Theos-Talk Archives (February 2006 Message tt00471)

Maybe this passage from The Inner Group Teachings of H. P. 
Blavatsky - Meeting: November 12, 1890 - is interesting too:

H.P.B. said that the Inner Group was the Manas of the T.S. The E.S. 
was the Lower Manas; the T.S. the Quarternary.




--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "Anton Rozman" <anton_rozman@...> 
wrote:
>
> 
> Maybe this extracts from J. Ransom's Short History of the T. S. 
will 
> complete Dallas' information.
> 
> Warmest regards,
> Anton
> 
> 
> AT the time of the formation of The Theosophical Society, H. P. B. 
> was living at 46, Irving Place, New York. Here she was eagerly 
> sought out by those interested in the occult and attracted by her 
> remarkable personality, in the courageous challenge she flung at 
> scientific materialism, and in the stand she made for the "science 
> of ancient and proved Magic." (H.P.B. used the word Magic as a 
> substitute for both Occultism and Theosophy, neither of which 
meant 
> anything to the public at that time.) On 7 Sept., 1875, Mr. George 
> H. Felt, an engineer and architect, gave a highly instructive 
> lecture on "The Lost Canon of Proportion of the Egyptians," to 
about 
> seventeen people gathered in H.P.B.'s rooms. …
> 
> An animated discussion followed, during which the idea occurred to 
> Col. Olcott "that it would be a good thing to form a Society to 
> pursue and promote such occult research." He passed a note to 
H.P., 
> who agreed. (Mrs. Besant remarks in Lucifer, April 1895, p. 
> 105: "She [H.P.B.] has told me herself how her Master bade her 
found 
> it, and how at His bidding she wrote the suggestion of starting it 
> on a slip of paper and gave it to W. Q. Judge to pass to Col. 
> Olcott, and then the Society had its first beginning …") He then 
> spoke of the philosophic character of ancient Theosophies and 
their 
> sufficiency to reconcile all existing antagonism, and of Mr. 
Felt's 
> achievement in extracting the Key to the architecture of Nature 
from 
> the scanty fragments of ancient lore. He proposed to form a 
society 
> for the investigation of science and religion; the society to be 
> entirely eclectic, the friend of true religion and the enemy of 
> scientific materialism. It would be a nucleus around which might 
> gather those willing to work together to organise a society of 
> occultists, begin to collect a library, and to diffuse information 
> concerning those secret laws of nature which were so familiar to 
the 
> Chaldeans and Egyptians, but were unknown to the modern world of 
> science. Mr. Felt was to teach the right kind of person how to 
evoke 
> and control the elementals. It was unanimously agreed that a 
society 
> be formed for the study and elucidation of Occultism, the Kabala, 
> etc. It should be free from the least sectarian character and be 
> unquestionably anti-materialistic. Mr. W. Q. Judge proposed Col. 
> Olcott as chairman, and the Colonel proposed Mr. Judge as 
Secretary.
> On 8 Sept., at the adjourned meeting, Col. Olcott was elected as 
> Chairman and Mr. Judge as Secretary. From among those present the 
> following sixteen handed in their names as willing to form and 
> belong to such a Society: Mde. H. P. Blavatsky, Col. H. S. Olcott, 
> Charles Sotheran, Dr. Charles E. Simmons, H. D. Monachesi, C. C. 
> Massey (Loud.), W. L. Alden, G. H. Felt, D. E. de Lara, Dr. W. 
> Britten, Henry J. Newton, John Storer Cobb, J. Hyslop, W. Q. 
Judge, 
> Mrs. E. H. Britten H. M. Stevens. …
> 
> Newton, Stevens and Sotheran, with the Chairman, were appointed to 
> draft a Constitution and Bye-laws, and to report on them on 13 
Sept. 
> At this meeting Felt further described his discoveries. Then 
> business was taken up, with Col. Olcott in the Chair and Sotheran 
as 
> Secretary. The Committee on Preamble and Bye-laws made its report. 
> It was resolved that the name of the proposed Society be THE 
> THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. It was agreed that this title "both 
expressed 
> the esoteric truth they wished to reach and covered the ground of 
> Felt's methods of occult research." The Rev. Mr. Wiggin and Mr. 
