Original Theosophy & Alternative Spirituality 3/6

12-part, 6 short article series on similarities and differences between Blavatskyan theosophy & the alternative spirituality/occulture/new age movement. Informal essay, based on personal observations and experiences.

One-week, 12-part short article series on similarities and differences between Blavatskyan theosophy & the alternative spirituality/occulture/new age movement. More of a subjective mode, based on personal observation.

 

5- Transcendence and progress.

 

Another point both schools have in common is that they are both concerned with spiritual evolution. In the New Age circles, there are often references to moving on to higher planes, higher levels of consciousness, higher levels of evolution, higher levels of vibration. There is constant progression, and you often hear about new phases of evolution. In year x, it will be time for people to rise to a higher phase. Soon people will enter into higher vibrational frequencies. In the next phase, there will be a new form of discipleship, etc...

 

With original theosophy, it is similar, only not quite so much, not quite so frequent, not quite so explicit. The evolutionary processes occur over long periods of time, so it is not necessarily easy to make a quantum leap in a single incarnation. The doctrine of cycles is considered very secret, therefore not much information is given, although Blavatsky gave out a workable amount. Hence the concepts are similar to the alternative spirituality schools, but not as fast and frequent, the evolutionary changes are considered to occur slowly and gradually over centuries and millennium. 

 

And even though Blavatskyan theosophy is concerned with higher planes of consciousness, they might have more of a focus on the lower planes, the problems of concrete material existence and the challenges of the material world, similar to the mystical traditions that are sometimes divided into three phases, where the first phase is strictly concerned with ethical problems and conquering vice and lasts a long time, perhaps a whole lifetime, before one is ready for the second phase, which is again, not that mystical, but is more concerned with developing and perfecting virtue, detachment and renunciation.

 

6- Modern and Traditional aspects

 

I think both movements do a good job at combining traditional notions with modern ideas. Sometimes maybe in alternative spirituality there might be a situation where they claim to be reviving ancient wisdom, like Celtic wisdom or Shamanism, and actually the research was fairly superficial and a lot of it is just made up or heavily adapted. I think it's ok to do some adaptations, but when it no longer resembles the original tradition, then maybe there it's possible that there might be a problem somewhere. But there has been a tremendous amount of work on both sides in researching ancient traditions. 

 

My opinion is that alternative spirituality has a more modern perspective whereas Blavatskian theosophy has a more traditional one. Which way is better, if my opinion is correct, is not for me to judge. The main problem I think, is that modernism tends to be very materialistic, and that to me, can be detrimental for a spiritual philosophy. Blavatsky however did formulate a philosophy that wished to both re-discover ancient values and traditions while integrating modern knowledge and discoveries. It's a difficult project in that sense, because it requires a lot of work of filtering and adjusting. 

 

Then there is the problem of even determining what is traditional and what is modern. That is not so obvious, either. But I personally feel that Blavatsky still maintained an essentially traditional world view and traditional values, while integrating certain modern aspects and also opposing the more materialistic aspects of modernism. At the same time, she was concerned with reforming old, outmoded practices and mentalities. It's like finding the right balance between conservative and progressive perspectives. Hence, one difference I see with the alternative spirituality movement, is that it appears to be based more in a modern mentality, with more traditional elements added in varying degrees... 

 

Original Theosophy & Alternative Spirituality 2/6

12-part, 6 short article series on similarities and differences between Blavatskyan theosophy & the alternative spirituality/occulture/new age movement. Informal essay, based on personal observations and experiences.

One-week, 12-part short article series on similarities and differences between Blavatskyan theosophy & the alternative spirituality/occulture/new age movement. More of a subjective mode, based on personal observation. 

 

3- Esoteric History

I think that it is useful to familiarize oneself with the history of the theosophical movement and the modern alternative spirituality movements that have developed since then, not necessarily in extensive detail, but just to be aware of the main trends. I understand the alternative spirituality scene so much better now that I have gained an understanding of the theosophical roots thereof. I actually have a bit of a strange trajectory in that I discovered Blavatsky relatively quickly, only about a year after exploring various hippie spiritual interests. Then I spent a fair bit of time blissfully unaware of the tremendous historical influence of the theosophical movement. Blavatsky was just someone among others I was into. Later, I began looking into the historical intricacies more objectively. It is still somewhat mind blasting to me to be continually discovering her influence, directly or indirectly, in so many areas worldwide.

