Source books

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27 books of 336 · oldest first

Theosophy and its descendants 27

  1. 1877

    Isis Unveiled

    Helena Petrovna Blavatsky

    A sprawling attack on materialism and dogmatic Christianity, coupled with a defence of occult and ancient wisdom traditions.

    Primary source Major

    Read at sacred-texts.com ↗ and 2 more editions

  2. 1888

    The Secret Doctrine

    Helena Petrovna Blavatsky

    Her cosmological synthesis, presented as a reading of the Stanzas of Dzyan: cycles of evolution, root races, reincarnation and hidden spiritual hierarchies.

    Primary source Major

    Read at sacred-texts.com ↗ and 4 more editions

  3. 1889

    The Key to Theosophy

    Helena Petrovna Blavatsky

    A much more accessible question-and-answer exposition of Theosophical teaching.

    Primary source Notable

    Read at gutenberg.org ↗

  4. 1889

    The Voice of the Silence

    Helena Petrovna Blavatsky

    A devotional and mystical text presenting an ideal of spiritual compassion in strongly Buddhist-influenced vocabulary.

    Primary source Major

    No free edition

  5. 1896

    The Astral Plane

    C. W. Leadbeater

    A systematic map of the supposed astral world.

    Primary source Unmeasured

    Read at gutenberg.org ↗

  6. 1896

    The Devachanic Plane

    C. W. Leadbeater

    Describes a higher postmortem mental world.

    Primary source Unmeasured

    No free edition

  7. 1897

    The Ancient Wisdom

    Annie Besant

    A systematic introduction to Theosophical cosmology.

    Primary source Unmeasured

    No free edition

  8. 1899

    Clairvoyance

    C. W. Leadbeater

    Attempts to categorise different kinds of extrasensory perception.

    Primary source Unmeasured

    Read at sacred-texts.com ↗ and 1 more edition

  9. 1902

    Man Visible and Invisible

    C. W. Leadbeater

    Describes subtle bodies and aura colours.

    Primary source Unmeasured

    No free edition

  10. serialised from 1904; later in book form

    How to Know Higher Worlds

    Rudolf Steiner

    A practical programme of inner discipline and spiritual perception.

    Primary source Unmeasured

    Read at sacred-texts.com ↗ and 1 more edition

  11. 1904

    Theosophy

    Rudolf Steiner

    Introduces his account of the human spiritual constitution and postmortem development.

    Primary source Unmeasured

    Read at sacred-texts.com ↗

  12. 1905, with C. W. Leadbeater

    Thought-Forms

    Annie Besant

    Claims to show the shapes and colours of thoughts and emotions as seen clairvoyantly, illustrated in vivid plates.

    Primary source Notable

    Read at gutenberg.org ↗

  13. 1908, with Besant

    Occult Chemistry

    C. W. Leadbeater

    Claims clairvoyant observation of atomic structures.

    Primary source Notable

    Read at gutenberg.org ↗

  14. 1910

    Occult Science: An Outline

    Rudolf Steiner

    His major esoteric cosmology, describing cosmic evolution, reincarnation and spiritual beings.

    Primary source Unmeasured

    Read at gutenberg.org ↗

  15. 1912

    A Textbook of Theosophy

    C. W. Leadbeater

    Primary source Unmeasured

    Read at sacred-texts.com ↗ and 1 more edition

  16. 1921

    Theosophy: History of a Pseudo-Religion

    René Guénon

    A hostile critique of Blavatskian Theosophy.

    Primary source Unmeasured also Traditionalism

    No free edition

  17. 1922

    Initiation, Human and Solar

    Alice A. Bailey

    Describes a hierarchy of Masters and the stages of spiritual initiation.

    Primary source Unmeasured

    Read at sacred-texts.com ↗

  18. 1922

    Letters on Occult Meditation

    Alice A. Bailey

    Meditation taught as part of occult initiation.

    Primary source Unmeasured

    No free edition

  19. 1925

    The Masters and the Path

    C. W. Leadbeater

    On the Masters and the stages of the spiritual path.

    Primary source Unmeasured

    No free edition

  20. 1925

    A Treatise on Cosmic Fire

    Alice A. Bailey

    Her gigantic metaphysical cosmology of energies, rays, planes and cosmic evolution.

    Primary source Unmeasured

    No free edition

  21. 1927

    The Chakras

    C. W. Leadbeater

    An enormously influential Western reinterpretation of the Indian chakra system.

    Primary source Unmeasured

    No free edition

  22. 1934

    A Treatise on White Magic

    Alice A. Bailey

    A practical and theoretical account of spiritual development and magical service.

    Primary source Minor

    No free edition

  23. 1936–1960, later volumes posthumous

    A Treatise on the Seven Rays

    Alice A. Bailey

    A multi-volume system correlating seven fundamental energies with psychology, astrology and spiritual evolution.

    Primary source Unmeasured

    No free edition

  24. 1948

    The Reappearance of the Christ

    Alice A. Bailey

    Anticipates a renewed manifestation of a universal spiritual teacher.

    Primary source Unmeasured

    No free edition

  25. undated

    Esoteric Christianity

    Annie Besant

    Primary source Unmeasured also Christian scripture and mysticism

    Read at gutenberg.org ↗

  26. undated

    Light on the Path

    Mabel Collins

    Primary source Unmeasured

    Read at gutenberg.org ↗

  27. undated

    The Ocean of Theosophy

    William Quan Judge

    Primary source Unmeasured

    Read at gutenberg.org ↗