1. What’s your name, where are you from and how long have you been a member of the TS?
My name is Elmer, I’m from the Netherlands and I have been a member of the TS since February 2021.
2. Are you active in your Lodge/Section and if so, what do you do?
I’m a member of the local The Hague Lodge in the Netherlands which has roughly 30 members.
I recently joined the program committee, which is responsible for putting the activities/program together for the following year, trying to offer a diverse range of talks, short courses, discussion groups, such as book discussions. or around a certain subject as well as social activities
Besides this, I also stepped into the activities committee of the Dutch National TS section and the International Theosophical Center (ITC) in Naarden which is a joint committee. In this committee I assist with any of the tasks that come out of the activities we organize.
The ITC in Naarden continues to be a special place for me so whenever we have any activities I always try to be there to help out. You can usually find me in the car park early in the morning and in the kitchen handing out tea and coffee for the rest of the day.
3. How did you first learn about Theosophy or come in contact with the Society?
I had come across some books of Blavatsky (I can now no longer recall which ones) which led me to dive into her background a little deeper and then discovered the TS and was pleasantly surprised that there was quite an active group in the Netherlands compared to some esoteric organisations that I had previously looked into that were mostly US based. I really felt this need to connect with a group in person.
I then first became a member of the Dutch National section in 2021 and then almost a year later also joined a local lodge in 2022.
4. What does Theosophy mean to you?
Theosophy for me is so all encompassing. Theosophy is that which drives us and constantly makes us yearn to know more and more about but also it is my gateway to just being and exploring all aspects of my true self.
I have only felt such warmth, love and wisdom in theosophy.
5. What is your favorite Theosophical book and why?
I don’t think I have quite found that absolute favorite book, there is just too much to choose from and I have a wide range of interests to be honest, which does not help. Generally speaking I always quite enjoy the works of de Purucker.
6. What in your opinion is the biggest challenge the TS is facing at the moment?
I think our biggest challenge for the coming years will be attracting/introducing more young people to the TS. I think we have made some great first steps on a global level with the World Federation of Young Theosophists but there is still much work to be done.
7. Is there anything you would wish for the future of the Theosophical Movement?
I would love to see us grow in numbers and for us to be better known overall. I truly believe we have so much to offer to so many people.
I hope to see more collaborations between lodges, national sections and even the different theosophical groups that currently exist, as a true siblinghood - bringing us closer together whilst sharing our skills and knowledge with each other in order to help us grow.
From the editor:
Opinions and ideas expressed in the mini-interviews are exclusively of those who are being interviewed. They don’t necessarily represent the ideas and opinions of the compilers of Theosophy Forward. The responses of the interviewees are not edited for content. Some contributors give short answers to the questions while others touch upon the subject more elaborately.
