Theos-Talk Archives (October 2002 Message tt00019)

brianmuehlbach wrote:
> Wry: What I personally might do is examine Theosophy to see what, if
> anything about it, is flawed.
> 
> Brian: Blavatsky's construct (largely rooted in "The Great Chain of Being"
> philosophy of the Renaissance) remains important to read because it
> reveals how occultists of the 19th century where adjusting themselves to
> the changing times.

According to you. Most Theosophists disagree with you.

> At the time of Blavatsky's writings a rapid advance of a rational,
> scientific world-view was taking place. 

At the time of Blavatsky's writings, the known science of the time was
becoming stratified into a religion; the head of the U.S. Patent office
was considering closing shop because everything that could be invented
had already been invented. It was widely believed that Newtonian
Mechanics could ultimately explain everything, that the atom was
indivisible, the "hole" in the Darwinian theory was yet to be filled by
the publication of the previously discovered but still unknown to the
general public Mendelian genetics. 

The rapid advance took place AFTER Blavatsky's writings, and was quite
probably influenced by Blavatsky's writings.

> As during the Renaisance when
> for example alchemy and astrology were accepted sciences, the occult
> was not seen anymore as an integrative framework that explained
> the "hidden" ("true") meaning of the world.

Do you have any idea what alchemy is?

> The writings of Blavatsky remain under-researched especially by
> Theosophists who not unlike Bible sects, take the writings as some kind
> of revealed teachings from a worldwide White Brotherhood, Masters
> (who are said to have looked upon humanity from its "inception") and
> manuscripts from "Atlantis."

A) All teachings are revealed.
B) The term "White Brotherhood", for newcomers, has to do with
intention, and NOT skin color. Most of the members would have been (and
sometimes were) called "niggers" by the British and Americans.
C) The term "Masters" and the concept of wisdom from "Atlantis" were,
while mentioned in Blavatsky's work, were emphasized more by later
Theosophists and self-styled Theosophists, notably Alice Bailey, who was
raised as a Fundamentalist Christian and was a racist, Jew hater, and
considered all homosexuals to be inherently evil. Those who wish to put
down Blavatsky (notably Peter Washington in MADAME BLAVATSKY'S BABOON)
would frequently take Bailey's statements, and attribute them to
Blavatsky, just as you often do.

> Modern writers that have started to properly research Theosophy (a
> large job indeed) are Carlson who wrote a book on Theosophy in Russia
> (*) , K.Paul Johnson, even he stated that he has been more apologetic
> in his books then he would be today about Blavatsky. 

Paul's writings are quite good, and he was royally screwed over by
several prominent Theosophists.

Bart Lidofsky