 

If you look at the history of spiritual movements, fragmentation occurs pretty quickly, such are the ways of the world, it seems – especially after the fall of Egypt and Babylon in the Near East. Theosophy suffered the same fate most spiritual movements do, many currents have emerged since 1875, at least six major ones. (The three major organisations, Adyar (Leadbeater/Besant), the United Lodge of Theosophists (Crosbie/Wadia/Iyer), and the Point Loma/Pasadena groups (Tingley/Purucker/Barborka); then there’s Alice Bailey’s group, Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy, and Max Heindel’s Rosicrucian group; and from there, many different offsprings, Krishnamurti deserves to be mentioned, as the first major independent spiritual teacher, with Crowley and Gurdjieff arriving on the scene at around the same time.

 

Esoteric historian Gary Lachman even sees it as a positive thing. The theosophical movement has been getting academic historical recognition in the last twenty years, so there has been more discussion about the importance of modern theosophy. The New Age movement of today was influenced by these theosophical currents, as well as spiritualism and new thought currents (such as positive thinking, itself derived from the transcendentalist movement) which began in the 1850s.

I stick to the original teachings (1875-1900) or Blavatskyan theosophy (because they have yet to disappoint me and the exploration thereof remains stimulating, educational, and coherent). It is possibly the least popular current, which is understandable, because it can be quite stern and the writings can be quite difficult), but I don’t have anything against other currents (which I would term Neo-Theosophy, not meant to be derogatory, just adopting a popular term, even though it is used in a negative sense). 

 

I’m open to discuss things with other schools. The only position that I maintain is that if someone takes the original teachings and changes them, then I feel justified in politely mentioning that such idea is consistent with the original teachings or such an idea is significantly different. This is because that I feel that if you take a teaching or term that the original writers first introduced, and change it significantly, then to me, it becomes a different thing and should be pointed out.

Some recommended books :

Bruce F. Campbell, Ancient Wisdom Revived: A History of the Theosophical Movement, 1980

https://archive.org/details/ancientwisdomrev0000camp

Antoine Faivre, Jacob Needleman, Karen Voss, Modern Esoteric Spirituality, 1992

http://www.jacobneedleman.com/modern-esoteric-spirituality

Joscelyn Godwin, The Theosophical Enlightenment, 1994

https://sunypress.edu/Books/T/Theosophical-Enlightenment2

Handbook of the Theosophical Current

Series: Brill Handbooks on Contemporary Religion, Volume: 7

Olav Hammer, Mikael Rothstein, 2013

https://brill.com/display/title/22123

Gary Lachman, The Secret Teachers of the Western World, 2015

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/.../the-secret.../

4- The Age of Aquarius

 

The term 'New Age' which refers to the Age of Aquarius, an astrological cycle that Blavatsky acknowledges. She also followed the Hindu theory of cycles known as the four yugas, where we are currently in the Kali Yuga. Blavatsky follows the standard Hindu yuga dates, so the Kali Yuga lasts 432,000 years and there are still about 427,000 years to go. In alternative spirituality movements, one can see a tremendous optimism in describing the Age of Aquarius, with great advances in spiritual development that affect all of society, with things occurring in a relatively short time. 

 

With original theosophy, there is more emphasis on the Kali Yuga, with lots of difficult times and spiritual struggles and so it is not quite so optimistic. It is more of a mixed development, there will be certain developments, but there will also be difficult aspects, and in general, the processes take a long time to develop and details about cycles are considered very secret. I don’t see any reason to think that the age of Aquarius, which last 2,160 years, should be any different from the previous ages, with different phases, up and downs, growing pains, progressive developments, peak and valleys. The original Theosophical Society was founded in part to form a nucleus of stability to face what she described as a coming 'tidal wave'. The Tidal Wave [Lucifer, Vol. V, No. 27, November, 1889, pp. 173-178]

 

Original Theosophy & Alternative Spirituality 1/6

12-part, 6 short article series on similarities and differences between Blavatskyan theosophy & the alternative spirituality/occulture/new age movement. Informal essay, based on personal observations and experiences.

