Blavatsky Lectures: Difference between revisions

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== Origin ==
== Origin ==
In the Foreword to the published edition of the first lecture of May 1918 ([[Edward_L._Gardner|E. L. Gardner]], "Matter is the Shadow of Sprits"), H. Baillie-Weaver gives an indication of the origin and potential significance of the lecture series:
In the "Foreword" to the published edition of the first lecture of May 1918 ([[Edward_L._Gardner|E. L. Gardner]], "Matter is the Shadow of Sprit"), H. Baillie-Weaver gives an indication of the origin and potential significance of the lecture series:


<blockquote>The idea of an annual Blavatsky Lecture emanated from Mr. [[D._N._Dunlop|D.N. Dunlop]], whose devotion to Madame Blavatsky and her writings is well known throughout the [[Theosophical Society]], and the idea was so obviously an excellent one that prompt measures were taken by the Executive Committee to give it a concrete form.</blockquote>
<blockquote>The idea of an annual Blavatsky Lecture emanated from Mr. [[D._N._Dunlop|D.N. Dunlop]], whose devotion to Madame Blavatsky and her writings is well known throughout the [[Theosophical Society]], and the idea was so obviously an excellent one that prompt measures were taken by the Executive Committee to give it a concrete form.</blockquote>
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<blockquote>It is doubly important that the lore and teaching contained in the writings of Mme. Blavatsky should be continually studied, discussed and interpreted; in the first place because of the vast treasures which they hold for the student of [[occultism]], and in the second place because of the scientific theories they contain. These theories were derided when Mme. Blavatsky first enunciated them; but every advance that science makes is an advance towards admission of their truth; and it is of first importance that they should be as widely promulgated and as competently expounded as possible, so that as fresh discoveries substantiate them the profound knowledge by which they were inspired and the value of the methods by which they were obtained may be recognised.</blockquote>
<blockquote>It is doubly important that the lore and teaching contained in the writings of Mme. Blavatsky should be continually studied, discussed and interpreted; in the first place because of the vast treasures which they hold for the student of [[occultism]], and in the second place because of the scientific theories they contain. These theories were derided when Mme. Blavatsky first enunciated them; but every advance that science makes is an advance towards admission of their truth; and it is of first importance that they should be as widely promulgated and as competently expounded as possible, so that as fresh discoveries substantiate them the profound knowledge by which they were inspired and the value of the methods by which they were obtained may be recognised.</blockquote>


<blockquote>The first Lecture, delivered by Mr. Gardner, is a worthy beginning of a great enterprise.<ref>H. Baillie-Weaver, "Foreword," from E. L. Gardner, ''The Blavatsky Lecture, No. 1: Delivered at the Annual Convention of the Theosophical Society in England and Wales, May, 1918'' ["Matter is the Shadow of Spirit"] (London, Theosophical Publishing House, 1918), [3].</ref></blockquote>
<blockquote>The first Lecture, delivered by Mr. Gardner, is a worthy beginning of a great enterprise.<ref>H. Baillie-Weaver, "Foreword," from E. L. Gardner, ''The Blavatsky Lecture, No. 1: Delivered at the Annual Convention of the Theosophical Society in England and Wales, May, 1918'' ["Matter is the Shadow of Spirit"]. (London, Theosophical Publishing House, 1918), [3].</ref></blockquote>


== Blavatsky Lectures in England ==
== Blavatsky Lectures in England ==

Revision as of 22:07, 30 January 2017


There have been two series of Blavatsky Lectures presented annually in honor of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky. The longer and better-known series is in England, and another series was instituted in South Africa.

Origin

In the "Foreword" to the published edition of the first lecture of May 1918 (E. L. Gardner, "Matter is the Shadow of Sprit"), H. Baillie-Weaver gives an indication of the origin and potential significance of the lecture series:

The idea of an annual Blavatsky Lecture emanated from Mr. D.N. Dunlop, whose devotion to Madame Blavatsky and her writings is well known throughout the Theosophical Society, and the idea was so obviously an excellent one that prompt measures were taken by the Executive Committee to give it a concrete form.

It is doubly important that the lore and teaching contained in the writings of Mme. Blavatsky should be continually studied, discussed and interpreted; in the first place because of the vast treasures which they hold for the student of occultism, and in the second place because of the scientific theories they contain. These theories were derided when Mme. Blavatsky first enunciated them; but every advance that science makes is an advance towards admission of their truth; and it is of first importance that they should be as widely promulgated and as competently expounded as possible, so that as fresh discoveries substantiate them the profound knowledge by which they were inspired and the value of the methods by which they were obtained may be recognised.

The first Lecture, delivered by Mr. Gardner, is a worthy beginning of a great enterprise.[1]

Blavatsky Lectures in England

The Blavatsky Lectures are presented annually (in most years) at the Summer School of the Theosophical Society in England, sponsored by the Blavatsky Trust.

The Union Index of Theosophical Periodicals maintains a searchable index to this periodical online, listing lecture titles and authors in chronological sequence.

Year Lecturer Title External Links
1918 Edward L. Gardner Matter is the Shadow of Spirit
1919 Charlotte E.Woods The Self and Its Problems
1920 D. N. Dunlop Nature Spirits and the Spirits of the Elements
1922 Bertram A. Tomes The Secret Doctrine and Modern Science
1924 Ernest Wood Personal Psychology and the Sub- conscious Mind
1925 Percy Lund The Evolution of Man: Individual and Social
1926 J. I. Wedgwood The Distinctive Contribution of Theosophy to Christian Thought
1927 J. Émile Marcault The Psychology of Intuition
1930 C. Jinarājadāsa The Personality of H. P Blavatsky
1933 Josephine Ransom The Occult Teachings of the Christ hpb.narod.ru
1934 Adelaide Gardner Indications of a New Culture
1935 Sidney Ransom The Ethics of the Secret Doctrine hpb.narod.ru
1937 Iwan A. Hawliczek Mankind To-day and To-morrow hpb.narod.ru
1941 Elizabeth Winter Preston The Contribution of Theosophy to Freedom
1942 Josephine Ransom The Direction of The Theosophical Society by Masters of Wisdom
1943 Corona Trew Theosophy and the Changing Outlook in Science
1944 G. Nevin Drinkwater Theosophy and the Western Mysteries
1945 Greta Eedle The Power of Love in the Struggle for Light HPB.narod.ru
1946 Edward L. Gardner The Nature and Function of the Soul
1947 Charlotte Woods The Mystery Religions
1948 Laurence J. Bendit Adam, the Prodigal Son
1949 C. R. Groves On Order and Purpose in Evolution
1950 Ianthe H. Hoskins The Science of Spirituality
1951 V. Wallace Slater Man Creator of Forms
1952 Doris Groves Brotherhood and the Enlightened Mind
1953 Phoebe D. Bendit The Sacred Flame HPB.narod.ru
1954 Edward Gall The Yoga of the Serpent Fire
1955 Hugh Shearman Purpose Beyond Reason
1956 L. C. Soper The Opening of the Doors of the Mind HPB.narod.ru
1957 Dudley G. Gower The Reign of the Spirit HPB.narod.ru
1958 K. Chodkiewicz Physical Forces and Spiritual Intelligences HPB.narod.ru
1959 Edward L. Gardner Whence Come the Gods? and Related Studies
1960 Basil P. Howell The Metaphysics of Experience
1961 T. H. Redfern Getting Ready for 1975
1962 R. Hartley The Abstract and the Concrete
1963 E. Lester Smith Science and the Real
1964 N. Sri Ram Consciousness: Its Nature and Action HPB.narod.ru
1967 H. Tudor Edmunds A World in Revolution
1970 Geoffrey A. Barborka H. P. Blavatsky: The Light Bringer HPB.narod.ru
1973 Edward Gall The Mystery of Satan
1974 Geoffrey A. Farthing Life, Death and Dreams
1976 L. H. Leslie-Smith Paradox and Practicality
1977 S. Lancri The Occultism of Ancient Egypt
1978 Joy Mills The Human Journey - Quest for Self-Transformation HPB.narod.ru
1979 Radha Burnier Self-Knowledge in the Light of Theosophy Reprinted as "The Way of Self-Knowledge"
1981 Adam Warcup An Inquiry into the Nature of Mind
1983 Ted G. Davy The Descent into Hades Theosophy Northwest Website
1984 Jeanine Miller The Flame Divine
1985 Harry Upadhyay The Absolute - The Ultimate Reality (Parabrahman)
1986 Seymour D. Ballard The Role of Maya in Man's Evolution
1987 Muriel Daw Paramitas of Perfection
1988 Radha Burnier The Universal Yoga Tradition TS in America Website or TS in Australia Website
1989 Yves Marcel Theosophy, A Perennial Wisdom for a New Age
1996 John Algeo Blavatsky, Freemasonry and the Western Mystery Tradition
1997 Edi D. Bilimoria Mirages in Western Science Resolved by Occult Science
1998 Arthur Ellison Science, Consciousness and the Paranormal
1999 Harold Tarn The Soul's Imperative
2000 Michael Gomes Creating the New Age: Theosophy's Origins in the British Isles
2001 Geoffrey Farthing Theosophy: Its Beneficient Potentialities Theosophical Society in England
2002 Alan Hughes The Harvest of Life Theosophical Society in England Website
2003 Stephan Hoeller Joyful Gnosis Blavatsky Trust Website
2005 Radha Burnier Living Truth: The Future of the Theosophical Society
2006 Betty Bland The Virtuous Key
2007 Michael Gomes Colonel Olcott and the Healing Arts
2008 John Gordon Esoteric Philosophy: The Theosophical Janus
2009 Colin F. Price The Cycle of Life Blavatsky Trust Website
2010 David Roef The Heavenly Twin – The Human Soul and Her Guide of Light NOTE: Lecture is not to be posted online, per author's preference.
2011 Bhupendra Vora The Bodhisattva Path
2012 Erica Georgiades The Olympian Ideal of Universal Brotherhood
2013 Peter Barton The Evolutionary Task of Humanity
2014 Susan Bayliss The Path of Transformation – Voyage to the Silent Self
2015 Tim Boyd The Relevance of Theosophy: Spirituality in Daily Living
2016 Trân-Thi-Kim-Diêu The Wisdom of all Ages
2017 Michael Gomes

Blavatsky Lectures in South Africa

At least four Annual Blavatsky Lectures were given under the auspices of the Theosophical Society in Central South Africa.[2]

Year Lecturer Title Notes
1930 Mr. L. G. Hallett Some Studies in Ray Correspondence
1931 Josephine Ransom Madam Blavatsky as Occultist
1932 Mr. L. W. Ritch The Message of Madam Blavatsky
1933 Mr. Thomas F. Day Madam Blavatsky and the Message of Bellamy Lecture delivered at Theosophical Hall, Pretoria on March 5, 1933.

Notes

  1. H. Baillie-Weaver, "Foreword," from E. L. Gardner, The Blavatsky Lecture, No. 1: Delivered at the Annual Convention of the Theosophical Society in England and Wales, May, 1918 ["Matter is the Shadow of Spirit"]. (London, Theosophical Publishing House, 1918), [3].
  2. Thomas F. Day, "Madam Blavatsky and the Message of Bellamy" Johannesburg: G. M. Horne Ltd., 1933.) 16 pg. List of previous lectures given on back cover. Available at Theosophical Society in America Archives, Records Series 5.