> Sotheran were appointed to select suitable meeting rooms, several 
> new members were nominated and their names added as founders. …
> 
> The first meeting under the name "The Theosophical Society" was 
> called by Henry S. Olcott, President pro tem., for 16 Oct. in the 
> spacious drawing-rooms of Mrs. Emma Hardinge Britten, the widely 
> known Spiritualist. It was announced that the Bye-laws were ready, 
> and that Mr. Felt, if in town, would continue his Egyptological 
> lectures, also that the officers would be elected. Col. Olcott was 
> in the Chair and J. S. Cobb acted as Secretary. After discussion 
and 
> various alterations, the Bye-laws were adopted.
> 
> After this meeting H. P. B. left for Ithaca to stay with her 
friends 
> Prof. and Mrs. Corson. …
> 
> During H. P. B.'s absence at Ithaca, Col. Olcott was delivering 
> lectures in New York, launching out against Spiritualism and 
> upholding the new Theosophical doctrine. H. P. B. returned to New 
> York in time for the next meeting of The Theosophical Society, 
which 
> was held at the same place on 30 Oct. At this meeting the Mott 
> Memorial Hall, 64, Madison Avenue, was selected as The Society's 
> meeting place. It was near to the recently purchased New York 
> Headquarters in 47th Street, into which H. P. B. and the Colonel 
> presently moved, and remained there until they left for India. The 
> Bye-laws were finally adopted, and the Preamble was to be further 
> revised by H. S. Olcott, C. Sotheran and J. S. Cobb. In this 
> finished Preamble it is said:
> "The Title of the Theosophical Society explains the objects and 
> desires of its founders: they `seek to obtain knowledge of the 
> nature and attributes of the Supreme Power, and of the higher 
> spirits by the aid of physical processes.' In other words, they 
> hope, that by going deeper than modern science has hitherto done, 
> into the esoteric philosophies of ancient times, they may be 
enabled 
> to obtain, for themselves and other investigators, proof of the 
> existence of an `Unseen Universe,' the nature of its inhabitants 
if 
> such there be, and the laws which govern them and their relations 
> with mankind. Whatever may be the private opinions of its members, 
> the society has no dogmas to enforce, no creed to disseminate. It 
is 
> formed neither as a Spiritualistic schism, nor to serve as the foe 
> or friend of any sectarian or philosophic body. Its only axiom is 
> the omnipotence of truth, its only creed a profession of 
unqualified 
> devotion to its discovery and propaganda. In considering the 
> qualifications of applicants for membership, it knows neither 
race, 
> sex, colour, country nor creed …"
> The Preamble ended with these words:
> "The Theosophical Society, disclaiming all pretension to the 
> possession of unusual advantages, all selfish motives, all 
> disposition to foster deception of any sort, all intention to 
> wilfully and causelessly injure any established organization, 
> invites fraternal co-operation of such as can realize the 
importance 
> of its field of labour; and are in sympathy with the objects for 
> which it has been organized."
> The "Objects" of The Society were very simply stated as being "to 
> collect and diffuse a knowledge of the laws which govern the 
> universe."
> To these ideals of freedom of thought and opinion The Society 
clung 
> tenaciously, as will be seen. Col. Olcott was ever mindful of this 
> promise to the world, guarded it jealously and made it his guiding 
> principle in his organisation of The Society, and each President 
has 
> in turn guarded it with equal care from all tendencies to 
limitation 
> or dogmatism. Also, the principle of Brotherhood, implicitly 
> expressed at the end of the first paragraph, soon became the 
> strongest and most vitalising power and remains the dominating 
> Object of The Society's work.
> The election for Office resulted as follows:
> President, HENRY S. OLCOTT; Vice-Presidents, Dr. S. PANCOAST and 
G. 
> H. FELT; Corresponding Secretary, MME. H. P. BLAVATSKY; Recording 
> Secretary, JOHN STORER COBB; Treasurer, HENRY J. NEWTON, 
Librarian, 
> CHARLES SOTHERAN; Councillors, REV. J. H. WIGGIN, (Judge) R. B. 
> WESTBROOK, L.L.D., Mrs. EMMA HARDINGE BRITTEN, C. E. SIMMONS, M. 
D., 
> and HERBERT D. MONACHESI; Counsel to the Society, WILLIAM Q. 
JUDGE. 
> 
> On 17 November The Society met at Mott Memorial Hall, and the 
> President delivered his Inaugural Address. This completed the 
> organisation of The Society and Col. Olcott chose this date as its 
> birthday.
