Readings 9/21

 For this month's Zoom meeting at 7pm on Sept 21, we have a prestigious guest, Martin Leiderman.  Martin is a renowned scholar on Theosophical topics and will discuss Blavatsky's Secret Doctrine with us.  Don't miss the chance to hear such a stimulating thinker!

Here is a reading that can help prepare your thinking on the Secret Doctrine:

http://pablosender.com/jnana-yoga-and-the-secret-doctrine-2/

Here is some more information on Martin Leiderman





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Readings 6/15

 For this meeting, let's take a look at the theosophy classic, Light on the Path.  


The complete text is here, if you would like to look through it, and you can stop before the section "Karma."

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Readings 5/18

 For this meeting, we can discuss the idea of the Dweller on the Threshold.  The Dweller raises the idea that after enough spiritual progress and development, you must truly face your fears and face a trial if you are to go any further--perhaps these are just spiritual difficulties, perhaps it is an actual spiritual entity.  Here's a link to an article provided by a website Caleb has passed on, if you're interested in reading about this.

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Readings 4/20

Here are two readings on channeling for 4/20, if you have some time to peruse (if not, just join us and talk!).  The first is from Gateways Through Light and Shadow.  Our friend Caleb provided this reading and described it this way: 
"This book chronicles a series of evocations performed by the magician Frater Ashen Chassan (aka Bryan Garner) and his scryer. In case you're not familiar with how the ritual format of magician and scryer works, what happens is the magician summons the spirit, manages the ritual, and questions the spirit while the scryer focuses on just perceiving the spirit and relaying its answers to the magician.  I've selected the transcripts of their conjurations of the spirits Anael, Samael, Metatron, and Paymon."

The second reading is from the "Ra Contact", a set of books our friend Dave (and myself) had kept seeing around.  I found it all online for free and have linked the first communication between this other presence and the person channeling ("the instrument").
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Readings for 2/16

This month's meeting is close to Valentine's Day, so let's look at theosophy, esotericism, and occultism on the subject of Love, especially as it applies to our progress on earth in developing our human consciousness, and how it connects to initiation.  Here are 2 readings to stimulate your thinking, if you have the time to look through them:
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Readings for November 17

We previously discussed theosophy and the practice of magick, but let's focus in on spiritual channeling.  Kurt Leland is a well-known theosophist, author, and someone who channels a spirit (he names it "Charles").  Here are Leland's two accounts about how he came to channel this spirit and what it is:
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Readings for November 3

 We last discussed theosophy and the practice of magick (and whether magick was needed).  For this Tuesday coming up, we'll have an informal discussion about this.  Richard Smoley is one of the most well-known names in esotericism today, and has a close relationship with the TSA.  If you feel moved, take a look at these pieces:

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Readings for October 20 Meeting

For this week, we build on our Upanishads discussions with a discussion of Hinduism, magic(k), and theosophy.  Click the links below:
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Readings for September 15 Meeting

 The Upanishads and Theosophy


  • Our first study/discussion group will be on Zoom on September 15 at 7pm (the link will be sent out ahead of time)
  • We will discuss the Katha Upanishad (translated by Eknath Easwaran)
    • Click here for the reading
    • You can read the above link, skim it, or not read it at all--feel free to join us for our conversation regardless!
  • Additional readings for anyone interested:
    • Blavatsky's Secret Doctrine has this passage on "The Upanishads" (see this link from the Theosophy Wiki for more)
      • The Upanishads—Upa-ni-shad being a compound word meaning “the conquest of ignorance by the revelation of secret, spiritual knowledge”—require now the additional possession of a Master-key to enable the student to get at their full meaning. The reason for this I venture to state here as I learned it from a Master. The name, “Upanishads,” is usually translated “esoteric doctrine.” These treatises form part of the Sruti or “revealed knowledge,” Revelation, in short, and are generally attached to the Brahmana portion of the Vedas, as their third division. There are over 150 Upanishads enumerated by, and known to, Orientalists, who credit the oldest with being written probably about 600 years b.c.; but of genuine texts there does not exist a fifth of the number. The Upanishads are to the Vedas what the Kabala is to the Jewish Bible. They treat of and expound the secret and mystic meaning of the Vedic texts. They speak of the origin of the Universe, the nature of Deity, and of Spirit and Soul, as also of the metaphysical connection of mind and matter. In a few words: They CONTAIN the beginning and the end of all human knowledge, but they have now ceased to REVEAL it, since the day of Buddha. If it were otherwise, the Upanishads could not be called esoteric, since they are now openly attached to the Sacred Brahmanical books, which have, in our present age, become accessible even to the Mlechchhas (out-castes) and the European Orientalists. One thing in them—and this in all the Upanishads—invariably and constantly points to their ancient origin, and proves (a) that they were written, in some of their portions, before the caste system became the tyrannical institution which it still is; and (b) that half of their contents have been eliminated, while some of them were rewritten and abridged.[1]


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