DOCSLIB.ORG

Hermetic Influences on the Evolutionary System of Helena Blavatsky's Theosophy

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Hermetic Influences on the Evolutionary System of Helena Blavatsky's Theosophy Gnosis: Journal of Gnostic Studies 3 (2018) 84–111 brill.com/gnos Hermetic Influences on the Evolutionary System of Helena Blavatsky’s Theosophy Erin Prophet Rice University [email protected] Abstract Helena Blavatsky (1831–1891) developed a program of salvation that she called “double evolution,” which was elaborated in a system known as root race theory. Human souls were seen as traversing through progressive reincarnation a series of seven “races,” or body types, ranging from gigantic amorphous and ethereal bodies and transitioning through hermaphroditic into gigantic gendered ape-like humans, modern humans, and thereafter adepts and divine beings. Although root race theory drew from the sci- entific racism of its day, it did not equate root races with human races, but to stages of human emanation from and return to divinity. The sources of root race theory have been sought in Eastern contexts due to its use of Hindu and Buddhist terminology, though scholars have noted its Western esoteric influences. This article argues that the primary structure of root race theory is based in the Corpus Hermeticum. It identifies some of Blavatsky’s Hermetic sources, showing that she referred not only generally to a perennialist “Hermetic philosophy” that incorporated Western esoteric tropes, but also to specific Hermetic texts. These texts provided the organizing matrix of root race theory, specifically its creation mythology, support for prior androgyne human exis- tence, a “fall into matter,” and the initial ensoulment of humans with mind, or nous. It also provided a template for the future transformation of humans into divine beings. The article builds on the suggestions of Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke (2013) and Brendan French (2001) to elaborate on the role of Hermetic influence in Blavatsky’s reconfigur- ing of evolution as a novel form of salvation for an empirically-oriented nineteenth century audience. Keywords hermetic tradition – Helena Blavatsky – theosophical society – poimandres – androgyny – root race theory © koninklijke brill nv, leiden, 2018 | doi 10.1163/2451859X-12340050Downloaded from Brill.com09/29/2021 12:56:23PM via free access Hermetic Influences on the Evolutionary System 85 Introduction The influential theological system known as Theosophy, as developed and pro- moted by Helena Blavatsky and her Theosophical Society between 1877 and her death in 1891, provided a novel and syncretic form of salvation that incor- porated nineteenth-century ideas about both biological and “soul” evolution along with concepts from Western esoteric traditions and Eastern religion. In spite of the Eastern terminology adopted in Blavatsky’s later years, her sys- tem took its primary inspiration from Western esoteric teachings, and among those teachings the Hermetic tradition is acknowledged to have played an important role.1 Although the influence of Hermetic traditions on Blavatsky has been noted, much work remains to be done to trace how she used and transformed specific Hermetic texts and to evaluate the influence of Hermeticism compared with other traditions. Brendan French has argued for the primacy of Hermeticism, particularly in Blavatsky’s soteriology. He observes, “remarkably, in the vast Theosophical literature the seminal influence of the Hermetic template upon Blavatskian conceptual mapping has passed virtually unmentioned…. [T]he Hermetic strains in modern Theosophy deserve singular analysis … Blavatsky’s engagement with the Hermetica was profound, and … she incorporated many of its mythemes into her own Theosophical synthesis.”2 It can be difficult to identify the Hermeticism in the traditions cited by Blavatsky. For example, she often referenced “Hermeticism” or “Hermetic philosophy” as her primary inspiration without citing specific texts. Her gener- al use of the term evoked prisca theologia, perennial philosophy, and a complex of associated Western esoteric ideas. She also referenced Hermetic traditions to generally position her philosophy as an alternative to both dogmatic theol- ogy and scientific materialism. However, she also cited specific Hermetic proof texts, particularly in support of elements of her controversial “root race theory.” Root race theory proposes that human souls inhabit seven types of bodies during a series of hundreds of progressive reincarnations experienced as emanation from and return to the divine. The bodies of the first race are ethereal, gigantic and sexless, the sec- ond, more condensed and androgynous, the third, more compacted and gradu- ally transitioning into sexual reproduction and resembling giant primates, the fourth still gigantic but gradually decreasing in stature, as well as increasing in speech, language, and “mind.” Modern “savages” represent remnants of the fourth race. The fifth “root race” includes all races of modern humans (except 1 French 2001; Goodrick-Clarke 2013. 