Historical researcher, Michael Gomes charts the dramatic origins of the theosophical movement, one of the most influential philosophical systems to arise during the last hundred years. In this skillfully woven story of the early years of theosophy, the author re-creates the key events involving Blavatsky, Olcott, and a small group of like-minded occultists. His account covers the publication of Blavatsky's "occult encyclopedia", Isis Unveiled, concluding with the pilgrimage to India by the "theosophical twins."

In considering a group that identified with Victorian American culture and its anxieties while adhering to an occult worldview that most of their contemporaries found strange, if not dangerous, the book explains why these middle-class Americans found Theosophy so persuasive and why they left family and friends behind to take up residence at this California settlement."--BOOK JACKET.

This peer-reviewed study represents a culmination of years of research into the history of the Theosophical Society. In this unique project which combines biographies with source analyses, Jeffrey D. Lavoie records a detailed history of the early Theosophical Society and examines its relationship with the modern Spiritualist movement between the years 1875-1891. Special attention has been paid to some of the neglected figures associated with these organizations including Arthur Lillie- the Gnostic-occultist and early critic of the Theosophical Society; the Davenport Brothers- the Spiritualist mediums who developed many of the standard elements which became associated with modern Spiritualism; Alfred Wallace- the prominent scientist, Spiritualist, and supposed member of the Theosophical Society and many others. This work will appeal to a wide array of readers including those interested in modern religious movements, Western Esotericism, South Asian history, and Victorian studies.

The spiritually penetrating essays in this volume were written for the expressed purpose of shedding the pristine light of universal Theosophy on the path of spiritual self-regeneration in the service of humanity. The Theosophical philosophy is predicated on the ageless truth that divine wisdom exists, and that wise beings exist who dynamically embody it in world history; that sages and seers still grace the globe and continually oversee the spiritual, mental and physical evolution of man and nature. The secret Society of Sages that guides human progress periodically sends forth one of their own to sound afresh the Divine Philosophy and exemplify the spiritual life in all its richness and mystery. Such an enlightened spiritual teacher articulates eternal but forgotten truths in ingenious ways, adopting modes that inspire the mind, release soul perception, and cut through the miasma of an age. The wide-ranging articles in this volume span the spectrum of human thought from the metaphysical to the mystical, the ethical to the psychological, the spiritual to the material. They reveal the fundamental basis of religion, philosophy and science. The assimilation of these essays turns us back upon ourselves and releases that laser-like insight that allows us to increasingly discern the true, the good, and the beautiful in all religious teachings, philosophical musings, and scientific discoveries. When carefully meditated upon and skillfully applied to the realm of self-chosen duties, they purify the mind, cleanse the heart, and uplift the human condition.

List of Illustrations The Masters Foreword Acknowledgments Introduction: The Masters and the Myth Part One. Adepts Prince Pavel Dolgorukii Prince Aleksandr Golitsyn Albert Rawson Paolos Metamon Agardi Metrovitch Giuseppe Mazzini Louis Maximilien Bimstein Jamal ad-Din "al-Afghani" James Sanua Lydia Pashkov Ooton Liatto Marie, Countess of Caithness Sir Richard Burton Abdelkader Raphael Borg James Peebles Charles Sotheran Mikhail Katkov Illustrations Part Two. Mahatmas Swami Dayananda Sarasvati Shyamaji Krishnavarma Maharaja Ranbir Singh of Kashmir Thakar Singh Sandhanwalia Maharaja Holkar of Indore Bhai Gurmukh Singh Baba Khem Singh Bedi Surendranath Banerjea Dayal Singh Majithia Sumangala Unnanse Sarat Chandra Das Ugyen Gyatso Sengchen Tulku Swami Sankaracharya of Mysore Part Three. Secret Messages Suspicion on Three Continents An Urgent Warning to the Viceroy Who Inspired Hume? The Occult Imprisonment Notes Bibliography Index

Why has Los Angeles been a hotspot for religious activism, innovation, and diversity? What makes this Southern California metropolis conducive to spiritual experimentation and new ways of believing and belonging? A center of world religions, Los Angeles is the birthplace of Pentecostalism, the site of the largest Roman Catholic diocese in the United States, the home of more Buddhists anywhere except for Asia, and home base for myriad transnational, spiritual movements. Religion in Los Angeles examines historical and contemporary examples of Angelenos’ openness to new forms of belief and practice in congregations, communities, and civic life. Case studies include Latino spiritualities and social activism Hybrid Jewish identities Capitalism and fundamentalism in early twentieth-century Los Angeles The impact of the 1960s on Roman Catholic Angelenos Christianity through a Hindu lens. Highlighted throughout the work are themes including the impact of the city’s diversity on religious experimentation, the importance of Los Angeles’ location in relation to the Mexican border and as a gateway to the Pacific, and the impact of local politics, social trends, and cultural change on religious innovation. The volume also examines the creative pull between change and continuity and the recognition that religious communities participate in civic and global conversations. Religion in Los Angeles includes contributions by leading sociologists, anthropologists, and historians. This cutting-edge work will be of interest to students and scholars of religious history, religion in America, sociology of religion, American studies, urban studies, and race/ethnic studies.

This introduction to the Western esoteric traditions offers a concise overview of their historical development. The author explores these traditions, from their roots in Hermeticism, Neo-Platonism, and Gnosticism in the early Christian era up to their reverberations in modern day's scientific paradigms.