Helena Blavatsky (1831-1891) was a Russian spiritualist, author, and co-founder of the Theosophical Society.
Helena Blavatsky (1831-1891) was a Russian spiritualist, author, and co-founder of the Theosophical Society.
In honor of the spookiest month, we’re revisiting our favorite Womanica episodes featuring villains, troublemakers, magic, and mystery all October. Join host Jenny Kaplan — with a few special introductions — as she takes you back in time, highlighting women like Sadie the Goat, Marie Laveau, Patricia Krenwinkel and more who were ruthless, vengeful, and mystical. The riveting stories of these women are sure to keep you up at night.
History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.
Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.
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Hello! From Wonder Media Network, I’m Sara, a production assistant at WMN, and I’m so excited to be introducing this “best of” episode of Womanica.
Today’s episode was originally part of our October 2019 theme, “Witches and Saints.”
Our woman of the day was a famed Russian spiritualist and author. She co-founded one of the earliest societies to promote theosophy. It’s a philosophical-religious system that leans into the mystical experience of revelation and meditation.
I loved learning about her travels around the globe to study spiritual traditions from various cultures.
Now here’s host Jenny Kaplan to talk about the most notorious occultist of the 19th century, Helena Blavatsky.
Helena Hahn was born in 1831 in the Russian Empire to an aristocratic Russian-German family.
At the age of 17, Helena married a Russian military officer and provincial vice-governor named Nikifor Blavatsky. They separated after a few months. When her marriage fell apart, Helena became interested in spiritualism, occultism, and esoteric and eastern philosophies. Spiritualism refers to the belief in communication with the dead, particularly through mediums. Occultism refers to belief in the power and influence of the supernatural.
Both spiritualism and occultism were particularly popular during this era and would become even more so over the next century. Many historians attribute interest in this movement to the clash between enlightenment science and traditional religious beliefs. People were looking for a new spiritual paradigm that encompassed and reconciled both the scientific revolution and a spiritual realm.
For the next few decades of her life, Helena claimed to have traveled throughout Asia and Europe searching for religious and philosophical truths. She said she spent several years in India and Tibet studying with Hindi and Buddhist gurus.
In 1873, Helena arrived in New York City. There she met a man named Henry Steel Olcott who shared her spiritual and intellectual interests. Two years later, the pair, along with several others, founded the Theosophical Society. Helena described Theosophy as, “the synthesis of science, religion and philosophy.” She said Theosophy revived an “ancient wisdom” beneath all religions.
Around the same time, Helena traveled to Chittendon, Vermont. It was the height of a time known as the “Epidemic of raps.” People all over were taking part in seances with self-described mediums and spiritualists, and believed that spirits were making rapping noises on tables and walls in an attempt to communicate. One reporter wrote that the noises got even louder and more frequent once Helena got to town, turning her into quite a celebrity.
In 1877, Helena published her first book, entitled Isis Unveiled, highlighting the importance of mystical experiences and laying out the basic elements of her theosophical belief system. Despite the book gaining attention, the Theosophical Society was losing members in the U.S.
So two years later, in 1879, Helena and Henry Olcott moved to India and established a Theosophical Society headquarters there. They started a society journal and gained a significant following in the country.
Helena faced rebuke from around the world at various points in her life, including from her Indian followers. She was often accused of faking spiritualist activities. An investigation done by the London Society for Psychical Research found that she was a fraud in 1885, though a century later those findings were re-evaluated by the same organization and found to be unjust.
Not long after that 1885 judgement, Helena left India. She moved to Germany, then Belgium and then lastly London. She wrote three more books about her theosophical beliefs called “The Voice of Silence,” “The Secret Doctrine,” and “Key to Theosophy.”
She died in London in 1891.
Despite the fact that many describe Helena as a charlatan, she had a significant impact on the introduction and advent of alternative religions and philosophies in the West. She helped to turn Europeans and Americans toward Asia for spiritual inspiration during a time when traditional Christian beliefs were facing new challenges. New scientific theories based on geology and evolution challenged long-held Christian beliefs as fundamental as the age of the Earth. People were searching for new answers and Helena presumed to have them.
Helena Blavatsky’s influence was just the beginning of a spiritual movement that’s still evident today as Westerners continue to turn Eastward for spiritual inspiration and practice. Her influence is also heavily felt in what we now call the New Age movement.
All month, we’re bringing you the best of villainy, magic, and mystery. Tune in tomorrow for another of our favorite episodes.
Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator.
Talk to you tomorrow!