Augustus Knudsen at the Lotus Pond, 1916

Krotona was one of three important

Theosophical Theosophy is a religion established in the United States during the late 19th century. It was founded primarily by the Russian Helena Blavatsky and draws its teachings predominantly from Blavatsky's writings. Categorized by scholars of religion a ...

centers in the United States during the early part of the 20th century. Originally built in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

during 1912, the colony was eventually relocated to

Ojai Ojai ( ; Chumash: ''’Awhaỳ'') is a city in Ventura County, California. Located in the Ojai Valley, it is northwest of Los Angeles and east of Santa Barbara. The valley is part of the east–west trending Western Transverse Ranges and is ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

in 1926, where it operates today as the Krotona Institute of Theosophy. Located just off of State Route 33, the Krotona Institute holds regular classes and workshops on Theosophy, maintains an extensive library on the occult, and has a small bookstore. The Hollywood Krotona building located at Primrose and Vista Del Mar was erected in 1919. Tenants have included Annie Sullivan Knudsen (sugar cane heiress), New Yorker Grace Shaw Duff, Henry Hotchener,

Marie Russak Marie Russak (October 7, 1865 – March 4, 1945), also known as Marie Hotchener or Marie Barnard, was an American opera singer and architect. Biography Born on October 7, 1865 in the small city of Four Corners, Butte County, California, Butte C ...

, silver screen stars

Mary Astor Mary Astor (born Lucile Vasconcellos Langhanke; May 3, 1906 – September 25, 1987) was an American actress. Although her career spanned several decades, she may be best remembered for her performance as Brigid O'Shaughnessy in '' The Maltese ...

and

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is consider ...

, and record producer Joshua Rumer of Invengo Records. When the Krotonians, spurred by

Madame Blavatsky Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, uk, Олена Петрівна Блаватська, Olena Petrivna Blavatska (; – 8 May 1891), often known as Madame Blavatsky, was a Russian mystic and author who co-founded the Theosophical Society in 1875 ...

, found Hollywood suffocating their peace-filled theosophies, they decided to move to Ojai California and that is where they have been ever since. It was about a year before the Primrose building went up that

Alice Bailey Alice Ann Bailey (June 16, 1880 – December 15, 1949) was a writer of more than twenty-four books on theosophical subjects, and was one of the first writers to use the term New Age. Bailey was born as Alice La Trobe-Bateman, in Manchest ...

, subsequently a Theosophical and Spiritualist leader and author, moved to a "cottage on Beechwood Drive," to be near the Krotona colony, from Pacific Grove, CA, near Monterey. She had joined the Theosophical Lodge in Pacific Grove and was teaching and holding classes. Not long before, she tells, she had left her original traditional Christian beliefs behind and soon after "discovered" "that there was a great and divine Plan," and that there are those "who are responsible for the working out of that Plan" by leading mankind, "stage by stage," down the centuries. This "hierarchy of spiritual leaders" she calls the "Masters of the Wisdom," and they all report to and work with Christ, Jesus of Nazareth. Her own Master, Lord K. H. or Koot Hoomi, had made visits to her every few years, starting she said in 1895, this being one of his many duties in his role as a pupil or assistant to the Christ. K. H. was a master of love-wisdom. Bailey said about 500 people were then part of the Krotona community, some living on the premises, and she began work there by emptying the garbage. Soon she worked in the vegetarian kitchen and noted that some of the vegetarians felt smugly superior to carnivores, while others had no such notions. She remained with the Theosophical Society until 1920.

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Theosophical Society - North America
1912 establishments in California Esotericism Intentional communities in California Populated places established in 1912 Theosophical Society {{Esotericism-stub

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