Difference between revisions of "Canada, Theosophy in"

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In November, 1884 William Q. JUDGE, then Vice-President of the Theosophical Society (TS), returned to New York after visiting the Society’s headquarters in India. On the transatlantic crossing, one of his fellow passengers was a young Irishman, Albert E. S. Smythe (1861-1947) on his way to America as a prospective migrant. Their shipboard meeting was to have an important and lasting influence on both Smythe and the theosophical movement in Canada: so inspired was the young man with what he heard from Judge that he devoted the rest of his life to the cause. Smythe did not settle down immediately, but, after early career experiments on both sides of the Atlantic in 1890, he eventually established himself in Toronto, Canada.

Smythe introduced theosophy to that city and, within a few months, enrolled a sufficient number of members to apply for a branch charter of the Theosophical Society. These pioneers included the first woman to practice as a medical doctor in Canada and her daughter who was the first woman to graduate from a Canadian medical school. A young English immigrant Algernon BLACKWOOD, who later became a successful occult novelist, was among these pioneers of theosophy in Canada. Together they formed the Toronto Theosophical Society in 1891. Its charter bears the signature of Helena P. BLAVATSKY and was one of the last to be signed by her before her death. This branch is still active.

Although the TS gradually attracted members in the larger Canadian cities — branches were formed in Montreal and Victoria in 1892 — expansion was slow. Canada’s small population was scattered and vast areas of the young country were still virtual wilderness.

At this time Canadian members and branches came under the jurisdiction of the American Section of the Theosophical Society. At the 1895 Convention in Boston the lone Canadian delegate voted with the majority to form The Theosophical Society in America, as an autonomous body, under the Presidency of William Q. JUDGE. In the event, a small number of members in Toronto elected to remain with the original American Section. These were allowed to retain the original branch charter, while those who supported the change thereupon established a parallel Lodge, the two groups apparently co-existing fairly amicably.

The death of William Q. Judge in 1896 was followed by a turbulent period for the remainder of the decade which ended with three Theosophical organizations in North America. E. T. Hargrove became President but in 1898 the majority accepted the leadership of Katherine TINGLEY, who merged the TS in America with a new organization known as “Universal Brotherhood.” Initially, most of the Canadian members followed her. In 1899, however, discontent led to a number of resignations and expulsions, Smythe’s among them. Stability gradually returned to Theosophy in Canada but the next decade was one of slow growth. In 1903 the two branches in Toronto reunited and membership increased.

During this period Canadian branches and members continued to be part of the American Section and not until 1911 were there the requisite number of branches to form a separate Canadian Section. However, although various overtures to this effect came from the American headquarters, there was little enthusiasm for independence at this time.

Eventually two incidents caused concern among Canadian members. The first was an attempt by the TS in America to influence the British government to release TS International President Annie BESANT from internment in World War I. This did not meet with approval by the Canadians who had fought on the side of the Allies from the beginning of the war, which America was yet to join. The second incident was a proposed revision to the By-laws of the TS in America which would give the President what amounted to autocratic powers. This was not appreciated by most Canadian members who were loud in their protests and separation was actively pursued.

Finally, on November 12, 1919, the Theosophical Society in Canada was officially chartered as a national Section of the international body and Smythe was the first General Secretary. Difficulties experienced in the transfer of records from the American Section initially added to the inevitable growing pains but on the whole the new organizations was off to a promising start.

One of the new Section’s priorities was to publish a monthly journal. So it came about as early as March 1920 that the first number of The Canadian Theosophist came off the press. From the first issue until his death in 1947 it was edited by Smythe and quickly built up a strong subscriber base both in Canada and around the world.

At this time, Smythe edited one of Toronto’s daily newspapers and applied traditional journalistic standards to the new magazine. To this end he allowed criticism of the TS to be expressed. Editorials, articles and letters to the editor protested that the international Society had moved away from its original program as well as espousing various fringe activities. The criticism reflected a general dissidence in several parts of the Society around the world, but few others had the means with which to express their concerns. This might have passed without consequence but the associated implicit and explicit criticism of President Annie Besant and Charles W. LEADBEATER was resented by a minority of Canadian readers. Failing to stifle free expression in the magazine’s columns, they then appealed to Mrs. Besant to allow them to leave the Section but remain in the Society with special status. In 1923 she granted their request and the dissidents broke away to form the Canadian Federation, TS, thus making Canada the only country in the world having two distinct national Societies within the international body.

