Translated by Richard Laurence.

192 Pages | 1995, Secret Doctrine Reference Series | Softcover | Wizards Bookshelf, San Diego, U.S.A. | ISBN: 091351067x.

In the  year 1773, after a period of almost total obscurity lasting 1500 years, the Scottisch explorer, James Bruce, discovered in what is now Ethiopia, The Book of Enoch. He writes:

‘Amongst the articles I consigned to the library at Paris was a very beautiful and magnificent copy of the prophesies of Enoch, in large quarto.; another is amongst the books of scripture, that I brought home., standing immediately before the Book of Job, which is its proper place in the Abyssinian Cannon: and a third copy I presented to the Bodleian Library at Oxford, by the hands of Dr. Douglas, the Bishop of Carlisle’. 

It rested there, forgotten, until 1821 when Laurence issued his first translation of which there were many editions, culminating in the revised edition of 1883, compiled from notes in his estate. As a former professor of Hebrew at Oxford, Laurence’s familiarity with Kabbalah and the Zohar (as shown in the introductions of earlier editions) gave him unique qualifications that were especially useful in translating a work of this type. The very profound and encyclopedic work on comparative religion and hermetic philosophy. The Secret Doctrine by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, refers to this edition on 37 occasions. It is reprinted here verbatim.

By Gary Lachman.

341 Pages | Second Quest Edition 2006 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 9780835608480.

‘The Struggle with a Master of Mystery and Power’.

P.D. Ouspensky’s brilliant work, In Search of the Miraculous, was the first to interpret the psychology of G.I.Gurdjieff, the early twentieth-century esoteric master, who still commands a global following today. Yet, Gurdjieff once dismissively described Ouspensky as ‘nice to drink vodka with, but a weak man‘, and some consider their meeting the overwhelming catastrophe of Ouspensky’s life.

This book highlights Ouspensky’s own passionate mysticism, in stark contrast to Gurdjieff’s idea of ‘man as machine’. Ouspensky was an accomplished philosopher in his own right. What attracted him to Gurdjieff in the first place and why did he later reject him? Had Gurdjieff turned toward black magic? And why did Ouspensky continue teaching the ideas of a man he had repudiated?

The answers follow in a mystical adventure story, that will enthrall everyone interested in the farthest reaches of being human. This new edition includes an afterword on the author’s own work in Gurdjieff’s system.

From the Introduction (p. 1):

” The Seeker and the Sly Man

In 1915 a man of uncertain origin appeared in Moscow and gathered a core of devoted followers, students of his strange and unsettling system of esoteric doctrine and psychological development. In his mid-forties, with his shaved head, Mongol-like mustache, piercing eyes, and unnerving composure, he exuded an atmosphere of mystery, power, and knowledge, and those who had accepted him as their teacher followed his instructions without question. Eager to expand his operations, he placed an advertisement in in a Moscow newspaper announcing an unusual ballet entitled ‘The Struggle of the Magicians’. The advertisement attracted the attention of a brilliant writer, who was himself a student of the occult, as well as a theoretician of the higher dimensions of consciousness. Recently the writer had returned from an extended journey to the East, where he had unsuccessfully sought out traces of forgotten knowledge and lost wisdom and his lectures on his travels attracted thousands, eager for a taste of worlds beyond. 

Approached by a student of the mysterious teacher, after much solicitation, the writer agreed to meet with the master. Yet the earnest seeker of Wisdom was dismayed to find that the place of his encounter was not one he might have expected. For it was not in an incense-filled Ashram of a holy guru, but in a cheap back-street cafe, frequented by prostitutes and petty thieves, that the writer P.D. Ouspensky first met the remarkable man G.I. Gurdjieff. Thus was set in motion the long, complex and fascinating history of the esoteric teaching known as ‘The Fourth Way’. “

By Grace F. Knoche (1909 – 2006).

98 Pages | Originally published in 1940, second and revised 1999 edition | Softcover | The Theosophical University Press, Pasadena U.S.A. | ISBN: 1557000662.

Dutch translation: De Mysteriescholen Door De Eeuwen Heen | Translation of the second and revised 1999 edition | Theosophical University Press Agency, Den Haag | ISBN: 9070328569.

