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[[File:Anna Bonus Kinsford by Elliott & Fry.jpg|290px|right|thumb|Anna Bonus Kingsford]]
[[File:Anna Bonus Kinsford by Elliott & Fry.jpg|290px|right|thumb|Anna Bonus Kingsford]]
'''Anna Mary Kingsford''' (née Bonus, [[September 16]], 1846 &ndash; [[February 22]], 1888) was a prominent figure among mystics and theosophists in the 1880's.
'''Anna Mary Kingsford''' (née Bonus, [[September 16]], 1846 &ndash; [[February 22]], 1888) was a prominent English Theosophist in the 1880's, best known as the co-author with [[Edward Maitland]] of '''[[The Perfect Way (book)|''The Perfect Way'']]'''.


According to [[Readers Guide to The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett (book)|''Readers Guide to The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett'']]:<br>
According to [[Readers Guide to The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett (book)|''Readers Guide to The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett'']]:<br>
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Kingsford, Anna Bonus, 1846-88. English author and [[Spiritualism|spiritualist]] whom with her co-worker, [[Edward Maitland]], promoted a [[Hermeticism|Hermetic]] approach to Christianity and metaphysics. She is best known for her book ''The Perfect Way'', published in 1882. She was a strict vegetarian and anti-vivisectionist, and [[Koot Hoomi|KH]] states that on this account her [[Phenomena|phenomena]] were more accurate and reliable than most. He was instrumental in having her elected President of [[London Lodge]]. In October 1883, she wrote to [[Helena Petrovna Blavatsky|HPB]] sending her photograph and asking that it be forwarded to KH. HPB's reply to her was torn up by [[Morya|M]] and she complained bitterly about it to [[A. P. Sinnett|APS]] ([[Letters of H. P. Blavatsky to A. P. Sinnett (book)|LBS]], pp. 30, 69, 73). HPB also complained about Mrs. Kingsford's being kept in the Presidency of London Lodge, telling APS that it was due to a request of the [[Maha Chohan]] ([[The Letters of H. P. Blavatsky to A. P. Sinnett (book)|LBS]], pp. 82, 90). HPB sometimes called her the "Divine Anna," and asked [[Patience Sinnett|Mrs. Sinnett]] to get a picture of her and sent it to her at Adyar. In 1883, Mrs. Kingsford issued a circular letter to the London Lodge members which was critical of APS's book, [[Esoteric Buddhism (book)|''Esoteric Buddhism'']] [[T. Subba Row|TSR]] issued a reply in pamphlet form in January 1884. See biography [[H. P. Blavatsky Collected Writings (book)| HPB]] X: 438-40; [[The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett (book)|ML]] index.<ref>George E. Linton and Virginia Hanson, eds., ''Readers Guide to The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett'' (Adyar, Chennai, India: Theosophical Publishing House, 1972), 237.</ref>
Kingsford, Anna Bonus, 1846-88. English author and [[Spiritualism|spiritualist]] whom with her co-worker, [[Edward Maitland]], promoted a [[Hermeticism|Hermetic]] approach to Christianity and metaphysics. She is best known for her book ''The Perfect Way'', published in 1882. She was a strict vegetarian and anti-vivisectionist, and [[Koot Hoomi|KH]] states that on this account her [[Phenomena|phenomena]] were more accurate and reliable than most. He was instrumental in having her elected President of [[London Lodge]]. In October 1883, she wrote to [[Helena Petrovna Blavatsky|HPB]] sending her photograph and asking that it be forwarded to KH. HPB's reply to her was torn up by [[Morya|M]] and she complained bitterly about it to [[A. P. Sinnett|APS]] ([[Letters of H. P. Blavatsky to A. P. Sinnett (book)|LBS]], pp. 30, 69, 73). HPB also complained about Mrs. Kingsford's being kept in the Presidency of London Lodge, telling APS that it was due to a request of the [[Maha Chohan]] ([[The Letters of H. P. Blavatsky to A. P. Sinnett (book)|LBS]], pp. 82, 90). HPB sometimes called her the "Divine Anna," and asked [[Patience Sinnett|Mrs. Sinnett]] to get a picture of her and sent it to her at Adyar. In 1883, Mrs. Kingsford issued a circular letter to the London Lodge members which was critical of APS's book, [[Esoteric Buddhism (book)|''Esoteric Buddhism'']]. [[T. Subba Row|TSR]] issued a reply in pamphlet form in January 1884. See biography [[H. P. Blavatsky Collected Writings (book)| HPB]] X: 438-40; [[The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett (book)|ML]] index.<ref>George E. Linton and Virginia Hanson, eds., ''Readers Guide to The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett'' (Adyar, Chennai, India: Theosophical Publishing House, 1972), 237.</ref>
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Revision as of 18:52, 24 October 2017