The two organizations, each in its own way, continued to serve Theosophy in Canada for the following seventy years. From time to time attempts were made towards reunification, but the will was never present on both sides at the same time. Nevertheless, the two organizations went about their activities separately but in relative harmony, nor was the status quo seriously altered when on January 1, 1992, the General Council of the Theosophical Society disassociated The Theosophical Society in Canada from its ranks and the Canadian Federation, now a regional association became the official unit of the TS (Adyar) for Canada.

In Canada, for a long time, there were two groups of lodges and members, namely the Canadian Section TS and the Canadian Federation TS. The origin of these two bodies goes back to the first quarter of this century. Normally the TS does not approve of the existence of separate bodies in the same place, since its aim is to unite all people in a nucleus of universal brotherhood. Only when there are “serious and weighty reasons” are lodges or individuals permitted to leave the concerned National Society and become directly attached to headquarters. There were such reasons to allow a Federation independent of the Section in Canada.

However, the Canadian Section (The TS in Canada) took steps in 1991 to alter the picture. Registered in 1976 as a Corporation under the laws governing business corporations in Canada, some changes were made in its by-laws which were incompatible with the Rules and Regulations of the International Society. Though the then President John Coats objected, the situation did not change. Later, several amendments were again made to the by-laws eliminating all references to the International Society.

After discussion of the different aspects of the question, the General Council (the governing body) of the International Society decided on January 1, 1992, that since all references to the parent Society have been removed from its by-laws the TS in Canada can no longer be considered as part of the International Society.

The Canadian Federation thus now remains the only body affiliated to the International Society and recognized as a constituent.

Theosophy in Canada has also been enriched with contributions from other organizations. The United Lodge of Theosophists has been active in various cities over many years. There have also been a number of Canadian students of theosophy affiliated with the Point Loma Theosophical Society. La Societe Theosophique du Quebec, associated with the Canadian Federation TS serves French speaking Canadians in Quebec.

Among the independent Canadian theosophical organizations is the H. P. B. LIBRARY. Founded in 1917 by Alice L. CLEATHER, a member of Blavatsky’s Inner Group, the library includes many volumes from her personal collection. In addition to a public lending service, the H. P. B. LIBRARY keeps in print the “Peking” edition of The Voice of the Silence, the 1925 publication of which was encouraged by the Tashi Lama who also penned for it a brief exhortation, “The Path of Liberation.” The Library also publishes Cleather’s three books championing Madame Blavatsky.

The Blavatsky Institute of Canada was founded in 1924 for the purpose of re-issuing out-of-print theosophical literature. More recently, the Edmonton Theosophical Society has in place an active ongoing program to reprint early theosophical journals in quality bindings.

Magazine publishing has also been an important part of theosophical activity in Canada. In 1894, Smythe had begun editing and publishing the first Canadian theosophical journal, The Lamp. This independent monthly in a 16-page format attracted subscribers from all over America and a few in Europe, but most of its 5,000 print-run was distributed by volunteers free to Toronto households. Publication was suspended in 1896 when the editor spent much of his time criss-crossing America lecturing to theosophical groups. Resettling in Toronto, Smythe resuscitated his magazine. Still independent, it now aspired to an international reputation with Daniel N. Dunlop, former editor of The Irish Theosophist and now living in London, named as co-editor. Regrettably, this venture lasted only a year and Canada thereafter remained without a theosophical journal for the next 20 years when the previously mentioned Canadian Theosophist filled the void.

The Canadian Federation had been represented with a series of theosophical journals, starting in 1929 with the Federation Quarterly. This was succeeded in similar format but with different titles: Federation News (1975) and Theosophy (1981). The current journal, in a new format, is The Light Bearer. Also the Federation has been well represented in the French language since 1983 with the quarterly Ouverture.

T.G.D