White Lotus Day 2023: Date, History, Facts about Theology

Theosophists celebrate White Lotus Day on May 8 annually. It commemorates the demise of Russian noblewoman and co-founder of the Theosophical Society Helena Petrovna Blavatsky. There are numerous theosophical organisations in the globe, but they all share this celebration. The name ‘White Lotus Day’ was derived from an observation by co-founder American Colonel Henry Steel Olcott that, one year after Blavatsky’s death, white lotuses grew in an unusual abundance at the international headquarters of the organisation in Chennai, India. More than a hundred esoteric religious movements were founded as a result of the society’s propagation of Eastern thought in the West.

The background of White Lotus Day

The contemporary theosophical movement began in 1875 when Helena Blavatsky, Henry Olcott, and William Quan Judge founded the Theosophical Society in New York City. After years of travelling and studying in Europe and the Middle East, the Russian aristocrat Blavatsky departed for the United States in 1873. In 1875, Olcott, an American barrister, journalist, and spiritualism student, was captivated by the teachings and became the society’s president. In 1878, they emigrated to India and settled in Adyar, which now functions as the international headquarters of the organisation. Branch societies were established in key cities throughout India, Europe, and North America.

The term Theosophy is derived from the Greek ‘theos,’ which means ‘god,’ and’sophia,’ which means ‘wisdom,’ and is commonly understood to mean ‘divine wisdom.’

Theosophists emphasise mystic experience and believe in a spiritual reality that is more profound. They believe that it is possible to establish direct contact with this reality through intuition, meditation, revelation, and other states that transcend human consciousness. Modern theosophists assert that all world religions contain this type of interior teaching, and a great deal of effort is devoted to deciphering the meaning of sacred texts. They are also fascinated by preternatural or other extraordinary occurrences, as well as the attainment of psychic and spiritual abilities. Theosophists assert that knowledge of divine wisdom grants access to the mysteries of nature and the human soul. Although Olcott designated this day as White Lotus Day, Blavatsky believed that the flower represented the emergence of the objective from the subjective, as well as the transformation of divine ideation from the abstract to the concrete or visible form.

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5 THEOLOGY FACTS YOU DIDN’T KNOW

The theosophical movement continues to exist, albeit in a much diminished guise compared to its heyday.

If you don’t reside close enough to a centre, you can join the Theosophical Society by becoming a national member.

Blavatsky viewed herself as a missionary of ancient knowledge and travelled the globe while composing occult books such as “Isis Unveiled” and “The Secret Doctrine.”

According to the Theosophical Society, she was a remarkable child who displayed psychic abilities at a young age.

It expresses the order of the universe and the spiritual unity of all life by combining symbols from various religious traditions around the world.