1. What’s your name, where are you from and how long have you been a member of the TS? My name is Andrea Biasca-Caroni, Ascona, Switzerland. I’m member since ’99.

2. Are you active in your Lodge/Section and if so, what do you do? I’m president, organizer and host of the European Seminar in my hotel, www.hotel-ascona.ch since 10 years approx. My hotel is at disposal as International Center for Theosophical Study. We have a panoramic position up on the “Hill of the Truth” Monte Verità that at the end of 19th century hosted for 20 years a vegetarian colony with lot of Theosophists from Europe. Theosophy was brought to Italy from Ascona here as well tooMore infos on www.teosofia.ch

3. How did you first learn about Theosophy or come in contact with the Society? It was in Italy, Jesolo during a seminar of the Italian Section.

4. What does Theosophy mean to you? It’s my life. No Theosophy, no life !

5. What is your favorite Theosophical book and why? The Divine Plan

Geoff R. Barborka, Geoffrey A. BarborkaTheosophical Publishing House

I like the Divine Plan thanks to the clarity and organized explanations of sanskrit terms. I’m translating it to Italian, it take an infinite amount of time and patience. It’s a good training.

5. What in your opinion is the biggest challenge the TS is facing at the moment?

Renovating Adyar Headquarters is the very important challenge now and thanks to the dynamism of the new team of Pres. Tim Boyd, we surely succeed.

6. Is there anything you would wish for the future of the Theosophical Movement? During the convention we are a lot of Theosophists in one place, always together, around are only Theosophists and for a short period of time the sensation is that the world is ready have this fantastic atmosphere, it seems to be possible. My wish is to bring this atmosphere in the world wherever I go.

From the editor:

Opinions and ideas expressed in the mini-interviews are exclusively of those who are being interviewed. They don’t necessarily represent the ideas and opinions of the compilers of Theosophy Forward. The responses of the interviewees are not edited for content. Some contributors give short answers to the questions while others touch upon the subject more elaborately.

Hereby you find some history about Monte Verità in theosophical world of Ascona Fraternitas center, our center.

Monte Verità :

Franz HartmannFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaNot to be confused with Franz Hartmann (1796-1853) homeopathic Medical Doctor.

This article may be expanded with text translated from the corresponding article in Ger-

man. (May 2015) Click [show] for important translation instructions. [show]

This article does not cite any sources. Please help improve this article by adding cita-tions to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2011) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Franz Hartmann

Born 22 November 1838

Donauwörth

Died 7 August 1912 (aged 73)

Kempten im Allgäu

Part of a series on

Theosophy

Theosophy

Traditional Theosophy[show]

Modern Theosophy[show]

 Theosophy portal

v

t

e

Franz Hartmann (22 November 1838, Donauwörth – 7 August 1912, Kempten im Allgäu) was a German medical doctor, theosophist, occultist, geomancer, astrologer, and author. His works include several books on esoteric studies and biographies of Jakob Böhme and Paracelsus. He translated the Bhagavad Gita into German and was the editor of the journal Lotusblüten. He was at one time a co-worker of Helena Blavatsky at Adyar. In 1896 he founded a German Theosophical Society. He also supported the Guido-von-List-Society (Guido-von-List-Gesellschaft).

According to Theodor Reuss he was one of the original founders of the magical order that would later be known as Ordo Templi Orientis, along with Reuss and Carl Kellner.

See also: Christianity and Theosophy

References[edit source]

Partial bibliography[edit source]

Magic: White and Black. London, 1886.

The Life of Jehoshua, the prophet of Nazareth

The Principles of Astrological Geomancy

Correlation of Spiritual Forces

With the Adepts: An Adventure Among the Rosicrucians

Life and the Doctrines of Philippus Theophrastus Bombast of Hohenheim Known as Paracelsus (1887).

