Talk:Alice Bailey/re-draft

Alice Ann Bailey (June 16, 1880 – December 15, 1949), known as Alice A. Bailey or AAB, was born as Alice LaTrobe Bateman, in Manchester, UK, but moved to the U.S. in 1907, where she spent most of her life as a writer and teacher. Bailey's twenty-five books are published worldwide, and some have been translated into nine languages, with three more in progress. Writing on spiritual, occult, esoteric and religious themes, Bailey was among the earliest authors to popularize the terms New Age and Age of Aquarius. Her humanitarian philosophy is still influential and there are many groups, schools and organizations that study and implement her ideas worldwide.

She stated that most of her books were telepathically dictated to her by a "Master of the Wisdom" she referred to as "The Tibetan." Her writings range from the microcosm to the macrocosm, and expound a system of esoteric thought that includes subjects such as meditation, healing, spiritual psychology, the destiny of nations, and prescriptions for society in general.

Her writings have much in common with those of Madame Blavatsky, yet they differ from Theosophy in many respects. She wrote about religious themes, especially Christianity, but her writings are fundamentally contrary to many aspects of orthodox Christianity and to orthodox religions in general. Her vision of a unified society includes a global "spirit of religion" different from traditional religious forms (which she regarded as largely divisive, human creations).

Bailey's writings stirred controversy because she spoke against orthodox Christianity, American isolationism, nationalism, Soviet totalitarianism, fascism, and Nazism. She also criticized Zionism and the Jewish religion and history. Some have seen her writings on this as racist, and anti-Semitic.

Childhood
Alice Bailey was born to a wealthy aristocratic British family, and as a member of the Anglican Church, received a thorough Christian education. She describes a lonely and "over-sheltered" childhood and was unhappy despite the luxury of her physical circumstances. (Bailey, 9. 12).

In her autobiography she relates three suicide attempts. These occurred in childhood, the first when, at the age of five. At age 15, Bailey was visited by a stranger, "...a tall man, dressed in European clothes and wearing a turban." She supposed this individual was Jesus, but later she identified him as Master Koot Hoomi. In her autobiography she identified the date of the visit as June 30th, 1895.

Adult life
At age 22 Bailey did evangelical work in connection with the YMCA and the British Army. This took her to India where, in 1907, she met her future husband, Walter Evans. Together they moved to America where Evans became an Episcopalian priest. However, this marriage did not last. She stated that her husband mistreated her and in one of his fits of temper, threw her down the stairs. Bailey pushed for and received a divorce. (Bailey, p. 121–122) She left with their three children; after formal separation in 1915. Then followed a difficult period in which she had to work as a factory hand to support herself and the children. (Bailey, p. 121–122) Bailey's break was not only with her Christian husband, but with Orthodox Christianity in general. In her autobiography she wrote that “a rabid, orthodox Christian worker [had] become a well-known occult teacher.”(Bailey, p. 1 & p. 47).

In the United States, in 1915, Bailey discovered the Theosophical Society and the work of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (Bailey, pp 134–136). In 1918 she became a member of the Esoteric section of the this society. She claimed to recognize Koot Hoomi, the master that had visited her in her childhood, from a portrait she saw in the Shrine Room of the Theosophical Society. (Bailey, pp 156). Bailey wrote much about those she called the “Masters of the Wisdom,” which she believed to be a brotherhood of enlightened sages working under the guidance of "the Christ." In part, she stated her writings were an effort to clarify the nature of these Masters, and their work. (Bailey, p. 4)

In 1917, Bailey became involved in the Theosophical Society. "She quickly rose to a position of influence in the American Section of the Adyar society, moving to its headquarters at Krotona in Hollywood. She became editor of its magazine, "The Messenger, and member of the committee responsible for Krotona."

Bailey wrote that, in 1919, she was contacted by a Master known as The Tibetan (later associated with the initials D.K., and eventually the name Djwhal Khul). (Bailey, pp. 162–163). She states that she was eventually persuaded to write down the communications from this source. She wrote for 30 years, from 1919 to 1949. . The result was 24 published books on ancient wisdom, philosophy, religion, contemporary events, science, psychology, nations, astrology, and healing.

