The Secret Doctrine Vol III [Perfect Paperback]

Annie Besant (Author), Helena P. Blavatsky (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 30, 2006

Secret Doctrine Volumes I and II are the magnum opus of H.P. Blavatsky, founder of theosophy and enigmatic teacher of the Secret Wisdom. Volume III is her collected writings and thoughts after her death. Some of the writings are contributed to Annie Besant and others so the book remains as controversial as thought provoking.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Annie Wood Besant was a prominent Theosophist, women's rights activist, writer and orator and disciple of Mme H.P. Blavatsky. Born as Annie Wood in 1847 in London into a middle-class family of Irish origin. Annie was always proud of being Irish and supported the cause of Irish self-rule throughout her adult life. Annie was educated privately by a female tutor as an Evangelical Christian. She was given a strong sense of duty to society and an equally strong sense of what independent women could achieve. As a young woman, she was also able to travel widely in Europe. There she acquired a taste for Catholicism that never left her.

Product Details

• Perfect Paperback: 544 pages
• Publisher: Murine Press (October 30, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0975309390
• ISBN-13: 978-0975309391
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,218,002 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Full of controversy but a must have gem for a serious mystic, November 14, 2006

By 

Andras M. Nagy "The Scribe" (Sacramento, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Secret Doctrine Vol III (Perfect Paperback)

Much of the content of this book was the collected papers of Madame Blavazky edited by her disciple Annie Besant and published after her death. Critics said that some of the writings were in fact of Mrs. Besant herself. At any rate the book is the final completion of the first two volumes of Blavatzky's magnum opus. Subjects like "Origin of Magick", "Secrecy of Initiates", "Dangers of Practical Magick" are just not found in detail and depth in any other book. I also loved the section
"The duty of a true occultist towards Religion"

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars LOVE IT, May 23, 2008

By 

B. ACKER "Teacher" (Minneapolis) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Secret Doctrine Vol III (Perfect Paperback)

I loved this book and it goes well and completes my set of the Secret Doctrine Books by the same author. All who have read and loved the Secret Doctrine I and II, will love having this one as well.

1 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Garbage, April 5, 2007

By 

Johns (London, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Secret Doctrine Vol III (Perfect Paperback)

With bad books I normally make it to the end. This is the first book that I abandoned halfway through. The sentence which led me to slam the book down was on page 270: "Jesus is made to descend into the kingdom of Satan to save the soul of Adam, or the symbol of material physical humanity." I don't know what the author's going on about and I don't want to know. At times I could see how these 19th century theosophical writings could be a source of inspiration to the German mystical societies who would develop into the Nazis. For example, there's a section on "the great power of the hexagon - with its central mystic sign the T, or the Swastika" in which are the words "The seventh key is the hieroglyph of the sacred septenary, of royalty, of the priesthood [the initiate], of triumph and true result by struggle. It is magic power in all its force ..."

This book strengthened my suspicion that the theosophical writers had nothing useful or interesting to say. Blavatsky declares that, "One cannot study and profit by Occult Science, unless one gives himself up to it - heart, soul and body. Some of its truths are too awful, too dangerous, for the average mind." If she means too awfully written and too dangerously boring then she has a point, I suppose.