Behind the world’s religions, philosophies, and sciences lies a little understood but potent source of humanity’s spiritual life: the Mystery Schools. Reaching back into remote antiquity, these esoteric institutions have kept alive the timeless Theosophia or Divine Wisdom of the ages, while stimulating mankind’s spiritual intuitions and evolutionary progress. This conscise overview treats of the history, purposes, and methods of these schools, derivative of the sacred Original which gave them birth and inspiration. Subjects include the dual character of the Mysteries, symbols and patterns of initiation, the brotherhood of compassion, and the Mystery schools of today.

From Chapter 12 – ‘The Mystery Schools of Today’ (p. 81):

” The Brotherhood of Great Ones never deserts humanity. Underneath and behind and within there pulsates the eternal heart of compassion. Withdrawal of the Mystery Schools from public knowledge by no means indicated withdrawal of the perennial support of the Mahatmas. Mystery-centers are to be found today all over the world, writes H.P. Blavatsky, for ’the Secret Association is still alive and as active as ever’ (Isis, 2:100). Guarded with jealous care by their protectors, the precise location of these schools is undiscoverable except by the worthy; however, a veil of secrecy is not synonymous with nonexistence. “

Door Grace F. Knoche (1909 – 2006).

108 Bladzijden| Vertaling van de tweede en herziene 1999 editie | Softcover | Theosophical Universiy Press Agency, Den Haag | ISBN: 9070328569.

Engels origineel: The Mystery Schools | Originally published in 1940, second and revised 1999 edition | The Theosophical University Press, Pasadena U.S.A. | ISBN: 1557000662.

Achter de religies, filosofieën en wetenschappen van de wereld ligt een weinig begrepen, maar krachtige bron van spiritueel leven van de mensheid: de Mysteriescholen. Deze esoterische instellingen gaan terug tot in de verre Oudheid; ze hebben de tijdloze Theosophia of Goddelijke Wijsheid van de eeuwen levend gehouden, en stimulansen gegeven aan de geestelijke intuitie en evolutionaire vooruitgang van de mensheid.

Dit boekje behandelt de geschiedenis, doeleinden en methoden van deze scholen, die hun bestaan en inspiratie ontlenen aan een heilige oorsprong. Tot de besproken onderwerpen behoren het tweevoudige karakter van de Mysteriën, symbolen en patronen van inwijding, de broederschap van mededogen en de Mysteriescholen van nu.

Uit Hoofdstuk 9 – ‘Wegen van Inwijding’ (blz. 65):

” In de meer gevorderde mysterietraining moet de leerling niet alleen leren het mystieke voertuig van ontwaakt bewustzijn op te bouwen dat hem van het ene gebied naar het andere zal brengen, maar ook om in de loop van zo’n individueel wordingsproces de eeuwige wegen van inwijding zelf opnieuw te ontdekkken. Wat wijsheid en een vooruitziende blik betreft is de natuur in alle opzichten consequent: een wet, een methode, een structuur. Met bekoorlijke zorgvuldigheid repeteert ze de wegen van inwijding door middel van de cyclus van slaap en dood. De dood en de processen, die daarbij een rol spelen vormen het hart en de kern van de grote Mysteriën: door de dood van het lagere wordt het hogere geboren. Als het zaad niet sterft, kan de bloem niet bloeien; als de bloem niet sterft kan zich geen zaad vormen. ‘Hij die zijn leven verliest om Mijnentwil zal het vinden’ (Matt. 10:39). “

By Menas Kafatos and Thalia Kafatou.

290 Pages | Copyright 1991 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835606740.

Most b0oks on science and mysticism attempt to link modern physics to philosophic views of consciousness. This book explores the two as parallel processes – one outer, one inner. Our outward search is for objective reality – ‘out there’ in the world. But what we experience as outer is linked to what we can know in ourselves subjectively. The inward search is for that level of consciousness that underlies all subjective experience, spoken of by the mystics. Like other recent authors, Drs. Kafatos and Kafatou find parallels between Eastern thought and recent scientific developments in quantum theory and cosmology. But they go farther and hold that the realms of consciousness and the objective world are complementary aspects of the same reality. Their approach is fresh and unique and show how we are involved in the cosmic process.

