What it was: occultist
Where did you live: russia, india
When he was born and died: 1831-1891
The New Age, the resurgence of pagan cults, the practice of witchcraft… All these movements of the 20th century owe a lot to Helena Blavatsky. Russian mysticism launched theosophy, a group of studies and practices that mixed mediumship, the rescue of ancient Celtic and Egyptian gods and eastern religions. She died of the flu aged 59, but has left a very popular following.
Baptized into the Russian Orthodox Church, she was born Helena Petrovna von Hahn in the town of Yekaterionsoav (now part of Ukraine). Her mother, also named Helena, was from a noble family. Her father, Pyotr, descended from the Germanic aristocracy and served as the military commander of the Russian Empire. As a result, the family moved around a lot. Between one city and another, the young woman learned English, French, piano and ballroom dancing.
Years of study
The interest in the esoteric was old: she claimed to have visions since she was a child and was very impressed to find occult books in the library of her maternal great-grandfather, Prince Pavel Vasilevich Dolgorukov. Throughout her youth, she had contact with influential members of Freemasonry, from whom she learned secret rituals.
From 1849, he began to travel the world – for nine years he traveled through Europe, the Americas and Asia. He studied the religion of ancient Egypt and Jewish Kabbalah. He ended up in Tibet, where he would have had access to a secret fraternity, the Masters of Ancient Wisdom. There he would have received his psychic training. Since then, Helena would be able to control minds, make objects disappear, and project her astral body to appear to be in two places at once.
Edison and Gandhi
In 1870, she made her first public appearances as a mystic. She claimed to have the mission of spreading the spiritual world to the West. She was especially famous in New York, where she arrived in 1873. She met the journalist Henry Steel Olcott, with whom she would live.
The two created a space for reading esoteric themes, the Miracle Club. In 1875, they founded the Theosophical Society. Helena launched a book to present the bases of the group. Isis Unveiled became a bestseller. The society gained the adhesion of entrepreneurs, like Thomas Edison. She also kept in touch with Mahatma Gandhi when he was living in England.
In 1879 Helena began a six-year stint living in India. It was so successful that, in 1885, of the 121 offices of the theosophical society in the world, 106 were in and around India. The occultist would die in 1891 in England, her last destination.
He was a famous figure. He inspired spiritualist movements, many founded by his followers. Texts from her continued to be republished around the world and helped to shape the religious aspect of the hippie movement in the 1960s and 1970s.
Book Tip – The book Isis Unveiledwhich presents Helena’s ideas, is available in different translations.
YOUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS
- Reconcile cultures – Helena spoke seven languages and visited dozens of countries. Her spiritual theory drew on all these different traditions.
- Preached the union — At a time when it was still believed that some races were more intelligent than others, their doctrine preached universal brotherhood.
- Defended the Indians – When she lived in India, the country was a British colony. She because she affronted the authorities by speaking in favor of local religions
YOUR BIGGEST FAILURES
- I liked the spotlight – She enjoyed giving interviews, even to skeptical outlets. She often contradicted herself and gave room to her critics.
- Erased writings – Upon reaching the age of 40, Helena disappeared with her youth records and began to talk about her past with mismatched information.
- Exaggerated data – To enhance herself, she is said to have played in the London Philharmonic Orchestra and fought alongside Giuseppe Garibaldi. there is no evidence