> The Preamble, Rules, (under date of 30 Oct. 1875) and Inaugural 
> Address were published. In this Address the Colonel said 
> prophetically: "in the coming time it is inevitable that the birth 
> of this society of ours must be considered a factor in the problem 
> which the historian will be required to solve." Since the days 
when 
> the Neo-Platonists and theurgists of Alexandria were scattered by 
> Christianity this was the first revival of a study of Theosophy. 
He 
> then promised that through his discoveries Mr. Felt would, by 
simple 
> chemical appliances, exhibit "the races of beings which, invisible 
> to our eyes, people the elements," and the name of The 
Theosophical 
> Society would hold its place in history as the first to exhibit 
> these "Elementary Spirits" - and thus astound the churches, the 
> unimaginative academies of science, the materialists and 
the "shade" 
> ridden spiritualists. Written in the SCRAPBOOK is one of H.P.B.'s 
> shrewd comments to the effect that these were rash statements - it 
> was "counting the price of the bear's skin before the beast is 
> slain." The Colonel admitted afterwards that though there was much 
> in his Address that came true, "yet it reads a bit foolish after 
> seventeen years of hard experience."
> 
> 
> --- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "W.Dallas TenBroeck" 
> <dalval14@> wrote:
> >
> > 
> > 
> > T S STARTED .DOC
> > =================
> > 
> > 
> > 		
> > 	
> > 
> >                 CHRONOLOGY  1875 -78
> > 
> > 
> > 
> >               NOTES ON THE ORIGINAL MINUTES OF THE THEOSOPHICAL 
> SOCIETY.
> > 
> >                                              SOURCES:
> >                         PATH, Vol. 10, p. 55,  May 1894.
> >                         THEOSOPHICAL FORUM, Vol. 1, p. 95-6--
> (Olcott on)
> >                         OLD DIARY LEAVES, Vol. 1,p.114-18,121-
> 2,126-133;137,
> >                         OLD DIARY LEAVES, Vol. 7, p. 
326.          
> > 
> > 
> > 
> >           [  Start with Mr. Judge's THE T S AND ITS BASIS,   J 
Art 
> II 156 ]
> > From AUSTRAL THEOSOPHIST, June 1894 ]
> > 
> >           "As one of those who helped to form the T S, I may 
claim 
> to speak
> > with personal knowledge of the facts, ...
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 	SEPT 7th 1875
> > 
> > "1.   At a meeting held in the rooms of H.P.Blavatsky, 46 Irving 
> Place, New
> > York City, Sept. 7, 1875, it was agreed to form a Society for 
the 
> purpose of
> > Occult Study.  Upon motion of William Q. Judge, Henry S. Olcott 
> was elected
> > Chairman of this meeting, and upon motion of H.S.Olcott, William 
> Q. Judge
> > was elected Secretary of the same.  Adjourned to September 8, 
> 1875...this is
> > ascertained as the facts by those who were present. 	
> 	(CWB, Vol.
> > 1, 122)
> > 
> >               NOTE:
> > 
> >               Col. Olcott, in OLD DIARY LEAVES, Vol. 1, p. 118, 
> remarks on
> > this event from memory as follows: (he) "wrote on a scrap of 
> paper:   "Would
> > it not be a good thing to form a Society for this kind of 
study ?"-
> -and gave
> > it to Judge.  H.P.B. read the note and nodded assent." 
> >      
> > [He also makes mention of this on p.114 of his book. OLD DIARY 
> LEAVES
> > (Olcott) Vol. I
> >               (CWB, Vol. 1, p. 473, 122-123)
> > 
> >               Since Col. Olcott wrote OLD DIARY LEAVES, largely 
> from memory,
> > some discrepancies have been observed by historians, these will 
be 
> found
> > chronicled in 	CWB Vol. I, pp. 72-3, 94, 121, 123-4.  
> > 
> >      H.P.B. later narrated this event to Mrs. A. Besant, who 
then 
> reported
> > it in the opposite sequence:  she [HPB] having originated the 
> idea, and
> > then, having a note suggesting the formation of a society passed 
> through
> > Judge to Olcott.
> >   (see LUCIFER, Vol. 12, p. 105, April 1893).  
> > 
> > There is no question but Mr. Judge was one of the three founders 
> of the
> > Theosophical Society who remained with it.
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > 	SEPT 8th 1875
> > 
> > 2.   Pursuant to adjournment, a meeting was held at the same 
place 
> Sept. 8,
> > 1875.  It is with this meeting that the minute book begins.  