ARTICLE UNDER CONSTRUCTION
ARTICLE UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Anna Bonus Kingsford

Anna Mary Kingsford (née Bonus, September 16, 1846 – February 22, 1888) was a prominent English Theosophist in the 1880's, best known as the co-author with Edward Maitland of The Perfect Way.

According to Readers Guide to The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett:

Kingsford, Anna Bonus, 1846-88. English author and spiritualist whom with her co-worker, Edward Maitland, promoted a Hermetic approach to Christianity and metaphysics. She is best known for her book The Perfect Way, published in 1882. She was a strict vegetarian and anti-vivisectionist, and KH states that on this account her phenomena were more accurate and reliable than most. He was instrumental in having her elected President of London Lodge. In October 1883, she wrote to HPB sending her photograph and asking that it be forwarded to KH. HPB's reply to her was torn up by M and she complained bitterly about it to APS (LBS, pp. 30, 69, 73). HPB also complained about Mrs. Kingsford's being kept in the Presidency of London Lodge, telling APS that it was due to a request of the Maha Chohan (LBS, pp. 82, 90). HPB sometimes called her the "Divine Anna," and asked Mrs. Sinnett to get a picture of her and sent it to her at Adyar. In 1883, Mrs. Kingsford issued a circular letter to the London Lodge members which was critical of APS's book, Esoteric Buddhism. TSR issued a reply in pamphlet form in January 1884. See biography HPB X: 438-40; ML index.[1]

Personal life

Theosophical Society involvement

Perspectives on Christianity and Hermeticism

In 1884, Dr. Kingsford gave seven lectures that were much later published as The Credo of Christendom. A book review in 1917 regarded her work as a means to transmute Christianity in "finer gold" during the turbulence of World War I:

Christianity is just now in dry dock for repairs; it, with so many other things, is in course of reconstruction through the agency of the War, and unless it receives a fresh influx of life, understanding and application, it will be swept away with other out-of-date organisations. This book will be a most valuable addition to the literature of those who are working through the old Catholic Church for the regeneration of the Christian religion, for it is an illuminating and original compendium of interpretations of Christian and Hermetic beliefs, written in classic style and lit up by the beauty of thought and poetic expression which give such distinction to all Mrs. Kingsford's work...

As the prophetess of the Day of the Woman as human being, Intuition and soul, she holds a unique place in Western religious literature; and in these lectures and articles the truths concerned with the Divine Feminine are clearly enunciated, especially in connection with the doctrines of the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption of the Virgin Mary...

There is some striking and new idea to be found in every page of the work of this most gifted seeress.[2]

Dreams and Dream Stories

,

Writings

The Union Index of Theosophical Periodicals lists at least 50 articles by or about Dr. Kingsford.

  • The Credo of Christendom. London: John M. Watkins, 1917. This is a compilation of seven lectures delivered in 1884, published posthumously.
  • Clothed with the Sun.
  • The Perfect Way. Coauthor Edward Maitland.
  • Dreams and Dream Stories. London: E. F. Lovell & Co., 18xx.
  • The Virgin of the World, of Hermes Trismegistus. Ttranslated by Anna Kingsford and Edward Maitland.

Online resources

Articles

Books

Additional resources

Notes

  1. George E. Linton and Virginia Hanson, eds., Readers Guide to The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett (Adyar, Chennai, India: Theosophical Publishing House, 1972), 237.
  2. M.E.C. [Margaret Cousins?], "Book-Lore," The Theosophist 28.8 (May, 1917), 228-230.