From Chapter 8 – ‘The Physics of Consciousness’ (p. 252):

” Without going outside you may know the whole world. Without looking through the window you may see the ways of Heaven. – Lao Tsu

Finally, whatever is meant by the word ‘reality’, it is clearly non-local and not independent of the observing process. The world of quanta is probablistic by nature. Physical attributes of quanta cannot be determined in a precise way; only the probabilities of these attributes can be determined a priori. Seemingly, ‘God is playing dice’, and we, observers, seem to be part of the game. Moreover, in the quantum domain, the reality of solid matter and the apparent permanence of particles dissolves into a dance of ever-changing quantum interactions. What is real is the process, not the substance. “

An examination of the idea that the contents of the Bible are partially allegorical. Volume I: an introduction to the sacred language of allegory and symbol.

From ‘The Hidden Wisdom and why It is concealed’ (p. vii):

” The greatest degree of power, which occult science can bestow is to be derived from knowledge of the unity and interaction between the Macrocosm and the Microcosm, the Universe and Man. ‘The mystery of the earthly and mortal man is after the mystery of the supernal and immortal One’, wrote Éliphas Lévi (1810 – 1875), Lao Tzu (6th century BC) also expresses this truth in his words: ‘The Universe is a man on a larger scale’. “

The late Geoffrey Hodson is the author of The Brotherhood of Angels and Men and Clairvoyant Investigations.

By Geoffrey Hodson (1886 – 1983).

189 Pagina’s | Uitgegeven in 1970; dit boek maakt onderdeel uit van de bundel Lotusreeks II | Softcover | Uitgeverij der Theosofische Vereniging in Nederland | ISBN: 9789061750314.

Nederlandse vertaling van: Occult Powers in Nature and in Man (1988) | The Theosophical Publishing House, London.

In zes prachtige voordrachten heeft Geoffrey Hodson het gehele overzicht tezamen gebracht van het scheppingsproces, in al zijn grootheid, zoals dat in het algemeen wordt opgevat door bestudeerders van De Geheime Leer. De schrijver vertelt ons, dat hij zich in gedachten drie dingen ten doel gesteld heeft:

1. Aan de lezers enig begrip te geven van de scheppende Godheid zelf.
2. Enig begrip van de ontwikkeling van zonnestelsels
3. Een diepere kennis van de plaats van de mens in de schepping, in het Grote Werk.

Afkomstig uit Deel 2, Hoofstuk 4: ‘De invloed en het werk van de Wereld-moeder (p. 182, 187 & 187):

” Indien ik hier even een persoonlijke toon aan mag slaan, dan herinner ik mij zeer goed, hoe ik vele jaren geleden me voor het eerst bewust werd van het werkelijk bestaan van de Wereld-moeder. Ik denk, dat ik hoe vaag ook, het voorrecht had Haar te zien, niet alleen als een ideaal of zelfs als een in een reeks van Personificaties van het Moeder-aanzicht van de Godheid, maar ook als een wonderbaar levend Wezen, het schitterend Juweel in de Hierarchie van de Adepten der aarde, de Wereld-moeder van deze periode, de Sterre der Zee, zoals zij dikwijls wordt genoemd. “

[…]

” In de naam van Hem, dien ik lang geleden gedragen heb, kom ik u te hulp. – Ik heb elke vrouw opgenomen in mijn hart, om een deel van haar daar te houden, zodat ik daardoor haar kan helpen in het uur van haar grootste nood. Hef de vrouwen van uw ras op, tot zij alle gezien worden als koninginnen en laat voor zulk vorstinnen elke man zijn als een koning, opdat de een de ander zal leren door het zien van elkanders koningschap. Laat elke woning, hoe klein ook, worden tot een hof, elke zoon een ridder, elk kind een page. Laat ieder de ander ridderlijk behandelen, in elk hun vorstelijke afkomst eren, hun koninklijke geboorte; want er is koninklijk bloed in ieder mens; het zijn allen kinderen des Konings.”

By George Hodson (1886 – 1983).

88 Pages | Second edition, 1st reprint 2011 | Hardcover | Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 8170590523.

In the Occult Tradition, the number seven occurs frequently. The Seven Rays refer to the seven different human temperaments. Geoffrey Hodson describes the characteristics of people in each of these rays, their strengths and weaknesses, ideals and methods. He also points out that most people show forth in daily life the characteristics of the Seven Rays. Ultimately, we must develop the qualities of all the Rays, although the unique characteristics of one of them will predominate.

Included is an enfolded A2-diagram mapping out the Seven Rays and their characteristics.

By Geoffrey Hodson (1886 – 1983).

273 Pages | First edition, 14th reprint 2014, incl. illustrations | Softcover | Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 9788170592921.

In this most unusual book Geoffrey Hodson, one of the greatest occultists of our times, gives a fascinating account of evolution as it relates to a kingdom of nature parallel to man, namely the kingdom of the angelic hosts, known in the East as the kingdom of the Deva-s or ’the Shining Ones’.

Every religion has its Angels and Archangels. Legends, myths and folklore of every country throughout the world and in all ages speak of Angels and Nature-Spirits, Spirits of the mountains, clouds and rivers, and of mischievous imps, which delight in playing pranks on human beings. Yet very little specific information is available about them or their functions and activities.

The graphic descriptions of the various Deva-s: of water, of fire, of mountains and seas, of trees and plants, of music, of individual nations      together with colourful illustrations of their forms as seen by clairvoyant vision, lead one unconsciously into a wonderful experience of the ‘Comradeship of the Angels’.

From page 243:

” The planetary World Mother is conceived in certain Schools of occult philosophy as a highly-evolved Archangel Representative and Embodiment on earth of the Feminine Aspect of Deity. She is also thought of as an Adept Official in the Inner Government of the World, in whom all the highest qualities of womanhood and motherhood shine forth in their fullest perfection. Since She is beyond all limitation or form, no picture can truly represent Her. “

By Michael Grosso.

246 Pages | A Quest Original, first published in 1992 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835606767.

Exploring Psychic Evolution.

People all over the world have experienced paranormal phenomena. But few have attempted to examine these phenomena from the standpoint of their message for humanity. Michael Grosso believes that paranormal powers and experiences actually foreshadow humanity’s evolutionary future. Eventually, he says, paranormal powers may become commonplace.

Dr. Grosso shows how our idea of God may be based on paranormal experiences and how the Christian religion was built around them. He discusses our co-creative role in such experiences as visions of the Virgin Mary or encounters with aliens, which we interpret through our understanding and conditioning. He examines the transformative nature of the near-death experience and the ways it points towards our evolutionary potential.

From Chapter 13 – ‘Aliens, Allies and Evolution’ (p. 204):

” One day when the sky was serene and clear, there was heard in it the sound of a trumpet, so shrill and mournful that it frightened and astonished the whole city. The Tuscan sages said that it portended a new race of men, and a renovation of the world . . . heaven had allotted to each [race] its time, which was limited by the circuit of the Great Year; and when once race came to a period. and another was rising, it was announced by some wonderful sign from either earth or heaven. ”  – Plutarch. “

A thought-provoking study of Occultism.

If you are fascinated with stories of the unknown, and would also like to understand the reasons why there are so many strange and marvelous things going on around us, this is a book you will appreciate. Geoffrey Farthing takes us on an exciting journey into inner and outer space. He tells us what Astral Light is. He describes and explains the Elemental Kingdom of Nature. He writes about magic, mesmerism, and the inexplicable finding of lost articles; about animal and plant telepathy, spiritualism, psychism and much more.

All of the above are based on the teachings of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (1831 -1891), called the greatest Occultist in the history of Western civilization, as she and her principal collaborators have provided us with the complete picture of creation. Here is nature as one holistic entity, yet a nature that is eternally and dynamically evolving. The entire book seeks to provide the reader with a legitimate and thoroughly optimistic philosophy of living.

From Chapter 4 – ‘The Wonderful Psychic’ (p. 37):

” Her [H.P.B.’s] family was interested to observe her growing control over phenomena. Her sister says: This was proved by her stopping such phenomena at her will, and by previous arrangement, for days and weeks at a time. Then when the term was over, she could produce them at her command and leave the choice to what should happen to those present. In short, it is the firm belief of all that, where a less strong nature would have certainly wrecked in the struggle, her indomitable will found somehow or other the means of subjecting the world of the invisibles – to the denizens of which she has ever refused the name of ‘spirits’ and Souls – to her own control. “

By Prof. Emeritus Arthur Ellison (1920 – 2000).

34 Pages | Blavatsky Lecture 1988 | A6 Softcover | Theosophical Books Limited | No ISBN.

This Blavatsky Lecture was delivered at the Summer School of The Theosophical Society in England, The University of Leicester, Sunday 26th of July, 1998.

In this lecture, Professor Emeritus Ellison will discuss his approach to the Theosophical descriptive model of the universe at all its levels and consider the way, it seems to him, members were evidently intended to approach this model as indicated by the Three Objects. He will consider and briefly review the work of the Science Group, some of which was reviewed in the book Psychism and the Unconscious Mind (First Quest edition 1968, second edition 1974), and possible lessons to be drawn from the Group’s subsequent demise. Finally, he will briefly consider the activities of other bodies, who have taken up the pioneering research on Third Object matters dropped by the Science Group.

From page 10:

” The Buddha and the Theosophical Masters said, that we were not to believe something because it was written in some book that men considered sacred, nor indeed presumably in any other book. So it seemed to me right to find a good medium and try a séance. (Such things are forbidden in the Esoteric Section). This was to be a piece of open-minded scientific research and of course psychical research is an important part of the Third Object of the Theosophical Society. To my delight my wife came through ‘like a bomb’, as the saying goes, enormously glad to be able to reassure us all that she was in good shape and happy. She referred to many things related to her interests and there seemed to me little doubt that it was indeed she. The script – received by automatic writing – gave her relative exactly what he needed to continue his life. He never needed another communication from her. “

By Captain P.G. Bowen (1882 – 1940).

36 Pages (NB: the book begins on page 188 with page 224 as its final page) | 1985 edition | Softcover | The Theosophical Publishing House, London | No ISBN.

From the Foreword:

” Instead of Notes, which are a usual and indeed a necessary accompaniment to lessons, such as those given in Part I of this book, I give in the lessons that follow some questions asked by Learners, and my own answers thereto. The questions are not inventions of my own, but are selections from a volume of queries actually propounded by students, who have heard the subject matter of the various lessons expounded by me in lectures, or have had private correspondence with me concerning it. 

The question I have chosen to answer here have been selected for two reasons: first, because a majority of students appear to be interested in the points, upon which they bear, and second, because the answers they evoke serve in some measure to fill up the wider gaps, which the lessons inevitably contain. To fill all gaps in teachings, such as I have given would naturally be impossible, and even if possible would not be desirable. To give just enough leading to induce in the Learner a desire to travel for himself/herself is always my aim, not give him/her so much as to cause him/her to feel that effort of his/her own is unnecessary. 

Each question in each of the lessons, which follow is designated by a letter (Question A, Question B. etc.), and related to the passage or paragraph similarly marked in the lesson in Part I to which that in Part II corresponds. Each lesson in Part II related to a lesson of corresponding number in Part I. “

P.G.B. 

By Captain P.G. Bowen (1882 – 1940).

176 Pages | Original edition 1936, revised edition 1978 | Softcover | The Theosophical Publishing House London | ISBN: 0722950713.

Among the strongest influences in the literary life of Ireland in the early Decades of this Century was the Hermetic Society founded by ‘AE’ for the study of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky’s (1831 – 1891) teachings. It was a meeting place for young writers, poets, and intellectuals, and in 1933 there arrived Captain P.G, Bowen, whose father had been among Madame Blavatsky’s circle of students in London. Recognizing in Bowen a kindred spirit, ‘AE’ put him in charge of the Hermetic Society and urged him to write an account of the path of self-development taught in the Schools of the Mystery tradition. The Occult Way is Bowen’s attempt to present this practical aspect of the Hermetic philosophy. Written in the austere spirit of Light on the Path, the seven Lessons seek to teach the aspirant to know himself and to depend on himself alone. A book for all serious students of practical occultism.

From page 76:

” Look, O my son, for the STAR! The STAR, O Child, who would be a Man or Woman, will gleam upon you as the Night wanes, and the Storms of the Dark Hours die away into a Peace that is Herald of the Dawn. That STAR does not rise nor does it set: IT holds a fixed place beyond the clouds in the depths of a speckless sky; but not until the Thunders are hushed and the Storm Fog shreds apart can its Golden Light descend to earth and dispel the gloom of your Night.

Know, O son, that this Nature in which you live and labour is, like the mid-air about high mountains, the Playground and the Battleground of the Gods of Storm. Not until you dominate those Angels of Strife, and marshal them in legions obedient to your word, will the Clouds of their Breath of Fury lift and the DAWN STAR illumine the Sleeping Earth. Then, and only then, while STAR FIRE flames upon the WAY, may you rest with PEACE, and raise the veil from her face. “

By Captain P.G. Bowen (1882 – 1940).

19 Pages | A rare edition from 19xx | Softcover | The Theosophical Publishing House, London | No ISBN.

The interpretation of the term Hatha Yoga, suggested by the sub-title of this paper, is one which may cause a little surprise, and perhaps, disagreement. Speaking in the widest sense, however, the interpretation is entirely correct, as I hope to make clear before I finish.

From: ‘Yoga What It Is’ (p. 3):

” The teWm YOGA literally translated means UNION. It refers to the process of harmonising, or unifying all departments or aspects of the individual Man with the inner, or central Principle, until the whole Life, and all that goes to make up that very comprehensive term, becomes balanced accurately, as it should be, on its AXIS. When this condition is attained all the outer departments swing accurately about the mathematical point (position, without dimension) which is the centre, and which itself, being merely abstract POSITION, does not move at all, and because of this fact governs the relative movements of outer sections of the wheel. This condition of balance constitutes perfection of individual development.

Door Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (1831 – 1891), vertaald door Helma Kool.

52 Pagina’s | Uitgegeven in 1952, derde druk 1973 | Brochure | Uitgeverij der Theosofische Vereniging in Nederland, Amsterdam | ISBN: 9789061750048.

Engels origineel: First Steps in Occultism, later published as Practical Occultism | Published in 1952, second edition 2011 | Softcover | ISBN: 9788170595595.

‘ Deze artikelen zijn van zo grote waarde, voor allen die zich wensen voor te bereiden voor het Leerlingschap, dat ik ze gaarne uit Lucifer liet overdrukken, ten einde ze binnen het bereik van alle bestudeerders te brengen. ‘ – Annie Besant (1847 – 1933).

Er zijn velen, die praktisch onderricht wensen in het occultisme. Derhalve wordt het noodzakelijk eens voor al vast te stellen:

A) Het inwezenlijke verschil tussen theoretisch en praktisch occultisme; of wat in het algemeen bekend is als Theosofie enerzijds en Occulte Wetenschap anderzijds.

B) De aard der moeilijkheden, welke de studie van de laatstgenoemde met zich brengt.

Het is gemakkelijk een Theosoof te worden. Elk mens van gemiddelde verstandelijke vermogens, en met een neiging tot het bovenzinnelijke; ieder, die rein en onzelfzuchtig leeft en meer vreugde vindt in het helpen van zijn of haar naaste dan in het zelf hulp ontvangen; iemand, die steeds klaar staat zijn of haar eigen genoegens ter wille van andere mensen op te offeren, en die Waarheid, Goedheid en Wijsheid om huns zelfs wil lief heeft, niet om de voordelen die zij kunnen schenken – is een Theosoof.

Afkomstig van blz. 23:

” De sleutel in elke graad is de aspirant zelf. Het is niet de vreze des Heren die het begin van Wijsheid is, maar de kennis van het Zelf, welke is de Wijsheid Zelve. 

Hoe groots en hoe waar blijkt dan voor de bestudeerder van het occultisme, die enige der voorgaande waarheden is gaan beseffen, het antwoord dat het orakel van Delphi gaf aan allen, die occulte wijsheid kwamen zoeken – de woorden, die telkens weer met nadruk worden herhaald door de wijze Socrates – ‘ MENS, KEN UZELF! ‘ “

165 pages | Paperback | Quest Books, 1993

Illuminating the Path

The key to living spiritually in the modern world, says this classic writer, “depends upon one’s attitude.” The principles Besant set forth over 70 years ago are no different today. She shows that the value of the spiritual path is not in the goal but in the striving, and offers clear principles for those with the courage to try.

Annie Besant (1847-1933) led the fight for the rights of women and laborers in her native England; later she worked with Mahatma Gandhi and spearheaded India’s struggle for freedom. Theosophist Joy Mills describes her as “a feminist before the movement for women’s rights was fully launched; she stood for freedom when half the world was held in the bonds of colonialism.” A student of India’s spiritual traditions, Annie Besant was famed as an orator, author, and international President of the Theosophical Society.

By Annie Besant (1847 – 1933) and  Charles Webster Leadbeater (1854 – 1934).

474 Pages | First edition, 10th reprint 2010 | Hardcover | Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar

This book is the third volume of a trilogy, being commentaries on three classics – At the Feet of the Master, The Voice of Silence and Light on the Path – considered the mystical gems of theosophical literature. They throw light on the deep significance and far-reaching implications of the perennial teachings embodied in these three classics, whose subject matter is the path of inner transformation and spiritual realization.

” Once having passed through the storm and attained the peace, it is then always possible to learn, even though the disciple waver, hesitate, and turn aside. The Voice of Silence, remains within him, and though he leave the Path utterly, yet one day it will resound, and rend him asunder and separate his passions from his divine possibilities. Then, with pain and desperate cries from the deserted lower self, he will return… “ – From Chapter ‘Rule 21’, page 285.

By Charles Webster Leadbeater (1854 – 1934).

417 Pages | Eleventh reprint 2010 | Hardcover | Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN:

This book is the second volume of a trilogy, being commentaries on three classics – At the Feet of the Master, The Voice of Silence and Light on the Path – considered the mystical gems of Theosophical literature. They throw light on the deep significance and far-reaching implications of the perennial teachings embodied in these three classics, whose subject matter is the path of inner transformation and spiritual realization.

From Chapter – ‘The World’s Mother’ (p. 110):

“ Let not thy ‘heaven-born’, merged in the sea of Māyā, break from the universal Parent (Soul), but let the fiery power retire into inmost chamber, the chamber of the heart, and the abode of the world’s Mother. Then, from the heart that power shall rise into the sixth, when it becomes the breath of the One-soul, the voice which filleth all, thy Master’s voice. “

By Annie Besant (1847 – 1933) and  Charles Webster Leadbeater (1854 – 1934).

474 Pages | Eleventh reprint 2004 | Hardcover | Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 8170591600.

This book is the first volume of a trilogy, being commentaries on three Classics – At the Feet of the Master, The Voice of Silence and Light on the Path – considered the mystical gems of Theosophical literature. They throw light on the deep significance and far-reaching implications of the perennial teachings embodied in these three Classics, whose subject matter is the path of inner transformation and spiritual realization.

From Chapter – ‘True and False Aims’ (p. 55):

” You enter the Path, because you have learnt that on it alone can be found those things, which are worth gaining. Men, who do not know, work to gain wealth and power, but these are at most for one life only, and therefore unreal. There are greater things than these – things which are real and lasting; when you have once seen these, you desire those others no more.. ” –

By Annie Besant (1847 – 1933).

36 Pages | First edition, first reprint 2005 | Softcover | Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 8170592232.

A clear exposition is given here of the nature of occultism by one, who was herself a distinguished occultist. Occultism is not the pratice of magic and the occult arts, which in fact is pseudo-occultism. It is at best a waste of time, at worst an obstacle to spiritual progress. Neither is Occultism an intellectual view of spiritual reality, and the path to it. This is semi-occultism. The divisible tendencies of the intellect must be transcended to realize the ‘One Reality’. However, semi-0ccultism can be a stepping stone to the truth. True Occultism is the study of the Divine Mind working in the universe. It calls for perception beyond forms into the inner Reality and involves conquest of the selfish urges and development of the spiritual nature.

From Page 35:

” As the very life of God in manifestation is a life, that gives everything and asks nothing back, so those who would reach unity with Him and realize what the spiritual life means, must learn to give and not to take, to help and not to hold, to pour out without seeking or looking for return. Only as we learn that do we become fit candidates for the higher knowledge, only as the heart is thus rendered absolutely pure may we dare to face the presence of the Master, hoping thar when ‘He looks at the heart He may find no stain therein. “

By Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (1831 – 1891).

109 Pages | Published in 2000 | Softcover | Theosophical Publishing House Adyar | ISBN: 8170594138.

The story of a profound philosopher and religious reformer who incurred the wrath of the Catholic Church for his attacks on Aristotelian logic and his championship of Copernican cosmology. After lifelong persecution he was burnt at the stake as a heretic in 1600. He taught with eloquence the Immanence of God who is Universal Life; the eternity of the Spirit, being part of the Universal Life; and based on these two facts, a life dedicated to the True, the Good, and the Beautiful.

