Theosophical Society Founded

“There is no religion higher than Truth” — Henry Steel Olcott, Theosophical Society motto

The Theosophical Society was founded 150 years ago in New York City on November 17, 1875. Theosophy, from the Greek theos (god) and sophia (wisdom), means “divine wisdom.” Its early aim was the scientific investigation of psychic and “spiritualist” phenomena. By the end of the 19th Century, the goals of the Society were:

1. To form a nucleus of the Universal Brotherhood of Humanity, without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste, or color;
2. To encourage the study of comparative religion, philosophy, and science; and
3. To investigate unexplained laws of Nature and the powers latent in man. 

Today, the international Theosophical Society’s mission statement (adopted in 2018) reads: “To serve humanity by cultivating an ever-deepening understanding and realization of the Ageless Wisdom, spiritual self-transformation, and the unity of all life.”

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