First Biennial Gathering Helena P. Blavatsky: Wisdom Teachings for Challenging Times

Eneida Elena Carbonell, Rozi Ulics, Joe Hasiewicz, and Kirk Gradin

November 15 – 17 Onsite and Zoom

Friday 7:30 – 9 pm, Saturday 10 am – noon and 2 – 4 pm, Sunday 10 am – noon PST

Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (1831- 1891), one of the Theosophical Society’s founders, has influenced significantly the thought of the Western world and brought important insights to inter-spiritual dialogue. Her extensive knowledge of the philosophies and religions of the world, wisdom of East and West, symbolism, metaphysics, esoteric philosophy, and the practical applications of all these to life, is reflected in 15 volumes of her Collected Writings. (See H.P. Blavatsky and Her Writings, Theosophical Society in America pamphlet)

Single Session $15, Weekend $50

Friday Evening: Eneida Elena Carbonell

The Amazing Life and Influence of an Extraordinary Woman: HP Blavatsky

The narrative of HPB as a woman with unique abilities, her dedication to the Masters of the Wisdom, her travels and meetings with some of the most influential people of her time and her voluminous writings will be illustrated mainly as stated by Silvia Cranston in her book The Extraordinary Life and Influence of Helena Blavatsky, Founder of the Modern Theosophical Movement.

Eneida Elena Carbonell is an Adult Education Math Instructor in Los Angeles. She is the treasurer of the España Lodge of the TSA in Los Angeles and currently leads the study of The Key to Theosophy.  She frequently gives Theosophical seminars and talks in Spanish for the Krotona School of Theosophy and for the Inter-American Federation.

Saturday Morning: Rozi Ulics

Wisdom From the Caves and Jungles of Hindostan

Helena P. Blavatsky was a fearless, intrepid and determined warrior for Truth. She is a ready role model for these challenging times if we just look to her for guidance. We will explore major themes underlying Helena Blavatsky’s exciting “travelog” From the Caves and Jungles of Hindostan to better understand this woman, her spirit and what she can impart to us for the challenges of today’s world.

Rozi Ulics is Vice President of the Theosophical Society in America (TSA). She has served in various offices for the Washington DC lodge and Mid-South Federation, as well as on the Board of the Theosophical Order of Service. She currently works as an economist measuring trade inflation for the U.S. federal government.

Saturday Afternoon: Joe Hasiewicz

Perceiving the Illusion

In The Voice of the Silence, Helena P. Blavatsky exhorts the spiritual aspirant to “seek out the rajah of the senses, the thought-producer (the mind), he who awakes  illusion” and slay him as he is “the great slayer of the real.” We will consider three short articles in which she provides some insight as to how we may perceive the illusion thus produced. We will examine those articles to better understand how we may better recognize illusion and see past it, through self-knowledge, the understanding of desire and the awakening of the will.

 Joe Hasiewicz is former president of the Wheaton-Olcott Lodge of the TS in America and a people leader driving for technical innovation real-time data analytics software for industrial markets on cloud and on-premise platforms.

Sunday Morning: Kirk Gradin

The Moment of Choice Facing Humanity

H.P. Blavatsky depicted the 1800’s as a century more criminal than any other preceding it. In its final years, she spoke of a New Cycle emerging in which a mystic force would rise and move upon the face of the black waters of world civilizations. This force of unfolding mysticism could not be checked or stopped, and would naturally pit itself against the “seething cauldron of social life”, against materialism, religious sectarianism, dogmatism, hypocrisy and immorality, forcing humanity to choose between the opposing factions. We will join together to explore this prophecy and its relevance to the current historical moment.

Kirk Gradin has been a student of Theosophia since 1975 and an Associate of the United Lodge of Theosophists in Santa Barbara since 1979. He is a frequent presenter of theosophical themes at several venues and has written numerous articles for the Theosophical journal VIDYA, The Theosophist, and other printed publications. In 2018, Kirk co-founded Studio Vach, a YouTube channel, helping to write, edit, and produce a series of podcasts and videos on core introductory themes of Theosophia. Kirk is also an architect in private practice since 1995.