Upon 
> motion of
> > William Q. Judge it was voted that H.S.Olcott take the Chair, 
and 
> upon
> > motion it was voted that William Q. Judge act as Secretary.  
Upon 
> request of
> > the Chair, sixteen persons handed their  names to the Secretary, 
> as agreeing
> > to found and belong to such a society.  A committee of four, 
> including the
> > Chairman, was appointed "to draft a constitution and by-laws and 
> to report
> > the same at the next meeting."  Adjourned to Monday, Sept. 13, 
> 1875, at the
> > same place.   
> > (PATH Vol. 9, p. 1 - facsimile;  CWB, Vol. 1, p. 123-5) 
> > 
> > 
> > 	SEPT 13TH 1875
> > 
> >          3.   Pursuant to adjournment, a meeting was held Sept. 
> 13, 1875.
> > H.S.Olcott acted as Chairman and C. Southern as Secretary.  The 
> Committee on
> > "Preamble and By-laws" reported progress.  It was resolved that 
> the name of
> > the society be "THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY".  The Chair appointed 
a 
> committee
> > to select meeting rooms.  "Several new members were nominated 
and 
> upon
> > motion those persons were added to the list of Founders."  The 
> meeting
> > adjourned subject to the call of the Chair.
> > 
> > 
> > 	OCTOBER 16 1875
> > 
> >          4.   Pursuant to a Notice dated at New York, Oct. 13, 
> 1875, signed
> > Henry S. Olcott, President pro tem., a meeting was held at 206 W 
> 38th
> > St., Oct. 16, l875, "to organize and elect officers."  Eighteen 
> persons
> > were present.  The report of the Committee on "Preamble and By-
> laws" was
> > laid on the table and ordered printed.  The meeting was 
adjourned  
> to
> > October 30th l875, at the same place.  H.S.Olcott was Chairman, 
> and  J. S.
> > Cobb, Secretary,
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 	OCTOBER 30 1875
> > 
> >          5.   October 30, 1875, the Society met pursuant to 
> adjournment.
> > Mott Memorial Hall, 64 Madison Ave., New York City was selected 
as 
> the
> > Society's meeting place.  By-laws were adopted, but with the 
> proviso  that
> > the "Preamble" should be revised by a committee and then 
published 
> as the
> > "Preamble of the Society."  Officers were elected as follows:   
> President,
> > Henry S. Olcott;  Vice-Presidents, Dr. S. Pancoast and  
G .H .Felt;
> > Corresponding Secretary, Mme. H.P.Blavatsky;  Recording  
> Secretary, John
> > Storer Cobb;  Treasurer, Henry J. Newton;  Librarian,  Charles 
> Southeran;
> > Councilors, Rev. J .H. Wiggin,  R. B. Westbrook,  LL.D.,  Mrs. 
> Emma Hardinge
> > Britten;  C E. Simmons, M.D. and Herbert D. Montachesi;  Counsel 
> to the
> > Society, William Q. Judge.  Adjourned to      November 17, 
> 1875. ....
> >                  PATH, VOL. 10, P. 55-60;
> >                  CWB, Vol. I, p. 122 - 125; 150; 193; 245-6; 375-
> 8; 379-84;
> > 
> > 
> > 
> >         NOTE
> > 
> >               Mme. Blavatsky was by this time (1875) engaged in 
> the writing
> > of ISIS UNVEILED.  Mr. Judge's brother, John, was of help in 
> preparing the
> > manuscript for the printers.  Mr. Judge's participation is not 
> specified in
> > existent records I have read.  DTB.  
> > 
> >               HPB invited Mr. Judge to help her in 1884 at 
> Enghien, (WQJ
> > ART. ULT I 468) :  "...while I at her request carefully read 
over, 
> sitting
> > in the same room, Isis Unveiled, making indices at the foot of 
the 
> page, as
> > she intended to use it in preparing the Secret Doctrine."
> > 
> > 
> >             	In THE COLLECTED WORKS OF H.P.BLAVATSKY, 
VOL. I p. 
> 406 we
> > are told by the editor that the diaries of HPB for the years 
1875-
> 77
> > "mysteriously disappeared" in Adyar.  
> > 
> > The diary for 1878 find Mr. Judge mentioned several times as a 
> visitor to
> > HPB in the latter part of the year: [  August 5th and 6th (p. 
