Public Lectures and Events                                                                                                      Back

All events are held in the lodge (in the same building as Quest Bookshop and the lending library), at:

717 Broadway Avenue East, Seattle, WA 98103 (206) 323-4281

    ·Suggested Donation is $5.00 - $10.00, except some special events
    ·Most Sunday events start at 4:00pm - special events scheduled as noted
    ·Parking may be difficult so allow extra time for arriving
    ·Sunday Morning Meditation: 2nd & 4th Sundays, 10 am - OPEN TO ALL!!

The Theosophical Society in Seattle 717 Broadway East Seattle, Washington 98102 (206) 323-4281 invites you to enjoy its Public Lectures, Workshop & Sunday Morning Open Meditation

Your Donations are important to us. They literally keep the heat and lights on and make it possible for us to show some appreciation to our speakers who donate their time when presenting our programs. No one will ever be turned away for lack of funds. Yet we ask you to be as generous as you can be within our expanded "suggested" range of $5- $10 for a lecture and $40 -$60 for a day long workshop. Thank you!

September - December 2004

The I Ching:  A Way Towards Intuition & Wholeness  with Andrew Barker
September 26
Sunday, 4:00–5:30 pm

What was Carl Gustav Jung’s experience with the I Ching that prompted him to write the forward to the Wilhelm translation?  His forward describes what others have experienced for thousands of years, astonishment over its accuracy and helpfulness as a divinatory tool.  Andrew will provide us with both an understanding of the I Ching’s archetypal elements, as well as the simple basics of how to use it.  Andrew has studied and given workshops about the I Ching for over 20 years.

The Soul, Its Nature and Creative Destiny   A Day Long Workshop with William Meader
October 1 - 2
Friday,      7:30 pm-9:00 pm
Saturday,  9:30 am-4:00 pm

Suggested Donation Friday only  $5.00 - $10.00
Suggested Donation Friday & Saturday  $45.00 - $65.00  (Lunch Included)
Pre-registration through Quest Bookshop (206) 323-4281

Every human soul has a creative destiny.  In this workshop we will discover why this is so, and how to more effectively manifest the soul’s creative intention in our lives.  This will involve a deep and profound look at the steps to be followed in the ancient art of spiritual magic.  In addition, we will look at the initiatory milestones that have lead the soul toward perfected expression and enlightenment.  Included in this workshop will be a series of meditations designed to assist an individual in his/her ability to sense the creative impulses coming from the soul, and to bring them forward more effectively within his/her personal life and field of service.  This workshop is highly interactive, thus allowing for the exchange of individual insights and ideas.

A few, but not all, of the specific themes that will be presented and discussed are:

    ~An exploration into the nature of the soul and its mysterious origin
    ~How the soul manifests it’s purpose through the lower-self (personality)
    ~The soul’s evolutionary journey and its eventual liberation
    ~Spiritual destiny and its recognition in one’s life
    ~The ancient rules (steps) of spiritual magic and how to apply them

For over 20 years, William Meader has been a student and teacher of Esoteric Psychology.  His teaching work is drawn from an amalgamation of subjects central to progressive spirituality which includes the psychology of the soul, esoteric astrology/cosmology, and the creative magic of the soul.  His passion is to teach people the deeper implications of modern spiritual development, and the means to more effectively express the soul in the outer world.  In addition to his spiritual interests, William has an advanced degree in the behavioral sciences, and has had several years experience as a psychology professor in California.

William will also be offering esoterically interpreted astrological readings.  Called the Astrology of the Soul, this form of reading is designed to reveal the soul’s purpose. In addition, it indicates how the personality (ego) tends to inhibit the soul, and the means to overcome such tendencies.  Available are natal, transits/progressions or solar return readings.
To register for the readings only call Karen Johannsen 206-542-8655.  Readings are $95.00.

