Paganism an overview introduction - South African Pagan Council

The stated purpose of the Theosophical Movement is:
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• to form a nucleus of universal brotherhood, regardless of race, creed, sex,
caste or colour,
• to investigate the unexplained laws of nature and the latent powers of man;
and
• to encourage a comparative study of religion, science, and philosophy.
The Theosophical philosophy encompasses the ideas of pantheism, the belief that “All
is One, and One is God, thus All, including mankind, and the entire universe is God”.
God is believed to be an all encompassing, impersonal principle or force, similar to
the beliefs of Eastern Religious traditions, a power to be harnessed for an individual’s
personal use. Theosophy also includes the ideas of reincarnation and karma.
Cultural Impact
Because of her labours, the rich spiritual treasury of India was introduced to public
scrutiny. She encouraged William Q Judge, a co-founder of the Theosophical Society
and head of the American section, to publish Oriental scriptures in translation. From
this grew his Oriental Department Papers, with Charles Johnston and others
contributing. Judge prepared a recension and commentary on the Bhagavad-Gita.
Translations of other ancient scriptures became more generally known, not only in
India, Ceylon and Japan, where they had been the closed preserve of the learned and
the clergy, but also throughout Europe and America.
Her magazine The Theosophist (founded in 1879) struck a key note beyond the mere
text and academic commentary. In addition, the study of Sanskrit was encouraged as a
means of circulating metaphysical ideas in the modern currency of Western languages
otherwise devoid of the terms to express them.
The knowledge of Sanskrit had previously been the domain of the few. Many terms
known to specialists for years entered into general literature, such as karma, avatar,
akasa and astral light - terms rhat have become in common usage among many
Pagans.