St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-11-08
WHAT'S THEOSOPHY?
Mr.. Pettigrew, Of the Local
Theosophieal Society, Says
1t Is Spreading.
He Enlarges Upon the End
and Aims of the Occult
Religion.
A Reply to Moneure Conway's
Article on Madame Bla-
vatsky.
General Secretary Judge Will
Address Theosophists and
Others This Evening.

William Q. Judge, who is making a
lecturing tour in the interest of theOSo-
phy, arrived in st. Paul yesterday, and
is engaged for lecture tins evening at
the Unitarian church. Mr.. Judge is
the general secretary of the TheOSoph-
zeal society insAmerica. In connection
with Mr.. Judges visit the following IN
teryiew with ii. c. Pettigrew. president
of the st. Paul Theosophical society, is
of great interest:
'Who is Mr.. Judge?' was asked.
professionally, he is a prdcticing
lawyer of New York city. He was one
of the charter members of the Theo-
Sophical society when it was formed in
1915 in New York, and is now the
general secretary OF the American sec
ton. He has just been giving series
of lectures OH theosODhy at various
points between San Francisco and st.
Paul"
us the movement making much head
way?'
"Uneuestionably. 1t is, perhaps, one
OF the indications of the fin de steele
restleSsness of thought. People are
trying in various directions to find
solution for the problem of the universe,
and those of a philosophical bent are
naturally attracted 10y the exposition
offered by theoSophy."
You call it philosophy? | thought
it was sort of magic-made-easy re-
ligiOn."
at is philosophy founded upon the
theories of Indian metaphySicianS,
whose position is almost identical with
that of the profounder German philO-
sophical writer's. Perhaps this state
ment in itself holds sufficient excuse
for the distorted representations of it
That are popularity accepted"
But doesn't it involve some Sleight-
Of-hand proficiency? You have read
MOncure ID. Conway's recent article OH
Mime. Blavatsky?o
Yes, l have read it with the respect
Mr.. Conway'S name demands. He has
made mistake which he would not
have made if he had been more familiar
with theosOphical matters. Nine. Bla-
vatsky stated to him that the 'plenOm-
ena' which excited SO much attention in
the early days of the society were
merely tine result Of glamOur-that peO-
TLS imagined they saw what did not
re7> exist. Mr.. Conway regards this
as 'cenfpSSiOn,' and looks upon it as an
acknowledgment of fraud. lie appar-
emily does not know that the 'confes-
sion was made not only to him but to
every inquirer, and that the one eX-
PLANTATION given by Nine. BlayatSky
first, last and all the time, of the sur
Drising phenomena referred to was that
they were psychological tricks'-the
result of glamour There was no Sc
cret about it,"
But how did this mysterious CLAM
our operate?
LET me tell you an incident. One
evening a gentleman cOnYersng with
Mime. BlaFatsky on the fOrtitude de-
manded by the explorer of occultiSm
rather bOastiugIy declared that his
nerves were good proof against any
shock. Are theyM said the lady. Very
well: will you kindly pick up my hand
kerchief?' He stopped TO do so. but
Sprang back with very natural terror
when q YenOmOuS snake thrust its head
out from the folds of the fallen hand
kerchef 1t was not necessary to draw
any deduction as to the control over his
nerves of which he had boosted. Some
one who was present asked her what
would had been the result if he had
picked up the handkerchief in spite of
the reptile. He would have found that
there was nothing there she answered.
That was glamour enough of a
Mystery in ItseIE''
But do you believe such tales?"
Il can diSbelieve them if / am willing
20 take the position that scores of other
wise reputable persons have spoken
falsely without occasion, and that the
whole realm of nature and natures law
is so thoroughly explored that nothing
remains TO be discovered. | confess
Edison has made it easier for me to be-
lieve that there are regions yet to be
mastered. OccultiStS constantly assert
that what seems phenomenal in such
matters Is really in the stricteSt accord
pnce with law, though with laws not yet
generally known. and that the wOrd
miracle is absurd
But what good comes of it at Iast?''
What good comes of Edison's labora-
tory experiments? You must not make
the mistake of suppoSing that the pro-
duction Of phenomena is the object
Of theoSophy. TbeosoDhy. as | said, is
aphilOsOphy which embraces the laws
Of nature and of being, physical,
mental, moral and spiritual. Most
strongly it emphasizes the moral,
and if you dip ever so little into
theosOphical writings you will find
that their chief precept is hnselfishness
and their chief doctrine absolute Justice.
You may accept such teachings or not,
but you cannot very well denounce
them"
But theo sophlsts believe in trans
migration of souls. do they not?''
Decidedly not. No more than an
evolutioniSt believes in gathering figs
from thistles They do believe in re-
incarnation. That is, that human
soul will have to make use of more than
one human body before it gains all the
experience that the chances of life on
Ibis earth offer In other words, they
10 not believe that evolution stops at
man, and that man is ready. on drop
ping his body, to JON the angels. They
believe he is 10 work his way for every
stage beyond common humanity, Just as
ne has worked his way up to this level -
"Ghen il is more eyolutioary than the
evOIutiOniSts?''
Exactly, and has no quarrel with
Them except for not carrying their the
Dry far enough. With the theory of re-
incarnation goes that of karma-that is,
Of desert as determining the direction
taken by the incarnating ego. You
work your way from what you are to
what is beyond you under a law of alb
sOlute Justice. The man you are to-day
shows how far you have progressed on
that path of development which takes
IN many lives"