2 French 2001, 180–1. Gnosis: Journal of Gnostic Studies 3 (2018) 84–111 Downloaded from Brill.com09/29/2021 12:56:23PM via free access 86 Prophet the primitive “survivals”), and is declined in stature and strength from earlier races.3 The sixth will gradually transcend flesh, and Hermetic creator gods are some of the prototypes for this race. The seventh race represents a return to godlike nature.4 Though her seven “root races” do not map onto human races, her theory contained racist elements, as discussed below, which were often softened as it was taken up by later belief systems. This article sketches three important ways in which she engaged Hermetic texts and traditions in constructing “root race theory,” her mature scheme of “double evolution” of soul and body, which formed an updated esoteric soteriology. Although she engaged many other tra- ditions to flesh out or provide support for her theory, I argue that Hermeticism was its primary organizing matrix. First, it configured her creation mythol- ogy, notably in support of prior androgyne human existence. Second, it pro- vided support for the human “fall into matter” and the initial “ensoulment” of humans. Third, it provided a template for the future transformation of humans into divine beings and creators themselves.5 I argue that Corpus Hermeticum 1.12–18 in particular provided much of the theological underpin- nings of root race theory. Blavatsky’s “Hermetic Philosophy” and Hermetic Sources Blavatsky (1831–1891), born in Russia to an aristocratic family, had access at a young age to a library of Western esoteric books. She equated “Hermetic phi- losophy” with a universal faith and frequently returned to it as a legitimating strategy. In the introduction to the 1877 Isis Unveiled, her first major publica- tion, she wrote, “Our work, then, is a plea for the recognition of the Hermetic philosophy, the anciently universal Wisdom-Religion, as the only possible key to the Absolute in science and theology.”6 She used dramatic language to justify the superiority of the “Hermetic” approach to both science and religion: “On 3 Anthropologist Edward Tylor (1832–1917) proposed a natural progression from savagery to barbarism to civilization. He also argued that modern humans retain superstitions and con- tinue to believe in souls because of the “survivals” of primitive ideas among them. See Tylor, Primitive Culture 1913, first published in 1871. Blavatsky relied on Tylor’s progression of culture from savage to civilized, and also characterized indigenous tribes as “survivals” of earlier civi- lizations (1993 [1888], 2:168). 4 Blavatsky’s root race theory is laid out in its most complete form in Blavatsky 1888. 5 This article contains excerpts from Prophet forthcoming. 6 1960 [1877], 1:vii. Gnosis: Journal of GnosticDownloaded Studies from Brill.com09/29/20213 (2018) 84–111 12:56:23PM via free access Hermetic Influences on the Evolutionary System 87 the brink of the dark chasm separating the spiritual from the physical world stands modern science, with eyes closed and head averted, pronouncing the gulf impassable and bottomless, though she holds in her hand a torch which she need only lower into the depths to show her her mistake. But across this chasm, the patient student of Hermetic philosophy has constructed a bridge.”7 What she called “Hermetic philosophy” must be understood in the context of nineteenth-century Hermeticism, which was already entwined with alche- my, Rosicrucianism, Jewish and Christian Kabbalah, and Freemasonry, and injected with a good dose of Egyptomania.8 What she often seemed to mean when she referenced “Hermetic philosophy” was a general opposition to mate- rialist science, affirmation of the reality of spiritual forces and immaterial be- ings, and support for a “double evolution” of body and soul, as proof of which she often quoted the Hermetic maxim “as above, so below.”9 In promoting this ancient “Wisdom-Religion,” Blavatsky was espousing pe- rennialism and smoothing the contradictions between the various systems of thought from which she drew. Throughout Isis, she described the system as a “secret doctrine” that had been passed down through the ages from master to student, and of which she was permitted to reveal only portions. Blavatsky built upon a narrative of secrecy and initiation already in progress as devel- oped by Éliphas Lévi (1810–1875) and other esoteric writers, and spiritualists like Emma Hardinge Britten (1823–1899). Also influential in her system were Hargrave Jennings (1817–1890), a popularizer of esoteric lore, the philologist Samuel Fales Dunlap (1825–1905), and the novelist Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1803–1873).
