Esoteric World of Madame Blavatsky, The: Insights Into the Life of a Modern Sphinx

"A psychological enigma, a puzzle for future generations, a Sphinx!" is the self-portrait of Helena P. Blavatsky, the most influential esoteric author of the nineteenth century. Those who knew her called her "the lady with the magical eyes." Madame Blavatsky's writing affected the work of such writers, artists, and musicians as William Butler Yeats, James Joyce, D. H. Lawrence, L. Frank Baum (The Wizard of Oz), Wassily Kandinsky, Piet Mondrian, Gustav Mahler, Jean Sibelius, and Alexander Scriabin. She was a cause celebre because of the astounding phenomena she produced and her unconventional ideas, which anticipated the spiritual and ecological movements of today. Often distorted in the borrowing, these ideas have inspired much "New Age" thought, but her work has a depth and insight that transcends the fads of time. This volume recites firsthand accounts of the teachings and enigmas of the Theosophical Sphinx. Through it, the reader enters the fascinating world of Madame Blavatsky's soirees --- famous as magnets for freethinking intellectuals and the sites of remarkable and remarked-upon phenomena, as related here by family, friends, and enemies. Includes over 35 black and white photos from the Theosophical archives.

360 pages

About the author: Daniel Caldwell, Master of Library Science, is one of the world's leading authorities on H. P. Blavatsky's life and works.