Theos-Talk Archives (November 2002 Message tt00298)

"Daniel H. Caldwell" wrote:
> "If you have not seen it, there is a very similar story in Lane's
> MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE MODERN EGYPTIANS which was published
> before the TS was formed. So this demonstration has been performed by
> Egyptian maicians for some time. Blavatsky of course studied n Egypt."
> 
> Bart Lidofsky wrote:
> 
> "Among professional magicians, the Egyptian magicians are admired as
> the first of the great charlatans (the methods they used are well-
> known among magical historians). The last of the great charlatans
> was, of course, Count Cagliostro."
> 
> So do we end up with the following?
> 
> Great charlatans=Egyptian magicians=Count Cagliostro=H.P. Blavatsky
> 
> Brian/Brigitte would probably say YES! :)

Well, I consider the use of phenomenology to attract followers, real or
faked, to be more or less equivalent. Jesus was right to say "no" to
Satan in the desert. 

I DO however, differentiate between phenomenology used just to get
people's attention to be different from the use of phenomenology to
"prove" one's spiritual advancement, especially if part of the message
is, "If you're following me for my tricks, then don't bother."

I think that H.P.B.'s slowly increasing stance against phenomenology
during her later career was due to her realization of this. 

Bart Lidofsky