Eclectic Philosophy as Presented by Alexander Wilder California State University, Stanislaus State University, P.O. Box 6868, Fullerton, CA 92834-6868. By Dr. Jean-Louis Siémons The Editors assume no responsibility for the views expressed by authors in Jerry Hejka-Ekins Theosophical History. Nautilus Books This periodical is indexed in the ATLA Religion Database, published by the VOLUME IV W.T. Brown’s “Scenes in My Life” Robert Ellwood American Theological Library Association, 250 S. Wacker Dr., 16th Floor, University of Southern California Chicago, IL 60606, email: [email protected], world wide web: http://www.atla.com. Introduction by Michael Gomes Theosophical History assumes no responsibility for the views expressed by the con- Antoine Faivre tributors to the journal. École Pratique des Hautes Études, Paris VOLUME V Krishnamurti and the World Teacher Project: Some Theosophical Perceptions * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Joscelyn Godwin By Govert Schüller Colgate University GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSION OF MANUSCRIPTS Jean-Pierre Laurant VOLUME VI Astral Projection or Liberation of the Double and the Work of the Early Theosophical École Pratique des Hautes Études, Paris The final copy of all manuscripts must be submitted on 8 x 11 inch stock, dou- ble-spaced, and with margins of at least 1 inches on all sides. Words and phrases Society J. Gordon Melton intended for italics output should appear in italics in the manuscript. The submit- Institute for the Study of American Religion ter is encouraged to send the article, communication, or review by attachment to By John Patrick Deveney University of California, Santa Barbara email. The email address is [email protected]. The submitter may also sub- mit a floppy disk of the work in Microsoft Word (any version). Leslie Price Bibliographical entries and citations must be placed in footnote format. The cita- VOLUME VII Cyril Scott and a Hidden School: Towards the Peeling of an Onion Former Editor, Theosophical History tions must be complete. For books, the publisher’s name and the place and date of the publication are required; for journal articles, the volume, number, and date By Jean Overton Fuller Gregory Tillett must be included, should the information be available. University of Western Sydney, Nepean There is no limitation on the length of manuscripts. In general, articles of 30 pages or less will be published in full; articles in excess of 30 pages may be published VOLUME VIII Franz Hartmann’s Some Fragments of the Secret History of the Theosophical Society Karen-Claire Voss serially. San Jose State University Brief communications, review articles, and book reviews are welcome. They Introduction by Robert Hütwohl should be submitted double-spaced. Theosophical History (ISSN 0951-497X) is published quarterly in January, All correspondence, manuscripts, and subscriptions should be sent to: April, July, and October by James A. Santucci (Department of Comparative VOLUME IX The Unseen Worlds of Emma Hardinge Britten: Some Chapters in the History Religion, California State University, P.O. Box 6868, Fullerton, CA 92834-6868 Dr. James A. Santucci of Western Occultism U.S.A.) The journal consists of four issues per volume: one volume covering a peri- Department of Comparative Religion od of one year. The journal’s purpose is to publish contributions specifically related California State University, P.O. Box 6868 By Robert Mathiesen to the modern Theosophical Movement, from the time of Madame Helena Fullerton, CA 92834-6868 (U.S.A.) Blavatsky and others who were responsible in establishing the original Theosophical FAX: 714-693-0142 Email: [email protected] Society (1875), to all groups that derive their teachings—directly or indirectly, TELEPHONE: 714-278-3727 knowingly or unknowingly—from her or her immediate followers. In addition, the Website: http://www.theohistory.org journal is also receptive to related movements (including pre-Blavatskyite Theosophy, Spiritualism, Rosicrucianism, and the philosophy of Emanuel Copyright ©2003 by James A. Santucci Swedenborg to give but a few examples) that have had an influence on or displayed THEOSOPHICAL HISTORY ______________________________________________________________ Contents April 2003 Volume IX, Number 2 Editor’s Comments James Santucci..................................................................................1 Communication The Universal Brotherhood Martin P. Starr..................................................................................3 Document Postinventional: Open Instruction On Aspiration And Attainment D.K.M. (from the Archives of Cecil Frederick Russell) Presented by Martin P. Starr.............................................................5 Article The Egyptian Theosophy of Count Michael Maier Hereward Tilton..............................................................................9 Book Review Uppkomsten av Teosofiska Samfundet i Finland Mikal Rothstein..............................................................................30 On the cover: Count Michael Maier (1569-1622). Photo supplied by Dr. Hereward Tilton. Editor’s Comments for the Phoenix: Spiritual Alchemy and occultist Aleister Crowley. We await Mr. Rosicrucianism in the Work of Count Michael Starr’s book length publication of his work, In this Issue Maier (1569-1622), will soon appear as a publi- The Unknown God: W.T. Smith And The cation from Walter de Gruyter. A slightly differ- Thelemites, for a full account of this ent rendering of his article appearing herein was unknown organization, which nonetheless ny attempt to formulate a coherent ments, so the inclusion of Maier as a theoso- delivered at the American Academy of Religion’s had among its members well-known definition of theosophy is less than pher-alchemist is not out of the question. annual conference in 2000 as part of the pro- occultists Paul Foster Case, Israel Regardie, Acompletely successful if only for the Indeed, Dr. Tilton observes that the theoso- gram on Western Esotericism from the Early and C.F. Russell. Also appearing in this issue fact that disparities exist between Christian phy of Maier—interpreted as a “knowledge Modern Period Consultation. At present, is the only U.B. document that has been theosophers and Blavatskyan-inspired of things divine” culled “through an experi- Dr. Tilton resides in Munich researching his brought to public attention, the Theosophists. Such differences exist not mental reading of the liber mundi, the book next book on the alchemist Heinrich Khunrath “Postinventional: Open Instruction On only between these two varieties but also of the world in which we may discern the under the auspices of the Alexander von Aspiration And Attainment.” among the many Christian theosophers and insignia of a most wise and benevolent Humboldt Foundation. the Blavatskyite Theosophists. One need Author”—could be realized “through the * * * only mention the Theosophies discussed in hieroglyphs and myths of ancient Egypt and * * * George Wyld’s (1821–1906) Theosophy and Greece,” which in turn represented “universal Finally, a book review of Tore Ahlbäck’s the Higher Life (1880), Mohini Chatterji’s alchemical processes” that provided a “pris- The Universal Brotherhood has been an Uppkomsten av Teosofiska Samfundet i Finland (1858–1936) and Laura Holloway’s Man: tine language” derived from the Creator. enigmatic and generally forgotten organiza- or The Emergence of the Theosophical Society Fragments of Forgotten History (1885), and Maier's theosophy or knowledge of the tion since the time when it first came on the in Finland, appears after a long delay. The the Countess of Caithness’ Mystery of the Ages divine, therefore, had a
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