Thursday, April 12, 2007
MORE ON MAX THEON AND BLAVATSKY
The following was sent in by Susanna--notes from her research on the occult revival of 19th century France.
It looks like you are correct in suggesting that Blavatsky may have been trying to merge Kabbalah with Tibetan occultism.
Théon symbol - the Lotus in the Six-Pointed Star
[The symbols discussed below are pictured at this website. Scroll down. - ct]
The six-pointed star of course is the symbol of Judaism, but the lotus and the square make it something else. According to Mother, Théon claimed that this symbol is the Seal of Solomon (a legendary occult symbol) [Mother's Agenda, vol 3, p.454]. Significantly, Blavatsky also refers - in a discussion on Kabbalah - to the over-lapping triangles as Solomon's Seal, although her figure does not include the central square and lotus [H. P. Blavatsky, Isis Unveiled, Quest Books].
In fact, the Mother designed Sri Aurobindo's symbol directly from Théon's, making only minor changes in the proportions of the central square [Mother's Agenda, vol 3, p.454].
The symbol on the left is Théon's original; that on the right is the version Mirra designed for Sri Aurobindo.
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Here is a link from the same website that seems to indicate that the split from "orthodox" Lurianic Kabbalah" - much of which is said to be derived from the "Zohar" - began with Nathan of Gaza who was reportedly a disciple of the false "messiah," Sabbatai Zevi. I say "reportedly" because from Nathan of Gaza's biography in the Kabbalah-friendly link below, it almost looks as if Sabbati Zevi served more as a mouthpiece for Nathan of Gaza - similar to the mouthpiece "Ivan the Tsarevitch" was intended to be in Dostoyevsky's novel "The Devils." (a.k.a."The Possessed")
This whole site seems to advocate gnosticism ("the heresy of knowing") whether Christian, Jewish or Islamic. It has tons of information.
http://www.kheper.net/topics/religion/Judaic_Foundations_of_Christian_belief.htm
http://www.kheper.net/topics/Kabbalah/Nathan.htm
http://www.kheper.net/topics/Kabbalah/Sabbatai_Zevi.htm
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P.S.
My focus has been primarily centered on the occult revival of nineteenth - century France whose modern origins seem to include the degeneration of the Jansenist error (i.e. events at St. Medard Cemetery) into "illuminism." It was while researching this facet of the occult "tradition" that I became familiar with the name Max Theon....vis a vis Paschal Beverly Randolph, the Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor, and its satellite "hermetic" organizations. The following is Randolph's Magia Sexualis. Caveat: although stick figures are used in Randolph's illustrations it is still pretty graphic.
http://www.geocities.com/franzbardon/randolph.html
[Note - unfortunately this website doesn't seem to be active - ct]
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Also...I just recently found the online version of much of R. Swinburne Clymer's prologue in his republication of "Ravalette: A Rosicrucian's Story......the one I mentioned in my post. Randolph was said to be the founder of Fraternitas Rosae Crucis here in the United States.
http://books.google.com/books?id=J9ZEylGAV-EC&pg=PA21&lpg=PA21&dq=paschal+beverly+randolph+martinism&source=web&ots=VpM5Pabkc9&sig=4MCEy5EI60LziEgM5gRjJgmYuDQ#PPA30,M1
I knew from my research that Blavatsky was somehow involved with Karl Kellner who was at least the "spiritual father" of O.T.O. which incorporated "sex magick" into its rituals. Both were said to be involved in the Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor. Both were also involved with Eastern occultism and its corresponding "sex magick" known as "Tantrism."
I have also read that during the eighteenth century Cagliostro's "androgynous" Memphis Misraim rite and Martines de Pasqually's Order of Elus Cohen likewise may have incorporated "sex magick" into their rituals.
The" juring" French priest Dom Gerle figures into the French nineteenth-century occult revival equation and was involved in some pseudo-mystical shenanigans that led to the downfall of Robespierre. "Juring" priests were those French priests who signed the Civil Constitution of the Clergy acknowledging the supreme authority of the Revolutionary Government.
Robespierre was a Deist who set up his "Cult of the Supreme Being" as a rival to the atheistic "Cult of Reason." As the story goes Dom Gerle and his medium Catherine Theot, who claimed to be the "Mother of God" were accused of trying to set up Robespierre as "The Supreme Being." Dom Gerle apparently hoped to become the "new Pope" of the "Supreme Being" cult.
Dom Gerle, who, as a Robespierre supporter, was expelled from one "illuminist" group that was among several which had come to be known collectively as the "Saviors of Louis XVII."
The "Saviors" promoted a "lost king" story according to which the Child, Louis XVII, did not die in the Temple as officially reported by the Revolutionary Government, but was rescued and would remain in hiding until the time would be right for him to reveal himself to the French people.
One of the Monarchist factions came to be headed up by Eugene Vintras after the death of their "prophet," Thomas Gallardon. Vintras, as you probably know, promoted the cause of Charles Naundorff who claimed to be the pretender, Louis XVII. Naundorff even set up his own church. It is only recently that DNA tests are said to have disproved that Naundorff was the son of Marie Antionette and Louis XVI.
