Geoffrey A. Farthing
Early life and career
Geoffrey Farthing was born in England on December 10, 1909, and was educated at two boarding schools. He began his higher education at London University, but became apprenticed in the field of engineering. He attended night school at Manchester College of Technology.
In his career as a Chartered Electrical Engineer, Mr. Farthing was employed by the Central Electricity Board and the Yorkshire Electricity Board. He said he worked "nearly all my life with the nationalized industry in Yorkshire. I was in charge of about 100 shops, service centres as they were called, of contracting (wiring factories, shops and homes), advertising shows and distribution, appliance testing, repair and reconditioning, etc." He never married, and his family was not sympathetic to his interest in Theosophy.
Military service
Mr. Farthing served six years in the Army in the Royal Corps of Signal (Royal Signals), attaining the rank of Major. When war broke out in 1939, he was called up immediately, since he had previously joined the Territorial Army (Volunteers).
He was to serve five years in various capacities in military Communications. He had always had an interest in radio. As a result of this he spent much of his early time in the Forces teaching and training other people in telecommunications, and although he became Commanding officer of a special technical unit towards the end of the war, he never saw active service abroad.
The point of this diversion is that during the five years of army service his interest in matters ‘theosophical’ was totally suspended. It was as if the light had been switched off. He had no interest whatever in all the things that had up till then been so enthralling. However, with the end of hostilities in Europe his interest suddenly flared up and by an odd quirk of fortune he found himself in very comfortable circumstances with no serious duties, billeted comfortably in a nice house with a servant looking after his needs, so that he could and did spend many hours every day reading The Secret Doctrine. This lasted for one year.
He was then demobilized and returned to civilian life in Leeds where he joined the local Theosophical Lodge, having in the meantime become a member of the Theosophical Society [Adyar]." [1]
Theosophical work
The Leeds Lodge quickly discovered that Mr. Farthing was very knowledgeable about the Ancient Wisdom, and particularly the esoteric teachings of H. P. Blavatsky. He was recruited to lecture, beginning a speaking career than spanned many countries and sixty years.
Over the years, he held most positions in the Theosophical Society in England, including a term as General Secretary. He was a member of the Executive Committee of the European Ferderation for a number of years, and also served a term as a member of the Society's General Council at Adyar, India
Mr. Farthing was a founder and director of the European School of Theosophy, and frequently lectured at its annual study week convened all over Europe. During the 1980s and 1990s, Geoffrey was a regular course leader at annual residential weekends exploring The Secret Doctrine, held at Tekels Park, Camberley, Surrey. He has taken an active part in the Theosophy/Science weekends held each year within the English Section He served a term as a member of the Society's General Council at Adyar, India, and was a member of the Executive Committee of the European Federation for a number of years. He founded The Blavatsky Trust, an educational charity, in England in 1974. In the same year he gave the prestigious Blavatsky Lecture at the Annual Convention of the English Theosophical Society on Life, Death and Dreams,
The nonprofit organization that he founded, The Blavatsky Trust, aims to disseminate the writings of H. P. Blavatsky.
Term as General Secretary
Mr. Farthing has said this of his service as General Secretary in the English Section:
I was President of the T.S. in England from 1969 to 1972. During this time I let it be known quite openly that I was a Master/H.P.B. man; this was not acceptable to the generality of members. There was a strong Church and Masonic faction in the Society, the members of which eventually got together and voted me out of office. This was a considerable blow to me as I had given up my job - quite a lucrative one and of some influence - to come and work for the Society. Being voted out was a hurtful experience but in a way it was a blessing. I was free of all other duties and could get on with my study and my writing.[2]
Writings
Mr. Farthing wrote extensively about Theosophy. In 1996, he was awarded the Subba Row Medal for his significant contribution to theosophical literature.
Books written by Mr. Farthing are described at the Blavatsky Trust Website, with links to each text online.[3] They include:
- Theosophy - What's it All About?
- When We Die ...
- Life, Death and Dreams
- Exploring the Great Beyond
- Theosophy, the Wisdom Religion
- Deity, Cosmos & Man
- When We Die
- The Etheric Double? The Far-Reaching Effects of a False Assumption
- After-Death Consciousness and Processes
- Modern Theosophy Origins & Intentions - a Trilogy
- Theosophy: The Truth Revealed
- Aspects Of Divine Law
- Theosophy: Its Beneficent Potentialities
- The Right Angle [4]
Later years
Geoffrey Farthing passed on in 2004.