The Vahan

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The Vahan was a theosophical journal published by Walter Gorn Old and GRS Mead . It existed in London from 1890 to 1920 . A German edition was published by Sophie Gräfin von Brockdorff from around 1900 to 1906 .

history

Vahan can be translated as carrier , mediator or medium . The title of the magazine should therefore also symbolize its goal: to be the bearer of the theosophical idea and to become a mediator between the Theosophical Society and its members .

In 1884/85 Helena Blavatsky came under pressure when the Coulomb Affair became known and later the Hodgson Report and had to leave India . Until her departure from India in 1885, Blavatsky had been Corresponding Secretary (to be translated by today's standards as PR officer or press officer ) of the Theosophical Society and exercised considerable influence on the fate of the organization. With her departure, she also gave up this position and with it the loss of practically all authority in society. After Blavatsky had again received support and support by founding the Blavatsky Lodge in London in 1887 , she founded her own European section, the European Section of the Theosophical Society , in July 1890 . In this section she brought together all national sections (e.g. the British Section of the Theosophical Society ) and lodges in Europe. The leading positions were filled with employees who were loyal to Blavatsky and this enabled her to once again exert personal influence on theosophical teaching. This European section was officially subordinate to the headquarters of the Theosophical Society in Adyar and thus its president Henry Steel Olcott , but in reality it was largely subject to Blavatsky's will.

In order to be able to convey the newly gained influence to the individual theosophists in Europe, Blavatsky started the magazine The Vahan and handed over the function of editor to Walter Gorn Old . The Vahan was thus the official publication organ of the European section of the Theosophical Society.

The magazine first appeared in December 1890 every two weeks. The first 15 issues were published under the direction of Walter Gorn Old . After Blavatsky's death in May 1891, George Robert Stow Mead (GRS Mead) took over the publication from August 1891 , he changed the publication to monthly. After Mead's departure from the Theosophical Society in February 1909, there was uncertainty about the other publisher (s).

The European section was dissolved in the course of restructuring measures around 1920 and the regional sections were again directly subordinate to the headquarters in Adyar. With that the Vahan lost its legitimacy and task. The last issue appeared in December 1920, then the magazine was discontinued. In the meantime, most of the regional sections were also publishing their own magazines, which could better deal with specific issues.

content

The main purpose of the magazine was to exchange opinions, criticisms and news within the European section but also throughout the Theosophical Society. Members could ask questions that will be answered in a future issue. Books were also presented and recommended, but the founding of new lodges or the priorities of existing lodges were also discussed. The dates and the content of upcoming courses or congresses reached the members in this way, as the magazine generally served to deepen communication with one another and thus the bond with the Theosophical Society.

German edition

From around 1900 to 1906 Sophie Countess von Brockdorff published a German edition of the Vahan under the title Der Vahan - Independent Monthly Journal for Theosophy . This first appeared in the context of the German Theosophical Society (DTG) and from 1902 in the German section of the Theosophical Society (DSdTG). [1]

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literature

  • Sarah Corbett: Extracts from the Vahan . Kessinger, Whitefish 2003, ISBN 0-7661-7632-0 . (Reprint from 1904)

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