Theos-Talk Archives (March 1996 Message tl00035)

Hi, all,

      Thank you for your responses to my inquiry.  FYI, I am in Pasadena,
just a few short blocks from the Theosophical Society Library. The fact
that so many women have been leaders in the theosophical movement is what
drew my attention to it.  I've recognized a number of themes in HPB's works
that could be considered "of the feminine," as Ms. Deutsch verified.  HPB
herself did not seem to be involved in feminist social justice, as were
others who assisted poor women, etc.  Her research seems to be remarkable.
One of my interests is a tracing of sources or thinking that may have
influenced "New Age" feminism, particularly "secret" teachings or
philosophical ideas that appear to be emerging in ritual, practices and
ethics of late 20th century witchcraft and eco-feminism.   Wicca and
Theosophy have obvious differences, but practices such as magic, and ideas
such as immanence, inter-relatedness and personal experience seem to be
more clearly articulated in theosophical studies rather than in anything
passed down from ancient folk-practice or Goddess worship.
     I'm in the last third of a masters program in Feminist Spirituality at
Immaculate Heart College. This little paper is a 15-pager for a Historical
Perspectives on Feminist Spirituality, so it's primarily a secondary source
paper that hopefully can open some doors toward original research.  I'm
just barely scratching the surface of "women and theosophy" in this case,
but hope to develop a thesis of some sorts for continuing independent
study.  I appreciate hearing about people doing research in this area, and
should this paper develop into something, I'll be getting far more involved
in the future. Thanks!


-S. Gegenhuber