In The Pronaos Of The Temple Of Wisdom Containing The History Of The True And The False Rosicrucians

Alchemy And Astrology

Metafisica Medicina y Sanacion

Philosophy and Theosophy

The Four Pillars of Occult Medicine

An Adventure Among the Rosicrucians: A Student of Occultism

Among the Adepts: The Brotherhood of the Golden and Rosy Cross and Their Occult and Mysterious Powers

To Will, to Dare and to Be Silent in Magic

External links[edit source]

The Life and the Doctrines of Paracelsus , by Franz Hartmann

The Life and the Doctrines of Jacob Boehme , by Franz Hartmann

In The Pronaos of the Temple of Wisdom Containing the History of the True and the False Rosicrucians With an Introduction into the Mysteries of the Hermetic Philosophy by Franz Hartmann

Magic, White and Black or The Science of Finite and Infinite Life Containing Practical Hints for Students of Occultismby Franz Hartmann Third Edition Fourth Edition Fourth American Edition Fifth American Edition Eighth American Edition

Occult Science in Medicine  by Franz Hartmann

Personal Christianity: A Science: The Doctrines of Jacob Boehme, The God-Taught Philosopher With an Introduction and Notes by Franz Hartmann

The Life of Jehoshua, the Prophet of Nazareth: An Occult Study and a Key to the Bible, Containing the History of an Initiate by Franz Hartmann

The Life of Philippus Theophrastus Bombast of Hohenheim Known by the Name of Paracelsus and The Substance of His Teachings by Franz Hartmann

The Principles of Astrological Geomancy, The Art of Divining by Punctuation According to Cornelius Agrippa and Others by Franz Hartmann

With the Adepts: An Adventure Among the Rosicrucians by Franz Hartmann First Edition Second Edition

Contents of Lotusblüten 1893-1900

Contents of Lotusblüten 1908-1914

Memorable Recollections from the life of the author of the "Lotusblüten".

The Life of Jehoshua, the prophet of Nazareth - full text

Digital edition of "Beitrag zur Litteratur über die Wirkung des Chloroforms"  by the University and State Library Düsseldorf

Constance WachtmeisterFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Constance Georgina Louise Wachtmeister

Born Constance Georgina Louise de Bourbel de Montpincon

28 March 1838[1]

Florence, Italy

Died 24 September 1910(aged 72)[2]

Occupation Editor, lecturer, theosophist

Notable work Reminiscences of H.P. Blavatsky and "The Secret Doc-

trine"

Spouse(s) Carl Wachtmeister (married 1863)

Children One son, Axel Raoul Wachtmeister

Parent(s) Auguste de Bourbel de Montpincon

Constance Bulkley

Constance Georgina Louise Wachtmeister (née Constance de Bourbel de Montpincon, French: de Bour-bel de Montpinçon; March 28, 1838 in Florence – September 24, 1910 in Los Angeles), known as Countess Wachtmeister, was a prominent theosophist, a close friend of Helena Blavatsky.[3][4][5]

Contents  [hide] 

1 Biography

o 1.1 Reminiscences of Blavatsky

2 Publications

o 2.1 Translations

3 References

o 3.1 Sources

4 External links

BiographyConstance's father was French Marquis de Bourbel de Montpincon and mother Constance Bulkley, English by birth. She lost her parents when she was very young and was sent to her aunt Mrs Bulkley in England. In 1863 she married her cousin, the Count Wachtmeister, with whom she had a son, count Axel Raoul. [6]

After three years of marriage she moved to Stockholm where, in 1868, the count was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs.[7][8] After the death of her husband in 1871, she still lived in Sweden for several years. In 1879 the countess began investigating Spiritism [7]  and in 1881 joined the London Lodge of the Theosophical Society.[9] She met H.P. Blavatsky in London in 1884.[10] She was an important partner for Blavatsky and essential support for the work of The Secret Doctrine. Some time after Blavatsky had come in 1885 at Wurzburg she was joined by the Wachmeister, who "loyally and lovingly helped in the great work."[11] In 1887 Wachtmeister organized the Theosophical Publishing Co. alongside Bertram Keightley, in order to publish Blavatsky's works.[10][12] In 1888-95 she was an editor of the Theosophical Siftings.[13][14]She was secretary and treasurer of the Blavatsky Lodge in London.[13] In 1890 she became a member of the Inner Group of Blavatsky Lodge.[15] In 1893 Besant and Wachtmeister went to India.[10] In 1894 she had a lecture in New York City on theosophical questions.[16] In 1896 Wachmeister was toured the USA and Australia lecturing on Theosophy.[5]

Reminiscences of BlavatskyShe has not left many written texts, but her work Reminiscences of H. P. Blavatsky and the "Secret Doctrine" is a source for a study on the personality of Madame Blavatsky.[17][18]

