Good News

Good News from Ukraine

Details: Published: Thursday, 28 September 2017 10:28

[Message received from Jan Jelle Keppler]

From 23 till 25 June 2017, at the time of this year’s summer solstice, a three day Theosophical seminar was organized in Dnipro, Ukraine, in the house where Helena Petrovna Blavatsky was born in 1831. (see phtoto)

Good-News-from-Ukraine-2

The theme of the seminar was:

“The Inspirational Mind: Fusing Love and Knowledge for Human Welfare”.

Eleven reports, eight in English and three in Russian, as well as three presentations, two in Russian and one in English were given by nine speakers, three from Ukraine and three couples from the United States of America.

Each talk was translated simultaneously. After the reports, there were lively question and answer sessions, in which most of the time the questions were put by the speaker and the answers had to be given by the audience.

Good News from Kenya

Details: Published: Thursday, 28 September 2017 10:27

Food Distribution in Kenya

Good-News-from-Kenya-2
Lovely kids anxiously waiting

The day dawned bright and warm and all worries about the weather being wet dissipated with the sun coming out and the clouds disappearing! We – Induben Shah, Gideon, Patrick and I – left for Machakos at a quarter past nine in the morning. We arrived in Machakos at about 11 o'clock and to our consternation found that nothing, and I mean nothing, was ready! There were no packed food parcels nor was there the truck that was to carry 130 packets of food, each packet containing 10 kgs of dried maize, 3 kgs of dried beans, oil, sugar, salt and 5 kgs of maize meal. We waited and waited as we kept on listening to the sentence, "The lorry will be here in the next half an hour!" Well! That half hour stretched to 2pm, which was the time originally expected for us to have completed the food distribution and headed back home. Then the lorry arrived, was loaded and finally left for the venue!

Good News from International Theosophy Conferences

Details: Published: Thursday, 28 September 2017 10:27

ITC 2017: Impressions of a Moderator, by Jonathan Colbert

Good-News-from-ITC-2-2017
Moderator-in-chief Jonathan Colbert

ITC participants at the Friends Center in Philly this year bore their hearts on their sleeves. “Lets get to work,” they said. “Lets get off our backsides and apply these true and healing ideas!” Members and newcomers did not attend as emissaries of their respective organizations or as promoters of old agendas. This year we were more like so many Promethean rebels bent on overcoming anything resembling stasis or inertia. What was the precipitant of this benign restlessness? Have the ill-mannered actions, words and tweets of a petulant president scared the hell out of Theosophists? Or is it that the whole world now seems in such desperate need for the healing message, the soothing, soul-satisfying balm of pure Theosophy? Could the precipitant have been the theme of the conference itself: “A Nucleus of Universal Brotherhood: World’s Healing Force”?

Good News from Brazil

Details: Published: Thursday, 28 September 2017 10:26

[Message received from Marcos de Resende]

The 23rd International Theosophical School at the Theosophical Institute of Brasilia, just outside the Brazilian capital, took place in the last week of July 2017. Invited guest-speaker was Esteban Langlois, General Secretary of Theosophical Society in Argentina. The theme, elaborated through lectures, meditations and group studies was Abstract Teachings for a Concrete Life.

Good-News-from-Brazil-2
Participants of the 23^rd edition of the International Theosophical School

Approximately 120 participants, coming from Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Spain, Australia and Brazil, attended this special event.

The approach of Esteban Langlois was rather interesting, exploring profound teachings from The Secret Doctrine and other well-known Theosophical writings, while linking them with daily living. The developed program, not only contained lectures but also group meditations and debates and this made the event very dynamic and productive.

Since 1995, and always in the month of July, the Theosophical Institute of Brasilia organizes the International Theosophical School, inviting lecturers from the international Theosophical scene, with as objective to help developing the Theosophical work in the Americas.

Good News from Barcelona

Details: Published: Thursday, 28 September 2017 10:25

Good-News-from-Barcelona-2

The 38th European Theosophical Congress held in Barcelona from August 21 – 26 had the following theme:
Theosophy: A Way towards Universal Consiousness

Good News from the piano at the ITC in Naarden the Netherlands

Details: Published: Tuesday, 13 June 2017 14:36

The grand-piano, also called “the instrument of instruments”

Beauty is considered to be one of the important aspects of the work at the International Theosophical Centre (ITC) in Naarden. In order to visualise this, two roses complement the TS seal, as the seal of the ITC, which has been approved by Radha Burnier. In practise, it means that we always try to add elements of beauty to our programs, most of the time live music. Now a new related activity is being organised by Martie Velthuis, who many participants of ITC activities had contact with. Martie is a professional music teacher. When she moved to a smaller house her grand piano was placed at St. Michaels House, where she now organises music events every month for TS members and music lovers.

