Theos-Talk Archives (February 2006 Message tt00598)

Regarding the 1925 “revelations”:

The revelations regarding “occult advancements” and such were given,
essentially, by Arundale, but sometimes by Wedgwood. The announcement of the
“Apostles” was given by Arundale, but (partly) publicly disclosed by Besant
(without identifying Arundale as the source). Published accounts of the
“revelations” are found in the writings of Emily and Mary Lutyens. I received
further details of them from Rex Henry, Wedgwood’s secretary at the time, and
from Mary Lutyens.

Leadbeater did not accept, and indeed privately rejected, the “revelations”:
there are published accounts of his reaction in works by Ernest Wood and Adrian
Vreede (who were with him when he received the news). Dick Balfour-Clarke, who
was present when Leadbeater received the cable about the “Apostles”, gave me a
detailed account of his reaction in an interview at Adyar. Leadbeater did not,
however, publicly repudiate the “revelations” for fear of splitting the TS. The
Lutyens’ books confirm that Leadbeater did not accept the “revelations”.

Krishnamurti also rejected the “revelations” and arranged for Professor Marcault
of “The World University” to communicate this fact to Besant. It may be that
this was the catalyst for her sudden and rapid physical and psychological
deterioration.

Arundale told Krishnamurti (allegedly passing on a message from the Mahachohan)
that unless he (K) accepted the “revelations” his brother, Nitya, would die.
While on ship to India, Krishnamurti received the news of Nitya’s death.
Krishnamurti’s attitude to his supposed role and to the TS clearly changed
dramatically from that time.

As for Wedgwood’s health, physical and psychological: he had acquired an
addiction to cocaine during his time in Paris in the 1920’s and had contracted
syphilis for which he refused treatment, apparently on the grounds that a
person of his exalted occult status could not suffer from such a disease. These
claims have been substantiated in interview with Rex Henry, a secretary and
close friend of Wedgwood in the 1920’s and by documents left by E.L.Gardner
(who was responsible for having Wedgwood looked after in his latter years).
Wedgwood declined both physically and psychologically, particularly after he
settled at the TS centre at Tekels Park, near Camberley, in 1937. He died in
1951 after a fall in which he broke several ribs and ruptured a lung.

Dr Gregory Tillett