Theos-Talk Archives (October 2006 Message tt00150)

Thanks to Adelasie - the Temple of the People website was impressive and
very interesting. I knew the Temple continued but did not know whether the
ES group that appears to have existed in it in the early days continued (I
have some of its printed materials). Apparently not.

I note I omitted several other secret societies from my list:

(i) An inner group in the Order of the Star in the East - obviously no
longer functioning.
(ii) The Temple of the Rosy Cross - no longer functioning, although a
vague remnant of it is found in the Ritual of the Mystic Star and the
Krotona Service (both of which are barely functioning although not
secret).
(iii) A secret World Mother group, orignally working under Leadbeater, and
claiming direct "succession" from the World Mother for the "ordination" of
women in a parallel form to the ordination of men in the Christian Church
- this still exists albeit in latent rather than active form. I know of no
published reference to it outside my own writings and those of Dr Brendan
French. It is not to be confused with the public World Mother Movement of
Leadbeater and Rukmini Arundale, or of an equivalent public Theosophical
movement based in the Netherlands.
(iv) a quasi-secret Co-Masonic group claiming a succession from the Rites
of Memphis and Mizraim which operated in Leadbeater's time - I do not know
whether this is still active; it falls within my criteria because it was
not open to Co-Masons generally.
(vii) a break-away from the Egyptian Rite led by Herbrand Williams in
England - I assume this is no longer functioning.

With regard to Steiner, at least one group (although publicly
acknowledged) operates within the Anthroposophical Society. One other had
been closed by Steiner but is said to operate separately in parts of
Europe.

I do not know whether Bailey's Arcane School currently has an ES.

I would welcome any suggestions of additions to the list.

Dr Gregory Tillett