Blavatsky, William Q. Judge & Charles Johnston (Shawn F. Higgins)

William Q. Judge and family

After forty years of progress, the academic quality of theosophical history can reach a very high level of research. I would like to draw attention to a series of papers from a certain Shawn F. Higgins of the Harvard Divinity School, who has recently posted a series of writings on theosophical history of an exceptional level of quality and research, which feature, in certain cases, I think, some ground-breaking work on people and subjects that have had little coverage so far.

 

Is this a book? An epic 10-part series of articles of episodes showcasing a vast array of historical figures involved with the Theosophical Society in the 1880s from around the world, beginning with Irish, later American Theosophist Charles Johnston.  

THE AGONISED WOMB OF CONSCIOUSNESS 

March 18, 2023 by Shawn F. Higgins  

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/marginalia/2023/03/charley/

 

Part 10

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/marginalia/2023/06/indo-gothic-yoga/

 

Sketch by Blavatsky

THE SHADE OF SATTAY

February 25, 2023 by Shawn F. Higgins

the story of Govindarao Sattay, the first male Brahmin to visit America in 1884 with much interesting information about William Q. Judge.

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/marginalia/2023/02/shade-of-sattay/

 

THE SILENT PASSENGER. December 30, 2022 

Short piece on William Q. Judge's travel to Ireland in 1888

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/marginalia/2022/12/out-castes-part-i-the-silent-passenger/ 

 

“SPIRITS BRIGHT AND AIRY.”  January 6, 2023 

Short piece on William Q. Judge's childhood

 https://www.patheos.com/blogs/marginalia/2023/01/out-castes-part-ii-spirits-bright-and-airy/

Rare photo of Bhavani Shankar, right

“NOW, AND FOREVER.”

January 17, 2023 

William Q. Judge's in Ireland in 1888

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/marginalia/2023/01/now-and-forever/

 

THE ESOTERIC SCHOOL  

November 24, 2022

Short piece about Ernest Temple Hargrove

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/marginalia/2022/11/the-esoteric-section/ 

 

An intriguing paper on meteorological phenomena in 1874, references John W. Draper states in History of the Conflict Between Religion and Science (1874)

Sword of the Living Flame March 5, 2023

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/marginalia/2023/03/sword-of-living-flame/

 

THE BENEDICK [PREFACE]: TALKS ON RELIGION

February 12, 2023

During the academic year of 1906-1907, Henry Bedinger Mitchell, president of the New York Branch (NYB) of the Griscom Theosophical Society (GTS,) hosted a series of monthly meetings in his rooms at The Benedick Apartments (80 Washington Square East, New York) to discuss the intersection of science, philosophy, and religion. Being an adjunct professor of mathematics at Columbia University, the participants of these talks were largely pooled from Mitchell’s colleagues in the various departments of Columbia.  These talks were recorded by a stenographer, and subsequently reprinted in the journal, The Theosophical Quarterly. In 1908 these articles were collected and published as a nine-chapter book titled, Talks on Religion.

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/marginalia/2023/02/the-benedick-preface/

Recent Blavatsky Projects from Daniel J. Caldwell

The indefatigable Daniel J. Caldwell has updated the Blavatsky Archives page recently and has included some interesting new publications and online documents, of which a sampling below (see http://blavatskyarchives.com ):

Theosophy: Divine Wisdom from Long Sealed Ancient Fountains

A comprehensive introduction to the basic teachings of Theosophy, culled from the major writings of H.P. Blavatsky, with William Q. Judge and others.

Hardcover, 490 Pages

http://www.lulu.com/shop/hp-blavatsky/theosophy-divine-wisdom-from-long-sealed-ancient-fountains/hardcover/product-24079757.html

Esoteric Buddhism

By A.P. Sinnett

Paperback, 260 Pages

In the early 1880s A.P. Sinnett corresponded with the Mahatmas Koot Hoomi and Morya. In these letters the Masters gave Sinnett the basic ideas of Theosophy on the Occult Constitution of Man; the Planetary Chain; the World Periods; Life after death in Devachan and Kama Loka; the Progress of Humanity; Buddha; Nirvana and the Universe. Mr. Sinnett wrote ESOTERIC BUDDHISM based on his understanding of these teachings. This Theosophical classic was the first simple exposition of Theosophy in modern times.

http://www.lulu.com/shop/ap-sinnett/esoteric-buddhism/paperback/product-23263109.html

Mary Unveiled: A.P. Sinnett and Maude Boyle-Travers

A monograph on a little-known but important period of early Theosophy.

