1. What’s your name, where are you from and how long have you been a member of the TS?
My name is Peggy Anne Heubel. I was born in Oakland, California, USA, and raised in the Raleigh County, West Virginia, USA. I have been a member of the TS since 1976.
2.How long have you been a member of your Section’s Board?
I have been a member of the TSA Section’s Board since February 2023.
3. How did you first learn about Theosophy or come in contact with the Society?
I first learned about Theosophy at the Public Library when I was searching for books on Christian Mystics (and associated ideas) such as St. Theresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, Imitation of Christ, etc. I ran out of reading material on those subjects, began browsing nearby shelves and found a section titled “Theosophy”. I thumbed through a few and the first book that seemed to beckon was Annie Besant’s “In the Outer Court”. I eventually read all the limited books under the theosophical title (except “The Secret Doctrine”), checked a label in the back of some of the books and noticed reference to a branch of the TS located in Oakland where I was born. I visited there, browsed through their theosophical library and was irrevocably captivated. I joined the TS at the first meeting I attended in 1976 and have been a life-member almost from the beginning.
4. What does Theosophy mean to you?
To me Theosophy represents my life-philosophy, a way of living, of thinking, and doing—a life of service to others. I can think of no better way of living—simply because it provided meaning and purpose to a mundane life that seemed to have had none, otherwise. It answered (and continues to answer) all of my questions about why we are here, where we are going, what causes all the pain and suffering in the world, and how it can be mitigated if not actually prevented.
5. This year, 2025, the Theosophical Society celebrates its 150th anniversary. What in your opinion is the biggest challenge the TS is facing and what is to be done in order to maintain the Society’s relevance in the years to come?
I sincerely believe the biggest challenge the TS is facing as it celebrates its 150th anniversary is an internal challenge. There has always been danger of losing sight of its mission as the founders understood and presented it, i.e., staying true to its original purpose while evolving in a way that remains meaningful to modern seekers. The Society can retain its relevance by offering deep spiritual wisdom, intellectual rigor, and ethical action, while resisting the pull toward sensationalism, commercialized spirituality, or dilution of its principles. To me, from its beginning this has always seemed to be its course of action.
While I do not want to appear to be “standing on a soap-box” so-to-speak, I believe this interview is an opportunity to provide personal thoughts on a very important subject as I see it.
TO BE CONTINUED
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.