RED CACTUS: THE LIFE OF ANNA KINGSFORD Alan Pert Books & Writers Copyright © Alan Pert. All rights reserved. This book is copyright. Except as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, (for example a fair dealing for the purposes of study, research, criticism or review) no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission. National Library of Australia CIP: Pert, Alan. Red cactus : the life of Anna Kingsford. Bibliography. Includes index. ISBN 9781740184052. 1. Kingsford, Anna Bonus, 1846-1888. 2. Theosophists - Great Britain - Biography. 3. Women physicians - Great Britain - Biography. I. Title. 299.934092 First published in Australia in 2006 Reprinted 2007 Books & Writers Network Pty Ltd P.O. Box W76, Watsons Bay NSW 2030 www.wildandwoolley.com.au Book design: Pat Woolley Set in Fournier In loving memory of my parents Ruby Adele Pert (1917-2004) Ronald Ernest Pert (1916-1994) Contents Chronology of the Life of Anna Kingsford - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -vii Introduction - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -1 1 Early Years - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -5 2 A Young Woman - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -17 3 Marriage - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -23 4 Anna’s Own Paper - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -35 5 Anna at Home - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -43 6 Medical Studies - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -53 7 Mystical Illuminations - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -67 8 New Friends and Medical Graduation - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -75 9 Back in England - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -81 10 A Public Figure - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -91 11 President of British Theosophy - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -107 12 Controversy in Theosophy - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -115 13 The Hermetic Society - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -127 14 Multifarious Activities - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -135 15 A Busy Life Takes Its Toll - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -145 16 Dying is a very slow process - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -159 17 After Anna - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -177 18 Maitland’s Biography of Anna in Question - - - - - - - - - - - - -187 Appendix 1: Some features of Anna’s character as revealed by her horoscope - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -209 Appendix 2: Some features of Maitland’s horoscope - - - - - - - - - - - -213 Appendix 3: The fate of Eadith Kingsford - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -215 Acknowledgements - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -217 Bibliography - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -219 Index - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -229 v Chronology of the Life of Anna Kingsford 1846 Anna is born on 16 September at Stratford, Essex, England. Her maiden name was Annie Bonus; later she chose Anna for her first name. 1851 The Bonus family are living at Blackheath. 1863 Publication of her first book Beatrice, aTale of the Early Christians. 1863-64 Anna attends finishing school at Brighton, 1864 Family moves to St Leonards on Sea, Sussex. 1865 Anna’s father John Bonus dies. 1866 Her poems River-Reeds are published. 1867 Anna active for women’s rights. Marries Algernon Kingsford at St Leonards on Sea, 31 December. 1868 Algernon Kingsford studies at the Lichfield Theological College, Staffordshire. Birth of Anna’s daughter Eadith 24 September at St Leonards. Anna writes stories and a long pamphlet on women’s suffrage. vii viii CHRONOLOGY OF THE LIFE OF ANNA KINGSFORD 1869 Algernon becames curate at Atcham, Shropshire. 1870 Anna is baptised in the Roman Catholic Church to avoid the duties of a clergyman’s wife. 1872 Anna acquires the Lady’s Own Paper in London in October. 1873 Anna meets Florence Fenwick Miller, then Edward Maitland. Algernon becomes a rector at Pontesbury, Shropshire. Anna begins to study medicine in London. 1874 Commences to use ‘Anna’ as her first name. Begins her medical course at the Ecole de Médecine, Paris in April. 1875 Anna’s stories Rosamunda the Princess are published. Theosophy Society founded in America by Helena Blavatsky and Henry Olcott. 1877 Anna active against vivisection. She receives illuminative dreams which continue for ten years. Maitland visits mediums, writes England and Islam and The Soul and How It Found Me. Anna makes him withdraw the latter from circulation. 