Theos-Talk Archives (August 1996 Message tl00043)

On Fri, 2 Aug 1996, Ann E. Bermingham wrote:

> Consider the fact that she worked for TS, was one of their own and that she left
> under difficult circumstances.  She went to New York, began writing the books
> (whether they are valid  or not is beyond this post)  and started a school.  All
> in direct competition with TS, who has prided themselves on being the keeper of
> Ancient Wisdom.  Now, one of their former loyalists, had stolen TS's thunder and
> given out information they either considered their own and/or did not consider
> the public ready for.  It was like a glass of cold water thrown in their face.

As far as I know there was no direct competition on the part of Alice
Bailey. She wanted to stay in the framework of T.S. Her first book,
Initiation Human and Solar, was offered to a Theosophical magazine; they
turned it down after a few  chapters were published, so that's why she
went on her own.

Situation in T.S. in those years (1920's) was much worse that it is now,
T.S. politics were much dirtier than they are now under Radha Burnier or
John Algeo. Just read Alice Bailey's autobiography and Emily Lutyens's
Candles in the Sun -- these two sources perfectly match, and make a
horrible picture of a mass madness among both the leadership and the
membership of T.S.


> Has TS and the Bailey group ever shook hands and decided to live in harmony as
> two separate organizations?  It doesn't seem that way.

I do not think it was a two-way hostility. As a student of Arcane School
founded by Alice Bailey I know that they offer a carefully selected but
rather wide variety of spiritual teachings including H.P.B. (e.g. Alice
Bailey's A Treatise on Cosmic Fire is heavy on quotes from The Secret
Doctrine), a few writings by A.Besant and C.W.Leadbeater, Agni Yoga, and
some other less known sources. One
of Alice Bailey's books refers to R.Steiner as an adept (not as a crook
or a fraud). So it seems to be rather inclusive.

On the other hand, I doubt Arcane School needs any wide contacts with
T.S. Contrary to what many believe, Arcane School is not a membership
organization, they are not interested in recruiting as many members as
possible, so they were able to stay away from the dirty occult politics
in which T.S. got so heavily involved. It is just a correspondence school.
They know I am a member of T.S. in America, it is perfectly OK with them,
and in fact they do not care what I am studying and doing as a
theosophist--they never, ever asked me about it.
So it looks like their stand is more sound than T.S.'s. I think their
idea is that a spiritual seeker needs to seek the precious bits and
pieces of the occult wisdom given out by the adepts or their agents,
whatever are their names or affiliations, and try to put them together
aided and guided by his/her own higher self.

Max