 

1- Introduction.

2- Psychology and Spirituality

3- Esoteric History

4- The Age of Aquarius

5- Transcendence and progress

6- Modern and Traditional aspects

7- Spiritual Practices

8- Individual mystical experience

9- Freedom and Relativism

10-Individual and collective

11–Energetic healing

12- Commercialization

  

1- Introduction.

I guess the first observation is that it is safe to boldly suggest that original Blavatskian theosophy is hugely influential on the alternative spirituality movement, although not many people necessarily are aware of that. Without Blavatsky's influence, alternative spirituality would probably be very different. However, theosophy is not the only influence; there is also spiritualism (mediumnism, channelling, psychic practices) and the new thought movement (power of positive thinking, mind power, etc...) as well as various mystical and religious currents that were not influenced by theosophy. On the internet, there seems to be many more alternative spirituality seekers than original theosophists (and that has almost always been the case) and superficially they are very similar, maybe hard to see the differences. However, I do think that there are some significant differences of approach and perspective, some subtle, some not so subtle, so I thought it would be useful to write this piece, based on personal observations and experiences on the internet and in person, in order to try to clarify things a bit.

The main point of this article will be to discuss the balance of traditional knowledge and modernism in both Blavatskyan Theosophy and the new age movement, although even defining those two terms has its challenges. To begin, there's the problem common to both schools, which is spiritual materialism, which is prevalent when someone who was raised in a modern western culture decides to take up a spiritual path. More often than not, a person has deeply ingrained materialistic and ego-centred tendencies that take a long, laborious period to root out, and so in the beginning, tendencies of spiritual materialism are hard to avoid. The following article https://www.oprah.com/.../top-10-traps-of-spiritual.../all 

gives a good overview of the problems, of which there are many.

 

2- Psychology and Spirituality. 

 

For a lot of people, reflection on the question of suffering has been a key factor in getting them interested in the spiritual path. Now this is a fairly natural thing to occur, but one thing that I've noticed in today's often chaotic modern world, is that the breakup of traditional family structures has brought about a considerable amount of traumatic childhood experiences. The problem there is that this can lead to deep psychological wounds and even personality disorders of a more or less serious degree.

So it can happen that some people end up more or less unconsciously using spiritual practices in an attempt to heal psychological trauma. To a certain extent, this can be helpful, but I think that ultimately, it would be more effective to deal with psychological issues with psychological methods and tools. This can be helpful in healing certain blockages that are hindering one's progress and allow one to make more effective use of spiritual teachings per se, which often weren't designed to deal with the more extreme forms of mental affliction and attachment that have developed in modern societies, such as narcissistic personality disorder.

 

Note that I am not a professional therapist and I realize that I'm risking falling into the trap of playing the annoying role of a cheesy dime-store pop psychologist. Be that as it may, the following work is suggested for anyone interested in a path of self-reflection: John Bradshaw, Homecoming: Reclaiming and Healing Your Inner Child https://www.johnbradshaw.com/.../homecoming-reclaiming...

 

Although the work has been criticized quite a bit, and the notion of healing the inner child made fun of, and even if I do think that book is a little too complicated, self-indulgent, and sentimental, nonetheless, it's based on the more spiritual line of psychology and self-help literature associated with the Esalen institute (which has Theosophical influences) and the author seems aware of major trends in the popular psychology and self-help field and seems to borrow practical methods from others, and as such, I think that it covers basic, useful, effective notions of healing childhood trauma.

 

Moreover, there is a trend that has become more prevalent in the last five years, and has grown to a level that is quite remarkable: the question of conspiracy theories. Much has been written on this topic in the last two years. These are beliefs that can be found in the New Age movement and also among Theosophists, as well as among Religious groups and in the secular world, so it is quite widespread and can take quite a diversity of forms. I'd again like to take a more psychological approach on this question and suggest the following video, which I find gives a solid basic presentation of the question (8 min.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYQCIphJhAk Can You Win an Argument with a Conspiracy Theorist?)

