Clara Codd Letters

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Clara Codd

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. For example, Ruth Doak took on the responsibility for retyping, duplicating, and mailing letters to over 70 people in the United States.

Letter Number 1

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 were scanned in the Archives Department of the Theosophical Society in America, except for letters 53-57, which were scanned from the Joy Mills Papers at the Krotona Library.[3]

Number Date Place Where Written Link to PDF of letter
1
1945 July 17 Johannesburg, South Africa
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2
1945 September 21 Johannesburg, South Africa
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3
1945 November 20 Johannesburg, South Africa
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4
1946 January 20 Johannesburg, South Africa
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5
1946 March 21 Johannesburg, South Africa
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6
1946 May 8 Wheaton, Illinois, USA
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7
1946 July 29 Wheaton, Illinois, USA
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8
1946 October-November Wheaton, Illinois, USA
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9
1946-1947 December-January Wheaton, Illinois, USA
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10
1947 February-March Wheaton, Illinois, USA
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11
1947 April-May Wheaton, Illinois, USA
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12
1947 June-July Wheaton, Illinois, USA
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13
1947 August-September Wheaton, Illinois, USA
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14
1947 October-November Wheaton, Illinois, USA
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15
1947-1948 December-January Wheaton, Illinois, USA
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16
1948 February-March Wheaton, Illinois, USA
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17
1948 April-May Wheaton, Illinois, USA
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18
1948 June-July Wheaton, Illinois, USA
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19
1948 August-September London, England
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20
1948 October-November London, England
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21
1948-1949 December-January Johannesburg, South Africa
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22
1949 February-March Johannesburg, South Africa
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23
1949 April-May Johannesburg, South Africa
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24
1949 June-July Johannesburg, South Africa
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25
1949 August-September Johannesburg, South Africa
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26
1949 October-November Johannesburg, South Africa
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27
1949-1950 December-January Johannesburg, South Africa
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28
1950 February-March Johannesburg, South Africa
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29
1950 April-May Johannesburg, South Africa
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30
1950 June-July Johannesburg, South Africa
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31
1950 August-September Johannesburg, South Africa
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32
1950 October-November Johannesburg, South Africa
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33
1950-1951 December-January Johannesburg, South Africa
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34
1951 February-March Johannesburg, South Africa
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35
1951 April-May Johannesburg, South Africa
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36
1951 June-July Johannesburg, South Africa
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37
1951 August-September Johannesburg, South Africa
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38
1951 October-November Johannesburg, South Africa
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39
1951-1952 December-January Johannesburg, South Africa
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40
1952 February-March Johannesburg, South Africa
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41
1952 April-May Johannesburg, South Africa
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42
1952 June-July Johannesburg, South Africa
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43
1952 August-September Johannesburg, South Africa
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44
1952 October-November Adyar, Madras, India
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45
1952-1953 December-January Adyar, Madras, India
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46
1953 February-March Adyar, Madras, India
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47
1953 April-May Johannesburg, South Africa
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48
1953 June-July Johannesburg, South Africa
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49
1953 August-September Johannesburg, South Africa
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50
1953 October-November Johannesburg, South Africa
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51
1953-1954 December-January Johannesburg, South Africa
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52
1954 February-March Johannesburg, South Africa
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53
1954 April-May Johannesburg, South Africa
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54
1954 June-July Johannesburg, South Africa
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55
1954 August-September Johannesburg, South Africa
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56
1954 October-November Johannesburg, South Africa
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57
1954-1955 December-January Johannesburg, South Africa
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58
1955 February-March Johannesburg, South Africa
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59
1955 April-May Johannesburg, South Africa
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60
1955 June-July Johannesburg, South Africa
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61
1955 August-September Johannesburg, South Africa
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62
1955 October-November Johannesburg, South Africa
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63
1955-1956 December-January Johannesburg, South Africa
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64
1956 February-March Johannesburg, South Africa
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65
1956 April-May Johannesburg, South Africa
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66
1956 June-July Johannesburg, South Africa
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67
1956 August-September Johannesburg, South Africa
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68
1956 October-November Johannesburg, South Africa
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69
