Female Spiritual Teachers
I have been involved in spirituality for almost 15 years. I’ve noticed a lot of women in the audience, and about a 50/50 ratio in the lecturers. As a woman I’m glad of that, but I also know it hasn’t always been that way. In this post I want to highlight some of the women spiritual teachers I love and adore. I’ll start with the oldest, going on through to the contemporary one.
H.P. Blavatsky, aka Madame Blavatsky, aka HPB was quite a figure. She smoked, had a weight and health problem and was quite flamboyant. She literally stood out in the Victorian crowds. Col. Olcott, her co-worker spotted her wearing a red t-shirt amongst people wearing drab (probably overwashed) cloths.
Blavatsky’s accomplishments are many. She wrote articles, and more articles – they are gathered together in 15 volumes of collected writings today. Two major books: Isis Unveiled and The Secret Doctrine.
Annie Besant was a divorcee / activist for the poor, when she was asked to write a review of Blavatsky’s The Secret Doctrine. Instantly convinced of the truth of what she had read, she found a way to meet Blavatsky and became her student. The student turned teacher pretty quickly, traveling all over the world for the Theosophical Society. A few decades later she became the president of the Theosophical Society herself.
Annie Besant is best remembered for her work in supporting the people of India in their quest for independence.
Like the former two women, Karen Armstrong has sought the unity behind all religion. She’s not a member of the Theosophical Society, but I’m sure that organisation would be very happy to have her. She fits right in. With her interest in mysticism and history, themes theosophists have always been interested in, and her prolific writing – she is one of those people on the forefront in the fight for religious tolerance.