> 409);  Oct 18
> > (p.413);  Oct. 30 (p.416);  Nov. 12  (p.420);  Dec. 3-4(p.425);  
> Dec. 5
> > (p.426);  Dec. 7 (p.427);  Dec. 11 (p.429);  Dec. 13-15.
> > COLL. WKS. B, Vol I, p. 430.]
> > 
> >  	On December 17th. 1878 Mme. Blavatsky and Col. Olcott 
> boarded a
> > steamer to sail via. England, for India;  Mr. Judge remained in 
> New York. 
> > 
> > 	On Dec. 19th. 1879 (p.433, C W B)  Mr. Judge visited them on 
> board
> > the steamer prior to its actual departure, while it was still 
> anchored
> > inside the bar of the harbor waiting for the tide.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 	DECEMBER 17 1878 to FEBRUARY 16 1879
> > 
> > 
> >          9.   In the year 1878 H.P.Blavatsky and H.S.Olcott were 
> appointed
> > under a formal Resolution of the Theosophical Society dated------
- 
> a
> > "Committee of the Theosophical Society" to visit foreign 
countries 
> and
> > report."  The Theosophist for Oct. 1879, Vol. 1, #1, p. 1, 1st 
> item, says:
> > "For the convenience of future reference, it may as well be 
stated 
> here that
> > the Committee, sent to India by the Theosophical Society, sailed 
> from New
> > York Dec. 17th l878, and landed in Bombay, Feb. 16, 1879, having 
> passed two
> > weeks in London on the way."  	(The THEOSOPHIST,  Jan. 
> 1880, Vol. 1, p.95).
> > 
> > 
> > =================================================================
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 				T  S  STARTED 
> > 
> > 
> > From: Jerry Hejka-Ekins
> > Sent: Saturday, February 18, 2006 3:53 PM
> > To
> > Subject: Re: 		TS natal chart and its implications
> > 
> > Dear all,
> > 
> > I recall HPB writing that the September chart is the real birth 
> chart.  
> > The November inaugural address chart would be the chart for when 
> the TS 
> > became a public organization.  
> > 
> > Best
> > 
> > Jerry
> > 
> > ==============================================
> > 
> > adelasie wrote:
> > 
> > Dear Vladimir,
> > 
> > The chart drawn for 8 pm, September 8, 1875, is certainly more 
> > encouraging than the one for the same time, November 17 of the 
> same 
> > year. One might wonder how an entity of the latter date would 
> survive 
> > at all. Does anyone have any more specific data for the founding 
> of 
> > the TS? It seems likely that there would be an official chart 
for 
> the 
> > founding, considering what the organization is. 
> > 
> > Adelasie
> > 
> > ==================================================
> > 
> > On 18 Feb 2006 at 13:19, Vladimir wrote:
> > 
> >   
> > 
> > Saturday, February 18, 2006, 5:46:41 AM, adelasie wrote:
> > 
> >     
> > 
> > Does Cranston give a time for the September date?
> >       
> > 
> > No. Actually the date might be considered even Sep.7, because 
then
> > 
> > 
> > ...Madame  Blavatsky's  sprightly  evening  chatter  and  her 
> reported
> > magical  feats  continued  to draw groups of intelligent people 
to 
> her
> > rooms. Among those thus attracted was Mr. George H. Felt, who 
had 
> made
> > some  careful studies in phases of Egyptology. He was asked to 
> lecture
> > on these subjects and on the 7th of September, 1875, a score of 
> people
> > had  gathered  in  H.P.B.'s  parlors  to hear his address 
on "The 
> Lost
> > Canon  of  Proportion  of  the  Egyptians."  
> > 
> > Dr. Seth Pancoast, a most
> > erudite  Kabbalist  was  present,  and  after  the  lecture he 
led 
> the
> > discussion  to  the  subject  of  the  occult  powers  of  the 
> ancient
> > magicians.  Mr. Felt said he had proven those powers and had 
with 
> them
> > evoked  elemental  creatures  and  "hundreds of shadowy forms." 
As 
> the
> > tense  debate  proceeded, acting on an impulse, 
> > 
> > Col. Olcott wrote on a
> > scrap  of  paper, which he passed over to Madame Blavatsky 
through 
> the
> > hands of Mr. W. Q. Judge, the following: "Would it not be a good 
> thing
> > to  form  a Society for this kind of study?" She read it and 
> indicated
> > assent.
