Theos-Talk Archives (August 2007 Message tt00046)

"Ernest Hargrove's Esoteric School"
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In addition to the version of Theosophical History given by Mrs. 
Alice Cleather <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theos-
talk/message/41421>, there is another version given by Ernest T. 
Hargrove.

In a January 30, 1898 letter written by Ernest T. Hargrove to
Katherine Tingley, one reads:

"Now, my dear friend, you have made an awful mess of it - that is
the simple truth. You were run in as O[uter] H[ead] [of the Esoteric
School] as the only person in sight who was ready to hand at the
time. We were all of us heartily glad to welcome you, for you solved
the problem which confronted us - who was to be O.H.; you were a
sort of neutral centre around which we could congregate. And most of
us fairly yelled with delight, for you solved our difficulty and we
had ample proofs that some members of the Lodge were working through
you and that you had high and rare mediumistic and psychic gifts and
that you were a disciple of the Lodge. So things went swimmingly for
a time.

"Our enthusiasm and anxiety to see all go well carried some of us
too far - carried me too far to the extent of... leading me to use
my personal influence with people to get them to accept you as O.H.
I thought it was for the good of the work, but since then I have
learned better."

In other letters to Mrs. Tingley, Hargrove said:

"...by order of the Master you have ceased to be the Outer Head of
the E.S.T. in the interior and true sense...."

"The Outer Head to follow you has already been appointed by the
Master....."

Quoted from: http://blavatskyarchives.com/garr4.htm#653

At first in 1896 Hargrove had supported Mrs. Tingley. But a year or 
two later, difficulties arose between them. For more info on this 
aspect of the subject, see:

http://blavatskyarchives.com/stokestm7525.htm

Concerning Hargrove's Theosophical Society, there is not much written 
on it. But there is one informative article in THEOSOPHICAL HISTORY 
by the late John Cooper about Hargrove's society and esoteric school.

See:

Theosophical History, April-July 1993 issue, "The
Esoteric School within the Hargrove Theosophical
Society" by John Cooper. Available from Theosophical
History. You will need to email Dr. Santucci about
obtaining a copy of this issue. See:

http://www.theohistory.org/

Hargrove's society did have a journal/magazine titled THEOSOPHICAL 
QUARTERLY. Some of the volumes of this periodical have been 
reprinted. See volumes listed at Amazon.com. I give a link:

http://tinyurl.com/r6mrn

Daniel
http://hpb.cc