Customer Reviews

The Secret Doctrine Vol III

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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"

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.

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.