ANCIENT WISDOM REVIVED:

A History of the Theosophical Movement

The first regular meeting of the Society was held on November 17
1875. It is this date that Theosophists consider to be the day of the
founding of the Society. President-Founder Olcott delivered the in
augural address. He defined the purpose of the new group in a way that
distinguished it from established religion and from science. He spoke of
his hope that the Society would "aid in freeing the public mind of
theological superstition and a tame subservience to the arrogance of
science." He also distinguished Theosophy from spiritualism. When
turned in that direction, he said, they found "a barrier of imposture,
tricky mediums, lying spirits, and revolting social theories

The Society, in contrast, would be concerned with ancient wisdom
Olcott spoke of the "primeval source of all religions, the books of
Hermes and the Vedas," and stated his conviction that the Societys
work would give science evidence of the truth of ancient philosophy and
of the comprehensiveness of ancient science. He also felt the Society
would demonstrate to Christians "the pagan origins of many of their
most sacred idols and most cherished dogmas." He conceived the task of
the group as principally one of investigation. The semi-monthly
meetings would be devoted to "researches and experiments of our
members and of eminent correspondents in this and other
countries.. .(and to) tests, experiments, and practical
demonstrations." He proposed that the Society study Mesmerisnm
spiritualism, Od, and the universal ether or astral light. He also
anticipated publishing results and reprinting works by "the great
masters of Theosophy of all times

Thus was born the Theosophical Society: an answer to the general
religious controversy and to the discrediting of spiritualism of the
mid-1870s. It was a new movement claiming to transcend the cleavage
between science and religion by a return to the concerns of an ancient
wisdom-tradition, long forgotten. Behind it lay Helena Blavatsky, a
onder worker through whom had begun messages from a mysterious
brotherhood of adepts.

Ancient Wisdom Revived