Wachmeister stated that she has now spent a few months with Blavatsky. "I have shared her room and been with her morning, noon and night. I have had access to all her boxes and drawers, have read the letters which she received and those which she wrote." [19] Wachtmeister, who became Blavatsky's "guardian angel, domestically speaking, during the years of the composition of The Secret Doctrine in Germany and Belgium, has printed her account of a number of extraordinary occurrences of the period."[20] In her Reminiscences Wachmeister writes in detail of the many facts coming under her observation which pointed to extrinsic help in the Blavatsky's work. She wrote: "The Secret Doctrine will be indeed a great and grand work. I have had the privilege of watching its progress, of reading the manuscripts, and witnessing the occult way in which she derived her information." [21]

Wachtmeister wrote, "When a printed copy [of The Secret Doctrine] was put into my hands, I was thankful to feel that all these hours of pain, toil and suffering had not been in vain, and that H.P.B. had been able to accomplish her task and give to the world this grand book, which, she told me, would have to wait quietly until the next century to be fully appreciated, and would only be studied by the few now." [22]

PublicationsWachtmeister, Constance (1976). Reminiscences of H.P. Blavatsky and "The Secret Doctrine". Theosophical classics series (2nd ed.). Wheaton, Ill: Theosophical Pub. House. ISBN 0835604888. OCLC 2493519.

Wachtmeister, Constance (1895). H. P. B. and the present crisis in the Theosophical Society. London: Women's printing society. OCLC 31245050.

Wachtmeister, Constance (1895). Theosophy in every-day life. Sidney. OCLC 46265300.

Wachtmeister, Constance (1897). Spiritualism in the light of theosophy. San Francisco, Calif: Mercury Print. OCLC 14466635.

Wachtmeister, Constance (1897). Practical vegetarian cookery. Chicago, Ill: Theosophical Book Concern. OCLC 3025026. (in co-authorship)

Wachtmeister, Constance (2010). Psychic and Astral Development. Whitefish, MT: Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 1162833998.

TranslationsВахтмейстер, Констанция (2011). Воспоминания о Е. П. Блаватской и "Тайной доктрине" [Reminiscences of H.P. Blavatsky and "The Secret Doctrine"]. Архивы. Исследования (in Russian). Одесса: Астропринт. ISBN 978-966-190-329-5. Wachtmeister, Constance (1979). "La doctrine secréte" et madame Blavatsky [Reminiscences of

H.P. Blavatsky and "The Secret Doctrine"] (in French). Paris. OCLC 901210898.

Wachtmeister, Constance (1894). H. P. Blavatsky och "Den hemliga läran" [Reminiscences of H.P. Blavatsky and "The Secret Doctrine"] (in Swedish). Göteborg. OCLC 465903582.

Wachtmeister, Constance (1905). De theosofie in het dagelijksch leven [Theosophy in every-day life] (in Dutch). Amsterdam: Theosofische Uitgeversmaatschappij. OCLC 66294889.

ReferencesJump up ̂  Idun & 1894-04-06.

1. Jump up ̂  Memories 1936, p. 5.

2. Jump up ̂  Besant 1893, ch. 14.

3. Jump up ̂  Сенкевич 2012, p. 436.

4. ^ Jump up to: a  b Tillett 1986, p. 982.

5. Jump up ̂  Axel Raoul Wachtmeister (1865-1947) was a well-known musical composer in his day, an author opera-oratorio Prince Siddhartha, oclc.

6. ^ Jump up to: a  b Memories 1936, p. 3.

7. Jump up ̂  Carl Wachtmeister (1823–1871). Svenskt biografiskt handlexikon.

8. Jump up ̂  Wachtmeister 1976, ch. 2.

9. ^ Jump up to: a  b c Memories 1936, p. 4.

10. Jump up ̂  Heindel 1933, ch. 3.

11. Jump up ̂  1891 England Census, showing a household including "Constance Wachtmeister, manager of Publishing Office; Helena Blavatsky, authoress; and others."

12. ^ Jump up to: a  b Вахтмейстер 2011, От переводчиков.

13. Jump up ̂  Theosophical Siftings

14. Jump up ̂  Cleather 1923, p. 22.

15. Jump up ̂  New York Times & 1894-09-20.

16. Jump up ̂  Hesselink.

17. Jump up ̂  Сенкевич 2012, pp. 436–455.

18. Jump up ̂  Wachtmeister 1976, ch. 4.

19. Jump up ̂  Kuhn 1992, p. 86.

20. Jump up ̂  Kuhn 1992, p. 190.

21. Jump up ̂  Wachtmeister 1976, ch. 10.

Sources

Besant, Annie  (1893). An Autobiography. London: T. Fisher Unwin. OCLC 220884652.

