Helena Petrovna Blavatsky: Difference between revisions
Pablo Sender (talk | contribs) |
Pablo Sender (talk | contribs) |
||
| Line 67: | Line 67: | ||
== Founding of the Theosophical Society == | == Founding of the Theosophical Society == | ||
In 1873 Blavatsky arrived in New York from Paris where, impelled by her teachers, she began her work. At first she attempted to interest the Spiritualists in the philosophy behind phenomena but they resented her refusal to accept their standard explanations. In July 1875, HPB wrote in her scrapbook: "Orders received from India direct to establish a philosophico-religious society and choose a name for it, also to choose Olcott."<ref>Caldwell, Daniel H. ''The Esoteric World of Madame Blavatsky'' (Wheaton, Ill., Quest Books, 2001), 71</ref> | In 1873 Blavatsky arrived in New York from Paris where, impelled by her teachers, she began her work. At first she attempted to interest the Spiritualists in the philosophy behind phenomena but they resented her refusal to accept their standard explanations. In July 1875, HPB wrote in her scrapbook: "Orders received from India direct to establish a philosophico-religious society and choose a name for it, also to choose Olcott."<ref>Caldwell, Daniel H. ''The Esoteric World of Madame Blavatsky'' (Wheaton, Ill., Quest Books, 2001), 71</ref> In the Fall of the same year, along with [[H. S. Olcott]], [[W. Q. Judge]], and others, the [[Theosophical Society]] was founded. | ||
In the Fall of the same year | |||
== Notes == | == Notes == | ||
Revision as of 17:44, 16 February 2012
Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (Russian: Еле́на Петро́вна Блава́тская, Ukrainian: Олена Петрівна Блаватська), was born at Dnepropetrovsk (Ekaterinoslav), Ukraine, on August 12, 1831. She was a Theosophist, writer, and traveler. Between 1848 and 1875 Blavatsky went around the world three times. In 1875 Blavatsky, together with Colonel H. S. Olcott, established the Theosophical Society. Blavatsky was the main source of Theosophical teachings and discussed the major themes of Theosophy in many articles and several major works, including Isis Unveiled, The Secret Doctrine, The Key to Theosophy, and The Voice of the Silence. She died in London, on May 8, 1891.
Early years
Born as Helena von Hahn (Russian: Елена Петровна Ган, Ukrainian: Олена Петрівна Ган) she was the daughter of Colonel Peter Alexeyevich von Hahn and novelist Helena Andreyevna (née de Fadeyev).
On July 6, 1842 Helena Andreevna Hahn, Helena’s mother and at that time a well-known writer, died at the age of 28 of galloping consumption.
According to Vera Jelihovsky, Helena's mother, at the time, was worried about the destiny of her elder daughter, “gifted from childhood by outstanding features”.[1] Before her death, her mother said: “Well! Perhaps it is for the better that I am dying: at least, I will not suffer from seeing Helena’s hard lot! I am quite sure that her destiny will be not womanly, that she will suffer much”.[2]
After her mother’s death, Helena’s grandfather Andrei Mikhailovich and Grandmother Helena Pavlovna had taken the children to Saratov, where they had quite a different life. Fadeyev’s house was visited by Saratov’s intellectuals.
First marriage
Striving for full independence in 1849, at Tiflis, 16-year old Helena married vice-governor of Erevan Nikifor Vladimirovich Blavatsky, who was much older than her. In June 7, 1849 their wedding ceremony took place. Soon after their wedding, Helena escaped from the husband and returned to her relatives.[3]
Travels
Shortly after her marriage Helena began more than 20 years of extensive travel, bringing her into contact with mystic traditions the world over. This period of Blavatsy’s life is difficult for her biographers as she did not keep diaries and there was nobody with her to tell about these events. The picture of the route and course of the travels is based mainly on Blavatsky’s own memories, which sometimes contain the chronological contradictions. N. A. Fadeyeva reported that only her father knew where his daughter was, and from time to time would send money to her.
1849/50: Left her husband and travelled in Turkey, Greece, Egypt and France
1851: Met the man who was to her guru in London (always referred to as 'Master')
1851: Sailed for Canada, travelled south to New Orleans, Mexico and South America
1852: From the West Indies sailed via the Cape and Ceylon to India
1852: Attempted unsuccessfully to enter Tibet
1853: Travelled via Java to England
1854: Returned to America, crossing The Rockies with a caravan of emigrants
1855: Returned to India via Japan and The Straights
1856/57: Travelled throughout India, Kashmir, Ladakh, Burma, and parts of Tibet
1858: Returned to Russia via Java, France and Germany
1860/65: Lived with the native tribes in the Caucasus
1866/67: Travelled in the Balkans, Egypt, Syria and Italy
1867: Wounded at the Battle of Mentana in Russia
1868: Returned to India and Tibet
1871: Shipwrecked off the island of Spetsai sailing from Greece to Egypt
1871/72: Lived in Cairo
1872: Travelled through Syria, Palestine, the Lebanon, and back to Odessa
1873: Lived in Paris and sailed to the USA.
Founding of the Theosophical Society
In 1873 Blavatsky arrived in New York from Paris where, impelled by her teachers, she began her work. At first she attempted to interest the Spiritualists in the philosophy behind phenomena but they resented her refusal to accept their standard explanations. In July 1875, HPB wrote in her scrapbook: "Orders received from India direct to establish a philosophico-religious society and choose a name for it, also to choose Olcott."[4] In the Fall of the same year, along with H. S. Olcott, W. Q. Judge, and others, the Theosophical Society was founded.
Notes
- ↑ Желиховская. Е. П. Блаватская. II. С.246.
- ↑ Jelihovsky. Helena Petrovna Blavatsky // Lucifer. C.204; The Theosophist. C. 240
- ↑ исьмо А. М. Дондукову-Корсакову от 1 марта 1882 года // Блаватская Е. П. «Письма друзьям и сотрудникам». Сборник. Перев. с англ. — М., 2002. — С. 250 ISBN 5-93975-062-1
- ↑ Caldwell, Daniel H. The Esoteric World of Madame Blavatsky (Wheaton, Ill., Quest Books, 2001), 71
Additional resources
- H. P. Blavatsky in Theosopedia.