Theos-Talk Archives (May 1998 Message tt00442)

Some subscribers to Theos-Talk who have been reading
about Mead and his editing of the 1893 edition of the
S.D, might be interested in seeing a list of the many
books from his prolific pen.  A listing can be found at:

http://www.kessingerpub.com/catalog/authors/Mead_GRS.html


Although I have always admired Mead's work as given in
his many published volumes, I have grave reservations
about his editing of the S.D.  He was only 30 years old
when the third edition was published.  What expertise did
he really have to edit such a huge work as the S.D. which
covers so many diverse fields, etc.?  It would be a challenge
for a whole team of experts.  Also he writes as a scholar and
not as an occultist.  And in later years he had a very
condescending view of "occultism" and even considered HPB
a "medium".  And just because he was HPB's personal secretary for
the last 2 years of her life, doesn't make him the only
"reliable" authority on HPB.  Bertram Keightley had also
been her personal secretary. And Countess Wachtmeister served
as her "personal secretary" for a number of years.  Mead's views, etc.
are important but must be assessed in light of many other witnesses,
documents, etc.


And Mead's view of the third volume (1897)of THE SECRET DOCTRINE must be
assessed in light of other material available.  He himself admits
he had nothing to do with the third volume and had not seen most
of its contents (except the esoteric writings) until
publication.  See my detailed analysis of the Third Volume of THE
SECRET DOCTRINE in THE AMERICAN THEOSOPHIST, (Wheaton, Illinois)
in the Late Spring/Early Summer 1995 issue, pp. 18-25. My own conclusion
(as based on what is given in this 1995 article) is that this third
volume is
not *spurious* as many Blavatsky students have beleived.