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Temenos Academy Online Papers Michaelmas Term
    TEMENOS ACADEMY ONLINE PAPERS MICHAELMAS TERM 2020 7 A Secret Philosophy: W. B. Yeats and the Dublin Hermetic Society by Professor Grevel Lindop [Image: William Butler Yeats, by John Butler Yeats, 1900] 1 A SECRET PHILOSOPHY: W.B. YEATS AND THE DUBLIN HERMETIC SOCIETY (i) On June 16th 1885 a group of young men met in a modest upper room in York Street, near the centre of Dublin. They would call themselves the Dublin Hermetic Society, and they intended to explore ‘a philosophy which has until lately been kept entirely secret, or at most revealed only in symbolism’.1 The group had been called together by the young poet William Butler Yeats and his friend Charles Johnston. It was Yeats who gave the opening address. This was an important time in his life: three days earlier, he had celebrated his twentieth birthday; and his first published poems had appeared in the Dublin University Review just three months before that. We don’t know exactly what he said in those inaugural remarks, but later he recalled: I had, when we first made our Society, proposed for our consideration that whatever the great poets had affirmed in their finest moments was the nearest we could come to an authoritative religion, and that their mythology, their spirits of water and wind, were but literal truth.2 So poetry was involved from the start, with Yeats convinced (like Blake before him) that poets are the true prophets. He was also proposing the ‘literal’ (not merely metaphorical) existence of elemental spirits – that there are modes of existence, and living beings, inaccessible to our ordinary senses.
    [Show full text]
  • Theosophy and the Origins of the Indian National Congress
    THEOSOPHY AND THE ORIGINS OF THE INDIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS By Mark Bevir Department of Political Science University of California, Berkeley Berkeley CA 94720 USA [E-mail: [email protected]] ABSTRACT A study of the role of theosophy in the formation of the Indian National Congress enhances our understanding of the relationship between neo-Hinduism and political nationalism. Theosophy, and neo-Hinduism more generally, provided western-educated Hindus with a discourse within which to develop their political aspirations in a way that met western notions of legitimacy. It gave them confidence in themselves, experience of organisation, and clear intellectual commitments, and it brought them together with liberal Britons within an all-India framework. It provided the background against which A. O. Hume worked with younger nationalists to found the Congress. KEYWORDS: Blavatsky, Hinduism, A. O. Hume, India, nationalism, theosophy. 2 REFERENCES CITED Archives of the Theosophical Society, Theosophical Society, Adyar, Madras. Banerjea, Surendranath. 1925. A Nation in the Making: Being the Reminiscences of Fifty Years of Public Life . London: H. Milford. Bharati, A. 1970. "The Hindu Renaissance and Its Apologetic Patterns". In Journal of Asian Studies 29: 267-88. Blavatsky, H.P. 1888. The Secret Doctrine: The Synthesis of Science, Religion and Philosophy . 2 Vols. London: Theosophical Publishing House. ------ 1972. Isis Unveiled: A Master-Key to the Mysteries of Ancient and Modern Science and Theology . 2 Vols. Wheaton, Ill.: Theosophical Publishing House. ------ 1977. Collected Writings . 11 Vols. Ed. by Boris de Zirkoff. Wheaton, Ill.: Theosophical Publishing House. Campbell, B. 1980. Ancient Wisdom Revived: A History of the Theosophical Movement . Berkeley: University of California Press.
