A New Beginning: Theosophy Here & Now
Here we are, many years since the founding of the Theosophical Society in New York in 1875.
It started out with three objects:
- To form a nucleus of the Universal Brotherhood of Humanity, without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste/status or color.
- To encourage the study of Comparative Religion, Philosophy and Science.
- To investigate unexplained laws of Nature and the powers latent in man.
In their day these three objects were decried and denounced as the extreme of radicalism. The very notion that humanity could form a universal brotherhood was considered to be hopelessly idealistic even by those who agreed with it.
Today these principles are enshrined in the UN Charter and the constitutions of progressive nations all over the world including Canada, and the European Union. Civil rights and gender equality are now taken for granted in all advanced societies.
The Theosophical Society and movement have had a profound influence upon the evolution of world culture and have given birth to the New Age Movement and New Spirituality. In fields as diverse as Art, Education, Transpersonal Psychology, Literature and Philosophy, Theosophy has made its presence felt in all its diversity and richness.
When we look out into the modern world we see that real progress has been made but the three objects of the original Society remain very far from full realisation. The vision evoked in 1875 and the mission that began then remains uncompleted.
The turbulent and controversial history of the Theosophical Society and Movement leaves many modern Theosophists hopelessly divided and overburdened with a history which, despite all the passionate debate and research, is not fully understood by any current Society or Organisation.
The Theosophical Society and Movement itself remains fragmented and splintered into many different Societies and Organisations. We don’t know how many active Theosophical Organisations there are around the world. Many groups choose to carry on the traditional work at a discrete distance from the controversies that waste so much time and energy in the large public Organisations.
At the New Theosophy Network we embrace all Theosophists of good will. We are not a ‘back to’ initiative of any kind. We embrace the entire history of the Theosophical Society and Movement and are rather a ‘forward to’ initiative.
Our task is to convey the essential vision and message of Theosophy to this new 21st Century and this can only be done in a new way.
This begs two questions:
- What is the essential vision and message of Theosophy?
- How can this message be best conveyed now and in the future?