Cleather, Alice L. (1923). H.P. Blavatsky as I knew her (PDF). Calcutta: Thacker, Spink & Co. OCLC 609043485. Retrieved 24 March 2015.

Heindel, Max  (1933). Blavatsky and "The Secret Doctrine". Los Angeles, Calif.: Phoenix Press. OCLC 4014474.

Hesselink, Katinka. "Reminiscences of H.P. Blavatsky and   The Secret Doctrine   by Countess Constance Wachtmeister et al". www.katinkahesselink.net. Retrieved 2015-03-24.

Kuhn, Alvin Boyd  (1992) [Originally published 1930]. Theosophy: A Modern Revival of Ancient Wisdom (PhD thesis). American religion series: Studies in religion and culture. Whitefish, MT: Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 978-1-56459-175-3. Retrieved 27 March 2015.

Сенкевич, Александр Н.  (2012). Елена Блаватская. Между светом и тьмой [Helena Blavatsky. Between Light and Darkness]. Носители тайных знаний (in Russian). Москва: Алгоритм. ISBN 978-5-4438-0237-4. OCLC 852503157.

Tillett, Gregory J. (1986). Charles Webster Leadbeater 1854-1934: a biographical study (Ph.D.). Sydney: University of Sydney (published 2007). OCLC 220306221 – via Sydney Digital Theses. 

Wachtmeister, Axel R. (1936). Memories. London: John Watkins. OCLC 58442940.

"Constance Wachtmeister"  (PDF). Idun (in Swedish). 1894-04-06. Retrieved 2015-03-23.

"MME. BLAVATSKY'S COMPANION HERE. The Countess Wachtmeister Will Lecture on Theosophical Questions". The New York Times. New York. 1894-09-20. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2015-03-23. Constance, the Countess Wachtmeister, who, next to Annie Besant, is the most famous woman, in the Theosophical Society, is in this city

External links

Wikimedia Commons has

media related to Constance

Wachtmeister.

Blavatsky's instructions to Wachtmeister .

The Countess Wachtmeister Defends Blavatsky

About Alfredo Pioda :

Theosophy in ItalyThe first contact with Theosophy in Italy may be traced to the frequent presence of H. P. BLAVATSKY there, where

she undoubtedly met many persons who later became members of the Theosophical Society. She visited Trieste,

Venice, Rome, Bologna, Bari, and Naples. She is reported to have been with the Italian patriots Giuseppe Garibaldi

(1807-82) and Giuseppe Mazzini (1805-72); the latter she apparently met in London in the year 1851. She claimed to

have participated with volunteers at Garibaldi’s battle of Mentana (in an attempt to capture Rome) in the year 1867

(Cranston and Williams, p. 79).

Theosophy (in the early broad sense of teachings about this and the divine worlds) was known in Italy before the

formation of the Theosophical Society. The Italian philosopher Antonio Rosmini Serbati (1797-1855), a Catholic priest,

wrote a large work in eight volumes with the title Teosofia, published in 1859 after his death, and condemned by the

Catholic Church. The first Theosophical Center was established in Milan (1890) by J. Murphy, helped by Alfredo Pioda, who also established the first Theosophical Center in Locarno (Switzerland) and commenced

the magazine La Nuova Parola. The first Lodge and lending library was organized in Rome (1897) through the efforts

of C. A. Lloyd and Decio Calvari, who was the secretary of the Italian Parliament. This Lodge translated and published

several Theosophical books, among which were The Occult World and Esoteric Buddhism by Alfred P. SINNETT. At

about the same time, Lodges were established at Genoa and Palermo through the efforts of the British Consul,

Macbean Reginald Gambier. Later Isabel COOPER-OAKLEY helped to form Lodges in Florence, Milan, Naples,

Rome, and Torino. The Italian Section of the Society was established on February 1, 1902, in the presence of Charles

W. LEADBEATER, with Oliviero Boggiani as its first General Secretary. At Trieste, the first Lodge was established in

1908, after a visit by Annie BESANT, but a Theosophical center may have existed earlier and been visited by the

famous explorer and British Consul at Trieste Francis Richard Burton (1821-90) who translated The Thousand Nights

and a Night (1885-88), popularly known as The Arabian Nights, into English.