    [Show full text]
  • The Theosophist
    THE THEOSOPHIST VOL. 133 NO. 2 NOVEMBER 2011 CONTENTS Buddhist Teachings on Relationships 3 Radha Burnier Live the Life and You Will Come to the Wisdom 8 Mary Anderson Coordination of Science and Human Values 14 C. A. Shinde Some Difficulties of the Inner Life — II 19 Annie Besant The Roots of Modern Theosophy 25 Pablo D. Sender The Life-Path of a Theosophist 32 Vinayak Pandya Theosophical Work around the World 37 International Directory 38 Editor: Mrs Radha Burnier NOTE: Articles for publication in The Theosophist should be sent to the Editorial Office. Cover Picture: Gate at the Headquarters Hall — by Richard Dvorak Official organ of the President, founded by H. P. Blavatsky, 1879. The Theosophical Society is responsible only for official notices appearing in this magazine. 1 THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY Founded 17 November 1875 President: Mrs Radha Burnier Vice-President: Mrs Linda Oliveira Secretary: Mrs Kusum Satapathy Treasurer: Miss Keshwar Dastur Headquarters: ADYAR, CHENNAI (MADRAS) 600 020, INDIA Secretary: [email protected] Treasury: [email protected] Adyar Library and Research Centre: [email protected] Theosophical Publishing House: [email protected] & [email protected] Fax: (+91-44) 2490-1399 Editorial Office: [email protected] Website: http://www.ts-adyar.org The Theosophical Society is composed of students, belonging to any religion in the world or to none, who are united by their approval of the Society’s Objects, by their wish to remove religious antagonisms and to draw together men of goodwill, whatsoever their religious opinions, and by their desire to study religious truths and to share the results of their studies with others.
    [Show full text]
  • The Early Days of Theosophy in Europe by A.P
    The Early Days of Theosophy in Europe by A.P. Sinnett The Early Days of Theosphy in Europe by A.P. Sinnett Theosophical Publishing House Ltd, London, 1922 NOTE [Page 5] Mr. Sinnett's literary Executor in arranging for the publication this volume is prompted to add a few words of explanation. There is naturally some diffidence experienced in placing before the public a posthumous MSS of personal reminiscences dealing in various instances with people still living. It would, however, be impossible to use the editorial blue pencil without destroying the historical value of the MSS. Mr. Sinnett's position and associations with the Theosophical Society together with his standing as an author in the Theosophical movement alike demand that his last writing should be published, and it is left to each reader to form his own judgment as to the value of the book in the light of his own study of the questions involved. Page 1 The Early Days of Theosophy in Europe by A.P. Sinnett CHAPTER - 1 - NO record could truly be called a History of the Theosophical Society if it concerned itself merely with events taking shape on the physical plane of life. From the first such events have been the result of activities on a higher plane; of steps taken by the unseen Powers presiding over human evolution, whose existence was unknown in the outer world when their great undertaking — the Theosophical Movement — was originally set on foot. To those known in the outer world as the Founders of the Theosophical Society — Madame Blavatsky and Colonel Olcott — the existence of these higher powers, The Brothers as they were called at first, was more or less imperfectly comprehended.
    [Show full text]
  • Understanding Our Seven Principles
    UNDERSTANDING OUR SEVEN PRINCIPLES A COMPILATION FROM H. P. BLAVATSKY AND WILLIAM Q. JUDGE Atma “Pure universal Spirit.” ["The Key to Theosophy" p. 92] "Higher Self. The Supreme Divine Spirit overshadowing man. The crown of the upper spiritual Triad in man - Atman." ["The Theosophical Glossary" p. 141, Entry for "Higher Self"] “Atma, the “Higher Self,” is neither your Spirit nor mine, but like sunlight shines on all. It is the universally diffused “divine principle,” and is inseparable from its one and absolute Meta-Spirit, as the sunbeam is inseparable from the sunlight.” ["The Key to Theosophy" p. 135] “This “Higher Self” is ATMA, and of course it is “non-materializable” … Even more, it can never be “objective” under any circumstances, even to the highest spiritual perception. For Atman or the “Higher Self” is really Brahman, the ABSOLUTE, and indistinguishable from it.” ["The Key to Theosophy" p. 174] “THE HIGHER SELF is - Atma, the inseparable ray of the Universal and ONE SELF. It is the God above, more than within, us. Happy the man who succeeds in saturating his inner Ego with it!” ["The Key to Theosophy" p. 175] “We apply the term Spirit, when standing alone and without any qualification, to Atma alone.” ["The Key to Theosophy" p. 115] “In hours of Samadhi, the higher spiritual consciousness of the Initiate is entirely absorbed in the ONE essence, which is Atman, and therefore, being one with the whole, there can be nothing objective for it. Now some of our Theosophists have got into the habit of using the words “Self” and “Ego” as synonymous, of associating the term “Self” with only man’s higher individual or even personal “Self” or Ego, whereas this term ought never to be applied except to the One universal Self.” ["The Key to Theosophy" p.
