Anyone Into Theosophy?

originally posted by: skalla
a reply to: VictimOfTorture

Steiner is fascinating. Mad as a box of frogs but inspired too.

I'm interested in Rudolph Steiner but haven't yet been able to dedicate myself to studying his writings...could you give an example of that frog-box-madness to which you refer?

a reply to: VictimOfTorture

I know theosophy well, I'm not a fan of its ideas. I don't tend to hold with "all paths lead to the same place", and I certainly don't like the founders views on race. But hey to each their own. A lot of my fellow Pagans like them.

Theosophy is a grim tale.
It revolves around the "you're no better than me" concept. It involves strange gods and chants.
The more names you utter... the more you become less of yourself and less of your good God.
Mean old trick it is....

If you want to practice theosophy... first you must blot out the portions of the Ancients. Chanting those names can damage your persona. And moreso than that it can make your opponent laugh.
Seek without blemish...
Without blemish....

originally posted by: Noinden
a reply to: VictimOfTorture

I know theosophy well, I'm not a fan of its ideas. I don't tend to hold with "all paths lead to the same place", and I certainly don't like the founders views on race. But hey to each their own. A lot of my fellow Pagans like them.

Theosophy does not promote the idea that all paths lead to the same place, but instead, either that there are many paths to the Truth or that Truth is a pathless land.

In which ways do you think Theosophy is racist? Theosophy does not promote Arianism nor racial superiority. Such quotes alleging racism are grossly misrepresented and taken out of context. Rather, Theosophy teaches that we are of a single family:

"All men have spiritually and physically the same origin."

"Mankind is essentially of one and the same essence."

"The Aryan races, for instance, now varying from dark brown, almost black, red-brown-yellow, down to the whitest creamy colour, are yet all of one and the same stock -- the Fifth Root Race -- and spring from one single progenitor."

“If to-morrow the continent of Europe were to disappear and other lands to re-emerge instead; and if the African tribes were to separate and scatter on the face of the earth, it is they who, in about a hundred thousand years hence, would form the bulk of the civilized nations. And it is the descendants of those of our highly cultured nations, who might have survived on some one island, without any means of crossing the new seas, that would fall back into a state of relative savagery. Thus the reason given for dividing humanity into superior and inferior races falls to the ground and becomes a fallacy.”

- H.P.B., "The Secret Doctrine"

a reply to: DictionaryOfExcuses

Well, he believed that he was a seer who channelled the Akashic record, he built his lectures on towers of assumptions that he had proved something profound and esoteric in the previous lecture (he hadnt, he'd usually just mused on way out groovyness), he has crazy race theories, highly imaginative stories about deep prehìstory and the evolution of plants, animals, souls etc and he gives reams and reams of detail.

Eurythmy is his fault too. You have to be cracked in the head to put up with that.

But by no means all bad. You'd think a lot of what he says is coded allegory, but it really isn't.

A motto i often heard before a talk from a devotee was "don't say no, just say oh!"

Rational questioning was to be avoided and deflected back to the questioner at all times, with disapproving stares and black marks aplenty.

a reply to: skalla

Some elements you mentioned sound like AA.

I have to say that I've had a little interest in Steiner for something like 5 years, and just from what you've listed here, I've lost most of it.

a reply to: DictionaryOfExcuses

You can just read his lectures at the rudolph steiner online library, no need to mix with his more ardent followers.

Seriously, some if it is very sharp and thought provoking, imo especially stuff about the self, emotions, perceptions and learning.. some of it strikes all manner of weird inner bells and is quite beguiling and often beautiful and intuitive. Trouble is he was prolific, so it's very hit and miss.

Eta. The (ish) cult of personality is the big issue for me, its very dogmatic and in the uk the community seemed kinda stagnant and insular.

a reply to: Sahabi

Well look at the early founders of theosophy and their views on race.

Beyond that there are many truths not just one.

a reply to: Noinden

Is it just me, or are you looking for a hostile debate based upon entrenched opinions on the matter? It sure looks that way.

Yes, universal brotherhood and unity are the views of the Theosophical Society’s founders. What are yours?

Truth is singular, plural, and transcendent of our subjective conceptualizations. I did not say that there was one truth.

a reply to: Sahabi
No I am stating a position that the founders of Theosophy had. You do know this history of that path?