Good News from Theosophy.World

Details: Published: Monday, 12 June 2017 14:36

[Message as received from John Vorstermans in New Zealand.]

Good News from Theosophy World 2

A new online resource centre; Theosophical material easily accessible

Theosophy World was an idea conceived in 2014, with the purpose to establish a global online resource centre for theosophical content that would be available to members and the general enquirer alike.

We have all experienced frustrating hours trying to locate material for education, research or purely general interest sake, only to find we can’t locate what we are looking for very easily with content scattered all over the internet.

Theosophy.world is an exciting new online resource centre that helps alleviate this problem. It contains helpful theosophical material that is easily accessible. With the powerful ‘Search’ and ‘Tag Cloud’ functionality embedded into the site, results are displayed quickly and effectively. Theosophy.world also provides links to other websites and libraries where sources of valuable information are stored.

Good News from the TOS in India

Details: Published: Monday, 12 June 2017 14:35

Ria Pati – India

WHY CAN'T THE SKY BE PINK?

Good News from the TOS in India 2

The author

The atmosphere is happy and cheerful, with lots of kids between the ages of 6 and 10 years. Their assignment is to replicate a template created by the instructor consisting of the sky, mountains, birds and mounds of land in the foreground. On one such occasion I overheard a 6- year-old run up to the instructor to show him her work. After a brief pause the instructor asked her – “Why have you made the sky pink?”

The question caught me off-guard. It got me thinking. Really, WHY can’t the sky be pink after all? In the little girl’s world, the sky could be orange, purple, red, or green… anything that she imagined it to be.

Good News from the Theosophical Society in England

Details: Published: Monday, 12 June 2017 14:35

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ANNIE BESANT (1847-1933), LONDON, 30 SEPTEMBER - 1 OCTOBER 2017

Good News from the Theosophical Society in England 2

Annie Besant

The Theosophical Society in England (http://www.theosoc.org.uk) is holding a two-day international conference on Annie Besant (1847-1933) at the TSE Headquarters at 50 Gloucester Place, London W1U 8EA on Saturday and Sunday, 30 September and 1 October 2017.

The chair of the first day of the conference, which is primarily concerned with Annie Besant’s public work as a feminist, secularist, socialist and anti-imperialist, will be Dr Muriel Pécastaing-Boissière of the University of Paris-Sorbonne, Paris 4 (author of the new biography Annie Besant (1847-1933) : la lutte et la quête, soon to be published in English).

Those who wish to submit a paper for the first day on any aspect of the subject should send a summary of not more than 200 words by 1 June 2017 to Mr Leslie Price, secretary of Programme Committee, at TSE History & Archives (history&This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), copied to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Speakers will normally have 30 minutes including questions.

Conference participants will be responsible for their own travel, meals and accommodation. Those presenting papers will be exempt from registration fees and will also be admitted free to the second day, chaired by Kurt Leland (author of Invisible Worlds: Annie Besant on Psychic and Spiritual Development), which is a study day concerned with research problems in assessing Besant’s Theosophical work. If you wish to register for the conference, or to be kept informed of the programme, please contact The Theosophical Society in England (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Good News from the School of the Wisdom in Adyar

Details: Published: Monday, 12 June 2017 14:35

Good News from the School of the Wisdom 2 SOW 2017-18 1

Sessions 2017-2018

School of the Wisdom sessions are specifically meant for members of the Theosophical Society.

Good News from International Theosophy Conferences Inc. – reprise

Details: Published: Monday, 12 June 2017 14:32

In August all roads lead to the beautiful FRIENDS CENTER in PHILADELPHIA, USA

Good News from ITC 2 Friends Center reprise

The beautiful Friends Center

For ITC 2017, from August 10 until August 13 in Philadelphia the theme is:

A Nucleus of Universal Brotherhood

– World’s Healing Force –

Bringing harmony to a divided humanity

by studying and working together

Good News from the European School of Theosophy - reprise

Details: Published: Monday, 12 June 2017 14:22

From October 12 until October 17 – 2017, The European School of Theosophy organizes its annual meeting, this time at the International Theosophical Centre in Naarden, the Netherlands with as theme:

The Spiritual Path

Good News European School 2 reprise

Among the speakers are:

Pablo Sender

Michele Sender

Erica Georgiades

Noeline Hart

Gary Kidgell

Jon Knebel

For program details, click here

Download the registration form, click here

For prices and more detailed info, click here

Good News from Indralaya

Details: Published: Thursday, 23 March 2017 14:36

Good News from Indralaya

Honoring of the Ages: Indralaya’s 90^th Anniversary

Message received from Minor Lile

Good News from Indralaya 2

2017 marks the 90^th anniversary of Indralaya, a Theosophical retreat center located north of Seattle, WA, USA, that was founded in 1927 by members of the Theosophical Society in America. Indralaya was founded with the intention of being “an ongoing experiment in theosophical living” and over the last 90 years, this ongoing experiment has successfully navigated numerous shifts and dynamics while remaining true to its mission. Throughout, Indralaya has served as a sanctuary where people can gather to commune with nature and consider the meaning and purpose of live from a Theosophical perspective.

Good News from Indralaya 3

This unique and historical photo was probably taken in the late 1940's, possibly 1949, in front of the old kitchen-dining hall. This building doesn't exist anymore. There was a time when a photo was taken of everyone at camp. In the album it says “And by 1949 we looked like this.” Joy Mills is there on the fifth row, far left. John Abbenhouse is sitting on the ground. George Linton is also there, plus many others.

Good News from Adyar 1

Details: Published: Wednesday, 22 March 2017 14:36

Impressions of the 141th Convention of the Theosophical Society in Adyar

Barend Voorham – the Netherlands

Good News from Adyar 1 b Barend Voorham 1

Barend Voorham

In the middle of the grounds of the TS in Adyar is an ancient banyan tree. Tendrils hang down from the branches of this wonderful tree, which reach the soil, strike into the ground and become roots. The earth in its turn accepts these branches, which root there and become another trunk. All these new trees remain part of the mother tree.

Thinking back on the 141th Convention of the TS Adyar and the history of the Theosophical Movement, the image of this tree always comes to mind. It is a magnificent symbol of unity within diversity. The same lifeblood flows from the Lodge of Wisdom and Compassion and runs through all the branches of the Theosophical Movement. In the same way as the banyan tree, the Great Lodge (started in 1875) has also branched. There are different theosophical societies and groups and even independent, individual Theosophists, around the world. Even within the TS Adyar there are different sections and lodges, which all slightly differ one from another. There are educational systems, movements for justice, and against cruelty etc., which all have sprouted from this “Theosophical”- banyan. I considered all the participants of the Convention as living parts of this holy tree, who all tried in their own way to give shape to the theosophical ideal

Good News from Adyar 2

Details: Published: Tuesday, 21 March 2017 14:36

Impressions of the 141th Convention of the Theosophical Society in Adyar

Carolyn Dorrance – USA

Good News from Adyar 2 b Carolyn Dorrance

Carolyn Dorrance

Arriving at the Theosophical Center in Adyar, India for the first time, one feels thrust back into the 19^th century. The feeling is magnified by the realization that here is where H.P. Blavatsky lived and worked for several years. History is alive. As one settles in, the physical surroundings reinforce the sense of a special place of retreat. Pure air, gentle breezes, hundreds of beautiful trees filled with birds and the warmth of tropical temperatures encourage contemplation of nature’s bounty. Many took advantage of the paths to the beach as well as to the Library, the Publishing House, the Museum and to the numerous historic sites.

As more conference attendees arrived from all over the world, meeting people and friendly conversations created a shared sense of community. Formally, the conference opened and closed with prayers and chants expressing the major religions of the world. Both unity and diversity were respected. The International President of the Theosophical Society, Tim Boyd quickly demonstrated his leadership skills. His openness, accessibility and creative innovations were central to the success of the conference. A video giving the geography, statistics and activities of the many Theosophical Centers around the world was very informative especially for a visitor representing the United Lodges of Theosophists.

Good News from Brazil

Details: Published: Monday, 20 March 2017 14:36

Good News from Brazil

Report received from Bas Harpe from the Netherlands on the Second International Gathering of Young Theosophists held from February 25 until March1, 2017 in Brazil.

Good News from Brazil 2

On the first day we met with a small group at Paraiso na Terra (i.e. Paradise on Earth or The Theosophical Institute) After a two-hour drive from the airport we arrived and went straight to the vegetarian buffet of the restaurant on the estate; I really had been looking forward to all that delicious food!

For me and several others the morning of the second day started early since we participated in a yoga-class given by the talented Daphne, which was followed by a meditation. After that a tasty breakfast! From now on, all through my stay, every morning in Brazil would start like this.