Also in 1919, 32nd degree Freemason Foster Bailey (1888-1977), who was to be her second husband, became National Secretary of the Theosophical Society; (Bailey, p. 157) they married in 1921.

"The Theosophist published the first few chapters of her first work, Initiation, Human and Solar, but then stopped for reasons Bailey called 'theosophical jealousy and reactionary attitude.' " Bailey, "objected to the neo-Theosophy of Annie Besant"  and worked with Foster Bailey to gain more power in the American Section" She became part of a progressive, " 'Back to Blavatsky movement, led mainly by Mr. and Mrs Foster Bailey,"  She outlined her vision for the Esoteric Section of the Theosophical Society and by annuciating ideals of tolerance and brotherhood.    However, her efforts to influence the society failed, and she and her husband were dismissed from their positions.

According to author Olav Hammer, Bailey's early writings of communications with the Tibetan were well received within the society, but society president Annie Besant questioned Bailey's claims of communications with "the Tibetan" and expelled the Baileys from the organization. According to Bailey, she had come to see the society as authoritarian and involved with "lower psychic phenomena.". In her writings, however, she continued to acknowledge the importance of Madame Blavatsky's works, and saw her own task as the continuation and further development of Blavatsky’s teachings. (Bailey, pp. 168–177)

In 1923, with the help of Foster Bailey, Alice Bailey founded the Arcane School, which gave (and still gives) a correspondence course based on her books (Bailey, pp. 192–193). The Arcane School is part of the Lucis Trust, a not-for-profit foundation that also publishes Bailey's works. Together with Foster Bailey, she organized an International Goodwill Movement  About 100 of Alice Bailey's public talks and private talks to her more advanced Arcane School students are available online. Bailey continued to work right up to the time of her death in 1949.

Esoteric philospophy
Underlying her writings is the idea that all is energy and that spirit, matter, and the psychic forces intermediate between them are forms of energy. This energy is life itself. From one essential energy, divinity, procedes seven rays that underly and shape the evolution of human life and the entire phenomenal world. On a cosmic level these seven rays of energy are the creative forces of planets and stars. On a microcosmic level they are the creative forces conditioning the physical, psychic, and spiritual constitution of man. (Jurriaance, p. 73-152) All rays and centers are focuses of some type of evolving life or consciousness. (Jurriaance, p. 35-52)   This includes everything from atoms to centers or chakars in the human consitution, and upwards through the human aura to groups of humans as centers, and cities and nations as centers. (Jurriaance, p. 79- 90 )   Humanity as a whole is conceived as a center of energy as are the masters of wisdom of which she writes.

The concept of the rays can also be found in Theosophical works. Campbell writes that Bailey, "...was the first to develop the idea of the seven rays, although it can be found in germ in earlier Theosophical writings."

In line with previous Theosophical teachings, Bailey taught that man is a soul working through a personality. The soul constitutes the love aspect, and the personality consists of the mind, emotions, and physical body. Mind and emotions are not conceived to be simply ephemeral brain effects, but as "psychical" energies that are part of the inner constitution of individuals, and which create the aura. She uses traditional terms for these lower three "vehicles" or "sheaths": etheric body, astral body and mental body. These auric aspects of the human being are defined as partial emanations or expressions of the soul, which is itself synonymous with the evolving human consciousness.

In Bailey's writings, evolution is defined as a process of integration and alignment of man's "lower sheaths" with the will of the soul &mdash; the "at-one-ment" of the personality.

She wrote that, behind all human evolution stands a brotherhood of enlightened souls who have guided and aided humanity throughout history. For Bailey, the evolution of humanity is intimately bound up with its relationship to this spiritual hierarchy. The stimulating and uplifting influences of religions, philosophies, sciences, educational movements, and human culture in general are the result of this relationship.

