Krotona Institute of Theosophy
The Krotona Institute of Theosophy is the headquarters of the Esoteric School of Theosophy (E.S. or EST) for the United States and Canada. It is a residential spiritual community with a school, library, and bookshop intended to serve members of the Esoteric School and the Theosophical Society, as well as the general public. The name Krotona was derived from the Crotona school of Pythagoras.
History
President A. P. Warrington of the American Theosophical Society (now Theosophical Society in America) and his associates founded a spiritual center in Hollywood, California in 1912. He moved Society headquarters from Chicago. Buildings sprang up on the Hollywood Hills, to the great interest of local newspapers[1], who often referred to it as the Krotona Colony. As the film industry grew and Hollywood boomed, Krotona's location site became less serene and more expensive to operate. The American Theosophical Society's headquarters moved to a more central location in Chicago in 1920, under the guidance of new President L. W. Rogers, leaving American E.S. headquarters in Hollywood, along with its educational activities; the Order of the Star in the East; and the Order of the Temple of the Rosy Cross.
See Krotona in Hollywood for more information about the Hollywood years of the Krotona Institute, from 1912-1924.
Locating in Ojai
In 1922, Mr. Warrington was traveling with Jiddu Krishnamurti, his brother Jiddu Nityananda, Fritz Kunz and Marie Poutz from Australia to the United States. Krishnamurti and Nitya planned to continue by train and ship to Switzerland where a doctor would try to cure Nitya of his tuberculosis. Warrington suggested a side trip to Ojai, California:
They traveled by train to Ventura and by automobile to Ojai, arriving on July 6. Warrington had arranged for them to share a rustic cottage amid the pine trees of the East End. They loved it, so much so that Besant arranged to buy the Pine Cottage for them, along with a nearby ranch house. (The brothers dubbed it Arya Vihara, Sanskrit for “Noble House.”) Alas, Nitya found no cure in Ojai; he would succumb to his disease within three years. But Krishnamurti would maintain a home here for the rest of his very long life.
With the future World Teacher now established in Ojai, Warrington decided that this was just the place for Krotona, too. In 1924 he moved the institute from Hollywood to a 118-acre ranch property atop a hill just south of Meiners Oaks. That set the stage for Besant herself, who came to Ojai in October 1926.[2]
The Kerfoot Ranch that Warrington bought was 115 acres and included what is now called Krotona Hill.
Philosophy and purpose
Krotona has been described in this way by its former Vice President, Hein van Beusekom:
Krotona is the home of the central office of the Esoteric School of Theosophy in North America. The EST is an organization intended for those who are willing to make a special effort to live the theosophical life, which is a spiritual life having altruism as its keynote, and who are willing to accept certain ethical disciplines. The EST is open for those who have been a members of the Theosophical Society for at least two consecutive years, and who have demonstrated their willingness to work for Theosophy.
We reach out to the world through the Krotona School of Theosophy, Library and Quest Bookshop. The School offers an in-depth approach to the study of theosophical subjects, exploring the spiritual dimension as well as the intellectual. It is also a training center for members to prepare themselves to participate more fully in the Society 's work. Members are always welcome to come here for personal retreat or study.[3]
Features of Krotona
Krotona Photo Gallery
Photos taken by Janet Kerschner in March, 2013.
Entrance to lecture hall 
Krotona library building 
Krotona library entrance 
Krotona School of Theosophy 
Quest Bookshop 
Student and faculty housing 
Kern Guest House 
Labyrinth at dusk 
Misty view to east 
View to northwest
Additional resources
Websites
Books
Articles
- Krotona Institute of Theosophy, The in Theosophy World.
- Partners in Theosophy in Theosophy World
- Krotona Institute in Ojai Hub.
Video
- Glimpses of Krotona by Richard A. Chesrow. 1953. This film, originally produced in 16 mm, captures activities at the Krotona School of Theosophy in 1953. Available as DVD.
- The Krotona Experience: Krotona Institute and School of Theosophy by Steve Schweizer. Wheaton, Ill.: Theosophical Society in America, 2012. An overview of the Krotona Institute of Theosophy in Ojai, California.
- Krotona Institute of Theosophy, Ojai, California, October 30, 2019 by Rita Carbon. A visual tour of Krotona with music.
- 'A Theosophical Center in Ojai Since 1924 in Krotona Institute of Theosophy website.
Notes
- ↑ Newspaper clippings from the TSA Archives.
- ↑ Ojai Pilgrims by Mark Lewis, posted December 19, 2019 at OjaiHub.
- ↑ Hein van Beusekom, "Letter from Krotona Institute of Theosophy," The American Theosophist 80.4 (July/August 1992), 8-9.