The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-04-12
NEW And
STRANGE
Are the Doctrines Brought to
Topeka Today
By World Famous Woman,
Mrs. Annie Besant
HEAD OF THEOSOPHY.
Teaches the ReincarnatiOn OF
Human Souls.
She Is on Her Way Around the
World.

When Mrs. Annie Besant high priest
ess of Theosophy wrote her name on
the National hotel register at noon to-
day and after it the address London
a politician who was looking over her
shoulder whistled softly and said un-
der his breath: ''They came a long
way" He had never heard of the no
ted woman, but then politicians should
not be expected to know everything
one might say, hardly anything.
Mrs. Besant wrote her own name on
the register and under it the name of
Miss Anna Wilson, who is tall woman
with eyeglasses and who Mrs. Besant
says rs good enough to act as my sec
retary. The Countess Wachmeister is
the other member of the party. The
countess went Immediately to her room
and paid no attention to Mrs. Besant
and her secretary. She said she was
tired and wished to rest.
Topeka has never been honored with
visit from real live theosophist. Mrs.
Besant told a Journal reporter that she
did not know that there was person
in Topeka who believes in theosophy
but before she leaves she hopes to set
the leaVen to working that will result
in the organization of a powerful
branch in the capital city of Kansas.
Mrs. BeSant does not look like an
American and does not talk like one
She is a pleasant faced woman with
white hair. She wears on the street an
oVergarment resembling the old-fash-
ioned circulars worn by women. The
cloak is very heavy and would be un-
comfortable if worn by a Kansas wO-
man. A shawl is wrapped around the
body like a sash which gives her an or
iental appearance.
I have been in the west before
said Mrs. Besant to a Journal reporter
but never stopped in Topeka. Il
suppose you want to know something
about theoSophy We take the position
that theOSophy is the basis of the old
religion. ,Theosophy fs knowledge and
religions lost their power because they
have lost their knowledge and they
have to depend upon faith.
''Theosophy offers the knowledge
which the religions lost. We say give
back to religion its authority by rem
dering its evidences available to mod
ern science. When this is done the man
who refuses to accept religion will be
considered irrational just as we now
consider a man irrational who refuses
to accept the teachings of science
Mrs. Besant was asked whether she
expected to start a branch of her so
ciety in Topeka.
Yes" she replied, 1--WE hope to do so.
I understand that there are some peo-
pie here who have been studying but [
do not know that We shall make an or
ganization now. We would prefer to
have the people study awhile before the
society is organized. That is absolute
" necessary in order to accept the
truth"
The successor of Madame BIavatsky
like all other theosophists believes in
the doctrine of reincarnation. ''As you
sow, so shall you reap is ner theory
She believes that if a person lives as he
should and improves his opportunities
that when his soul reappears it will
be in better state.
when see a person uncultivated
and rude, said she, I know that his
soul is young. 1t may be that a per-
son does nothing to improve himself.
He makes no effort whatever and
when he appears again on earth he is
no "a 6o
1t is degeneration, if anything. The
doctrine of karma is that nothing is at
tanned without labor"
Some one has said that the soul of
Madame Blavatsky, founder of theoso-
ply, has been reincarnated in a babe
born to Claude Falls Wright, president
of the Brooklyn Theosophical society,
which is one of the seeding organiza-
tfons, but Mrs. Besant laughed when a
Journal reporter asker her if she be-
lieved that to be the case
There have been numberless claims
that soul of Madame Blavatsky has
been reincarnated in babies in Amer
ica,' said She but it has not I know
where it is and it will show. It is
where Madame Blavatsky wished it to
go, in the body of a young man in
India. I feel perfectly certain of that
While Mrs. Besant asserts that she
is positive of the location Of the soul
of the famous founder of theosophy,
she never tells where 1t IS. That IS
one of her secrets which she says time
will reveal.
It takes Mrs. Besant to explain rein
carnation, and if you wish to know
what you will be when you return to
earth in the process of evolution a con-
ference with her may give you the de-
sired information.
Before Mrs. Besant became a. theoso-
phist she was a prominent London So
cialist, but she seldom talks of social
ism now. Il have given up the study
of all social and political question:"
said she, when questioned about her
views on socialism. Before became
in the constitution and I have always
been opposed to the shedding of blood,
but 1 no longer study those questions.
feel that my brain is that of a teacher
and not that required in a leader in
political or social movements. I there
fore prefer to teach the truths of theos-
ophy."
Mrs. Besant seldom speaks Of the Sc
ceders from the parent organization of
theosophists, and when she does it is
with some show of bitterness. The Sc
ceders are what is known as the Ting
ley branch and Mrs. Tingley of New
York is the recognized head
Mrs. Besant says that the whole trOu-
BILE was the outgrowth of some trouble
with a secretary whose accounts were
in bad shape and who refused to make
any explanations. Il told him that if
he did not clear himself he would be ex-
PEELED and he started the new branch.
The next year he died and Mrs. Ting
lev became his successor. L know moth
ing about them, absolutely nothing.
They do not belong to u.s.
The headquarters OF the theoSoph1StS