Le Lotus Bleu (periodical)

Le Lotus Bleu is the journal of the French Section of the Theosophical Society based in Adyar, India. It has been published from March, 1890 to the present, in the French language.

The magazine, Le Lotus Bleu, was launched in March 1890 by Arthur Arnould, aided by H. P. Blavatsky. As official organ of the TS, its publication continues to this day, interrupted only by the German invasion of 1940 when the Society was banned by the French Government and its headquarters used for police activities including the storing of archives of “secret” societies. Since 1967 the magazine has served French-speaking members not only in France but in Belgium and Switzerland as well.

Early history

After the original editor died in 1896, Dominique Albert Courmes took over. He and Théophile Pascal provided many articles written in French, and the Blech family also contributed heavily. Various artists created cover designs for the journal, including Claude-Émile Schuffenecker, a friend of Paul Gauguin. Many articles have been presented in translation from articles and lectures in English and other languages. Among the most frequently reprinted writers in the early decades were Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, Henry Steel Olcott, A. P. Sinnett, Annie Besant, and Charles Webster Leadbeater

Index to the periodical

The Union Index of Theosophical Periodicals[1] provides a searchable index to this periodical online, listing article titles and authors in chronological sequence.