Bailey elaborates the relation of humanity to the Hierarchy in her teaching on "Discipleship in the New Age." A disciple is an accepted student, or chela, in the spiritual ashram of a Master. In this scheme, all awakening souls stand in some relationship&mdash;for a long time unconsciously, but eventually in full conscious awareness&mdash;to some particular Master. For Bailey, discipleship means work&mdash;service&mdash;and the evolution of those sensitivites and powers that enhance that labor. Disciples will never gain such powers or awareness unless and until they will be used solely for unselfish service. (Bailey, p. 38)

Douglas Russell, who cites Alice Bailey, writes of the "one humanity" concept as it appears in the philosophy of Psychosynthesis, derived in part from the influence of Alice Bailey through her association with Dr. Roberto Assagioli, founder of Psychosynthesis.

Ross describes Bailey's writiings as emphasizing the "underlying unity of all forms of life," and the "essential onensss of all religions, of all departments of science, and of all the philosophies"  Author Campbell notes that the New Group of World Servers, was established for  "...promotion of international understanding, economic sharing, and religious unity." and Sutcliffe describes Bailey's teachings on what she called "the Plan": "World Goodwill has also promoted the idea of a 'new group of world servers': that is, a group of all races, classes and creeds who 'serve the Plan, humanity, the Hierarchy and the Christ'"

Bailey wrote of "the return of the Christ", but her concept had little in common with that of the orthodox Christian churches. In Bailey's thought, no one particular group can claim Him &mdash; the New Age Christ belongs to whole world, and not to Christians alone, or to any nation or group. (Bailey, p 109) Bailey was highly critical of orthodox Christianity &mdash; according to her, much of the Church's teaching about Christ's return is directly opposed to His own intentions. (Bailey, p 110) Some writers consider Bailey's concepts to be related to paganism.

Social philosophy
Bailey spoke out strongly against all forms of fanaticism and intolerance." She criticized many nations, groups and religions based on what she believed were violations of the spirit of unity and brotherhood.

In general with regards to the races, Bailey believed in the humanitarian importance of unity, and that the source of human problems is the spirit of separation that causes individuals and groups to set themselves apart from the rest of humanity. (Bailey, p. 375)

Bailey wrote regarding intermarriage between races that "the best and soundest thinkers in both the white and black races at this time deplore mixed marriages. They mean no happiness for either party." Her comments on the topic are a little obscure: on the one hand she suggests that mixed marriages have unhappy effects, presumably because of the sociolgy of prejudice. On the other hand she seems to view them as positive and conributing to the solution of racial tensions. And elsewhere she writes that marriages are rooted in soul relationships, and that intermarriage in general is not a solution, but that the solution is in appreciation of the good qualites in groups other than one's own and the killing out of the sense of racial superiority.

Bailey wrote much about the Jewish people, referring to them collectively as a race, with group karma, characteristics, and behaviors, rather than as individuals. She explained what she called the "Jewish problem" as resulting from negative karma accumulated by the Jews due to "acts and deeds there claimed by him as his racial acts and deeds (conquest, terrorism and cruelty)..." and wrote that the solution will come "...when the races regard the Jewish problem as a humanitarian problem but also when the Jew does his share of understanding, love and right action. This he does not yet do, speaking racially."

After the World War II, she criticized the Jews and spoke against Zionism, stating it to be, "… contrary to the lasting good of mankind"  and  "The Jews, by their illegal and terrorist activities, have laid a foundation of great difficulty for those who are seeking to promote world peace."

Bailey also spoke out strongly against hatred of the Jews and believed in a future in which they would "fuse and blend with the rest of mankind." In her autobiography Bailey stated that she was on Hitler's "blacklist", and she believed it was because of her defense of the Jews during her lectures throughout Europe. Bailey also criticized the cruelty of the Gentile for his treatment of the Jews. In contrast, she stated that the Jews are themselves responsible for the bad treatment they received, writing: "Changed inner attitudes are needed on both sides, but very largely on the side of the Jews".