1878 British Theosophical Society formed. 1879 Anna’s friend Lady Caithness settles in Paris. 1880 Anna graduates as a doctor of medicine. Maitland makes many visits to mediums and séances. 1881 Anna and Maitland study Hermetic works at the British Museum. Anna’s thesis The Perfect Way in Diet is published. They deliver ‘The Perfect Way’ lectures in London. 1882 The Perfect Way, or the Finding of Christ is published. Algernon Kingsford becomes vicar of Atcham. 1883 Anna is appointed president of the British Theosophical Society. She lectures for vegetarianism and against vivisection in Switzerland and later in Scotland. Disagreement with A.P. Sinnett over reliance on the Eastern masters in his Esoteric Buddhism and the direction of the Theosophical Society. CHRONOLOGY OF THE LIFE OF ANNA KINGSFORD ix 1884 Anna meets Helena Blavatsky in London. In May, Anna and Maitland resign from office in the Theosophical Society to form the Hermetic Society. Anna undertakes lecture tour against vivisection in England in December. 1885 Anna and Maitland deliver Hermetic Society lectures in the Summer in London. Anna gives lecture tours in England. 1886 The last Hermetic Society session is held. Anna’s Health, Beauty and the Toilet is published. Anna drenched on an abortive visit to Pasteur’s Institute in Paris 17 November, activating her disposition to consumption. 1887 Anna and Maitland travel to the French Riviera and Italy in a vain attempt to restore her health. In July she moves to her final home, 15 Wynnstay Gardens, Kensington. 1888 Anna dies on 22 February, aged 41 years, 5 months. Mother dies on 17 March.The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn is established. Anna’s Dreams and Dream Stories published. 1889 Publication of Clothed With the Sun, Anna’s mystical illuminations. 1896 Anna Kingsford: Her Life, Letters, Diary and Work by Maitland published in January. 1897 Edward Maitland dies 2 October at Tonbridge, Kent. 1913 Algernon Kingsford dies 10 August at Petworth, Sussex. Introduction The English born Anna Kingsford (1846-1888) was a most remarkable woman. Everyone who met her said so. With destiny bestowing the mantle of greatness upon her, she stood out from the crowd. She possessed flawless beauty, a brilliant mind, and mystical insight of a rare order. Anna accomplished much in her life, tragically cut short by consumption (TB). She wrote on a variety of subjects, beginning at a young age with poetry and a novel on religious themes. After inheriting a comfortable income from her ship-owning father, Anna married a theological student, Algernon Kingsford. He agreed to her condition of marriage that she be free to follow her own career. By choice, she had only one child, called Eadith, and began to apply her considerable intelligence and talents to social causes that were dear to her heart. During Anna’s early married years she wrote on women’s rights, short stories, and owned The Lady’s Own Paper in London in 1872. In 1874 Anna commenced medical studies at the Medical School in Paris. Not only was she interested in health, she wanted credentials for her campaign against vivisection and in the promotion of vegetarianism. Her husband supported Anna in her studies and career, although he stayed in the background. Anna met the writer, Edward Maitland, who became her co-worker in her causes, and often traveled 1 2 INTRODUCTION with her. She obtained her medical degree in 1880, having the distinction of not performing any vivisection during her course. From 1877 onwards Anna received mystical illuminations which formed the basis of The Perfect Way, or the Finding of Christ, published in 1882. This is a major work on Hermetic philosophy, also called esoteric Christianity. Other pilgrims on the mystical path recognized her stature, and appointed Anna president of the British Theosophical Society in 1883. Due to factionalism in the Society, she did not stand for president in 1884. In response Anna formed the pivotal Hermetic Society, which influenced among others, the poet William Butler Yeats, and Samuel MacGregor Mathers, a founder of the legendary occult society, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Despite suffering from asthma, Anna led a very busy life, lecturing widely on vegetarianism and against vivisection in addition to her medical practice. In November 1886 Anna received a drenching in a Paris downpour which triggered consumption. Travel to the Riviera and Italy did not improve her condition. In June 1887 she settled in London, and died there in February 1888. As a mystic, Anna Kingsford is on a par with Meister Eckhart and William Blake. Significant people have been influenced by her works.