Theosophy in
Ancient & Modern
History of the Theosophical
Society in
A Boom in Study Groups
1948 -1953
The period from 1948 to 1953 seems to have seen an upswing in
interest in Study Groups with several members pitching in to run groups for
their own special interest.
The annual report for 1949 records the following group leaders and
subjects
Miss G Craven - Thought Power
Mrs Hilda Allen - Astrology
Miss A Banks - The Secret Doctrine
The following groups were also mentioned
Miss E C Owen - Monthly Devotional Meeting
Miss Mary Jones - Tuesday afternoon Meditation Group
The annual report for 1950 records a similar picture
Miss A Banks - The Secret Doctrine
Miss G Craven - The Occult side of Christianity
Miss W B Knowles - The Powers Latent in Man
The following groups also continued
Miss Mary Jones - Tuesday afternoon Meditation Group
Miss E C Owen & Miss A
Banks -
Monthly Devotional Group
Weekly Discussion Groups for Young Theosophists at the home of
Charles and Ada James
The Study Group story seems to one of boom and bust with study
groups virtually disappearing for many years and then re-emerging as a core
activity.
Meditation also experienced intermittent support from around 1960
to the late 1980’s before experiencing a revival. Sadly, Devotional Meetings
despite continuing for over 20 years have now disappeared.
The interest in Study Groups seems to have continued until 1953 but
sadly mention of Study Groups is ominously absent form the 1954 records. In
1955 there is a vague reference to meetings to study “diverse Theosophical
subjects”.
In 1956 an attempt to restart the Study Groups by Charles James
using a study course entitled “The Tenets of Theosophy” does not appear to have
been well supported but did have a hard core of enthusiasts attending regularly.
A further Study Group in 1958 conducted by an unspecified member was also not
well supported
There appears to have been no interest in Study Groups until
Charles and Ada James revived them in 1967.
The Tuesday afternoon Meditation Group continued throughout the
1950s. Several Meditation Groups came and went during the 1960s and 70s,
meeting in the evenings. Meditation became popular again in the late 1980s with
the formation of a Sunday Meditation Group which still meets. Several
specialist meditation groups have existed in the last 15 years including Yoga Nidra and Native American. Huna and Channeling groups are
meeting at this time.
The Devotional Group continued strongly into the 1960s and Ada
James was conducting 2 per month in 1967.This group was continued with other
members leading until 1971 when numbers fell. Devotional Meetings were
discontinued in 1972.
The Young Theosophists’ discussion groups at the home of Charles
and Ada James continued until at least 1955. During the 1960’s, the Society
decided that it was inappropriate to identify younger members as a separate
group.
Theosophical Society,