1956-1957 December-January Johannesburg, South Africa
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70
1957 February-March Johannesburg, South Africa
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71
1957 August-September London, England
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72
1957 October-November London, England
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73
1957-1958 December-January London, England
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74
1958 February-March London, England
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75
1958 April-May London, England
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76
1958 June-July Wheaton, Illinois, USA
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77
1958 August-September Wheaton, Illinois, USA
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78
1958 October-November Wheaton, Illinois, USA
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79
1958-59 December-January Wheaton, Illinois, USA
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80
1959 February-March Wheaton, Illinois, USA
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81
1959 April-May Wheaton, Illinois, USA
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82
1959 June-July Wheaton, Illinois, USA
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83
1959 August-September Wheaton, Illinois, USA
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84
1959 October-November Wheaton, Illinois, USA
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85
1959-1960 December-January Adyar, Madras, India
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86
1960 February-March Adyar, Madras, India
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87
1960 April-May Adyar, Madras, India
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88
1960 June-July, August-September London, England
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89
1960 October-November London, England
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90
1960-1961 December-January London, England
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91
1961 February-March St. Michael's, Huizen, Holland
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92
1961 April-May St. Michael's, Huizen, Holland
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93
1961 June-July London, England
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94
1961 August-September Krotona, Ojai, California, USA
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95
1961 October-November Krotona, Ojai, California, USA
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96
1961-1962 December-January Krotona, Ojai, California, USA
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97
1962 February-March Krotona, Ojai, California, USA
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98
1962 April-May London, England
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99
1962 June-July Camberley, Surrey, England
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100
1962 August-September Camberley, Surrey, England
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101
1962 October-November Camberley, Surrey, England
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102
1962-1963 December-January Camberley, Surrey, England
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103
1963 February-March Camberley, Surrey, England
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104
1963 April-May Camberley, Surrey, England
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105
1963 June-July Camberley, Surrey, England
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106
1963 August-September Camberley, Surrey, England
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107
1963 October-November Camberley, Surrey, England
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108
1963-1964 December-January Camberley, Surrey, England
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109
1964 February-March Camberley, Surrey, England
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110
1964 April-May Camberley, Surrey, England
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111
1964 June-July Camberley, Surrey, England
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112
1964 August-September Camberley, Surrey, England
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113
1964 October-November Camberley, Surrey, England
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114
1964-1965 December-January Camberley, Surrey, England
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115
1965 February-March Camberley, Surrey, England
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116
1965 April-May Camberley, Surrey, England
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117
1965 June-July Camberley, Surrey, England
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118
1965 August-September Camberley, Surrey, England
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119
1965 October-November Camberley, Surrey, England
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120
1965-1966 December-January Camberley, Surrey, England
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121
1966 February-March Camberley, Surrey, England
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122
1966 April-May Camberley, Surrey, England
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123
1966 June-July Camberley, Surrey, England
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124
1966 August-September Camberley, Surrey, England
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125
1966 October-November Camberley, Surrey, England
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126
1966-1967 December-January Camberley, Surrey, England
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127
1967 February-March Camberley, Surrey, England
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128
1967 April-May Camberley, Surrey, England
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129
1967 June-July Camberley, Surrey, England
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130
1967 August-September Camberley, Surrey, England
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131
1967 October-November Camberley, Surrey, England
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132
1967-1968 December-January Camberley, Surrey, England
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133
1968 February-March Camberley, Surrey, England
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134
1968 April-May Camberley, Surrey, England
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135
1968 June-July Camberley, Surrey, England
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136
1968 August-September Camberley, Surrey, England
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137
1968 October-November Camberley, Surrey, England
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Notes

  1. Eleanor Stakesby-Lewis, '"Miss Clara M. Codd" Theosophical Journal12.4 (July-August, 1971), 23.
  2. Assistant Editor, "Clara Codd's Letters" The Theosophist 98.10 (October, 1976), 29.
  3. Letters scanned were from two archival collections: the Clara Codd Papers (Records Series 25.05) and the St. Petersburg Lodge Records (Records Series 20.02.15). Theosophical Society in America Archives.