Theos-Talk Archives (April 2004 Message tt00181)

Hey,

The new Library Journal has a review of travel writing by Pico 
Iyer. His latest collection is Sun After Dark: Flights into the 
Foreign. I read his first two books and enjoyed them. Have often 
wondered, but never asked here, about his Theosophical connections. 
In the late 80s a ULT friend of mine, Michael Revere, visited the 
Santa Barbara lodge which was dominated by Pico's father Raghavan 
Iyer. I gathered at the time that Raghavan had a following which 
was quite devoted; the lodge's magazine Hermes was excellent. A 
Pasadena Theosophist I met, whose daughter lived in Santa Barbara 
with the Iyer Theosophists, complained that Raghavan was the object 
of excessive deference, virtually worshipped. Some at the time 
wondered if he were, or claimed to be, the last-quarter-of-the-20th-
century messenger of the Masters. After Michael's visit he told me 
that he got the impression it was Pico, not Raghavan, who was 
regarded in this light, or perhaps was being groomed for the role.
I've never seen Pico mention Theosophy in any of his writings, but 
would assume this was another Coming that went wrong and that he is 
no longer a Theosophist. Can anyone shed any light on this story?

Paul