    [Show full text]
  • The Theosophical Path Katherine Tingley, Editor
    13 THE THEOSOPHICAL PATH KATHERINE TINGLEY, EDITOR VOL. VI FEBRUARY, 1914 NO. 2 We describe Karma as that Law of readjustment which ever tends to restore disturbed equilibrium in the physical, and broken harmony in the moral world. We say that Karma does not act in this or that particular way always, but that it always does act so as to restore Harmony and preserve the balance of equili­ brium, in virtue of which the Universe exists. - H. P. Blavatsky THE STATE OF THE CHRISTIAN DEAD : by H. T. Edge, M. A. DISCUSSION of the subject of "Life After Death" has caused a correspondent to send to a newspaper two quotations from Gladstone, which are here repro­ duced. They are stated to be from pages 253 and 254 of his Studies Subsidiary to the TVorlcs of Bishop Butler. The Christian dead are in a progressive state; and the appointed office of the interval between death and resurrection is reasonably believed to be the corrobora­ tion of every good and holy habit, and the effacement of all remains of human infirmity and vice. [The stains of sins] will have to be effaced by a process of discipline, happy indeed in its result, but of which we have no right to assert ...that the redeem­ ing and consummating process will be accomplished without an admixture of salutary and accepted pain. Christian eschatology is doubtless ably and copiously treated in doctrinal works and even in some encyclopaedias, but it can hardly be said to constitute matter of common knowledge or interest. Indeed, the subject is very generally eschewed or treated but vaguely and allu­ sively.
    [Show full text]
  • Theosophy in Action by Roy Mitchell Theosophy in Action
    Theosophy in Action by Roy Mitchell Theosophy in Action by Roy Mitchell This work of 1923 was published by the Blavatsky Institute of Canada as a memorial to Mr. Roy Mitchell who was the Founder and guiding genius of the Institute. FOREWORD Theosophy in Action deals with problems with which Theosophical students are particularly concerned and for this reason it may have a more limited appeal than the two books of Mr. Roy Mitchell which were published earlier by the Blavatsky Institute. The Exile of the Soul presented an ancient, but now seldom discussed, approach to the mystery of the duality of man's being. The far-reaching implications of the ideas presented there by Mr. Michell have not as yet been fully explored but later psychologists may acknowledge that in The Exile, Mr. Mitchell had anticipated some of their fondest theories and had suggested a basic clue to the understanding of the dichotomy of man's nature. Through Temple Doors :Studies in Occult Masonry was, as the title implies, an approach to Masonic symbolism in terms of the universal language of symbolism. Both these books have interested many readers who have little or no concern in Theosophy or the Theosophical Society. In Studies Mr. Mitchell sets forth the original idea behind the founding of the Theosophical Society in 1875. Its work was to be that of an 'interpreter'; it was not to impose any new creed or dogma upon mankind; its members were to be students who were concerned with 'studying and explaining with sympathy, with kindliness and with insight' those basic ideas which they had found had survived through the ages and which were of the essence of world religions and philosophies.
