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The Ancient Wisdom: An Outline of Theosophical Teachings
This Elibron Classics book is a facsimile reprint of a 1899 edition by the Theosophical Publishing Society, London.
432 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1897
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About the author
Annie Besant
2,117 books147 followersNoted British reformer Annie Wood Besant vigorously supported socialism, birth control, trade unionism, and rights of women; the cause of independence interested her through her involvement with the theosophical society, and she moved and founded the home rule league in 1916 and served as president of the Indian national congress in 1917.
This prominent activist and orator wrote of Irish.
She, aged 20 years in 1867, married Frank Besant but separated over religious differences.
Once free of Frank Besant and exposed to new currents of thought, she began to question her long-held religious beliefs and the whole of conventional thinking. She began to write attacks on the way of the churches in lives of people. In particular, she attacked the status of the Church of England as a state-sponsored faith.
She quickly wrote a column for the National Reformer, the newspaper of the national secular society, to earn a small weekly wage. The society stood for a secular state and an end to the special status of Christianity and allowed her to act of its public speakers. Very popular public lectures entertained in Queen Victorian times. People quickly greatly demanded Besant, a brilliant speaker. Using the railway, she crisscrossed the country, spoke on all of the most important issues of the day, and always demanded improvement and freedom.
For many years, Besant befriended Charles Bradlaugh, leader of the national secular society. Bradlaugh, a former soldier, long separated from his wife; Besant lived with him and his daughters, and they worked together on many issues. He, an atheist and a republican, also tried to get elected as member of Parliament for Northampton.
She then prominently spoke for the national secular society, wrote, and closely befriended Charles Bradlaugh. In 1877, people prosecuted her and Bradlaugh for publishing a book of campaigner Charles Knowlton.
Besant and Bradlaugh, household names in 1877, then published a book of the American campaigner Charles Knowlton. It claimed that never happy working-class families ably decided not want of children. It suggested ways to limit the size of their families.
The scandal made them famous, and people elected Bradlaugh as member of Parliament for Northampton in 1880.
Actions included the bloody Sunday demonstration and the match girls strike of London of 1888. She led speakers for the Fabian society and the social democratic federation of Marxists. She topped the poll and won election to the school board of London for Tower Hamlets, topping the poll even despite few qualified female voters at that time.
In 1890, Besant met Helena Blavatsky, and over the next few years, secular matters waned. She joined as a member and a prominent lecturer on the subject. As part of her related work, she traveled. In 1898, she helped to establish the central Hindu college.
In 1902, she established le Droit Humain, the first overseas lodge of the international order of co-freemasonry. Over the next few years, she established lodges in many parts of the empire. In 1907, she led at international headquarters in Adyar, Madras (Chennai).
She also joined politics. When World War I broke in 1914, she helped to launch to campaign for democracy and dominion status within the empire. This led to her election in late 1917. After the war, she continued to campaign.
In 1922, she helped establish the Hyderabad (Sind) national collegiate board in Mumbai.
She fought, starting with freedom of thought, Fabians, and workers as a leading member of the national secular society alongside Charles Bradlaugh.
She continued to campaign until her death.
This prominent activist and orator wrote of Irish.
She, aged 20 years in 1867, married Frank Besant but separated over religious differences.
Once free of Frank Besant and exposed to new currents of thought, she began to question her long-held religious beliefs and the whole of conventional thinking. She began to write attacks on the way of the churches in lives of people. In particular, she attacked the status of the Church of England as a state-sponsored faith.
She quickly wrote a column for the National Reformer, the newspaper of the national secular society, to earn a small weekly wage. The society stood for a secular state and an end to the special status of Christianity and allowed her to act of its public speakers. Very popular public lectures entertained in Queen Victorian times. People quickly greatly demanded Besant, a brilliant speaker. Using the railway, she crisscrossed the country, spoke on all of the most important issues of the day, and always demanded improvement and freedom.
For many years, Besant befriended Charles Bradlaugh, leader of the national secular society. Bradlaugh, a former soldier, long separated from his wife; Besant lived with him and his daughters, and they worked together on many issues. He, an atheist and a republican, also tried to get elected as member of Parliament for Northampton.
She then prominently spoke for the national secular society, wrote, and closely befriended Charles Bradlaugh. In 1877, people prosecuted her and Bradlaugh for publishing a book of campaigner Charles Knowlton.
Besant and Bradlaugh, household names in 1877, then published a book of the American campaigner Charles Knowlton. It claimed that never happy working-class families ably decided not want of children. It suggested ways to limit the size of their families.
The scandal made them famous, and people elected Bradlaugh as member of Parliament for Northampton in 1880.
Actions included the bloody Sunday demonstration and the match girls strike of London of 1888. She led speakers for the Fabian society and the social democratic federation of Marxists. She topped the poll and won election to the school board of London for Tower Hamlets, topping the poll even despite few qualified female voters at that time.