http://blavatskyarchives.com/caldwell_mary_unveiled_unabridged_.pdf

THE THEOSOPHICAL GLOSSARY & Related Material: A Chronology;

A compilation of all the information concerning the writing of the Theosophical Glossary.

http://blavatskyarchives.com/Caldwell_Chronology_Theosophical_Glossary.pdf

Master Serapis

Article from The Theosophist Vol. 140.8, May 2019

http://blavatskyarchives.com/caldwell_master_serapis.pdf

Blavatsky and Masonry

Jean-Marie Ragon

Here's what Blavatsky says about Masonry: "But, talk of such a deity — a "NON-EGO" — to the modern priest and theologian or even to the average Mason of General Pike’s school of masonic thought, and see whether the former does not forthwith proclaim you an infidel, and the latter a heretic from "the Grand Orient" of France. It is the "Principe Créateur " of the French Masons, and the same that led, some ten or twelve years ago, to a final split and feud between the only decent ap-proximation on this globe to a "Universal Brotherhood" of Man — to wit, Masonry." (Lucifer, Vol. III, No. 18, February, 1889, pp. 505-512 - CW 11, p.24)

Blavatsky and the Battle of Mentana

Garibaldi, along with Giuseppe Mazzini and other Italian reformers, were leaders in what was known as the Risorgimento, or the rebirth and unification of Italy. The Risorgimento demanded an end to foreign occupation, a government that empowered ordinary people, and the overthrow of papal rule, or the "pope as king."

https://www.theosophical.org/publications/quest-magazine/3617

“The British Birth of the Occult Revival, 1869-1875” by Patrick D. Bowen
 October 23, 2017 - K.P.JohnsonA groundbreaking article appeared in Theosophical History Vol. XIX Issue 1, January 2017, pp. 5-37. Co-editor of Letters to the Sage Patrick D. Bowen has analyzed the careers of Kenneth Mackenzie and associates and discovered evidence suggesting intertwined roots of many post-1875 occult groups in the work of a group of British Freemasons.
http://adepts.light.org/2017/10/23/the-british-birth-of-the-occult-revival-1869-1875-by-patrick-d-bowen/

Jason Colavito writes coherent albeit negative critique of Blavatsky’s Masonic Chapter from Isis and the subsequent influence thereof (and gets a lively response)
http://www.jasoncolavito.com/blog/helena-blavatsky-freemasons-and-the-occult-history-of-the-knights-templar#comments

Fundamentalist Christian sources, typical “new world order” conspiracy theory, not quite as shrill as most, research not bad:
Freemasonry & The Catholic Church: A Brief Introduction
H. Reed Armstrong May 12, 2017

This is the “occult doctrine” promoted through the ages by the followers of Satan going back to the Garden, as newly propounded  by Helena P. Blavatsky  – The Secret Doctrine (Pasadena, California: Theosophical University Press, 1963), Volume I, page 414.  Volume II, pages 234, 235, 243, 245.
https://onepeterfive.com/freemasonry-catholic-church-brief-introduction/

Article explores Blavatsky’s relationship with Charles Sotheran;

Helena Blavatsky on Charles Sotheran and Masonic Patent: “I am not a thirty-third degree Mason”
Dominique Johnson 24 May 2017
https://theacademiciantheosophical.wordpress.com/2017/04/19/helena-blavatsky-on-charles-sotheran-and-masonic-patent-i-am-not-a-thirty-third-degree-mason/

Madame Blavatsky a Freemason
FROM MACKEY'S REVISED ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF FREEMASONRY VOL.1:Brother George Fleming Moore printed articles entitled Notes from India and Co-Masonry in the October, 1910, and February, 1911, issues of the New Age, of which he then was the editor.
When we say the good friends of Madame Blavatsky assert that she never claimed to Mason we refer to members of the Theosophical Society. Shortly after the issuance of our article, Notes from India, we received a letter from Brother J. H. Fussell of Point Loma California, taking us to task for intimating that Madame Blavatsky ever claimed to be a Mason and urging us in the strongest terms to correct what he deemed an error and one that is unfair to the memory of H. P. Blavatsky.
http://www.hiddenmysteries.org/themagazine/vol8/articles/madame.shtml

French article touches upon Blavatsky, Mazzini, Garibaldi, Yarker Connections:
On jette un œil sur : Helena　Blavatsky
11 août 2016- jeremy lehut
https://endirectduchaos.com/2016/08/11/on-jette-un-oeil-sur-helena-blavatsky/

 English translation- Jean-Marie Ragon on Universal Masonry and Brother/Sisterhood
https://theosophyproject.blogspot.ca/2017/10/jean-marie-ragon-on-universal-masonry.html