The Blavatsky Lodge, officially The Blavatsky Lodge of the Theosophical Society, was an English
Theosophical Society
The Theosophical Society, founded in 1875, is a worldwide body with the aim to advance the ideas of Theosophy in continuation of previous Theosophists, especially the Greek and Alexandrian Neo-Platonic philosophers dating back to 3rd century CE ...
founded by
Helena Blavatsky and 13 other members.
History
The Blavatsky Lodge was founded on May 19, 1887 in
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
by 14 members of the
London Lodge The London Lodge (also London Lodge of the Theosophical Society) was an English lodge of the Theosophical Society. Until the 1910s, the lodge was an important part of the theosophical movement.
History
The London Lodge was founded on 27 June 187 ...
. It was the second official theosophical lodge in England after the London Lodge, and the third in Europe (after the Loge Germania in Germany). Before its foundation, several members of the London Lodge invited Helena Blavatsky to London, where she arrived on 1 May 1887 from
Ostend
Ostend ( nl, Oostende, ; french: link=no, Ostende ; german: link=no, Ostende ; vls, Ostende) is a coastal city and municipality, located in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerk ...
. She stayed in London until her death on 8 May 1891.
Archibald and
Bertram Keightley
Bertram Keightley (4 April 1860 in Birkenhead, England – 31 October 1944), like his nephew Archibald Keightley, was a prominent English Theosophist who helped Helena P. Blavatsky in editing her magnum opus, ''The Secret Doctrine''. He founded ...
were considering forming an independent theosophical lodge, which would be focussed on the works of Blavatsky. Other members of the London Lodge gave their approval, and the Blavatsky Lodge was founded. It is unclear if the deed of foundation was signed by Olcott, the president of the society, or by Blavatsky.
The distinguishing factor in the Blavatsky Lodge was that Blavatsky herself was present at the Lodge every Thursday. After a few months, the Blavatsky Lodge had grown substantially. When Blavatsky died, no other theosophical lodge in Great Britain had more members than the Blavatsky Lodge. The discussions with Blavatsky at the Blavatsky Lodge were collected in the ''Transactions of the Blavatsky Lodge'' and contain many commentaries on the ''Secret Doctrine''. The members of the Blavatsky Lodge were also involved in the publication of the ''
Lucifer
Lucifer is one of various figures in folklore associated with the planet Venus. The entity's name was subsequently absorbed into Christianity as a name for the devil. Modern scholarship generally translates the term in the relevant Bible passa ...
'' magazine.
After 1890, Annie Besant became president of the Blavatsky Lodge.
In November 1889
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...
visited the Lodge and met with Blavatsky and
Annie Besant
Annie Besant ( Wood; 1 October 1847 – 20 September 1933) was a British socialist, theosophist, freemason, women's rights activist, educationist, writer, orator, political party member and philanthropist.
Regarded as a champion of human ...
. Two members of the society also recommended that Gandhi read the
Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita (; sa, श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता, lit=The Song by God, translit=śrīmadbhagavadgītā;), often referred to as the Gita (), is a 700- verse Hindu scripture that is part of the epic ''Mahabharata'' ( ...
.
[Charles Freer Andrews (Hrsg.): ''Mahatma Gandhi, Mein Leben''. Suhrkamp, Frankfurt a.M. 1983, . Seite 48f.]
The Lodge is still in existence, and is part of the English section of the Theosophical Society Adyar.
References
Literature
*Helena Petrovna Blavatsky: ''Secret Doctrine Commentary, Stanzas I-IV, Transactions of the Blavatsky Lodge''. Theosophical University Press, Pasadena 1994,
External links
History by A.P. Sinnett(pp. 127ff., 160f., 178f.)
Adyar-TS
{{authority control
Theosophy
Helena Blavatsky