Theos-Talk Archives (June 2005 Message tt00422)

Hi Dallas,

Thanks for the interesting reply to the question of the authorship of
the article "African Magic".

Your interpretation of The symbols used in the "nom de plume"
"Tautriadelta" were profound and I appreciate you taking the time. Are
you saying that this is a pen name of HPB? If it is then it is the
only known example she used it to my knowledge. This is hard to
reconcile with Kim Farnell's statement that the author of the article
and claimant to the anonymous pseudonym is Robert Donston Stephenson.

I think you make a very good point that, if HPB was the author of this
article on experiences in West Africa, then her travels were far more
extensive than was previously believed.

Thanks
Spiro

--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "W.Dallas TenBroeck"
<dalval14@e...> wrote:
> June 19 2005
> 
> Re: AFRICAN MAGIC , Lucifer Article, Nov/Dec 1890
> 
> History records show Mabel Collins was expelled from the E S around
Jan/Feb
> 1889 [see The THEOSOPHICAL MOVEMENT (1875-1950) , pp. 148-9, and
> PATH, Vol. IV, pp. 126-7.
> 
> This article AFRICAN MAGIC came out in LUCIFER almost 2 years later
! This
> time delay seems important to me. 
> 
> I wonder if we have a full record of all of HPB's travels in her
life prior
> to 1875, "laying down the 'lines of force'" it was once written,
needed for
> her future work ?


> The symbols used as "nom de plume" seem to show TAU (the symbol of
perfect
> "Man" (Adeptship) -- the Pythagorean TEN - 10 --) placed in the
center (or
> leading ?) of three pyramids (symbolized by the 3 DELTAS). Or,
Manas in its
> three-fold aspect. [This may be one interpretation ? DTB]

> This article AFRICAN MAGIC came out in LUCIFER almost 2 years later ! 
> 
> Dallas
> 
> ====================================
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Spiro
> Sent: Saturday, June 18, 2005 9:59 AM
> To: 
> Subject: Re: Lucifer Article Nov 1890
> 
> Hi Anton,
> 
> Thanks for that reply. The problem I have with this statement by
> Farnell is that by 1890, according to an Esoteric Section Memo,
> Vittoria Cremers and Mabel Collins had been expelled. So how could
> they commission an article from anyone?
> 
> If that is the case, then who is Robert Donston Stephenson and was he
> a member of the Theosophical Society? And why would his article be
> attributed to HPB?
> 
> I am simply attempting some historical research here and would be most
> grateful for any assistance.
> 
> Regards
> Spiro
> 
> --- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "Anton Rozman" <anton_rozman@y...>
> wrote:
> 
> Hi Spiro,
> 
> Please see at http://www.katinkahesselink.net/his/farnell4.html Kim 
> Farnell's biography of Mabel Collins.
> 
> There you can read:
> 
> Robert Donston Stephenson was the son of a Yorkshire seed mill owner 
> who had studied chemistry in Munich and medicine in Paris. He fought 
> for Garibaldi in the 1860's, working as a battlefield medic, and 
> studied the occult under Bulwer Lytton. ..... Vittoria and Mabel 
> commissioned for Lucifer an article from Stephenson that appeared in 
> November 1890, African Magic by Tau-Triadelta, which was later 
> attributed to Blavatsky.
> 
> Kind regards,
> Anton
> 
> ---------------------------------------------------
> 
> --- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "Spiro" <auspirograph@y...> wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> I have a question to ask on a historical article ascribed to
> Blavatsky. In the November 1890 issue of "Lucifer", there is an
> article titled "African Magic" and attributed to HPB yet in other
> places the same article is credited to a certain "Tautriadelta".
> 
> If the article indeed was penned by Blavatsky then within it's text
> the author mentions their experiences in Western Africa and as far as
> I know, HPB didn't actually travel there.
> 
> If HPB was not the author of this article I would be interested in
> knowing more about the anonymous writer "Tautriadelta".
> 
> Thanks
> Spiro