REMEMBERING MARY BRACE

Photo by Mary's good friend, Queenie Hamilton

The esoteric atmosphere created at 50 Gloucester Place by over 75 years of Theosophy and spiritual aspiration is a source of comfort and inspiration to many people. Mary Brace, a TS member since 1987, was undoubtedly one of them. Not feeling truly at home where she lived, she found inner peace at TSHQ. She was a familiar face in the front row at Sunday lectures for many years, and at Blavatsky Lodge meetings.

Born a short distance from 50 Gloucester Place (in Chiltern Street at 84 Wendover Court), she much liked the atmosphere of the Marylebone area and regretted leaving it. In her spiritual life although brought up Catholic, she became a Baptist, later to find Theosophy. Her career began with nursing, and developed into welfare and social work. She had multiple interests including: photography, ballet, swimming, French, German, Egyptology. Her good heart caused her, aged about 60, to run the London marathon, sponsored for charity.

She never married, but with her good friend Mike, she travelled to far-flung places such as Nepal, Sri Lanka, and The Gambia. Her next great adventure began suddenly at home in snowy mid-December, aged about 80. Her quiet, peaceful presence at TSHQ is much missed.

Edward Archer

(The London Theosophical Post will have room to honour all our members and rememberances are welcomed. - Ediitor)

Next Events at 50 Gloucester Place W1U 8EA Three events on Sunday 20 November 2011 11.0am- 4.0pm THE JOY OF MEDITATION Sunday Intensive - beginners welcome Dhyana Centre of The Theosophical Society.  Leader: Alan Perry The Dhyana Centre holds regular introductory courses for beginners on weekdays, dovetailing with weekend intensives that cover the same ground in a truncated form. Courses teach the theory and practice of meditation as a spiritual discipline. Admission free, donations welcome For details of retreats and other events, go to www.dhyanacentre.orgor info@dhyanacentre.org

4.45pm THEOSOPHY: HIGHWAY TO SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT Introductory Course on the Ageless Wisdom, with Edward Archer Sunday afternoons 18 September – 4 December, 4.45 – 5.45 pm An informal session in which the basic teachings of the Divine Wisdom are explored and discussed. Everybody on this planet is in the Great School of Life - of spiritual development. Over the weeks we shall look at the great hidden truths which make sense of our lives and which gives them purpose. This is a basic grounding in The Eternal Mysteries, and it has absolutely no strings attached! The book The Key To Theosophy is recommended for newcomers. Leader: Edward Archer, who has been a member of the Theosophical Society in England for 35 years. Free admission. Arranged by Foundation for Theosophical Studies 6.0 pm BROTHERHOOD AS A LIVING REALITY IN DAILY LIFE Wayne Gatfield There is much talk nowadays about ‘Brotherhood; but it is mainly of a political or social nature. True Brotherhood arises from Soul Solidarity and the dissolving of the sense of Separateness that keeps us apart from our fellow human beings. Spiritual ideas of Brotherhood are based upon the essential Oneness of ALL living things and the fact that not a thought or action can be done without affecting others. This talk looks at ways we can try to activate True Brotherhood in our day to day lives. Wayne Gatfield is President of Bolton Lodge and the editor of the North Western Federation Journal of the Theosophical Society in England. He is a national lecturer for the Foundation for Theosophical Studies and contributes articles and poetry for the Theosophist and other publications. £7, £5 concessions. Arranged by the Foundation for Theosophical Studies

THEOSOPHICAL TEA PARTY
Wednesday 26 October 2011    3.0 - 5.30 pm











You are cordially invited to these gatherings in aid of the Theosophical Order of Service  http://www.tos-uk.org.uk - See our elegant Georgian building, including the lending library - Meet fellow members, guests and friends - Share your interests (do networking!) - Have tea or coffee and cake Entry is free and everyone is welcome. Please make a donation to the TOS!
This time we will be showing a film (in English) about Adyar, the Theosophical Society's International Headquarters at Adyar, Chennai, India. Here is a taster from TS members in Mexico.

We plan to hold Tea Parties meetings at 50 Gloucester Place every few months, so please let us know if you can not attend on the above dates but would like to come in future.
Contact George McNamara at HQ or by e-mail: george@whatever-will.be

Fanciful Fairies or Serious Spirits?

During the nineteenth century, fairies abounded not only in fairytales, but in literature, art and ballet.  Indeed, it is in ballet that these fairytales are still with us today, in those famous ballets such as Giselle and Sleeping Beauty.  Of course, they don’t always have the word fairy attached to them – they are variously named as sylphs, nymphs, shades and even swan-maidens.  But in whatever guise they appear, they are ethereal.  They no longer live in the material world but frequent the realm of the spirits of the dead.  Good spirits dwell alongside evil spirits here, and they conflict with each other.  And, as in all fairytales, the desired outcome is, of course, a happy ending, when the good spirits have triumphed over the evil spirits. 

But is there more to it than that?

Well yes.  Upon closer examination, a deeper level emerges.  Each balletic heroine, like Giselle, the Princess Aurora, the Swan-Princess Odette and the bayadère Nikia, corresponds to the soul of everyman, which, having quit the outward world of matter, retreats into an inner spiritual world (sometimes called the Dark night of the Soul).  There the soul must purify itself before it can resurrect itself into an illuminated heaven.  That happy ending in heaven is really the mystical destination of the soul’s spiritual journey  - a journey which it must undertake of its own accord, alone and unaided, willing each step of the way, like a pilgrim driven to seek salvation.

Margaret  Fleming

Margaret, a former ballerina, will be giving a talk entitled CHARACTERS OF LIGHT AND DARKNESS FROM 19^TH  CENTURY BALLET at the Gnostic Centre of the Theosophical Society, 50 Gloucester Place, London W1U 8EA at 7 pm on Wednesday 14 December 2011.  Admission: £5, £4 concessions, £3 TS members.