Customer Reviews

Helena Blavatsky (Western Esoteric Masters)

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My dissertation research touches on Madame Blavatsky and Theosophical history and this book has been incredibly helpful. Dr. Goodrick-Clarke provides insightful background to this formidable author and spiritual guide. Her work has greatly influenced contemporary spirituality, and scholars of religion would do well to at least acquaint themselves with her life and work. It's not necessary to like Blavatsky to enjoy this book. I am not a Theosophist or follower of Blavatsky, but do understand her seminal place in modern religious history. Dr. Goodrick-Clarke (who holds a PhD in history from Oxford University) is one of the foremost authorities on Western esotericism in the world and currently a professor at the University of Exeter in the UK. He has penned the best introduction to Madame Blavatsky currently available and his insights are priceless. I highly recommend it!

This is a very good introduction to the life and work of Blavatsky, the founder of the Theosophical Society. The author does a great job of clarifying her teachings and elucidating her most fascinating biography.

Gary Reichenbacher is a Christian with apparently nothing better to do than write bad reviews for books he hasn't read...in a backwoods attempt to save us all from the abysmal pits of hell...which is where we'll all end up should we decide to read the aforementioned books. If you share his narrow view of philosophy chances are you're illiterate and not looking to buy any of the books he's reviewed in the first place. If you are a free thinker looking to expand your spiritual and intellectual horizons then you should take all of his bad reviews as further proof that you'll enjoy the book.

I wanted to do some research on Blavatsky's life. I must have misread the intent of this book, because though it does give a brief biographical overview, it is mostly about her metaphysics and philosophy as presented in Isis Unveiled, and the Secret Doctrine. That said it does a fine job touching on her main ideas of these works.

Helena Blavatsky is one of the most enigmatic figures of the nineteenth century and her legacy continues today. Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke edited this wonderful introduction to the voluminous work of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky. Her two most famous works are Isis Unveiled and the Secret Doctrine, each comprises two volumes and over one thousand pages each. Blavatsky covers almost every spiritual tradition known to man from Hinduism to Buddhism and Christianity to Kabbalah. I had to write two papers on Blavatsky for my MA in Western Esotericism at the University of Exeter. Blavatsky's work is complex and rich in content, many have accused her of plagiarizing some of the content among other things but the importance of her work cannot be underestimated. I would highly recommend reading this book before engaging in either of her aforementioned works.

After reading through several books on this subject, one can only begin to wonder even more on this subject: should another tree have to be cut down and be used to put on a dusty bookshelf somewhere for this kind of trash to be put into print?This is another example of some egomaniac searching for their 15 minutes of fame and glory. After her supposed extensive travels, this is what she could 'conjure up"? If my lifes' work was based on this and this alone, I would surely leave this world not in a better shape than when I came, but to have totally mislead many people into the dark abyss of hell.
It is easy to pray on people fears and doubts and to then take advantage of this for the sake of self. It comes to mind that all that is unknown and unseen is the easiest possible manor in which to play on peoples emotions and thus destroy them. In the world of magic and unknown secrets of any such nonsence, the only person who holds the 'keys' to answering these mystical and spiritual
unknowns is the supposed finder of these deep dark secrets, and that is what this book is totally about.