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