C. C. Massey

Charles Carleton Massey (December 23, 1838 - March 29, 1905) was an English barrister who was keenly interested in Spiritualism. He was present on September 8, 1875, at the Founding of the Theosophical Society. According to Josephine Ransom, "he was one of the ablest metaphysicians in Great Britain, and a lucid and scholarly writer on psychical subjects."

Founding of the Theosophical Society

President-Founder H. S. Olcott and Mr. Massey had a life-long friendship. They seem to have met in England in 1870, when Col. Olcott was there on a business trip, but their friendship really developed when Mr. Massey visited New York in 1875. The latter had traveled to the US to investigate Spiritualistic phenomena and during the time the two visited several mediums together.

A biographical sketch in the Readers Guide to The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett describes Massey this way:

Massey, Charles Carlton, an English lawyer much interested in spiritualism. He went to the USA in 1875 to visit Chittenden, Vermont, to verify for himself HSO's accounts of the Eddy phenomena (See ODL 1) and became a life-long friend of HSO. He was one of the first members of the TS and later a founder and first president of the TS in England. He was also one of the founders of the Psychical Research Society and, after the Hodgson Report was issued, he resigned from the TS. HPB tried hard to get the Mahatmas to teach him but they refused (ML, pp. 411-12). See SH, p. 112, for a brief resume of his career. ML index.

Theosophical Society in England

In 1877, Massey helped to establish the Theosophical Society in England, which came to be known as the London Lodge. He became the first president of the London Lodge from June 27, 1878 to early 1880, and again from August 1882 until January 6, 1883.

Involvement with Mahatmas

Massey figured prominently in the Mahatma Letters, and is mentioned in more than 20 of them. Master K.H. regarded him as a very honest person, but considered he was not strong enough to become a chela. In one of his letters he wrote:

Doubtless a more sincere, truthful or a more noble minded man (S. Moses not excepted) could hardly be found among the British theosophists. His only and chief fault is — weakness. Were he to learn some day how deeply he has wronged H.P.B. in thought — no man would feel more miserable over it than himself.

Incidents involving phenomena

Historian Josephine Ransom described this incident:

Before H. P. B. left London in 1879, Massey requested her to give relief to his father, whose eyesight was seriously impaired. To establish contact she took with her a pair of Mr. Massey's (senior) gloves. After arrival in Bombay H. P. B., by occult means, sent one glove to London, 17 February. Having been advised by a lady medium to be at home on the 17th, Massey waited in a darkened room, and presently a soft packet was flung in his face. The remaining glove was sent by post for comparison. This incident got into the papers and annoyed Massey, who complained that such publicity cost him his practice.

Later years

Massey was one of the founders of the Psychical Research Society in 1882. When that organization attacked Madame Blavatsky as a fraud, he left the Theosophical Society.

Massey passed away in 1905.

Writings

Massey translated several works from the German:

• Zöllner's Transcendental Physics
• Carl du Prel's Philosophy of Mysticism
• von Hartmann's Spiritism

Articles by C. C. Massey have appeared in several Theosophical periodicals:

• "The Supernatural," The Theosophist vol. 1 (March 1880), 137.
• "True and False Personality," The Theosophist vol. 2 (December 1880), 57.
• "Theosophy and Spiritualism," The Theosophist vol. 2 (September 1881), 260. Reprinted from The Spiritualist.
• "Esoteric Buddhism by AP Sinnett," The Theosophist vol. 3 (October, 1881), 2.
• "Astrology," The Theosophist vol. 4 (August, 1883), 288. Review reprinted from Light.
• "Scientific Verification of "Spiritual" Phenomena," The Theosophist vol. 5 (August, 1884), 267. Review reprinted from Light.
• "The Idea of Re-birth' by Francesca Arundale, " Lucifer vol. 7 (February, 1891), 490. Book review.
• "Opinions des anciens sur les corps physiques," Le Lotus vol. 3 (August 1888), 257. Reprint with notes by HPB.
• "A Lost Account of Theosophical Origins," Theosophical History no. 1 (October, 1985), 83. Account of the Butterfly incident, reprinted from Light July 16 1892.
• "Ancient Opinions Upon Psychic Bodies," Theosophical Siftings 1:2 (1888), 15. Reprint from The Theosophist December 1879.

Other resources

• "Blavatsky Letters: to CC Massey," The Eclectic Theosophist no. 78 (November-December, 1983), 9.
• "Death of CC Massey," The Theosophist vol. 26 (1905), 34. Obituary.