REF : Cranston, Sylvia, and Carey Williams, research assistant. HPB: The Extraordinary Life and Influence of

Helena Blavatsky, Founder of the Modern Theosophical Movement. 3rd rev. ed. Santa Barbara, CA: Path

Publishing House, c. 1993.

Antonio Girardi

The peace of Ascona (secret surrender of World War II) :

Diplomatic activities that led to the end of the Second World War

Two of our Ascona group (Angela and Maya Hobart) members are descendants of Stinnes-Gaevenitz Family :(In this family you count also the english spy from wich Jan Flemming was ispired creating the James Bond character.)

The houses on the site of the Centre (Beside Hotel Ascona, my hotel) were built around the turn of the twentieth century. The Centre's orientation to 'Encourage Understanding, Resepect and Peace Internationally' is in tune with the ideals held by the Stinnes-Gaevernitz family. These resonate with aspiration of human beings found in all strata of society who pursue projects that assist in the furthering of human dignity and diversity. They often labour quietly and invisibly, to bring together the people of the earth.

The events that led to the end of the Second World War are commemorated on the plaque on the small pink house adjacent to the large rambling house of the actual Centro. They provide the setting and ethos of the Centro Incontri Umani.

The plaque memorializing the meeting that led to the surrender of the German armies in Italy.

The End of the Second World War

The Stinnes - von Schulze Gaevernitz family involvement

Gerhard von S. Gaevernitz 1864-1943

Gero von S. Gaevernitz 1901-1970

Edmund Stinnes 1896-1980

Edmund Stinnes 1896-1980, and Margianna Stinnes - S. Gaeverniz 

1904-1989

'Sunrise' was the code name given to the

diplomatic activities that led to the end of the Second World War.

It is a thrilling story, of a small group of courageous men who met secretly in 1945 in Ascona, in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland, to negotiate the ending of the war in Italy. They included Allen Dulles, member of the OSS (Of -fice of the Strategic Services) and precursor of the CIA, of which he was director from 1953-61. Dulles had come to Switzerland specifically to gather information on how to support the resistance forces against the Nazis and Fascists. Other important participants at the meetings were Gero von Schulze Gaevernitz, Dulles's good friend and closest col -laborator; General Max Waibel, a senior officer in the Swiss Intelligence; and senior Allied generals and Italian lead -ers of the military. General Wolff deserves special mention. He was Himmler's personal representative and comman-der of all SS troops in Italy, and hence crucial at the discussions. Swiss neutrality during the war meant they could maintain vital connections with both the German and Allied Intelligence.

Edmund Stinnes, a successful businessman and entrepreneur, born in Germany as the first son of Hugo Stinnes, made his home in Ascona especially available for these secret negotiations. Gero von S. Gaevernitz, of German Jewish descent and a naturalized American citizen, was the brother of Edmund's wife, Margianna Stinnes. His father Gerhart von Schulze Gaevernitz was a well-known professor of Political Science at Freiburg University. He had helped draw up the pre-Hitler Weimar Constitution and was liberally orientated, striving throughout his life for American-British-German rapprochement.

Ascona 1945. Gero von S. Gaevernitz and Allen Dulles.

German headquarters, Bolzano 1945. After the Secret Surrender. Gero von S. Gaeverniz, General Heirnich von Vietinghoff and General Wolff

During the delicate negotiations General Wolff and other senior officials agreed to defy Hitler and Himmler's orders to 'scorch the earth'. Hitler's orders entailed the burning and destroying of the remnants of the industry and economy of Italy and the rest of Europe, even Germany itself. Through his charisma and close connection to senior members of the Resistance Movement in Germany, Gero von S. Gaevernitz was a key figure in the secret negotiations leading to

the end of Second World War and concomitantly averting the 'scorching of the earth', and saving the lives of about one million men.

The entire process, referred to as 'Sunrise', was one of the most successful intelligence operations of our time. On 2 May 1945 Winston Churchill announced the first great German surrender in the Houses of Parliament, as Germany capitulated to the Allied forces. Churchill declared 'the war against Fascism and Nazism on that front is over'.

Angela Ruth Hobart and Maya

This brief account of events is drawn from The Secret Surrender by Allen Dulles, Harper and Row Publishers, New York, First Edition, 1966.