Volume VI of the Monthly Journal Devoted
To Oriental Philosophy, Art and Occultism
Helena P. Blavatsky (Ed.)
Helena P. Blavatsky (1831-1891) founded “The
Theosophist” in 1879 and edited it for a few years
A 2017 Editorial Note:
The fact is well-documented
in “The Mahatma Letters” that the Masters themselves - and several of their
direct disciples - helped in various ways the editorial work of “The Theosophist”,
as long as the journal was edited by Helena P. Blavatsky.
This ceased to occur during the fifth year of the
magazine, published between October 1883 and September 1884.
HPB stopped working directly as its editor the moment
she left India for Europe on February 20, 1884. However, her pupil and
co-worker Damodar Mavalankar remained active in Adyar and helped editing the magazine
for about one year more. [1]
The founder of the magazine did return to Adyar in
December 1884, but soon became gravely ill and had to leave India for good in
February 1885. Damodar left India about the same time.
One may say therefore that as volume VI of the
magazine was being published (between October 1884 and September 1885) HPB was
scarcely present in the daily editorial work. On the other hand, her approach
to theosophy was still influential in the magazine as long as Damodar was
around, in the first half of the volume.
In the February 1885 edition (see page 117), there is this
“NOTICE”:
“In future all literary communications must be
addressed to Mr. A. J. Cooper-Oakley, the managing editor, Theosophist Office,
Adyar, Madras.”
From that moment on HPB cannot be considered the
editor of the magazine except in a very abstract sense of the word.
(Carlos Cardoso Aveline)
ENDNOTE:
[1] On the fact that she had little direct influence over
such tasks, see for instance p. 52, December 1884 edition, p. 52, left side
column, upper part.
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Readers are invited to
see the article “Journals According to the Mahatmas”. The text is part of
the 2013 book “The Fire and Light of Theosophical Literature”, by Carlos
Cardoso Aveline.
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On 14 September 2016, after examining the
state of the esoteric movement worldwide, a group of students decided to found the
Independent Lodge of Theosophists.
Two of the priorities adopted by the ILT
are learning from the past and building a better future.
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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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