Constance Wachtmeister: Difference between revisions
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Wachtmeister, Countess Constance, companion of [[Helena Petrovna Blavatsky|HPB]] and co-worker after HPB's return to Europe in 1885. Shortly after HPB's death, the Countess wrote a small book entitled ''Reminiscences of H. P. Blavatsky and "The Secret Doctrine"'' in which she told of her life with HPB from 1885 until the latter's death. [[The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett (book)|ML]] index; [[H. P. Blavatsky Collected Writings (book)| HPB]] VI: 448; [[Damodar and the Pioneers of the Theosophical Movement (book)|D]], p. 562 et seq.<ref>George E. Linton and Virginia Hanson, eds., ''Readers Guide to The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett'' (Adyar, Chennai, India: Theosophical Publishing House, 1972), 245.</ref> | Wachtmeister, Countess Constance, companion of [[Helena Petrovna Blavatsky|HPB]] and co-worker after HPB's return to Europe in 1885. Shortly after HPB's death, the Countess wrote a small book entitled ''Reminiscences of H. P. Blavatsky and "The Secret Doctrine"'' in which she told of her life with HPB from 1885 until the latter's death. [[The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett (book)|ML]] index; [[H. P. Blavatsky Collected Writings (book)| HPB]] VI: 448; [[Damodar and the Pioneers of the Theosophical Movement (book)|D]], p. 562 et seq.<ref>George E. Linton and Virginia Hanson, eds., ''Readers Guide to The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett'' (Adyar, Chennai, India: Theosophical Publishing House, 1972), 245.</ref> | ||
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== Personal life == | |||
'''Constance Georgina Louise Bourbel de Monpincon''' was born in Florence, Italy on [[March 28]], 1838, to a French father and an English mother. In 1863 she married her cousin, the Count Wachtmeister. They had a son, count Axel Raoul. The family moved to Stockholm, Sweden, and in 1868 the count was appointed as the Minister of Foreign Affairs.<ref> "Mme. Blavatsky's Companion Here: the Countess Wachtmeister Will Lecture on Theosophical Questions," ''New York Times'' (September 20, 1894)</ref> Her husband died in 1871. She joined joined the [[Theosophical Society]] in 1881. | |||
She died in 1910. | |||
== Life with H. P. Blavatsky == | |||
== Encounters with Mahatma Morya == | |||
"On one or other of his early visits to Europe, Countess Wachtmeister also met Master Morya. H. P. B. mentions the fact in a letter to Mr. N. D. Khandalvala, dated July 12, 1888: | |||
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Constance Wachtmeister joined the T.S. because she recognised in the portrait of my ''Master her living Master'' who saved her on several occasions, whom she saw in his physical body years ago when he was in England, whom she saw in her astral body a number of times, and who wrote to her from the first in the same handwriting he uses for our Society. When she assured herself of this, she joined the T.S. at his advice; and now for three years and more she lives with and takes care of me."<ref>Mary K. Neff, ''The "Brothers" of Madame Blavatsky'' (Adyar, Madras, India: Theosophical Publishing House, 1932), 82.</ref> | |||
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== Experiences with phenomena == | |||
In the autumn of 1885 the Countess was getting ready to go to Italy to spend the winter with some friends, when a singular [[phenomena|phenomenon]] happened: | In the autumn of 1885 the Countess was getting ready to go to Italy to spend the winter with some friends, when a singular [[phenomena|phenomenon]] happened: | ||
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<blockquote>I remember very well that it was then, on going into the dining room together to take some tea, that she said to me abruptly, as of something that had been dwelling on her mind. | <blockquote>I remember very well that it was then, on going into the dining room together to take some tea, that she said to me abruptly, as of something that had been dwelling on her mind. | ||
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"Master says you have a book for me of which I am much in need." | "Master says you have a book for me of which I am much in need." | ||
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"No, indeed," I replied, "I have no books with me." | "No, indeed," I replied, "I have no books with me." | ||
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"Think again," she said, "Master says you were told in Sweden to bring a book on the Tarot and the Kabbalah". | "Think again," she said, "Master says you were told in Sweden to bring a book on the Tarot and the Kabbalah". | ||
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Then I recollected the circumstances that I have related before. From the time I had placed the volume in the bottom of my box it had been out of my sight and out of my mind. Now, when I hurried to the bedroom, unlocked the trunk, and dived to the bottom, I found it in the same corner I had left it when packing in Sweden, undisturbed from that moment to this.<ref>[http://www.blavatskyarchives.com/mastersencounterswith.htm# A Casebook of Encounters with the Theosophical Mahatmas] Case 54, compiled and edited by Daniel H. Caldwell</ref></blockquote> | Then I recollected the circumstances that I have related before. From the time I had placed the volume in the bottom of my box it had been out of my sight and out of my mind. Now, when I hurried to the bedroom, unlocked the trunk, and dived to the bottom, I found it in the same corner I had left it when packing in Sweden, undisturbed from that moment to this.<ref>[http://www.blavatskyarchives.com/mastersencounterswith.htm# A Casebook of Encounters with the Theosophical Mahatmas] Case 54, compiled and edited by Daniel H. Caldwell</ref></blockquote> | ||
