The Old Lady Also Did
Not Use Her Title of Countess
Carlos Cardoso Aveline
Carlos Cardoso Aveline
According to
esoteric philosophy, physical sounds and even mental
sounds
have their occult counterparts. Inner
and subtle aspects of sounds are in a way the “souls” of sounds, and their
corresponding effects are projected over the “mantric” levels in Akasha.
The words we use have, therefore, wider spheres of
influence than we can always know of. The power of thinking and the act of
producing sounds both mentally and physically is connected with rhythmic and
sympathetic vibrations, and using it properly is part of the learning process
for earnest students.
The fact is well-known that higher thoughts and feelings
obey to no boundaries. Distances in space-time are flexible and relative, sometimes
even non-existent for subtle energies.
Students of esoteric philosophy might therefore ask themselves
questions such as these:
“What words come to our minds, when we think of the
founder of the modern esoteric movement?
What physical or mental sounds do we launch to the Akasha, when we
think, write or talk about Helena P. Blavatsky, or ‘the Old Lady’ as the
Mahatmas referred to her in their Letters?
And what is the best choice as to the way of referring to her?”
The fact that she preferred to be called H.P.B.
is registered all over the theosophical literature. This would be enough to infer that
she did not prefer being called “Madame”, but there are more evidences
about that.
She did not enjoy formalities. In July 1878, soon
after she became a North-American citizen, H.P.B. wrote to a newspaper:
“My present business is to take the ‘Gazette’ to task for thrusting upon my
unwilling republican head the Baronial coronet. Know please, once for all, that
I am neither ‘Countess’, ‘Princess’, not even a modest ‘Baroness’, whatever I
may have been before last July. At that time I became a plain citizen of the
U.S. of America - a title I value far more than any that could be conferred on
me by King or Emperor (...).” [1]
By the mid-1880s, while commenting in a letter to Mr.
Alfred P. Sinnett on the several libels then circulating against her, H.P.B.
made it clear she did not like to be called a “Madame”:
“That I never was Madame Metrovitch or even Madame
Blavatsky is something, the proofs of which I will carry to my grave - and it’s
no one’s business.”[2]
Advanced disciples are highly trained in truthfulness
and sincerity, and HPB rarely used half-words.
In London, H.P.B.’s student Walter R. Old had not gone
astray from the theosophical movement yet, when soon after her death in 1891 he
wrote a testimony about her. While describing the way he was personally
received by her when they first met, Walter reproduced her words:
“No, I will not be called Madame, not by my best
friend, there was nothing said of that when I was christened, and if you please
I will be simply H.P.B.” [3]
Although she was a Russian Countess by birth, she
chose not to use the title. In the volume one of Henry Olcott’s long
autobiographical work, “Old Diary Leaves”,
one can find a quotation from a newspaper cutting dated 8 December, 1878. In it
a reporter informs the public that she prefers to be called “HPB” -, since she has “sent the title of ‘Madame’ to look for that of ‘Countess’ which she
threw away before (….).” [4]
When “The Voice of the Silence” was published in
London, the Old Lady wrote this dedication to herself in her personal copy of
the book:
“H.P.B. to H. P. Blavatsky, with no kind regards.” [5]
In the 21st century, no well-known woman is called
“Madame”. Famous women are addressed by their names, and - in languages other
than French - the word “Madame” has evolved for the worse since 19th century.
In more than one context the term is now derogatory.
We can still find H.P.B. respectfully called “Madame
Blavatsky” in the theosophical literature, and that is correct. Yet Sylvia
Cranston had solid reasons never to refer to Blavatsky as “Madame” in her
outstanding biography of H.P.B.
Cranston’s work seems to be the turning point in the establishment of a
new trend. All over the world, the
number grows of students who refer to the founder of the movement as she
preferred to be addressed. Few have
reasons to do otherwise.
NOTES:
[1] Quoted in the book “HPB - The Extraordinary Life and
Influence of Helena Blavatsky, Founder of the Modern Theosophical Movement”, by
Sylvia Cranston, published by Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam Books, New York, USA,
1993, 647 pp. See page 181, chapter “Last Days in America”.
[2] “The Letters of
H.P. Blavatsky to A. P. Sinnett”, Theosophical University Press, Pasadena, CA,
USA, 1973, 404 pp., see p. 147.
[3] “In Memory of
Helena Petrovna Blavatsky”, by Some of Her Pupils, Theosophical Publishing
Society, London, 1891, facsimile reprinting, Theosophical Publishing House,
London 1991, 96 pp., see p. 39.
[4] “Old Diary
Leaves”, Henry S. Olcott, TPH, India,
1974, volume I, p. 455.
[5] The facsimile of
this inscription was published by Mr. C.
Jinarajadasa at “The Theosophist”, August 1931 edition, p. 560.
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The first version
of the above text was published at “The
Aquarian Theosophist”, in the Supplement to its January 2006 edition. The
text also appeared in the July 2012 edition of the magazine, under the title
of “H. P. Blavatsky Was Not a Madame”.
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On the role of the esoteric movement in
the ethical awakening of mankind during the 21st century, see the book “The Fire and Light of Theosophical
Literature”, by Carlos Cardoso Aveline.
Published in
2013 by The Aquarian Theosophist,
the volume has 255 pages and can be obtained through Amazon Books.
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