Isabelle de Steiger

Isabelle de Steiger

Isabelle de Steiger (1836–1927) was one of the earliest English Theosophists – an occultist, painter, and writer. She was a member of the Theosophical Society, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and the Anthroposophical Society, and was a close friend of Anna Bonus Kingsford.

Personal life

Isabelle Lace was born on February 28, 1836 in Liverpool to Joshua Lace, a solicitor. The family had seven children.

She died on January 1, 1927 in Rock Ferry, Cheshire.

Theosophical Society involvement

Mme. de Steiger was admitted to the Theosophical Society in Birmingham, England on April 12, 1879, making her one of the earliest members of the Society. She resigned on June 28, 1905.

Writings

• On a Gold Basis: A Treatise on Mysticism. London: Philip Wellby. 1907.
• Superhumanity. 1916.
• Memorabilia: Reminiscences of a Woman Artist and Writer. London: Rider & Co., 1927.
• A Suggestive Inquiry into the Hermetic Mystery: With a Dissertation on the More Celebrated of the Alchemical Philosophers Being an Attempt Towards the Recovery of the Ancient Experiment of Nature by Mary Anne Atwood. 1910. De Steiger was the editor.

She also translated The Cloud upon the Sanctuary by Karl von Eckartshausen in 1896.

Additional resources

• Goodrick-Clarke, Nicholas. "Western Esoteric Traditions and Theosophy" Handbook of the Theosophical Current (Leiden: Brill, 2013), 290-294.