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Madame Blavatsky's Baboon: A History of the Mystics, Mediums, and Misfits Who Brought Spiritualism to America
Just before the turn of the century, a renegade Russian aristocrat named Madame Blavatsky came to America claiming that man was descended not from the ape but from spiritual beings. Thus began Theosophy, the very first "new age" religion. This thought-provoking and often hilarious study delineates the course of Theosophy and other sects which have come down through the yea...more
Paperback, 496 pages
Published
January 13th 1996
by Schocken
(first published April 15th 1993)
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This book traces the origins of the modern New Age movement through examining the lives and philosophies of its charismatic founders. Theosophy founder Madame Blavatsky was just the first of many who garnered spiritual street cred by claiming to be in contact with a secret brotherhood of ascended masters. Though there is ample evidence that Blavatsky was nothing more than a highly creative fakir, her attempt to build a new spirituality based on the common thread within all religions struck such...more
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The New Age movement began in the United States (1870s) with the Madame Blavatsky, a medium from Russia who received messages from the Masters (spirits) who always thought as she did. Despite obvious parlor tricks she gained followers and thus,Theosophy was born, a mix of Hindu and Buddhism with Christianity. Madame, who according to her won stories escaped assassins and went to Tibet as well as experienced many past lives, was suceeded by people just as colorful: Colonel Henry Olcott, her chum...more
I am reading this book as part of research on a project of my own, or I would never have finished it.
While it's a fascinating topic, the book is an awful bore. Washington's work was poorly served by a grandiose scope with a cast of hundreds of characters and not enough time spent developing them. New historical figures showed up constantly, often several in a paragraph, complete with truncated back stories for each. Thist left me intrigued and wanting more, or, alternatively, frustrated and ove...more
While it's a fascinating topic, the book is an awful bore. Washington's work was poorly served by a grandiose scope with a cast of hundreds of characters and not enough time spent developing them. New historical figures showed up constantly, often several in a paragraph, complete with truncated back stories for each. Thist left me intrigued and wanting more, or, alternatively, frustrated and ove...more
This book is written by a skeptic who does his research well and exposes Blavatsky, Gurdjieff and others, although he has a sneaking admiration for Steiner. I happen to believe a lot of gurus and spiritual leaders are half real and half con, no matter if they believe everything they say or not. One of my favorite books ever, because one of the bookstores I used to work for was Open Center Books, that had the sublime through the ridiculous and everything in between. What is the difference between...more
Helena Petrovna Blavatsky was an immigrant from Russia. Her father was Baron von Hahn, of German-Russian nobility. Her mother was a novelist. Colonel Henry Steel Olcott was a soldier who converted to Buddhism. In 1874 Blavatsky and Olcott met at the farm of brothers William and Horatio Eddy near Chittenden, Vermont. The brothers claimed to be psychics and they held seances. Blavatsky and Olcott founded the Theosophical Society in New York in 1875. Eventually, the Theosophical Society has many lo...more
Sep 22, 2012
Scott Smith
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
for-story-exxception-draft,
still-researching
There is a way, ladies and gentle men, whereby, your spiritual strivings and meditational meanderings, appear… as a way of seeming as if all your spiritual pursuits are you seeking an ANSWER from Heaven… and divination and supplication being a type of ‘stooping’ of the soul, to merely downgrade itself to try to receive something from its own consciousness otherwise not available to its own conscious consciousness.
The progression - of ages… the matter of your period in time. The ratiocination of...more
The progression - of ages… the matter of your period in time. The ratiocination of...more
Every once in a while I read a book that makes me wish I could sit down the the with the writer over coffee in some kind of setting which included lots of comfy couches and no distractions and have a conversation about people, history and human nature. Peter Washington writes with such a charming combination of humor, warmth and cynicism that he seems like he would be fun to hang out with.
Madame Blavatsky's Baboon covers the history of spiritualism from the early 19th century through the 20th. H...more
Madame Blavatsky's Baboon covers the history of spiritualism from the early 19th century through the 20th. H...more
Apr 24, 2007
Brodie
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
spiritualists and fakirs
Shelves:
esotericetc
I've only dipped into this book for background on esoteric thought and theosophy. Washington does a nice job detailing the complicated movements of many of the complicated players in his story. For instance, it must have tested his patience as a researcher and author to track Gurdjieff's career. The man made volatility and unpredictability part of his teachings. The book purports to tell the story of the rise of "western guruism" but this thread gets lost, in my opinion, amidst the details of th...more
I hate to admit it when a book beats me, but I just can't finish this one. It's so friggin' boring! There's plenty of good information here, but it's presented in such a dry fashion, I can only get through 10 pages at a time and even then my mind continually wanders. Ah well. Life's too short to waste on boring books.
I love this book. It cleared a lot of sticky beliefs out of my head.
Man, I thought modern new agers were a weird lot, they ain't got nothin on the original charlatans. Interesting, extremely funny and revealing, everyone who believes that ancient wise masters are advising them from ancient Egypt should review this book carefully, and then pick a new hobby (like stamp collecting or skin popping, neither of which are as irritating or as bad for a person).
Another interesting, though sometimes long-winded, study of why reasonably intelligent people are duped into believing dumb things, and the amoral charlatans who thrive off these rubes.
According to this book, Madame Blavatsky and her ilk were a bunch of fakes and grifters. A bit of dry read, esp. since these are some colorful characters!
A lot of it reminded me of a class on cults I took many years ago - but worth a quick skip.
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