== Lecture tours == | |||
== Writing and editing == | |||
* '''''Reminiscences of H. P. Blavatsky and the Secret Doctrine''''' | |||
* "The Countess Wachtmeister Defends Madame Blavatsky," ''The Religio-Philosophical Journal'' (Chicago, Illinois) May 5, 1888, p. 6. Available at [http://www.blavatskyarchives.com/wachtmesitercountessdefends.htm Blavatsky Archives]. | |||
== Notes == | == Notes == | ||
Revision as of 03:49, 2 October 2013
According to Readers Guide to The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett:
Wachtmeister, Countess Constance, companion of HPB and co-worker after HPB's return to Europe in 1885. Shortly after HPB's death, the Countess wrote a small book entitled Reminiscences of H. P. Blavatsky and "The Secret Doctrine" in which she told of her life with HPB from 1885 until the latter's death. ML index; HPB VI: 448; D, p. 562 et seq.[1]
Personal life
Constance Georgina Louise Bourbel de Monpincon was born in Florence, Italy on March 28, 1838, to a French father and an English mother. In 1863 she married her cousin, the Count Wachtmeister. They had a son, count Axel Raoul. The family moved to Stockholm, Sweden, and in 1868 the count was appointed as the Minister of Foreign Affairs.[2] Her husband died in 1871. She joined joined the Theosophical Society in 1881.
She died in 1910.
Life with H. P. Blavatsky
Encounters with Mahatma Morya
"On one or other of his early visits to Europe, Countess Wachtmeister also met Master Morya. H. P. B. mentions the fact in a letter to Mr. N. D. Khandalvala, dated July 12, 1888:
Constance Wachtmeister joined the T.S. because she recognised in the portrait of my Master her living Master who saved her on several occasions, whom she saw in his physical body years ago when he was in England, whom she saw in her astral body a number of times, and who wrote to her from the first in the same handwriting he uses for our Society. When she assured herself of this, she joined the T.S. at his advice; and now for three years and more she lives with and takes care of me."[3]
Experiences with phenomena
In the autumn of 1885 the Countess was getting ready to go to Italy to spend the winter with some friends, when a singular phenomenon happened:
I was making preparations to leave my home in Sweden to spend the winter with some friends in Italy. . . . I was arranging and laying aside the articles I intended to take with me to Italy when I heard a voice saying, "Take that book, it will be useful to you on your journey." I may as well say at once that I have the faculties of clairvoyance and clairaudience rather strongly developed. I turned my eyes on a manuscript volume I had placed among the heap of things to be locked away until my return. Certainly it seemed a singular inappropriate vade mecum for a holiday, being a collection of notes on the Tarot and passages in the Kabbalah that had been compiled for me by a friend. However, I decided to take it with me, and laid the book in the bottom of one of my traveling trunks.
On her way to Italy she stopped at Elberfeld and satyed for some days with Madame Gebhard. When she was about to depart she got a telegram from H. P. Blavatsky requesting the Countess to join her at Wurzburg. Soon after she arrived, she had the following incident:
I remember very well that it was then, on going into the dining room together to take some tea, that she said to me abruptly, as of something that had been dwelling on her mind.
"Master says you have a book for me of which I am much in need."
"No, indeed," I replied, "I have no books with me."
"Think again," she said, "Master says you were told in Sweden to bring a book on the Tarot and the Kabbalah".
Then I recollected the circumstances that I have related before. From the time I had placed the volume in the bottom of my box it had been out of my sight and out of my mind. Now, when I hurried to the bedroom, unlocked the trunk, and dived to the bottom, I found it in the same corner I had left it when packing in Sweden, undisturbed from that moment to this.[4]
Lecture tours
Writing and editing
- Reminiscences of H. P. Blavatsky and the Secret Doctrine
- "The Countess Wachtmeister Defends Madame Blavatsky," The Religio-Philosophical Journal (Chicago, Illinois) May 5, 1888, p. 6. Available at Blavatsky Archives.
Notes
- ↑ George E. Linton and Virginia Hanson, eds., Readers Guide to The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett (Adyar, Chennai, India: Theosophical Publishing House, 1972), 245.
- ↑ "Mme. Blavatsky's Companion Here: the Countess Wachtmeister Will Lecture on Theosophical Questions," New York Times (September 20, 1894)
- ↑ Mary K. Neff, The "Brothers" of Madame Blavatsky (Adyar, Madras, India: Theosophical Publishing House, 1932), 82.
- ↑ A Casebook of Encounters with the Theosophical Mahatmas Case 54, compiled and edited by Daniel H. Caldwell