Theos-Talk Archives (March 1996 Message tl00044)

Hi, S Gegenhuber.
It's pleasing to find out that people are interested in the feminist side of
Theosophy.
Indeed, reading the writings of HPB makes one aware of the feminist element
of the teachings.
Debate at the time of HPB was, and certainly still is, more or less
controlled by men, and
as far as I can understand, the fact that she was a woman made her enemies'
attacks on her all the more severe, which is very typical.
Often it is said that the Theosophical Teachings are 'timeless', but still
they were presented at a specific point in time, and therefore had to be
presented in a shape understandable by the people of the 19TH century, and
by us.
Also, naturally we filter the exoteric context by our means of perception.
The esoteric meaning of the message, of course, holds no antagonism between
male-female.
This antagonism is man-made.
But, in my opinion, the exoteric discussion pursued by HPB shows elements of
a much needed feminine aspect.
Anyone devoting her/himself to the pursuance 'of the feminine' side of the
Theosophical Writers, should be strongly encouraged.
Your work seems to become interesting.
All the best!
Mr. Fredrik Montelius, ULT Sweden, subscriber to THEOS-ROOTS.


.>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
>