> > 
> > http://www.blavatskycardiff.care4free.net/The%20Theosophical%
> 20Society
> > %20gets%20off%20the%20Ground.htm
> > 
> > 
> > But the Meeting Minutes containing the proposal is dated 
> > 
> > 		Sep.8,1975 –
> > 
> > a hand-written page is reproduced in the book.
> > 
> > 
> >  Vladimir
> > 
> > =====================================
> > 
> > 	see	Blavatsky:  COLLECTED WORKS   Vol.  1
> > 
> > ==================================
> > 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com [mailto:theos-
> talk@yahoogroups.com] On
> > Behalf Of adelasie
> > Sent: Friday, February 17, 2006 6:47 PM
> > To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com
> > Subject: Re: Theos-World TS natal chart and its implications
> > 
> > Hi Vladimir,
> > 
> > Does Cranston give a time for the September date?
> > 
> > Adelasie
> > 
> > On 17 Feb 2006 at 21:35, Vladimir wrote:
> > 
> > > Friday, February 17, 2006, 5:16:17 PM, kpauljohnson wrote:
> > > 
> > > > Here are a couple of post from a dozen years ago, discussing 
> the
> > > > November 17th chart for the TS:
> > > 
> > > Sorry,  didn't  look  at  the  chart, just want to make a side 
> remark:
> > > according  to  Cranston's  book  on  HPB's  life,  the TS was 
> actually
> > > organized  Sep.8,1875,  whereas  on Nov.17th Olcott gave his 
> inaugural
> > > speech.
> > > 
> > > Would  you  please  remake  the  chart  for  this date and 
> produce new
> > > implications? :)
> > > 
> > > 
> > > Best regards,
> > >  Vladimir
> > > 
> > =================================================
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > LEGAL STATUS OF THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY 
> > 
> > 	Key.  p. 309-10
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > THE LEGAL STATUS OF THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.
> > The following Official Report, on which was granted a Decree of 
In 
> to the
> > St. Louis Theosophical Society, is art important document, as 
> putting on
> > record the view taken of the Theosophical Society—after a careful
> > examination of witnesses on oath—by an American Court of Law.
> >  
> > First—The petitioner is not a religious body, I report this 
> negative finding
> > for the reason that the word "Theosophical" contained in 
> petitioners' name
> > conveys a possible religious implication. 
> > 
> > The statutory phrase "society formed for religious purposes" 
> applies, I
> > suppose, only to an organization formed in part for worship, 
> worship being
> > an individual act involving adoration and perhaps emotional 
power, 
> both
> > being of necessity individual acts, or else to an organization 
> formed for a
> > propagation of a religious faith. 
> > 
> > Merely to teach a religion as one may teach algebra, is not, I 
> think, a
> > religions work, as the word "religious" is used in the Statute 
and 
> the
> > Constitution. A man may occupy a collegiate chair of Professor 
of 
> Religions
> > and as such teach the tenets of many religions. These different 
> religions
> > being variant and antagonistic, the Professor could not by any 
> possibility
> > worship under all. Nay, he might even be irreligious. Hence, 
> merely teaching
> > religions is not a religions work in the statutory sense. 
> > 
> > It will be noted that in art. 2 of this society's constitution, 
> the word
> > religion is used in the plural. To teach religions is 
educational, 
> not
> > religious. "To promote the study of religions" is in part to 
> promote the
> > study of the history of man. I add the subordinate finding that 
> the society
> > has no religious creed and practices no worship. 
> > 
> > Second—The petitioner proposes to promote the study of 
literature 
> and
> > sciences. These objects are expressly within the terms of the 
> Statute. 
> > 
> > Third—Cognate with the last object is that of  
> investigating "unexplained
> > laws of nature and psychical powers latent in man." These two 
> phrases, taken
> > in their apparent meaning, are unobjectionable. But there is 
> reason to
> > believe that they form a meaning other than the apparent one. 
> > 
> > The court will take notice of the commonly accepted meaning of 
the 
> word
> > "Theosophy." Though I am ignorant of Theosophy, I think it is 
> supposed to
> > include among other things manifestations and phenomena, 
physical 
> and
> > psychical, that are violative of the laws now known by 
physicists 
> and
> > metaphysicians, and perhaps not explained or claimed to be 
> explained or
> > understood even by Theosophists themselves. 
