Virginia Hanson
Virginia Gordon Hanson was an editor and writer best known for her books Masters and Men and, with George Linton, the Readers Guide to The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett.
Early years
Miss Hanson was born in Illinois on October 27, 1898.
Theosophical work
Miss Hanson joined the Theosophical Society in America in 1949, in Washington, D. C. She became a prominent lecturer for the Society, and wrote numerous articles. In 1962 joined the headquarters staff, where she wrote a series of educational letters that were sent to new members, a project that continues to this day. She was a Senior Editor of Quest Books of the Theosophical Publishing House (Wheaton).[1]
Readers Guide to the Mahatma Letters
George Linton and his wife, of Portland, Oregon, frequently visited the TSA headquarters while Miss Hanson was on staff there. Readers Guide to The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett was the product of much study by each of the coauthors, and it continues to be a valuable tool for study of the letters.
Other writings
In addition to her educational letters and the Readers Guide, Miss Hanson made many other contributions to Theosophical literature. These books are listed in chronological sequence:
- H. P. Blavatsky and The Secret Doctrine: Commentaries on Her Contributions to World Thought. Wheaton, IL: Theosophical Publishing House, 1971. It is a collection of essays originally published in The American Theosophist, in May 1969, with five additional essays. A second edition came out in 1988.
- Approaches to Meditation. Wheaton, IL: Theosophical Publishing House, 1973. Published in Finnish in 2002.
- Gifts of the Lotus: a Book of Daily Meditations. Wheaton, IL: Theosophical Publishing House, 1974.
- The Silent Encounter: Reflections on Mysticism. Wheaton, IL: Theosophical Publishing House, 1974.
- The Mahatma Letters: Today's Encounter with the Wisdom of the Ages. Madras, India: Theosophical Publlishing House, 1977.
- Masters and Men: the Human Story in The Mahatma Letters. Wheaton, IL: Theosophical Publishing House, 1980. This book is a fictionalized account of the Mahatmas. It has been digitized by Google and Hathitrust, but is not available yet.
- Karma: the Universal Law of Harmony. Wheaton, IL: Theosophical Publishing House, 1981 and Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited, 1981. Rosemarie Stewart collaborated in editing this collection of essays. Published in Italian in 1981 and in German in 1982. A third edition was published in 1990.
- The Sage from Concord: the Essence of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Wheaton, IL: Theosophical Publishing House, 1981. A Quest miniature book of Emerson quotations.
- An Introduction to The Mahatma Letters: a Study Guide. Wheaton, IL Department of Education, Theosophical Society in America, 1983. Published in Spanish in 1996.
- Notes on The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett. Ojai, Calif.: V. Hanson, 1987.
She also wrote numerous articles for journals. The Union Index of Theosophical Periodicals lists 142 articles under the name Virginia Hanson and 10 more under the name Virginia G Hanson.
Audio recordings
- An Introduction to the Study of the Mahatma Letters. Wheaton, IL: Theosophical Society in America, 1984, 2007. Eight CDs of commentary by Virginia Hanson and George Linton.
Awards
The Olcott Foundation named Virginia Hanson to win its lecture award for 1951, in recognition of her lecture, "The Divine Autobiography - A Universal Best Seller."[2] In 1990, Miss Hanson was awarded the prestigious Subba Row Medal for her Theosophical writings.
Later years
From 1975 until her death on May 27, 1991, Miss Hanson was on the staff of the Krotona Institute of Theosophy.
Notes
- ↑ "Hanson, Virginia Gordon", Theosophical Encyclopedia (Quezon City, Philippines: Theosophical Publishing House, 2006), 268-269. Available online at Theosopedia.
- ↑ Margery Parks, Virginia Deaderick, and Dr. George B. DeHoff, "The Olcott Foundation," The American Theosophist 39:9 (September, 1951), 180.
- ↑ Joy Mills, obituary of Virginia G. Hanson, The American Theosophist 79.4 (July-August 1991), 10.
- ↑ Anonymous, "Virginia Hanson Library", The American Theosophist 80.3 (May-June 1992), 8.