Disclaimer:

It may seem disingenuous of me to present such a dichotomized comparison where I am able to present a well-defined notion of Blavatskyan Theosophy on one side, contrasted with an eclectic, vaguely defined, randomly organized grouping of almost anything in the alternative spirituality world that isn't Blavatskyan or original Theosophy, which could refer to New Age, Pagan, Wiccan, Neo-Theosophy, Occultism, Eastern Religions and much else besides. It may seem unfair of me to make descriptions that are unspecified and may or may not be accurate. All I can say is that my purpose is to break down barriers and encourage greater understanding and tolerance among the various groups, currents, and movements. This is simply an essay based on my subjective observations and experiences on social medium and personal experiences, in the hope of trying to clarify various misunderstandings and misconceptions that I may have noticed, in as a fair, respectful, and diplomatic manner as possible.

 

Astrology: The Year Ahead 2026

Astrology: The Year Ahead 2026

 

January 20 Saturn sextile Uranus

January 26  Neptune conjunct Aries

February 13  Saturn conjunct Aries

February 20 Saturn conjunct Neptune

March 28 Saturn sextile Pluto

April 25  Uranus conjunct Gemini

June 30 Jupiter conjunct Leo

July 15 Uranus sextile Neptune

July 17  Uranus trine Pluto

July 20 Jupiter trine Neptune

July 20 Jupiter opposition Pluto

July 21 Jupiter sextile Uranus

July 24 Neptune sextile Pluto

31 August Jupiter trine Saturn

September 16 Neptune sextile Pluto

November 29 Uranus trine Pluto

Astrology: Fall Equinox, September 22, 2025- Part 2 chart

Clearing the cobwebs

It was a tumultuous Summer, and with so many planets sitting in unstable early degrees of signs, we can expect these types of convulsions for the rest of the year as the new configuration starts to take a more stable form when Uranus moves into Gemini in April 2026, the final card of the great planetary shifts.  We have a rather powerful Fall equinox that coincides with a solar eclipse a day earlier, a powerful Mars ingress into Scorpio, and a volatile Mars square Pluto, exact on September 24.

1-                  Sun/Moon/Mercury opposition Neptune/Saturn Uranus Pluto Neptune kite

The standout aspect for the chart is a tight Sun opposite Saturn where a heavy dose of realism seems forced upon us where we can be feeling blocked, encountering obstacles to progress, and inhibitions. Our confidence is undermined by feelings of doubt, pessimism, or guilt. However, this is part of larger, Moon/Sun/Mercury conjunction opposite the Saturn/Neptune conjunction.

The Sun/Moon/Mercury conjunction in practical, diplomatic Libra brings a strong mind/body/emotion balance geared towards pleasant relationships, fair dealings, diplomatic, social harmony. We are especially sharp, open, articulate, communication can be impactful, with a practical detail-oriented sense, favorable for solving problems.

The Saturn/Neptune conjunction brings insecurity, confusion, self-doubt, and guilt. This can be depressing, but it does not have to be. This can be a satisfying time if you are secure in your limitations and have been responsible, honest, and fair in your dealings.

And so the Moon/Sun/Mercury conjunction opposite the Saturn/Neptune conjunction can bring a tendency to get lost in dreamy, escapist fantasy where we feel directionless and less able to face everyday realities. Projects faced with obstacles, blockages and delays. Mentally lazy, confused and difficulty in communicating, pessimism, and depression can be a problem.  Problems with relationship boundaries can arise, although the conjunctions can help with sharper communication and thinking as well as sense of practicality and good relationships.

However, this opposition is part of a kite formation, therefore it brings maximal positive support with the difficult energies. So we have a very supportive Sun/Moon trine Pluto and Uranus.

This brings a strong decisiveness and ability to focus on practical details with strong endurance. Sense of leadership connecting with humanitarian and social justice issues. We have increased insight, psychological understanding and awareness. There is also enhanced emotional sensitivity and psychic perception. Intimate relationships can also undergo a positive regeneration.

This also brings a strong sense of originality. We may make some creative changes and discoveries, experiment with new possibilities, or invent a new way of doing things, especially in terms of communication, technology, and information processing. The combination of lower inhibitions and fewer restrictions brings positive change and excitement to your private life without causing upset and chaos, as there is an impetus for inclusive cooperation.