In 1890, Besant met Helena Blavatsky, and over the next few years, secular matters waned. She joined as a member and a prominent lecturer on the subject. As part of her related work, she traveled. In 1898, she helped to establish the central Hindu college.
In 1902, she established le Droit Humain, the first overseas lodge of the international order of co-freemasonry. Over the next few years, she established lodges in many parts of the empire. In 1907, she led at international headquarters in Adyar, Madras (Chennai).
She also joined politics. When World War I broke in 1914, she helped to launch to campaign for democracy and dominion status within the empire. This led to her election in late 1917. After the war, she continued to campaign.
In 1922, she helped establish the Hyderabad (Sind) national collegiate board in Mumbai.
She fought, starting with freedom of thought, Fabians, and workers as a leading member of the national secular society alongside Charles Bradlaugh.
She continued to campaign until her death.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 9, 2013
To really get a clear intellectual picture of the different levels and layers of higher dimensions such as the Astral, Mental and Casual planes. It a great attempt to understand these realities from a more scientific point of view or rather as an Esoteric Science. Besant explains that the different dimensions are comprised of different levels or frequencies, and each level of each layer is again split into further layers. If you have experiences on higher dimensions and would like to gain a greater understanding of the technicalities of how these dimensions work and how we exist within them this is a fantastic book to have a look at. It can be a very difficult read but as you go on you will begin to get used to the style of language being used so don't let it discourage you at first.
July 19, 2024
I haven't been this engulfed in a book in a long time. Never have I ever felt so comforted and stable in my purpose and existence here on earth while simultaneously being equally comforted by the idea of "death". If I could gift every soul a copy of this book I would.
August 20, 2021
Annie Besant's "Ancient Wisdom" is likely the best introduction one can have to Theosophy. She clarifies many of the more challenging concepts found in the Theosophical literature in an intuitive, pragmatic way. This book truly fulfills its promise as an "outline" of Theosophical teachings. It provides the reader a broad framework to hang more challenging, specialized ideas on.
The several planes of existence as described in Blavatsky's work will often appear to newcomers as arbitrary dogma, without any practical value. Like many others, I found myself wondering why I should place any stock in these ideas. It was particularly frustrating to encounter such seemingly arbitrary concepts in the context of Theosophy, which otherwise presents an intuitive synthesis of eastern and western wisdom traditions.
Thankfully, this book and several others written by Besant have set me straight. Many of those ideas which at first seemed arbitrary are in fact extremely useful in the context of meditation, mysticism, or whatever spiritual practice one is carrying out. Besant's work is severely under-recognized today, and I believe that Theosophy as a whole would have a better reputation if her work were more well-known. Helena Blavatsky was a genius, but she was a cantankerous person, with little sympathy for the uninitiated. Blavatsky never let the reader forget that she was throwing her pearls before swine. Besant, on the other hand, tried hard to make her ideas accessible to a wider audience, and wrote in a friendly, sympathetic tone.
Strongly recommended to anyone with a propensity for mysticism, sprituality, or the esoteric.
The several planes of existence as described in Blavatsky's work will often appear to newcomers as arbitrary dogma, without any practical value. Like many others, I found myself wondering why I should place any stock in these ideas. It was particularly frustrating to encounter such seemingly arbitrary concepts in the context of Theosophy, which otherwise presents an intuitive synthesis of eastern and western wisdom traditions.
Thankfully, this book and several others written by Besant have set me straight. Many of those ideas which at first seemed arbitrary are in fact extremely useful in the context of meditation, mysticism, or whatever spiritual practice one is carrying out. Besant's work is severely under-recognized today, and I believe that Theosophy as a whole would have a better reputation if her work were more well-known. Helena Blavatsky was a genius, but she was a cantankerous person, with little sympathy for the uninitiated. Blavatsky never let the reader forget that she was throwing her pearls before swine. Besant, on the other hand, tried hard to make her ideas accessible to a wider audience, and wrote in a friendly, sympathetic tone.
Strongly recommended to anyone with a propensity for mysticism, sprituality, or the esoteric.
July 29, 2025
Great digestible intro to teosophy. Profoundly explains the different subtle bodies and dimensions such as the astral plane and sectors of existence after death etc. Its a handbook for occultism and theosophy , best beginner book for people interested in theosophy
April 18, 2022
One of my go to books when I want a refresh, Have owned this for many years now and read it many times.....wouldn't want to be without it.
January 6, 2009
I really enjoyed the explanations provided by the author on the subject of the Bardos, Karma and reincarnation. The Theosophical Society have guided a countless number of people in their individual spirtual quest.
August 3, 2008
Must read for students of Metaphysics
August 3, 2008
Great book. Might be a confusing for someone not well versed with the basics of theosophy and metaphysics
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March 9, 2013Rad discovery in the American Academy of Rome library. 1897 edition.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews