The Esoteric World of Madame Blavatsky The Esoteric World of Madame Blavatsky: Reminiscences and Impressions by Those Who Knew Her Compiled and edited by Daniel H. Caldwell
2nd edition, preprint
© January, 2001 Theosophical Society in America Warning: This material is protected by copyright law and international treaties. Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this material, or any portion of it may result in severe civil and criminal penalties, and prosecution to the maximun extent possible under law. For additional information contact:
[Publisher's Note: This electronic version is a preprint of the second edition of The Esoteric World of Madame Blavatsky, by Daniel H. Caldwell. The print edition with expanded text, illustrations, biographical notes, index, and other helpful editorial material is available from the Theosophical Publishing House, Quest Book Shops, and other book stores.]
Introduction
Here for the first time is the story of H. P. Blavatsky's life in the words of her contemporaries. Although not a biography per se, this collection tells the story of Madame Blavatsky's eventful life with a special look at the "Esoteric World" in which she lived. These reminiscences by her relatives, acquaintances, friends, co-workers, and enemies allow the reader to enter into the historical milieu of HPB's time and give a vivid portrayal of Madame Blavatsky's personality. The narratives are arranged in chronological order and include
- striking word portraits of HPB;
- reminiscences giving insight into HPB's enigmatic character;
- incidents that are sometimes humorous and witty;
- accounts of psychic phenomena performed by Madame Blavatsky; and
- descriptions of encounters with HPB's Masters.
At the beginning of each installment, a brief sketch of HPB's life during the period it covers is given. At the beginning of each narrative, the author, time-period, and place of the account are given. The narratives have been transcribed from the original sources but spelling and punctuation has been modernized. For people's names, the spelling used in HPB's Collected Writings has been adopted. Material not relevant to the narratives has been silently deleted. The original texts, however, can be found from the bibliographical references. Explanatory notes added by the editor are enclosed within brackets.
Contents
| Chapter 2 |
Travels around the World and Home to Russia, 1849-1865 |
| Chapter 5 |
New York and Ithaca: Writing Isis Unveiled |
| Chapter 6 |
The Founding of the Theosophical Society and the Writing of Isis Unveiled |
| Chapter 7 |
Marvels in the Lamasery and Departure from New York |
| Chapter 8 |
London, Bombay, and Allahabad, 1879 |
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