Lost Horizon: H.P. Blavatsky and Theosophical Orientalism

Abstract

The premise of is that there is an essential polarity between East and West. All the narratives and images are common in the modern West and, again, all trade in stereotypes, fostering a perception of the exotic and the essential otherness of the Orient. A key tenet of Theosophy, is the belief in the existence of a Divine Wisdom, Theosophia, which constitutes an ageless, occult guide to life, the universe, and everything. However, this type of Orientalist perennialism, which sought archaic connections between disparate philosophies, religions, and spiritualities, is likewise very typical of the period. Moreover, as well as the Romantic penchant for Orientalist perennialism, it was also prevalent among nineteenth century Hindu reformers. The point to note is that, while one might debate the details of Blavatsky's Orientalism, in the final analysis it was Orientalism and functioned, as all Orientalism does, as a form of colonialism. Keywords:colonialism; Exoteric Hinduism; H.P. Blavatsky; Theosophical Orientalism