Theos-Talk Archives (March 2006 Message tt00435)

Dear Adelasie,

As always, I appreciate your comments.  Perhaps all this is a 
learning experience for everyone here, as the issues of trolls, 
stalkers, etc. have probably gone unaddressed for too long.  You 
wrote:
> 
> I'm sorry to see that you are considering permanently unsubbing. 
You  provide a very interesting, very well-expressed, and often quite 
> informative aspect of our common human reality. 
> 
Thank you.  I was especially looking forward to discussion about my 
current reading: Art Magic and Ghost Land.  It was a huge oversight 
for me not to have read them long ago.  These books came out in the 
very first year of the TS's existence, officially authored by one of 
the Founders, Emma Hardinge Britten, but stated by her to have been 
actually written by one "Chevalier Louis" who preferred to remain 
anonymous.  As with HPB, skeptics long assumed that Emma simply made 
up her adept sponsor.  Unlike HPB with Isis or the SD, with these 
books Emma didn't write them with assistance of her adept (it seems) 
but he actually wrote them in toto.  Have ordered Robert Mathiesen's 
The Two Worlds of Emma Hardinge Britten to see what evidence led him 
to ID "Louis" as Baron Ernest de Bunsen.  Here we have another angle 
on adept sponsorship of the emerging TS, particularly of interest to 
me since I joined the Church of Light which derives in part from 
Britten:
http://www.light.org

> Nothing stays the same except change. Negative forces, clothed in 
> human form, do their separative work and move on. 

There does seem to have been a strong contrast between forces of 
integration and disintegration in the Movement, all the way back to 
its beginnings.  HPB and Olcott were constantly drawing in new kinds 
of members and expanding the range of the TS, which was integrative, 
but feuds and stormy exits go all the way back to the beginnings 
also.  Which suggests that the November 17 natal chart has some 
relevance although it's not the only one to consider.

> If we are strongly attacked, we may take it as evidence that we are 
> doing something 
> right. But it's lonely being the one who is trying sincerely and is 
> therefor constantly the target of the slings and arrows of those who
> wish to destroy. 
> 
As with the Muslim cartoon rioters, the destructiveness is framed in 
terms of protecting someone or defending something.  But to anyone 
who isn't completely bound up in the belief system being "protected" 
by attacks on "enemies," the nature of the energies is obvious.

> Fortunately there are more or those who try and continue to try to 
do the right thing than it may appear. If these were not in the 
> majority, however silent and even meek,  I doubt humanity would 
still survive.
> 
Precisely so.  There has never been any doubt in my mind that the 
majority of theos-talk listmembers (mostly lurkers) and the majority 
of members of all Theosophical organizations, are far more fraternal 
in attitude than those who grab megaphones and shout denunciations.  
(It has occurred to me that theos-shout or theos-attack might often 
be more appropriate than theos-talk as a descriptor of what goes on 
here.)

> Don't give up. Don't desert the field. Retire for a time if you 
need to, but take a lesson from all this.

Even in ten days offline I got caught up with my writing project so 
there is no need to unsub because of that.  I suppose the main lesson 
is "forgive them for they know not what they do"-- a lot easier in 
the present case than in another recent one.

 Perhaps it has to do with 
> personal involvement, or reactiveness. It is said to be a mark of 
our progress when we can endure irritating people with equanimity.
> 
And perhaps a mark of retrogression when we become more irritable.  
Uh-oh!

> Whatever you do, I wish you joy and peace of mind and heart,
> 
It's a beautiful warm weekend, the first we've had, so for a few days 
your wish will be granted :)  I return your good wishes.

Namaste,

Paul