The relationship between the Theosophical society and the hermetic brotherhood of Luxor involves an international cast of characters and intrigues on 4 continents in the 1880s the writings of HB of L authors have been largely forgotten but three forthcoming Typhon press publications will deal with various aspects of that relationship during research for those
Projects I have gained a new appreciation for the early Theosophical society it is an honor to share some of my research in a conference sponsored by the TS in the eastern Mediterranean a region where its spiritual roots are deep and still poorly understood the names of Brotherhood of Luxor and
Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor to find two stages in the transition from legend to reality Kenneth Mackenzie opened the confusing sequence of events in his 1877 royal Masonic cyclopædia by including two entries both of which are mythical rather than historical the first is for the Hermetic brothers of Egypt defined
As an occult fraternity which has endured from very ancient times having a hierarchy of officers secret signs and passwords there is no evidence that any such group existed outside the pages of Mackenzie cyclopædia Mackenzie’s entry for Brotherhood of Luxor described an American group with a Rosicrucian basis and many members this veiled inflated
Reference to the early Theosophical society led to further hints from Alcott and Blavatsky HPB confirmed the existence of the Brotherhood of Luxor claiming it had been long and hard at work yet was neither Rosicrucian nor based in Egypt but rather in Luxor baluchistan after which Luxor Egypt was
Named off caught on the other hand testifies that she called the Brotherhood of Luxor the egyptian group of the universal mystic brotherhood to early members of the Theosophical society had not only met in Egypt but had known HPB there the memoir written by Albert Rossum upon the death of
Richard Francis Burton describes the circumstances in which they met in 1853 in Cairo the then pretty young grass widow Parvati fresh from Russia visited the same serpent charmers with us but with a very different result she went into ecstasy over the entire performance dance snakes music and the
Noises of the attendant rabble that surrounded the actors what do you think of the Fair Cossack I asked a burden a dangerous young woman trebly so from having a husband so near the frozen Caucasus while she exposes herself to the ardent Sun of Egypt and of her
Mesmerism biology is a new study not a science as it is erroneously called but yet in the experimental stage Madame is reported to have done many wonder works if we could see some even one Burton and rawson were both enthusiasts of Sufism and Freemasonry as well as theosophy Burton produced many
Translations and commentaries for example the Arabian Nights whereas Ross ins most notable creation was the rituals of the Shriners the ancient in Arabic order of the nobles of the mystic shrine neither continued as a supporter of the t s Burton resigned his membership and rawson dropped his and
Wrote mockingly if affectionately of HPB after her death the hermetic brotherhood of luxor HB of l which combined two of the names of Mackenzie’s imaginary groups was a real entity founded in England in 1884 its founders claimed that they were continuing the work begun in Egypt in 1870 the spiritual guide of
The Brotherhood was max they on later claimed by others to have spent time in Egypt working in some manner with Blavatsky but there is no supporting evidence actual operations of the order were directed by Peter Davidson who continued to on earth day on as the master throughout his life in 1885 they
On married an english-medium Mary Christine where with whom he moved to Paris later that year in 1887 that Diane’s mood to clench in Algeria where they taught that the loss of the cosmic to an international group of students after alma died in nineteen eight they on reportedly ordered Bell and Henry
Wagner leaders of the Brotherhood in Denver to close it down Davidson’s death in 1916 marked the last gasp of the H B of L in the United States the light of Egypt the primary doctrinal book of the hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor is as mysterious in its use of
Pseudonyms as any book produced by Theosophists Rosicrucians or spiritualists the light of Egypt was published in 1889 under the pseudonym as an Oni with publication of a second volume in 1900 it was revealed that Zenonia had been the pending of Thomas H / going secretary of the HB of L who had
Allegedly died in 1894 Burgoyne himself as just as elusive as the book attributed to him several Outsiders often writing under pseudonyms themselves may guesses about the HB of L leadership and Max they on Grand Master of the exterior circle inspired the greatest confusion although the name was
Actually a pseudonym of Lewis Ben Steen son of a Warsaw rabbi Dejan was confused with two other individuals of different ethnic and religious backgrounds the name th Burgoyne was itself a pseudonym adopted around the time the HP of Elle was founded in 1884 within a short time it was revealed that his real
Name was Thomas Henry Dalton and that he had served six months in prison in England in 1883 for advertising fraud this news was spread broadcast by Theosophists who saw it as a way to discredit a rival organization the exposure destroyed the HP of Elle in England but not in France where it
Continued to thrive under max Theon nor in America where Dalton arrived as Burgoyne with Peter Davidson and family in 1886 although he arrived in the US as per going the pseudonym had been damaged by the Theosophists and Dalton appears to have abandoned it at some point in
California forgoing used the name as an author for several years but there are no solid records of his living under that name in the US after 1886 his life in America is largely unknown territory for researchers the membership records of Adyar show that a majority of leaders
In the HP of Elle were current or former TS members although they own and Burgoyne do not appear as Fellows of the Theosophical Society or FTS we see Peter Davidson Otho Alexander her each and gentleman Thomas Johnson Charleville a Genovese Stebbins and Belle Wagner all in ad yars records
The names unknown II that first appeared as a pseudonym for Dalton in 1885 Zen Oni was in 1842 Rosicrucian themed novel by Edward bulwer-lytton in which the adept teacher of the title character was named Messner Peter Davidson provincial Grandmaster of the north of the original
HB of L wrote under the latter pen name so Nonis identity was so well concealed that Emma Harding Britton was twice accused by Theosophists of authoring the light of Egypt in response Emma praised for going in the strongest terms and later wrote a glowing review of his book the HB of L promised
Practical occult instruction to a frustrated Theosophical membership impatient with the elusiveness and secrecy of the Mahatma’s the origins of the Theosophical society in new york had involved just such practical occultism in April 1877 the TS issued a defiant Proclamation which admits that the society was then engaged in magical
Experimentation this seems to have involved elementals astral projection and mesmerism that magical phenomena do sometimes happen in presence of members of the society and when strangers can witness them may be inferred from the editorial description which appeared in the New York world of Monday last the Theosophical society is quietly
Prosecuting those studies which interest the members careful – neither infringe upon any person’s rights nor to transcend its own legitimate field Greek Theosophists will find Otho Alexander to be of special interest in importance early correspondence of the Ionian TS the first branch in Europe shows its members had particularly
Interest in mesmerism and practical occultism Peter Davidson wrote to Charolais the Theosophical society is not and has not been since the arrival in India of Madame Blavatsky and Colonel Olcott under the direction and inspiration of the authentic and real fraternity of the homologous but under that of a very inferior order belonging
To the Buddhist religion if you have any doubts about what I say mr. Alexander Corfu has several letters of Madame Blavatsky in one of which she clearly confesses what I tell you after several years Alexander reverted to loyalty to the TS as indicated by this announcement by
William Q judge in the path mr. Otto Alexander of corfu greece an old theosophist has determined to dedicate to theosophy a cherished possession if a purchaser can be found it is a collection of 290 autographed letters of the most eminent political financial and military leaders during the struggle for
Greek independence between 1823 and 1827 Sarah Stanley rim K was credited with sole or partial authorship of the light of Egypt by three different sources Albert Benjamin who credits her as Burgoyne’s co-author rather than ghostwriter wrote that she assisted th were going and writing that part of
Light of Egypt Volume one which deals with the science of the Stars and in many other ways a valuable cooperation after her death in 1898 Sarah’s father Moses Stanley wrote to her husband Archibald grim Kaye that dr. Wagner is a physician publisher and literary man he published her book on oriental
Philosophy a book of some 400 pages which has been through six editions and some pamphlets the light of Egypt is the only book published by Wagner which meets this description at the same time Sarah’s disciple Emma Austen tolis wrote a letter to her daughter Angelina well
Grim Kaye in which she enthused one of the most wonderful Souls that ever came to this planet her book the light of Egypt is the most wonderful book of modern times though she says it will be 100 years before the world will recognize it she nearly lost her life in
Writing it but her soul never flinched from a duty whatever the nature of her collaboration with forgoing her stay in California was not long as in 1888 she went to New Zealand at the invitation of a publisher and remained there until a heart attack required her return to the US where she
Stayed with her parents in Michigan for 18 months before settling finally in San Diego where she died in 1898 the contribution of Sarah Grimke to the lessons published under grigory’s name is only one of several mysteries associated with the book another twist in the light of Egypt’s story is the
Church of light tradition features one individual among Burgoyne’s alleged associates his identity is quite confusing Norman astley husband of Genevieve Stebbins has been described as a pupil of de Haan and colleague of BER going in Church of Light tradition but my tentative conclusion is that Thomas Dalton gave up the name Burgoyne and
Adopted that of Norman Astley upon his marriage to Genevieve Stebbins in late 1893 no record of the early 1894 supposed death of Thomas Henry were gone or Dalton has been found in California nor of his return to England under either of those mayors with his marriage to Stebbins
Astly became her business manager at the successful New York School of expression and they traveled throughout the eastern US giving classes and performances why might Burgoyne become astley most likely as the Berg Wayne resigned his HP of L role to take a new position as Devin’s Asst manager also possible that he was
Forced out by the Wagner’s or asked to step down by pay on the coming mrs. Burgoyne would not be a good career move for Stebbins a public figure Denver was the center of the HP of Elle activities in America which made Belle Wagner a more practical successor as Secretary
Sarah Grimke had helped produce the light of Egypt after which Burgoyne was perhaps not as valuable to his colleagues or as interested in continuing in his role with the Brotherhood any of these factors could have led to Burgoyne’s vanishing into a new identity in marriage Belle Wagner
