The London Lodge (also London Lodge of the Theosophical Society) was an
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ...
lodge of the
Theosophical Society
The Theosophical Society, founded in 1875, is a worldwide body with the aim to advance the ideas of Theosophy in continuation of previous Theosophists, especially the Greek and Alexandrian Neo-Platonic philosophers dating back to 3rd century CE ...
. Until the 1910s, the lodge was an important part of the theosophical movement.
History
The London Lodge was founded on 27 June 1878 in
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
by
Charles Carleton Massey (1838-1905) under the name British Theosophical Society of the Arya Samaj of Aryavart. Apart from unofficial lodges in places like
Liverpool
Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...
or
Korfu, the London Lodge was the first official lodge of the Theosophical Society since the foundation of the society in 1875. The new society, which was often abbreviated as ''British Theosophical Society'' or ''British TS'' was also affiliated with the Hindu reform movement "
Arya Samaj
Arya Samaj ( hi, आर्य समाज, lit=Noble Society, ) is a monotheistic Indian Hindu reform movement that promotes values and practices based on the belief in the infallible authority of the Vedas. The samaj was founded by the sann ...
". In 1882, the Arya Samaj and the TS separated, and the name of the lodge was changed to ''British Theosophical Society''.
On 3 June 1883 the name of the lodge was changed to ''London Lodge of the Theosophical Society'', usually written as ''London Lodge TS'' or simply ''London Lodge''. In February 1909, the lodge separated for a short time from the TS, and changed its name to ''The Eleusinian Society'' during this time. In spring 1911, the lodge became again part of the TS, and changed its name back to London Lodge.
The first president of the British TS was
Charles Carleton Massey from 27 June 1878 to 6 January 1883. After 7 January 1883
Anna Kingsford
Anna Kingsford (; 16 September 1846 – 22 February 1888), was an English anti-vivisectionist, vegetarian and women's rights campaigner.
She was one of the first English women to obtain a degree in medicine, after Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, an ...
was president, under her leadership the lodge changed its name to "London Lodge" on 3 June 1883.
In April/May 1883
Alfred Percy Sinnett became a member of the London Lodge. In autumn 1883, the London lodge separated into two parts, the followers of Sinnett, and the followers of Kingsford. On 6 (7?) April 1884 ''Gerard B. Finch'' was elected as president. But Sinnett remained the most important figure in the lodge, which was often known as "Sinnett's London Lodge". He became the President of the Lodge in January 1885.
14 members of the London Lodge founded in May 1887 the
Blavatsky Lodge The Blavatsky Lodge, officially The Blavatsky Lodge of the Theosophical Society, was an English Theosophical Society founded by Helena Blavatsky and 13 other members.
History
The Blavatsky Lodge was founded on May 19, 1887 in London by 14 member ...
, the second official theosophical Society in England, and the third in Europe after the Loge Germania in Germany. In December 1888, the ''British Section of the Theosophical Society'' was founded. But the London Lodge remained autonomous. In 1890 Blavatsky founded the ''European Section of the Theosophical Society'', of which the London Lodge was only nominally a member.
Charles Webster Leadbeater
Charles Webster Leadbeater (; 16 February 1854 – 1 March 1934) was a member of the Theosophical Society, Co-Freemasonry, author on occult subjects and co-initiator with J. I. Wedgwood of the Liberal Catholic Church.
Originally a p ...
became, on 21 November 1883, a member of the London Lodge. Because of the Leadbeater scandal, the London Lodge separated itself from the TS in February 1909 for two years, and temporarily changed its name to ''The Eleusinian Society''. In spring 1911, the lodge became again part of the TS under its earlier name London Lodge.
References
* Alfred Percy Sinnett: ''Early Days of Theosophy in Europe''. Kessinger, Whitefish 2003,
* Alfred Percy Sinnett: ''Transactions of the London Lodge of the Theosophical Society 1895-1913.'' Kessinger, Whitefish 2003, {{ISBN, 0-7661-3115-7
External links
A.P. Sinnett(pages 91, 127, 160f., 260f.)
Theosophy