By Laurence J. Bendit and Phoebe D. Bendit.

225 Pages | First Quest book edition, 1967 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835600343.

If we are ever to become knowledgeable about the ‘whole man’ we must learn to understand his deeper invisible nature. This book, authored by a Jungian psychiatrist and his clairvoyant wife, helps us to do just that. Combining their talents, the Bendits provide us with a unique and enthralling overview of man’s latent powers.

Our Psychic Sense has also been referred to as the ‘sixth sense’. It can be considered as a window opening onto the real world of our inner consciousness; not just a valuable adjunct to our personality, but our actual ground of being. Together, the Bendits describe this mysterious power within us, then explain how it manifests, and finally evaluate its uselfullness to humanity.

From page 223:

” Many people are extremely frightened of psychic invasion or, as it is commonly called, possession or obesession. There is no need for this: no psychic force or entity can invade the aura of a human being unless he himself opens the door to it. That is to say, in principle, that if a person’s mind is positive, he is perfectly safe. If he becomes frightened, however, he is in a negative state, and he may then feel himself to be a prey to forces, which do not seem to belong to him. But the ‘entity’ or force is almost certain to be really only an unconscious part of himself: something which psychological re-education can help him to deal with. […] In any case, if one realizes that one is master in one’s own house, and that any intruder can be dealt with by positive thought and self-assertion, there is no need for fear. “

By Laurence J. Bendit and Phoebe D. Bendit.

154 Pages | First printed in 1973 | Hardcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0722950241.

Theosophy in the true sense is the perennial and unchanging philosophy of mankind, but its presentation needs to be adapted to the times. In these essays an attempt is made to discuss some of the principles of this philosophy in modern terms, and especially related to the presentation of it as set out by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (1831 – 1891) and others. It can safely be assumed that, were these older writers doing their work today, they would do so in quite other language than in that of the nineteenth and earlier twentieth centuries. They would have to take into account the vast mental revolution which has been taking place in the last thirty or forty years, which has altered our views on so many things, and in particular in our knowledge. These collected articles rest very much on the modern – and probably temporary – mental climate of the second half of the twentieth century.

From the Introduction:

” Theosophy, the Wisdom of the enlightened mind, is unchanging for ever. It existed before history began – for man was already inhabitant of the earth – and it will endure lonf after history had ended as a record of events in time: when it will, in some form, remain as part of the heritage of the universe. It is the Pearl of Great Price fo the Gnostic Christian, it is the Jewel in the Lotus, the Clear Light of the Buddhist, the Tao of the mind; it is known by many names, yet it is always the same Wisdom . . . “

By H.J. Arnikar, Ph.D.

122 Pages | First edition 2000 | Hardcover | The Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 8170594065.

The very words ‘occult’ and ‘chemistry’ would seem to most people to be strange bedfellows. However, Professor Arnikar, a distinguished scientist with an international reputation in radiochemistry research and chemical education and teacher of renown has written a fascinating book, which will be of interest to layman and scientist alike.

It presents the remarkable results of the pioneer occult chemists over the period 1890-1933. The book highlights equally their conformity to or divergences from the findings of modern science. The treatment is as scientifically rigorous as it is warmly appreciative.

Occult Chemistry was published by Annie Besant (1847 – 1933) and Charles Webster Leadbeater (1854 – 1934), (Adyar), 1908 and 1919. Eastern philosophy firmly believes that every person has latent powers, which developed by yogic training under a qualified Master can equip him with various extraordinary powers or siddhis as they are called. One siddhi is to be able to see the smallest of the small by the naked eye unaided. Besant and Leadbeater could point with uncanny accuracy to certain findings in the field of atomic structure and nuclear constitution, which decades later experimental scientists endorsed in the main.

From Chapter 5 – ‘Contributions of Contemporary Scientists to Occult Chemistry’ (p. 107):

” Who is to investigate the latent powers in man? “

” Our Elders have always sounded a word of caution against the overzealous enthusiasts from dabbling into the grave esoteric truths of life, while still lacking in necessary mental discipline. To acquire this last, there is no way other than devoted study at the lotus feet of the ‘Master’. Before the period of apprenticeship is over, one may be tempted to test unauthorizedly one’s skills, knowledge and capabilities to know if they are not adequate to acquire one of the siddhis, as the aṇimā. “