Theosophy:-Cardiff Lodge’s Gallery of Great Theosophists

Gallery of

Great Theosophists

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H P Blavatsky

Short Biography of

HELENA PETROVNA BLAVATSKY
1831-1891
Co-founder of the Theosophical Society.

1831 - Madame Blavatsky born, at Ekaterinoslav, Russia at midnight between 30 and 31 July. Daughter of Col. Peter Von Hahn and Helena Andreyevna, née de Fadeyev, renowned novelist who died at only 29 years old. Granddaughter on maternal side of Privy Councillor Andrey de Fadeyev and Princess Helena Pavlovna Dolgorukov, who survived her education at Saratov and Tiflis, Caucasus. Endowed from childhood with remarkable psychic powers and talented pianist.

Ekaterinoslav (now Dniepropetrovsk)

1849- She married General Blavatsky, a very elderly man, from whom she soon separated.

H P Blavatsky (circa 1848)

1849-50 Left him and traveled in Turkey, Greece, Egypt, and France. She studied magic in Egypt with an aged Copt and joined 'The Druses of Lebanon,' a secret society

1851 - Met her Master in London. When walking with her father, she saw a tall and stately Rajput whom she recognized as a Protector known in her visions from childhood. He spoke to her of a future work she was to do under His direction after preparation in the East.

1852 - Embarked for Canada late in the year, went to New Orleans, Mexico, South America, West Indies, thence via the Cape and Ceylon to India.

1853 - Attempted but failed to enter Tibet. Returned to England via Java.

1854 - Came to America again, crossing the Rockies with a caravan of immigrants. May have visited South America again.

1855 - Left for India late in the year, via Japan and the Straits (Malaya).

1856-57 - Traveled thought India, Kashmir, Ladakh, parts of Tibet, Burma.

1858 - Returned to Europe via Java, staying in France and Germany. Then returned to Russia reaching Pskov on Christmas night.

1860 - Left for the Caucasus early in the year, where she traveled among the native tribes, remaining there until 1864-65. Experienced several physical and psychic crisis acquiring complete control over her occult powers.

1866-67 Left Russia again and traveled extensive in Balkans, Egypt, Syria, Italy. Returned to Italy in 1867 and paid a short visit to Southern Russia. Blavatsky also was with Garibaldi at the battle of Mentana and 'was picked out of a ditch for dead with her left arm broken in two places, musket balls embedded in right shoulder and leg, and a stiletto wound in the heart.

1868 - Went to India and Tibet with her Master.

1870 - Returned to Greece.

1871 - Embarked for Egypt and was shipwrecked near the Island of Spetsai, July 4. 1871-72 Settled in Cairo, she made an unsuccessful attempt to found a spiritual society upon the basis of phenomena. Then as 'Madame Laura,' she did concert tours in Italy and Russia. Traveled to Syria, Palestine, Lebanon in 1872, returning for a short time to Odessa.

1873- After brief travels in Eastern Europe, went to Paris where she lived with her brother, painting and writing (in addition to her other accomplishments she was a fine artist and a very clever caricaturist). Whilst in Paris on her Masters orders she left to New York, landing July 7. She was in New York, without personal funds, having exchanged her first class passage to steerage class (the cheapest) in order to buy steerage class for a poor woman and children who had been swindled. Although she had in her trunk 23,000 francs entrusted to her by her Master, she earned her living by working for a maker of cravats. Still acting under orders she finally took the money to the town of Buffalo and gave it to an unknown man just in time to prevent him from committing suicide. An unsuccessful business venture in a Long Island Farm, used up the 1,000 Ruble legacy she had received on the death of her father.

1874 - She was ordered to go to the Eddy homestead in Chittenden. This was the scene of various occult phenomena being investigated by Colonel H.S. Olcott.

1875- September 8, founded the Theosophical Society, together with Col. Olcott, William Q. Judge and others. Inaugural address of Col. Olcott delivered November 17.

The Theosophical Society gets off the Ground

1877 - Published her first great work, Isis Unveiled, in the autumn. Her magnificent attack upon the materialism of religion and science. She sent the first proceeds together with money received for her various articles published by Russian newspapers and journals, to the Red Cross in Russia to help her compatriots wounded in the Russo-Turkish war.

1878 - 1878 - She became an American citizen. Later that year, acting 'under orders,' she and Olcott sailed for India; they landed in Bombay in February 1879.

1879- Launched her first magazine, The Theosophist, in October, which resulted in rapid growth of Theosophical work in India, 1879-83.

1880 - Blavatsky and Olcott the two founders of the Theosophical Society toured Sri Lanka on behalf of Buddhism

1881 - Blavatsky and Olcott converted themselves to the Buddhism

1882 - The headquarters of the Society was moved to its present site in Adyar, Madras. She made various tours of India between her arrival in 1879 and her visit to Europe in 1884. In the absence of the Founders, came the one sided report of the Society for Psychical Research, in an attempt to show her up as an impostor. Since then, the S.P.R. has retracted the allegations against her. Despite the intervention of her Master to restore her health, it deteriorated and she was unable to remain at Adyar for more than a short visit paid later that year.

1884 - Left for Europe, February, 20, accompanied by Col. Olcott and others. After visiting Nice, settled for a while in Paris to work on the Secret Doctrine. Briefly visited London. Moved to Elberfeld, Germany, in the autumn. Went to London in October and soon after sailed to India, reaching Adyar December 21.

1885- Gravely ill, she sailed to Naples March 31, leaving India for good. After a brief stay at Torre del Greco, settled at Wurzburg, Germany, where she wrote a large part of The Secret Doctrine.

1886 - Moved to Ostende in July, visiting Elberfeld on her way.

1887 - Transferred her residence to London in May, where the Blavatsky Lodge was established, and her second magazine, Lucifer, was launched in September.

1888 - Published the first two volumes of the Secret Doctrine, late autumn. Founded the Esoteric School.

1889 - Published the key to Theosophy and the Voice of the Silence.

Voice of the Silence

The Key To Theosophy

1890 - Established European Headquarters of the Theosophical Society, at 19 Avenue Road, London, where she died.

1891- She passed away in London. Her ashes were divided between New York, India, and London, and part of it is interred under her statue in Adyar.

In her will she requested that each year, on the anniversary of her death, her friends should assemble and read from The Light of Asia and the Bhagavad Gita. By Colonel Olcott's wish, this anniversary came to be known as 'White Lotus Day.' Colonel Olcott summed up the secret of H.P.B.'s remarkable power in producing swift changes in the lives of those about her as due to: Her amazing occult knowledge and phenomena-working powers, together with her relation to the hidden Masters. Her sparkling talents, especially as a conversationalist with her social accomplishments, wide travels, and extraordinary adventures. Her insight into problems of philology, racial origins, fundamental bases of religions, and keys to old mysteries and symbols. Unflinching self-consecration to the Great Ones irradiated the life of H.P.B. and she will ever be known as the 'Light-Bringer' of the Nineteenth Century.

Cardiff Blavatsky Archive

History of the Theosophical Society

Cardiff Theosophical Archive

Instant Guide to Theosophy

Theosophical Society Cardiff Lodge

Theosophical Glossary

Complete Secret Doctrine Text Version 7MB

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Die Geheimlehre Textversion auf Deutsch

Die Geheimlehre Band I. 5.7MB

Die Geheimlehre Band II 6.5MB

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