Helena P. Blavatsky (1831-1891) is widely celebrated as the leading esoteric thinker of the nineteenth century who influenced an entire generation of artists and intellectuals and introduced Eastern spirituality to the West. Until now, however, readers have been able to know this fascinating woman only through her public writings. Few may have realized that H.P.B. was also a tireless correspondent with family and colleagues, friends and foes, the learned and the simple. Her personal correspondence reveals for the first time the private H.P.B. in all of her sphinx-like complexity rarely visible in her published material. This unparalleled offering contains all known letters H.P.B. wrote between 1860 and the time just before she left for India in 1879. Meticulously edited by John Algeo, former President of the Theosophical Society in America and current Vice President of the international Society, the volume also contains letters to and about Blavatsky, articles, and editorial commentary.
Theosophy is a system of divine philosophy offering to eclectic thinkers rational explanations of occult phenomena, without bamboozling them with hollow tenets, sophistry, and dogmas. It is the Beacon-light of Hope guiding Humanity on her true path. Its noble aim is to unite men of all nations in brotherly love and acts of charity beyond kith and kin, to all that lives and feels, and needs help and kindness. Theosophy seeks to refine human nature at the voluntary sacrifice of the superfluous animality and private wealth, fostered by modern life and materialistic education, which is abnormal for the human race at this evolutionary stage. Theosophists are friends of all World Movements, whether intellectual or practical, striving for the amelioration of Humanity. Their mission is to open man’s heart and mind to charity, justice, and generosity — attributes which belong specifically to the human kingdom and are natural to man, once he has developed the qualities of a human being worthy of the name. Theosophy teaches and prompts the animal-man to be human, by living for others; and when men have learnt to think and feel, as all truly human beings should feel and think, they will act humanely; and works of charity to visible and invisible beings will be done spontaneously by all to All — by virtue of the immaculate nature inherent in All. On the day, when Theosophy will have accomplished its most holy pledge — namely, to unite firmly men of all nations in brotherly love bent on pure altruistic work, not on labour spurred by selfish motives — on that day only, will Theosophy become an ever-Living Power on earth, far higher than any nominal “brotherhood of man.” Great results can be achieved by those who, forgoing their own comfort, work unselfishly for the ideal of Universal Brotherhood by helping their fellow pilgrims to carry the burden of life. Such a joyful and soul-ennobling responsibility will be fruitful of good to the Society, to yourselves, and to Humanity at large. While preparations for the new cycle continue, and the forerunners of the new subrace appear on the American Continent, the latent occult powers in man have already begun germinating and growing. The Ethics of Theosophy are far higher and more precious than any divulgement of psychic laws; the latter relate wholly to the material and evanescent part of the septenary man. Only self-abnegation and the goodness of earthly love can purify and prepare for the realisation of the Divine Love. Teach, practice, and proclaim the twin doctrines of Karma and Reincarnation, for it is that system of life and principles, which alone can save the coming races. Do not work merely for The Theosophical Society, but through it for the benefit of the Great Orphan, the only disinherited one upon this earth crying aloud in the darkness for guidance and light. Had it not been for W.Q. Judge, Theosophy would not be where it is today in the United States. It is he who has built up the Movement among you, and he who has proved in a thousand ways his loyalty and steadfast devotion to the Cause of the Masters — which is Compassion, i.e., the Causeless Cause of the Spirit of Truth.
In December 1885 the Society for Psychical Research (SPR) in London, England, published a 200-page report by Richard Hodgson. The report is perhaps best known for its denunciation of H P Blavatsky as an impostor, and is often quoted in encyclopaedias, reference books, and biographical works. In April 1986 the SPR Journal, 'in the interests of truth and fair play', published a critical analysis of the Hodgson Report by handwriting expert Vernon Harrison, who found it 'riddled with slanted statements, conjectures advanced as fact or probable fact, uncorroborated testimony of unnamed witnesses, selection of evidence and downright falsity'. Dr Harrison, a professional examiner of questioned documents, continued his research, including a line-by-line examination of 1,323 colour slides of the Mahatma Letters, and in a second monograph (1997) concluded that 'the Hodgson Report is even worse than I had thought'. H P Blavatsky and the SPR combines both of Dr. Harrison s papers together with his Opinion, Replies to Criticism, formal Affidavit, and 13 full-colour plates of sample pages from the Mahatma and Blavatsky letters.