Wrote of Burgoyne in 1900 he shrank from public notoriety and modestly refused to be publicly known to the world he moved in the world comparatively unknown to the world at large and his greatest friends though mystified did not understand his true work in spiritual greatness Genevieve Stebbins unlike her husband is
Well documented in Jenny illogical records born in San Francisco in 1857 she became an actress in New York in her 20s in the mid 1880s she studied in England in France and first encountered their hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor by the end of the decade she became the most prominent American teacher of the
Dell search method of elocution and acting she combined else art methods with yogic breathing learned from a Swami at Oxford as well as exercises involving stretches and postures adapted from yoga after her retirement in nineteen seven Stebbins traveled with Ashley settling in England for several years before returning to the u.s. in
1917 in 1918 the American remnants of the HB of L reorganized as the Brotherhood of light which in 1932 changed its name to the Church of light hence the story of the HB of L in America begins and ends with two other organizations its origins are intertwined with those of the
Theosophical Society while its demise coincided with the creation of the Brotherhood of light and subsequently the Church of light Stebbins is increasingly recognized by scholarly studies as a pioneer in dance exercise and yoga mark singleton wrote in yoga body that the gentler stretching deep breathing and spiritual relaxation
Colloquially known in the West today as hatha yoga are best exemplified by variants of the harmonium nastic developed by Stebbins in her final work published in 1913 Stebbins wrote of her goal recognizing the interdependence of mind and body and the great power of habit let us learn this beautiful
Philosophy training the body easily Express a beautiful soul training the body to write normal expression that through reflex action a sickly soul may grow into uprightness mira al fossa rashard became a student of mak stay on in the early 20th century and her influence on the work of sri aurobindo
Makes her a figure of global significance despite being a Western based hermetic movement protesting the direction taken by the TS in India the HB of L was not antagonistic to Hindu culture in general its two most influential converts both figure in the history of 20th century yoga Meera al
Fossa who had studied in Algeria before becoming a pupil of Sri Aurobindo created with him an east-west synthesis under the label integral yoga Stebbins gave her synthesis the name harmonic gymnastics and had the greatest influence of any HP of L figure on Benjamin’s Brotherhood of light lessons
Or a Windows biographer writes of Mira during their three-month stay Mira underwent a profound inner development but this was due more to Theon’s wife than to Theon himself Madame Jeon was a marvelous woman from the point of view of experience although her intellect was rather ordinary they on on the other
Hand had comparatively little experience but an encyclopedic knowledge of things occult a few lines from him was enough to inspire his wife to write pages and pages of what today might be called channeled writings this emphasis on madam Theon’s authority from a female student highlights a theme
In HP of L history the derives from its roots in the TS spiritual authority is attributed to mysterious male hierarchies but the visible mouthpieces of the Brotherhood’s major writers of the movement are largely female in the 1870s and 80s Britain and Blavatsky engaged in a power struggle in which both appealed
To masculine adept authorities writing a special initiative to secrecy using pseudonyms to refer to their mentors by the 1890s the writings of grim K and Stebbins make no appeals to male Authority and reject the mystique of secrecy in hierarchy perhaps the most important reason the HB of L became
Extinct was that the model of a secret society with mysterious adept authorities was simply no longer workable after the demise of Alma they on and especially that of Peter Davidson max Theon seems to have lost all interest in such activities after 1980 what then does the hermetic Brotherhood
Of Luxor mean to us today an extinct occult order claimed as a precursor by some dismissed as a fraud by others largely ignored by scholars to the Church of light the mysterious predecessor organization that became extinct leaving many unanswered questions to Theosophists a group emerging from the 1884 crisis in the
Early TS involving some important early members to historians the group which was too diverse geographically and ideologically to survive intact to librarians and archivists a body of literature almost forgotten and well worth preserving and rediscovering and for me personally as a researcher it is intriguing because of the mysteries
Associated with pseudonyms in the source literature and the work of Sarah Stanley Grimm Kay in particular Emma Harding Britain’s ghost land was considered authoritative by the HP of Elle leaders and the forthcoming edition will shed new light on Chevalier Lewis to be and his adventures her each and
Gentlemen as the central character in my chapter for the collection con artists enthusiasts and true believers this presentation is drawn on research for both those projects but mainly from work on a scholarly edition of Sarah Stanley grim Kay’s esoteric lessons I thank the conference organizers for including this long-neglected subject in the program
And welcome communication from fellow researchers interested in the hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor and its origins in the Theosophical society
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