Theosophical Society

Dromo's Den

THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. A society founded by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (q.v.) in New York, Nov. 17, 1875, assisted by Col. Henry S. Olcott, William Q. Judge, and others. Its objects were; (1) to form the nucleus of a universal brotherhood of humanity; (2) to study and make known the ancient religions, philosophies, and sciences; (3) to investigate the laws of nature and to develop the divine powers latent in man. Blavatsky left New York, Dec. 17, 1874, and went to India, accompanied by Colonel Olcott, where a system of propaganda was organized and numerous branches were formed. Judge remained in New York, and built up the society in the United States. He formed a strong branch, the Aryan Theosophical Society, in New York City, of which he was president. Madame Blavatsky left the Theosophical Society as an international body with headquarters at Adyar, India, and with three sections: the Indian, comprising the Orient; the English Section, having jurisdiction over Europe; and the American Section for America. Olcott, at Adyar, was president; Judge, at New York, vice president. Each section had a general secretary- Bertram Keightley, of Adyar, of the Indian; G. R. S. Mead, of London, of the English; and Judge, of New York, of the American Section. There was an inner body, the Esoteric Section (E. S.), at the head of which was Madame Blavatsky. At her death, in 1891, she was succeeded by Judge and by Annie Besant, of London, jointly, both supposedly mouthpieces of an unknown master, the real head of the theosophical movement. Charges of fraudulent use of this master's name were preferred against Judge by Mrs. Besant. These charges; though never legally proved, caused a split between the supporters and opponents of Judge. In Boston, in April, 1895, the American Section almost unanimously declared its autonomy as the "Theosophical Society in America" (T. S. in A.), with Judge as president. It then had about 150 branches, and in 1916 it had 157 branches with about 5000 members. In so far as these members belonged to the Esoteric Section, they recognized Judge as the outer head (the real head being the unknown master), and, following their example, those Theosophists throughout the world who believed the charges false formed independent bodies in their separate countries, called respectively the Theosophical Society in England (T. S. in E.), in Sweden (T. S. in S.), in Australia, etc.

The society under Olcott kept up its organization, though the English and American sections were much weakened. Mrs. Besant remained the head of that Esoteric Section which was connected with the society under Olcott. Judge died March 19, 1896, leaving his society in a flourishing condition, but with no successor as head of the Esoteric Section, or the T. S. in A. Katherine A. Tingley then obtained recognition, first from a few members, and through skillful advances from the bulk of the society, as the successor of Blavatsky and of Judge. At a convention in Chicago, in February, 1898, she formed "The Universal Brotherhood Organization," of which she was the absolute ruler, and the possessor of all its property. Of the remnants of the T. S. in A. she made a literary department of her "Universal Brotherhood." The headquarters in New York City were abandoned and she took her remaining followers, not more than a dozen of the old members of. the T. S. in A., to Point Loma, near San Diego, Cal., where she formed a colony. The Theosophical Society in America, after Tingley's departure for Point Loma, soon divided, one of the sections having headquarters in New York and the other in Brooklyn. The theosophical movement continues, however, on the one hand as the organization, and on the other, under the form of independent local societies, recognized as theosophical by their adherence to the three objects of the society. Since the foundation of the Theosophical Society in 1815 over 1400 branches have been chartered in different countries. In 1906 the total membership in all countries was approximately 30,000. The parent society is international, with headquarters at Adyar, Madras, India. In 1916 Mrs. Annie Besant was president.

The New International Encyclopaedia, Vol. XXII (New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1920) 188.