All this is integrated into the burgeoning Pluto,Saturn/Neptune Uranus tight Minor Grand Trine Magic Triangle A period of potential revolution, innovation and reform in socio-political structures focused on the environment and finance Deep psychological insight facilitating spiritual progress, idealistic values and spiritual awakening.

Two more positive sextiles bring further support. 

2- Venus, Jupiter sextiles  

 

Venus in Virgo sextile Mars in Scorpio Our creativity and desire to make something beautiful is stimulated now. We are feeling passionate, warm, and expressive.

Jupiter sextile Saturn Enters Sep 22 2025  Leaves Jan 6 2026  Exact Aug 31 2026.  after the pivotal Jupiter square Saturn period, this aspect helps make us pragmatic, realistic, and our judgment is especially sound–and we derive much satisfaction from practical accomplishment.

Now for the more difficult news, we have several tight aspects that make Mars a strong focal point. It's entry position in Scorpio can be considered one it's most powerful points in the zodiac wheel. 

3- Mars, Venus squares

Mars in Scorpio square Pluto in Aquarius. Mars square Jupiter.   Venus square Uranus   Volatile. Passions run high, desires are intense and difficult to satisfy,  or power struggles emerge. Over-confidence and over-estimation of what we can do. We may be excitable and competitive. or struggles involving differences in principles, especially housing, home and family matters. issues of freedom versus intimacy, with peculiar or impulsive attractions that seem exciting,

 4- Mars Yod

Can represent an important call to action and overcoming conflict:

This often involves confronting conflicts, challenging ingrained habits, and channelling disparate energies into decisive action. 

Mars quincunx Saturn Neptune and Uranus.

This can be a fluctuating cloud of demotivation that temporarily drains our energy or makes us feel restless and impatient. We can feel vaguely discontented, without direction, careless, lazy, indecisive or fearful, hindering us in realizing our plans. Attempts to force an issue tend to be thwarted.

This can be counteracted by Uranus sextile Neptune Impetus to reform and update how we express compassion, care for the underprivileged, pursue our dreams, seek escapes, and do art and creativity.  

and Saturn sextile Uranus Common sense blended with creative flair allows you to take calculated risks that increase the likelihood of success.

ps- There is also a Mars-Chiron opposition  that forms a T-square with Pluto, which can bring up deep-seated wounds, feelings of inadequacy, or experiences of shame and oppression. The acuteness of this experience can lead to introspection favorable for healing. 

Analysis 

We are entering an exceptionally favorable astrological period, with the Neptune/Pluto/Uranus ‘Magic Triangle’ (Minor grand trine) as they all enter new signs, but 2025 is proving to be a fluctuating  period where, due to retrogrades, the planets are hovering around the cusps of two signs, making for an unstable transition period. Neptune moves into Aries on March 30 until October 22, 2025 when he retrogrades back into Pisces. Neptune moves back into Aries on January 26, 2026 until 2039. Meanwhile, Uranus moves into Gemini from July 7 to November 8, 2025 when he goes back into Taurus until April 2026. When Uranus re-enters Gemini in April 2026 we will have entered into an exceptional year of positive aspects in a more stable fashion as the planets establish themselves in the new signs of Aries, Aquarius, and Gemini.

Before that, the recent Jupiter square Saturn and the general instability is placing speed bumps that allow to process the big changes that are coming. The oncoming changes are accompanied by tendencies for anxiety and confusion. There can be a lot of convulsions, conflicts as old systems struggle to resist the energies of change, with the Jupiter-Saturn square, ending the first quarter of the 20-year Jupiter-Saturn cycle, that creates tensions between optimism and pessimism, depression and over-confidence as the first of the cycle adjusts to move into the next five-year phase, the most positive of the 20-year cycle.