> > 
> > In this group may be included Spiritualism, mesmerism, 
> clairvoyance,
> > mind-healing, mind-reading, and the like. I took testimony on 
this 
> question,
> > and found that while a belief in any one of these sorts of 
> manifestations
> > and phenomena is not required, while each member of the society 
is 
> at
> > liberty to hold his own opinion, yet such questions form topics 
of 
> inquiry
> > and discussion, and the members as a mass are probably believers
> > individually in phenomena that are abnormal and in powers that 
are
> > superhuman as far as science now knows. 
> > 
> > It is undoubtedly the right of any citizen to hold whatever 
> opinions he
> > pleases on these subjects, and to endeavour at his pleasure to 
> investigate
> > the unexplained and to display the latent. 
> > 
> > But the question here is: Shall the Court grant a franchise in 
aid 
> of such
> > endeavour? 
> > 
> > Voodooism is a word applied to the practices of guileful men 
among 
> the
> > ignorant and superstitious who inflict impostures upon guileless 
> men among
> > the ignorant and superstitious. No Court would grant a franchise 
in
> > furtherance of such practices. 
> > 
> > The Court then will stop to inquire into the practices and 
perhaps 
> the
> > reputableness of the enterprise which seeks judicial aid. I am 
not 
> meaning
> > to make a comparison between voodooism and this group of 
phenomena 
> which for
> > convenience (though I know not whether accurately) I will call 
> occultism. I
> > only take voodooism as a strong case to show the Court ought to 
> inquire. 
> > 
> > If we now inquire into occultism we shall find that it has been 
> occasionally
> > used, as is reported, for the purposes of imposture. But this 
goes 
> for
> > nothing against its essential character. Always and everywhere 
bad 
> men will
> > make a bad use of anything for selfish ends. 
> > 
> > The object of this society, whether attainable or not, is 
> undeniably
> > laudable, assuming that there are physical and psychical 
phenomena
> > unexplained, and that Theosophy seeks to explain them. Assuming 
> that there
> > are human powers yet latent, it seeks to discover them. It may 
be 
> that
> > absurdities and impostures are in fact incident to the nascent 
> stage of its
> > development. 
> > 
> > As to an understanding like that of occultism, which asserts 
> powers commonly
> > thought superhuman, and phenomena commonly thought supernatural, 
> it seemed
> > to me that the Court, though not assuming to determine 
judicially 
> the
> > question of their verity, would, before granting to occultism a 
> franchise,
> > inquire whether at least it had gained the position of being 
> reputable or
> > whether its adherents were merely men of narrow intelligence, 
mean
> > intellect, and omnivorous credulity. 
> > 
> > I accordingly took testimony on that point, and find that a 
number 
> of
> > gentlemen in different countries of Europe, and also in this 
> country,
> > eminent in science, are believers in occultism. Sir Edward 
Bulwer 
> Lytton, a
> > writer of large and varied learning, and of solid intellect, is 
> asserted to
> > have been an occultist, an assertion countenanced by at least 
two 
> of his
> > books. 
> > 
> > The late President Wayland, of Brown University, writing of 
> abnormal mental
> > operations as shown in clairvoyance, says: "The subject seems to 
> me well
> > worthy of the most searching and candid examination. It is by no 
> means
> > deserving of ridicule, but demands the attention of the most 
> philosophical
> > inquiry." 
> > 
> > Sir William Hamilton, probably the most acute and, undeniably, 
the 
> most
> > learned of English metaphysicians that ever lived, said at least 
> thirty
> > years ago: "However astonishing, it is now proved beyond all 
> rational doubt
> > that in certain abnormal states of the nervous organism 
> perceptions are
> > possible through other than the ordinary channels of the 
senses." 
> > 
> > By such testimony Theosophy is at least placed on the footing of
> > respectability. Whether by further labour it can make partial 
> truths
> > complete truths, whether it can eliminate extravagances and 
purge 
> itself of
> > impurities, if there are any, are probably questions upon which 
> the Court
> > will not feel called upon to pass. 
> > 
> > I perceive no other feature of the petitioners' constitution 
that 
> is
> > obnoxious to legal objection, and accordingly I have the honour 
to 
> report
> > that I show no cause why the prayer of the petitioners should 
not 
> be
> > granted.
> > 					AUGUST  W. ALEXANDER,
> > 					Amicus Curæ.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > ===============================================================
> >
>