Comparison with Theosophy
Campbell writes that Bailey's books are a reworking of major Theosophical themes, with some distinctive emphasies, and that they present a comprehensive system of esoteric science and occult philosophy, cognizant of contemporary social and political developments. Sutcliffe points out that both Bailey and Blavatsky's work evoke a picture of Tibet as the spiritual home of the Masters and that Bailey claimed a more-or-less direct lineage to Blavatsky. Sutcliffe describes Bailey as a 'post-Theosophical' theorist and reports that her books were influenced by Blavatsky's teachings through former pupils and through Bailey's study of Blavatsky's The Secret Doctrine. and that her third book, A Treatise on Cosmic Fire (1925), is contains a dedication to Blavatsky

Dr. Jon Klimo, in Investigations on Receiving Information from Paranormal Sources, writes, "As with Blavatsky/Theosophical material, and more recent contemporary channeled material from other sources, we find in the Bailey work the same occult cosmological hierarchy: physical, etheric, astral, mental, causal, and higher inhabited levels of existence." Hammer, in the book Claiming Knowledge: Strategies of epistemology from theosophy to the new age, highlights Bailey's Theosophical similarities as well as noting what he thinks are some differences between them: "To a large extent, Bailey's teachings are a restatement and amplification of theosophy of the Secret Doctrine.  Bailey inherited from Blavatsky and Leadbeater a predilection for profuse details and complex classificatory schemes. ... Her books have also introduces shifts in emphasis as well as new doctrinal elements."

In contrast to the above, some Theosophical critics of Bailey contend that there are major differences between the Theosopy of H. P. One key differences relates to Bailey's embrace of some mystical Christian terms and concepts and her study of what author Campbell calls "pseudo-theosophy pioneered by CW Leadbeater".

Theosophists are divided on their assessment of Alice Bailey's writings. For instance, the noted contemporary Theosophical writer Geoffrey Hodson wrote a highly favorable review of one her books, saying, "Once more Alice Bailey has placed occult students in her debt." And Gallagher writes, "Her first book, Initiation Human and Solar, was at first favorably received by her fellow theosophists. Soon, however, her claims to be recipient of ageless wisdom from the Masters met with opposition." The conflict is understandable since her works contain some criticisms of Theosophy, and at the time of the break she voiced her criticism of what she saw as dogmatic structures within the society, while questioning the pledges of loyalty to Theosophical leaders that were required. "During the annual convention of 1920 in Chicago, there was a power struggle between forces loyal to Besant and the Esoteric Section and others who believed that the ES had become too powerful. Below the surface was a hidden controversy regarding Alice's work with the Tibetan." For a more recent example of Bailey/Theosophy division, see the Theosophy in Scandinavia

With regard to terminology, Reigle points out Blavatsky's aversion to the word "God," then in a critique of Bailey's acceptance and use of the term.

With respect to the similarities of the two schools, in her book The Key to Theosophy, in a subsection titled "The Unity of All in All," H. P. Blavatsky writes:

"In their origin and in eternity the three, like the universe and all therein, are one with the absolute Unity, the unknowable deific essence I spoke about some time back. We believe in no creation, but in the periodical and consecutive appearances of the universe from the subjective onto the objective plane of being, at regular intervals of time, covering periods of immense duration."

Like Theosophy, Alice Bailey’s writings repeatedly emphasize unity. She believed her works were part of an unfolding revelation of ageless wisdom to humanity, of which Theosophical teachings were the predecessor and preparation. Some writers state that Bailey's writings have much in common with Theosophy, and both contain these ideas. While other writers describe several themes that, in some degree, distinguish her writings from Theosophy and related traditions.

Influence
Sir John Sinclair, Bt., gives a commentary on the seminal influence of Alice Bailey, which he says underlies the consciousness growth movement in the 20th century. In Perspectives on the New Age we find, "The most important&mdash;though certainly not the only&mdash;source of this transformative metaphor, as well as the term "New Age," was Theosophy, particularly as the Theosophical perspective was mediated to the movement by the works of Alice Bailey."