A highlight of this chart is that it is so tightly connected to the Neptune/Pluto/Uranus minor grand trine, allowing us to experience this pattern along with all the important aspects and sign shifts that have occurred in swift succession this year. With Saturn, Neptune (which includes a a debilitated Mars) a lot of the difficult energies take on a rather doomer nature with tendencies for withdrawal and escapism. Numerologically however, the year 2025 is said to be related to Mars, and the chart’s Mars square Pluto points to a volatile season, with 3 of the 7 volatile Mars aspects occurring this semester, leaving only a week or two where their effect is out of orb. Perhaps it can be seen as a need for vigorous confrontation with old, outdated structures that need to be cleared away to allow for positive changes, and a need for peaceful, firm, effective, pro-active assertiveness towards structures of corruption and injustices. Intimidation is becoming a growing problem, so learning strategies to deal with this problem effectively can be a very useful undertaking. Overall, one could say that the main theme of the chart is tapping into the motivational inspiration of our values and beliefs to overcome the demoralizing tendencies that block productive action. Although there have been some strong efforts, I do not see the chance of the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas wars showing any signs of ending before next Spring at the earliest.

Prognostic 

This semester seems characterized by strong impetus for progressive change with inspiration for positive, fair, respectful social relations. Qualities of a strong mind/body/emotion balance geared towards warm, pleasant fair relationships are favored. Further qualities of deep insight, articulate communication, strong decisiveness, focus, endurance, and leadership allowing a practical sense of efficiency are stimulated. A sense of bold creativity, originality can also inspire a sense of initiative.

At the same time there is stark tendency for resisting change through escapism, depression or aggression which can bring insecurity, confusion, self-doubt, and guilt. It can be depressing, but it can be a call to face challenges realistically. Projects can be faced with obstacles, blockages and delays.  This can bring tendencies for escapism, getting lost in dreamy fantasies and distractions.  Moreover, tendencies for conflicts, competition, intimidation and power struggles, with propensities to exaggerate and over-estimate, can get quite intense and even reach volatile proportions.

Although many positive tools are potentialized to counteract the debilitating and impulsive energies of the chart, a key strategy could be tapping into the motivational inspiration of our altruistic values and beliefs to overcome the demoralizing tendencies that block productive action.

Upcoming Aspects 

Sep 24 Mars square Pluto

Nov 7  Mars opposition Uranus  

Nov  9  Mercury Retrograde 

Nov 20 Uranus sextile Neptune (2 of 5)

Nov 29 Mercury Direct

Dec  8, 2025   Mars square Saturn 

 

Sun in Libra August 22-September 22. The focus is now on balance–finding balance and harmony through relationships with others and through art. Libra is the sign of the peacemaker.

Moon in Libra Creating order is the focus, not necessarily through tidying or organizing as was the case while the Moon was in Virgo, but rather through pleasing interactions with others and aesthetics in our environment.

Mercury in Libra September 18-October 6. When Mercury is in Libra, we are diplomatic and friendly. During this cycle, we bring a more rational approach to one-to-one relationships. In our negotiations, we don’t want to assert ourselves so as to appear to be the “bad guy.” However, this is a reasonable period for considering others’ points of view. We are more inclined to arrive at fair conclusions.

Venus in Virgo from September 19-October 13. We’re keenly interested in ways to enrich our lives and boost our well-being. “Health is wealth” could be a motto now. We’re conservative with money, and romance at this time, ready to analyze and dissect these matters. This can also be a time when helping others, particularly with good advice regarding these Venus-ruled things, can be prominent and successful.

Mars in Scorpio September 22 – November 4, Desire, passion, and determination all intensify under this transit, carrying us into hidden territories, those places within ourselves and our lives where real transformation waits. This is a time for depth over surface, for courage in confronting truths we might otherwise avoid, and for pursuing goals with unwavering focus.

Jupiter in Cancer Self care, security, setting down roots, establishing your ties with the past; often a sign of growth in all things connected with family and property.

Saturn in Pisces Making peace with the past, coming to terms with karmic debts: these are some of the issues that confront you as a new phase begins in your life. 

Uranus in Gemini stirring up our ideas, learning, and communications. It revolutionizes our transportation and communication systems and sense of connectedness. There can be great progress and unpredictability

Neptune in Aries the potential to be spiritual pioneers. They take risks in exploring the mystical realms. This generation may also boast many pioneers in the arts.

Pluto in Aquarius Reform, revolution, a rejection of the past and a focus on the future. People in this generation have the ability to make scientific breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity, and may be forced to change the way science is viewed.

 

References

https://cafeastrology.com/

https://astrologyking.com/ 

https://www.kimwoods.com/astrology-magic-triangle/   

Robert Hand, Planets in Transit