Theosophy is the portion of that ancient knowledge brought to us by H. P. Blavatsky toward the end of the 19th century, as taught to her by her Teachers in
Some of its principles are:
Everything in the universe originates from one boundless, eternal, unknowable source. After a period of manifested existence the universe returns to that source.
The universe itself is an organic whole, alive, intelligent, conscious, and divine.
The laws of nature are the result of intelligent forces.
The law of karma holds throughout the universe. It operates at all levels, ensuring justice, harmony, and balance.
We reincarnate into successive lives. Once we have reached the human level we do not regress back into animal forms.
The law of karma acts over our successive lives to ensure justice. (We don't get away with it.) We are the cause of every joy and pain in our own life.
A law of cycles provides fundamental structure at all levels. Two examples are our pattern of reincarnation, and the continuing "lives" of the universe as it appears, then returns to its source.
Analogy and correspondence provide fundamental structure for the universe. This is a broad statement of the Hermetic axiom - "As above, so below".
Evolution applies on a grand scale to all of life.
Soul gets involved in this world of matter. It experiences and learns. Soul then works its way back in a long pilgrimage to its primal source. This again follows a cyclic pattern.
This evolution achieves experience, self-awareness, and ever increasing perfection. Evolution occurs on the physical, mental, and spiritual planes.
"Survival of the fittest" along with gradual accumulation of small beneficial changes does not explain the "origin of the species". The origin of the species is due to intelligent design.
Humanity has experienced significant evolution in long periods on the continents (not islands) of Atlantis and Lemuria.
There is a seven fold constitution of man ranging from the physical plane to the purely spiritual plane.
Thoughts are tangible objects on higher planes. Every thought and action has its effect on us and on our surroundings and has a karmic consequence.
The three higher planes of this constitution form the "higher self" and that is what reincarnates from life to life and accumulates the experience, the lessons, the virtues. The lower planes form the "lower self" and are the vehicle used by the higher self while it is living in this active testing ground of incarnate life.