Bailey has been cited in numerous professional journals    , and Wessinger says Bailey was a liberated woman "… sixty years before it became popular."

Bailey's thought has had an influence in the field of Psychotherapy and Healing. Dr. Roberto Assagioli's Psychosynthesis philosophy was in part derived from the influence of Alice Bailey through his close association with her.

An article in Encyclopedia Britannica describes Alice Bailey founding the Arcane School to disseminate spiritual teachings, and organizing a world-wide 'Triangles' program to bring people together in groups of three, for daily meditation. Their belief was that they received divine energy through meditation; this energy is transmitted to humanity, so raising spiritual awareness. Dr G. D. Chryssides of the University of Wolverhampton, cites Bailey's influence on the ideas of the Order of the Solar Temple and related organisations. In a book on history of the Bollingen Foundation and its pervasive influence on American intellectual life, William McGuire wrote of Bailey's influence on its founder, Olga Froebe-Kapteyn.

Alice Bailey's influence can be found in the many groups currently disseminating her teachings and practicing her meditation methods, some of which have an active presence on the internet.

Racism and antisemitism
In 1998, Dr. Victor Shnirelman, a cultural anthropologist and ethnographer, surveyed modern Neopaganism in Russia, drawing particular attention to "… groups [that] take an extremely negative view of multi-culturalism, object to the 'mixture' of kinds, [and] support isolationism and the prohibition of immigration." He noted that a number of Bailey's books, as well as those of her contemporary Julius Evola, had been recently translated into Russian, and said that "… racist and antisemitic trends are explicit, for example, in the occult teachings of Alice Bailey (founder of the New Age movement) and her followers, who wish to cleanse Christianity of its 'Jewish inheritance' and reject the 'Jewish Bible' as a prerequisite for entering the Age of Aquarius."

Monica Sjöö, a Swedish-born British artist, radical feminist, and advocate of the Goddess movement, wrote in her book, New Age Channelings - Who or What is being Channeled?, of Bailey's "reactionary and racist influence on the whole New Age movement."

The American Chassidic author Rabbi Yonassan Gershom in his article "Antisemitic Stereotypes in Alice Bailey's Writings," replied to Bailey's plan for a New World Order by saying that her call for "the gradual dissolution&mdash;again if in any way possible&mdash;of the Orthodox Jewish faith" revealed that "her goal is nothing less than the destruction of Judaism itself." This, however, ignores her doctrine of the underlying unity, gradual co-operation and eventual synthesis of all faiths.

Prophecies and obscurity
Stephenson analyzed the prophecies contained in the Alice Bailey works, breaking them down into dated and undated prophecies, prophecies confirmed, and non-determinable. While some some her prophecies appear to have been accurate, others do not. For instance, Bailey states, "From the chair of the Pope of Rome, the Master Jesus will attempt to swing that great branch of the religious beliefs of the world again into a position of spiritual power and away from its present authoritative and temporary political potency."

Roberts criticizes Bailey's writings as not empirical, naturalistic or humanistic but rather romantic and symbolical with a bewildering variety of terms.

Conflicts with competing schools of thought
Writing from a Christian church perspective,Bromley says:

"After World War II, Eastern thought was filtered through (and more or less distored by) the likes of Manley Palmer Hall, Alice Bailey, Baird T. Spaulding, and Edwin Dingle. Possibly more important than their individual teachings, however, occultists as a group hammered home the central idea, 'The East is the true home of spiritual knowledge and occult wisdom.'

Bailey has been criticized by some religious writers because she wrote of Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, and Theosophical beliefs with authority while expressing non-conformity to the orthodox belief systems of these varied religious traditions.

Bailey's books have also been criticized as a form of Neo-Theosophy by mainstream Theosophists who say that a great many of her ideas were borrowed from Theosophy while also including perspectives that were not part of the original Theosophical teachings of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky.