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Tuesday Evenings with Annie Besant: A Centennial Offering

October 8, November 12, and December 10

6:30 -7:30 pm

Onsite only

When Annie Wood Besant (1847-1933) joined the Theosophical Society in 1889, she swiftly rose to a position of leadership, eventually becoming its President on the death of Col. H.S. Olcott in 1907. She was tireless in service, for to her the theosophical philosophy was meant to be practical, to speak to the human condition and to the conditions of life in all its forms. Above all, the question is still asked: Can we live and work in the world as it is, and at the same time lead a spiritual and therefore meaningful life? And is there a way of life, an ethic, which aids us in our quest for wisdom? Dr. Besant’s answers to these questions, as well as to similar ones that arise in the earnest student’s mind, speak to us today as they did to her audiences then. (Joy Mills’ Foreword to The Spiritual Life, a compilation of Besant lectures, Quest Books, TPH, Wheaton, 2001.)

Annie Besant inspired the founding of the Krotona Institute of Theosophy and supported its move to Ojai CA in 1924. She has influenced either directly or indirectly the formation of many other educational, spiritual, and environmental centers in the Ojai Valley, and is known as one of Ojai’s “founding mothers and fathers.” Tuesdays with Annie Besant are informal discussions facilitated by TS members inspired by her life and work.

All are welcome as our guests.

October 8 The Supreme Duty An address given at the Parliament of Religions, Chicago, 1893 (Ananya Sri Ram)

November 12 The Super-Physical Consciousness. From the chapter, “Human States of Consciousness” from A Study in Consciousness (Annine Wycherley)

December 10 The Doctrine of the Heart Shared extracts from letters Indian friends wrote to Besant that provided insight and comfort (Susan Johnson)

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

First Biennial Gathering

Helena P. Blavatsky: Wisdom Teachings

for Challenging Times

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

Click here to register.

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.

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Alex Bianchi

Fathom the Mind, the Blazing Lamp for Good

Zoom

Saturday November 23, 2024 10 – noon, 2 – 4 pm PST

Since the mind is the source of our samsara or nirvana, it behooves the human being to fathom its nature in order to heal oneself and the environment all around, both being interdependent. We will explore together how the Blazing Lamp of the Mind can be trained in order to be a force of good for all beings. By discovering this inner nature, the practitioner will experience authentic well-being that does not depend on external stimuli and that will bring about a radical revolution from within. We will delve into practices that are conducive to sat-suka, real well-being, that allow one to flourish no matter the external circumstances.

*Students who plan a weekend stay in Krotona may participate from the classroom in the online sessions.

Session $15 Full Day $25

Click here to register.

Alessandro Bianchi was born in Italy in 1962. He came to the US in 1989 and after a month discovered Theosophy through the efforts of the United Lodge of Theosophists Los Angeles. Since then, he has been an active force in divulging Theosophy in different languages translating the main works of HP Blavatsky, William Q. Judge and Robert Crosbie and at the same time he has fostered a conduct that nurtures the three objects, creating bridges with different spiritual traditions, among others Advaita Vedanta and Tibetan Buddhism.

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David M Odorisio

Going “Beyond God”: Thomas Merton’s Universal Vision

Onsite and Zoom

Saturday December 7

10 – noon, 2 – 4 pm PST

Throughout the final year of his life, Trappist monk and celebrated spiritual author, Thomas Merton (1915-1968), wrote and spoke of a “universal consciousness” as one possible goal of the spiritual life. Following the influence of Sufi psychoanalyst, Reza Arasteh, and his notion of final integration, Merton developed his own understanding of what it might mean to become a “universal person.” A radical form of mystical practice, demonstrated by the 12 th and 13 th century Sufi masters, Ibn al-‘Arabi and Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī, was tremendously formative for Merton in the late 1960s. This Sufi mystical tradition advocates for a form of consciousness that transforms the individual into a “universal person” through a process of mystical death and rebirth.

This workshop is an opportunity for in-depth study of this aspect of the Sufi tradition through the lens of a twentieth century “spiritual master,” Thomas Merton. His recently published California conferences offer a roadmap for a truly “trans-religious” consciousness with important implications for inter-religious dialogue and comparative studies. Participants will be offered ample time for guided contemplative practice and group discussion to make this a true “retreat” experience.

Single Session: $20, Full Day: $35

Click here to register.

David M. Odorisio, PhD, is Chair and Core Faculty in the Mythological Studies and Psychology, Religion, and Consciousness programs at Pacifica Graduate Institute, Santa Barbara, CA. He is editor of Thomas Merton in California: The Redwoods Conferences and Letters, and Merton and Hinduism: The Yoga of the Heart. He currently serves as Co-Chair of the Mysticism Unit for the American Academy of Religion. David speaks regularly about, and leads retreats and workshops on, the life and writings of Thomas Merton. www.ahomeforsoul.com

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Seminario Krotona con Martin Leiderman

Los Quince Puntos de la Sabiduría-Divina, Teosofía o Metafísica necesarios para el Auto-Descubrimiento y la Auto-Realización.

Diciembre 13 – 15

Viernes 7:30 – 9 pm, Sabado 10 – noon, 2 – 4 pm, Domingo 10 – noon PST

El Dr. I. K. Taimni en su libro “Un Camino hacia el Autodescubrimiento” (anteriormente titulado “Auto-Cultura”) señala que, para descubrir y realizar nuestro más alto potencial, primero debemos sumergirnos en aquellas Ideas espirituales que, una vez traídas a nuestra atención, son evidentes por sí mismas.  En este libro, encontramos su resumen único en 15 puntos de todo el corpus de la Sabiduría-Divina o Teosofía. Estos nos servirán como peldaños hacia una mejor comprensión de nuestro lugar en el mundo en el que vivimos, con el fin de cumplir con nuestras responsabilidades para con nosotros mismos, nuestros semejantes y el hermoso planeta en el que vivimos.

 En este seminario exploraremos, estudiaremos y contemplaremos estas Ideas, ampliándolas con citas de La Doctrina Secreta de Blavatsky, la filosofía de Platón y otras tradiciones.

Sesión única $15 Fin de semana $50

Haga clic aquí para conocer más y registrarse

Martin Leiderman, nacido en Venezuela, es un ingeniero industrial jubilado. Él es un estudiante de Teosofía desde los a miembro vitalicio de la Sociedad Teosófica en América y conferencista nacional e internacional tanto en español como en inglés. Junto con su esposa, Susan, dirige el Grupo de Estudio Teosófico del Oeste de Los Ángeles. Además, Durante dieciocho años Martin fue miembro de la Junta Directiva del Instituto de Teosofía en Krotona Ojai, CA. Además de los estudios en Teosofía particularmente La Doctrina Secreta, Las Cartas de los Mahatmas y La Voz del Silencio; sus intereses incluyen el Antiguo Egipto, Platón y los neoplatónicos, la literatura hermética, la alquimia y la simbología comparativa de las tradiciones antiguas.

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Winter/Spring 2025

Check back soon for details, additions and updates.

January 4 “Resolutions for the Soul,” reflective writing workshop with Catherine Ann Jones.

January 24 – 31 “Sharing Theosophy: Preparation and Practice,” Annual Intensive with Pablo Sender and Partners in Theosophy mentors.

February 5 – 26 “A Soul’s Choice: The Daily Making of a Bodhisattva,” Wednesday evenings with Linda and Pedro Oliveira.

March 11 – 27 “Practicing the Teachings of the Great Sages,” four mornings over three weeks with Ravi Ravindra.

April 5 – 6 “Listening to the Inner Voice,” weekend workshop with Catherine Ann Jones.