    [Show full text]
  • General Report
    GENERAL REPORT OF THE EIGHTEENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY, A t the H ead-Q uarters, A dyar, Madras, D ecember 27TH, 28th, 29TH and 30TH, 1893. WITH OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. HE President-Founder called the meeting to order at noon, on the T 27th December, according to custom. The attendance was excep­ tionally large. Delegates or members were present from the American and European Sections, and from the following countries : England, Ceylon, Sweden, America, and various parts of India. They represented the following religions : Hindu (Advaita, Dvaita, Yis'ishthadvaita); Bud­ dhist, including two priests of the Ramanya Nikaya; Zoroastrian; Christian ; Islam. The Indian Delegates came from the Presidencies of Madras, Bom­ bay, Bengal, North-western Provinces and Panjab. The most conspicu­ ous figure among those assembled was, of course, Mrs. Annie Besant (now lovingly re-named “ Annabai” by the Hindus), and the course of daily morning lectures which she gave, was the most interesting feature of the Convention. Congratulatory telegrams were read from the General Secretaries of the American and European Sections, from Shanghae (Dharmapala), and from the Bombay and Bareilly Branches. T he P resident’s A ddress. I bid you welcome once more, my brothers, friends and colleagues, to the annual home-coming of the members of our scattered Theoso- phical family; glad to have been spared to do it, gladdest of all that I am able to greet you with a joy in my heart to which it has long been a stranger. The night’s blackness is rolling away, the dawn of a happier day is breaking.
    [Show full text]
  • Reincarnation Profile
    Reincarnation By Eric Pement Introduction Reincarnation is the popular belief that after death the human soul or inner self leaves its former body and is eventually reborn into a new body. An earlier term is transmigration of the soul, indicating that the soul can migrate from one body to another. The ancient Greeks called it metempsychosis (“after ensoulment”) and palingenesis (“repeated birth”).1 Reincarnationist ideas have appeared in many lands, including island cultures having no contact with religions from the mainland. Though Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras (570–495 BC) left no writings, his students claimed he remembered four previous lives and promoted metempsychosis. The works of Plato (428–348 BC) have been well preserved; he taught reincarnation, as did his Greek successors. The theory of reincarnation flourished in four religions from India: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. It is not in the oldest Hindu scriptures (the Vedas), but it appears in the Upanishads (about 700 BC) and later works.2 All four religions differ significantly in how they explain reincarnation. In Europe and America, the details were modified perhaps to sound more acceptable to Western ears, but the core theme remained: the soul is immortal and death is not final—only a recurring transition in an endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth into a new form. Many reincarnationists believe that when one reaches sufficient spiritual illumination, the cycle of rebirth will cease and the soul will reunite with God, Brahman, or whatever they deem Ultimate Reality. Fundamental Questions Beliefs about reincarnation vary widely. Perhaps the best way to focus the topic is to ask a few questions.
    [Show full text]
  • The Theosophist
    THE THEOSOPHIST VOL. 135 NO. 7 APRIL 2014 CONTENTS On the Watch-Tower 3 M. P. Singhal The many lives of Siddhartha 7 Mary Anderson The Voice of the Silence — II 13 Clara Codd Charles Webster Leadbeater and Adyar Day 18 Sunita Maithreya Regenerating Wisdom 21 Krishnaphani Spiritual Ascent of Man in Secret Doctrine 28 M. A. Raveendran The Urgency for a New Mind 32 Ricardo Lindemann International Directory 38 Editor: Mr M. P. Singhal NOTE: Articles for publication in The Theosophist should be sent to the Editorial Office. Cover: Common Hoope, Adyar —A. Chandrasekaran Official organ of the President, founded by H. P. Blavatsky, 1879. The Theosophical Society is responsible only for official notices appearing in this magazine. 1 THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY Founded 17 November 1875 President: Vice-President: Mr M. P. Singhal Secretary: Dr Chittaranjan Satapathy Treasurer: Mr T. S. Jambunathan Headquarters: ADYAR, CHENNAI (MADRAS) 600 020, INDIA Secretary: [email protected] Treasury: [email protected] Adyar Library and Research Centre: [email protected] Theosophical Publishing House: [email protected] & [email protected] Fax: (+91-44) 2490-1399 Editorial Office: [email protected] Website: http://www.ts-adyar.org The Theosophical Society is composed of students, belonging to any religion in the world or to none, who are united by their approval of the Society’s Objects, by their wish to remove religious antagonisms and to draw together men of goodwill, whatsoever their religious opinions, and by their desire to study religious truths and to share the results of their studies with others. Their bond of union is not the profession of a common belief, but a common search and aspiration for Truth.
    [Show full text]
  • Christianity and Theosophy
    Christianity and Theosophy “Theosophy is an Eastern religion, isn’t it—sort of like Hinduism or Buddhism?” That question is wrong in two important ways. First, Theosophy is not a religion at all, but a way of viewing human nature and the world that is compatible with the nondogmatic aspects of any religion. Second, Theosophy is no more Eastern than it is Western—it seeks for what is in common to all cultures and religions and attempts to complement East and West with each other. Theosophists belong to many different religions: among them, Buddhism, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity; and within Christianity to churches such as the Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, and many others. Theosophy presents the wisdom of the West to the East and the wisdom of the East to the West. Theosophy within Christianity The word Theosophy, meaning “divine wisdom,” designates an ancient outlook that recognizes within the many outward forms of religion an inner core shared by all of them. Theosophy and Christianity agree in their essence. Christianity provides a unique way of expressing the Wisdom Tradition of Theosophy, and Theosophy can enrich an understanding of the inner side of the Christian Way. The New Testament itself frequently alludes to profound religious truths lying underneath the outer words of the biblical text. Frequently we come across such passages as “I speak God’s hidden wisdom.” We read that some things are beyond human comprehension, but “these it is that God has revealed to us through the Spirit” (1 Corinthians 2:7-10). The Apostle Paul goes on to tell recently converted Christians that he is unable to impart such wisdom because “indeed, you are still not ready for it, for you are still on the merely natural plane” (1 Corinthians 3:2).
    [Show full text]
  • The Theosophical Seal by Arthur M. Coon the Theosophical Seal a Study for the Student and Non-Student
    The Theosophical Seal by Arthur M. Coon The Theosophical Seal A Study for the Student and Non-Student by Arthur M. Coon This book is dedicated to all searchers for wisdom Published in the 1800's Page 1 The Theosophical Seal by Arthur M. Coon INTRODUCTION PREFACE BOOK -1- A DIVINE LANGUAGE ALPHA AND OMEGA UNITY BECOMES DUALITY THREE: THE SACRED NUMBER THE SQUARE AND THE NUMBER FOUR THE CROSS BOOK 2-THE TAU THE PHILOSOPHIC CROSS THE MYSTIC CROSS VICTORY THE PATH BOOK -3- THE SWASTIKA ANTIQUITY THE WHIRLING CROSS CREATIVE FIRE BOOK -4- THE SERPENT MYTH AND SACRED SCRIPTURE SYMBOL OF EVIL SATAN, LUCIFER AND THE DEVIL SYMBOL OF THE DIVINE HEALER SYMBOL OF WISDOM THE SERPENT SWALLOWING ITS TAIL BOOK 5 - THE INTERLACED TRIANGLES THE PATTERN THE NUMBER THREE THE MYSTERY OF THE TRIANGLE THE HINDU TRIMURTI Page 2 The Theosophical Seal by Arthur M. Coon THE THREEFOLD UNIVERSE THE HOLY TRINITY THE WORK OF THE TRINITY THE DIVINE IMAGE " AS ABOVE, SO BELOW " KING SOLOMON'S SEAL SIXES AND SEVENS BOOK 6 - THE SACRED WORD THE SACRED WORD ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Page 3 The Theosophical Seal by Arthur M. Coon INTRODUCTION I am happy to introduce this present volume, the contents of which originally appeared as a series of articles in The American Theosophist magazine. Mr. Arthur Coon's careful analysis of the Theosophical Seal is highly recommend to the many readers who will find here a rich store of information concerning the meaning of the various components of the seal Symbology is one of the ancient keys unlocking the mysteries of man and Nature.
    [Show full text]