Clara Codd Letters
ARTICLE UNDER CONSTRUCTION - WE ARE STILL ADDING SCANS OF LETTERS
ARTICLE UNDER CONSTRUCTION - WE ARE STILL ADDING SCANS OF LETTERS
Clara Codd was a very popular lecturer and write in the Theosophical Society based in Adyar, Chennai, India. She conducted a large correspondence with people on five continents. Bi-monthly circular letters were one means by which she kept in touch with her friends and associates. From 1945 to 1968 she wrote 137 letters that included accounts of her personal experiences mixed with elements of history, travelogue, inspiration, and also practical advice about life on the spiritual path. They were duplicated by means of cyclostyle[1] or mimeograph by friends who also assisted in the distribution process.
History of letters
Five years after her death in 1971, The Theosophist published an account of the letters:
As many of you know Clara Codd had a very extensive correspondence with members all round the world. So in 1945 she began her "correspondence group" as she called it and each member received a duplicated bi-monthly letter. In this she was helped by friends in different countries who organized the duplication and mailing of these letters which continued until her 92nd year. Her first letter came from South Africa and her last from England...
In her first letter she wrote, "The group does not meet regularly on the physical plane. It is a soul group. There are no pledges or bonds to bind this group together beyond the one of mutual love and trust which already binds it. Every day I think of each of you and pray the blessing the Master upon you all and upon your growth and work. Because we are an affectionate and sincere group there is a corporate life which reinforces every member of it. The younger and less experienced are stimulated by the older and more experienced"...
Clara's last letter was written from England in November 1968 when she was 92 years of age. For 23 years she had, without a break sent letters six times a year to her group all over the world. In this letter she wrote, "I hope you found there letters helpful in daily life, for that is what I wanted them to be, I did not want them to be intellectual or studious... do your best to approach your own Higher Self, the God-head within you. Do not lean too much on books and teachers. Learn mostly from life itself with all its events and problems."[2]
Digital images of letters
Clara Codd's letters are being scanned in the Archives Department of the Theosophical Society in America.
Number Date Place Where Written Link to PDF of letter 1 1945 monthday South Africa 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 1958-59 December-January Wheaton, Illinois, USA Link to letter 80 1959 February-March Wheaton, Illinois, USA Link to letter 81 1959 April-May Wheaton, Illinois, USA Link to letter 82 1959 June-July Wheaton, Illinois, USA Link to letter 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 1961 April-May St. Michael;'s, Huizen, Holland Link to letter 93 94 1961 August-September Krotona, Ojai, California, USA Link to letter 95 1961 October-November Krotona, Ojai, California, USA Link to letter 96 1961-1962 December-January Krotona, Ojai, California, USA Link to letter 97 98 99 100 Camberley, Surrey, England 101 Camberley, Surrey, England 102 Camberley, Surrey, England 103 1963 February-March Camberley, Surrey, England Link to letter 104 Camberley, Surrey, England 105 Camberley, Surrey, England 106 Camberley, Surrey, England 107 Camberley, Surrey, England 108 Camberley, Surrey, England 109 Camberley, Surrey, England 110 Camberley, Surrey, England 111 Camberley, Surrey, England 112 Camberley, Surrey, England 113 Camberley, Surrey, England 114 Camberley, Surrey, England 115 Camberley, Surrey, England 116 Camberley, Surrey, England 117 Camberley, Surrey, England 118 Camberley, Surrey, England 119 1965 October-November Camberley, Surrey, England Link to letter 120 1965-1966 December-January Camberley, Surrey, England Link to letter 121 Camberley, Surrey, England 122 1966 April-May Camberley, Surrey, England Link to letter 123 1966 June-JUly Camberley, Surrey, England Link to letter 124 Camberley, Surrey, England 125 Camberley, Surrey, England 126 Camberley, Surrey, England 127 Camberley, Surrey, England 128 Camberley, Surrey, England 129 Camberley, Surrey, England 130 Camberley, Surrey, England 131 Camberley, Surrey, England 132 Camberley, Surrey, England 133 Camberley, Surrey, England 134 Camberley, Surrey, England 135 Camberley, Surrey, England 136 Camberley, Surrey, England 137 Camberley, Surrey, England