Centered on the Edge: Meditations for Living in Turbulent Times with Joel & Michelle Levey                   Back
October 3
Sunday,  4:00–6:00 pm                     

This timely presentation will introduce you to meditations for staying sane in crazy times, and returning to calm, centered presence, clarity, wholeness, and peace in the midst of challenge and uncertainty. You will learn simple, easy to use practices to decrease stress and enhance the wisdom, compassion, creativity, health, well-being and courage that you bring to your life and world.  Joel & Michelle Levey have devoted their lives to exploring modern and ancient wisdom traditions. They have directed clinical stress mastery programs at Group Health & Children's Medical Centers, and have worked with hundreds of organizations around the globe.  Their books include The Fine Arts of Relaxation, Concentration & Meditation, Living in Balance,  Simple Meditation & Relaxation  and  A Moment to Relax. (See WisdomAtWork.com & KohalaSanctuary.com)

The Hindu Gods and Goddesses  with Allen Kornmesser
October 10
Sunday,  4:00–5:30 pm

With so many Hindu gods and goddesses, where does one begin to try and make sense out of this complexity?  Learn the difference between the old Vedic gods and the gods of contemporary Hinduism.  Examine the respective roles of male and female deities in Hinduism.  How do Hindus relate today to their gods in prayer, ritual, story, and celebration? Why do some gods have so many arms?  Why are some gods blue?  Why are some of them so scary looking?  Allen received his doctorate in 1994 from the University of Washington where he has taught in the Jackson School of International Studies.  He has lived and traveled extensively in India as a scholar doing research on Hinduism and has published numerous articles.

Exploring the Magical Ballads from the Celtic Tradition with R J Stewart
October 15
Friday,  7:00–9:00 pm                     

Do you know that there has been a large body of ancient magical ballads preserved for centuries among illiterate singers in Britain, Ireland, and the USA?  Join R J Stewart for an evening in which we will talk about the cultural background to the magical ballads, sing these ancient songs and reveal their hidden meanings.  These are ballads that speak of life, death, resurrection, mysterious rituals at the crossroads, sacred trees and flowers, a goddess of regeneration, weather-control magic, visions of the radiant spirit world, and the ultimate triumph of love over death.  R J Stewart is known today as a composer, author and teacher, with 41 books in publication worldwide.  He  has composed for feature films, television and theater.

Therapeutic Touch for Beginners   A Day Long Workshop with Susan Wager & Sandra Revesz
October 16
Saturday, 10:00 am –4:00 pm

Suggested Donation  $45.00 - $65.00  (Lunch Included)
Pre-registration through Quest Bookshop (206) 323-4281

Therapeutic Touch is a method of balancing and increasing the body’s energy to promote healing.  It is a complementary therapy used extensively in hospitals throughout the United States and Canada. It has been taught world-wide.  It can also be used by family members caring for sick relatives, and is especially helpful for treating people with cancer, Alzheimer ’s disease and HIV related problems.  Therapeutic Touch also helps to ease the dying process.

Research conducted on Therapeutic Touch since the early 1970’s demonstrates that it can decrease pain and anxiety, and accelerate the body’s natural ability to heal infections, fractures and wounds.  Therapeutic touch is based on the idea that there is a universal healing energy available to all of us.

This workshop is experiential – it will provide a hands-on opportunity to learn Therapeutic Touch.  Participants will practice the technique working in small groups.  The workshop will also include information about the origins and effects of Therapeutic Touch as well as some of the research that supports its efficacy.

Therapeutic Touch was developed by Dora Kunz, a former President of the Theosophical Society, and by Dr. Dolores Krieger, now Professor Emeritus of Nursing at New York University.  Since its inception in 1970 Therapeutic Touch has been widely taught to nurses, physicians, massage therapists, physical therapists and psychotherapists around the world.

About the instructors:  

Susan Wager, M.D., M.A. is a physician who formerly practiced Internal Medicine, and now has a counseling practice in Seattle.  Dr. Wager also has a Masters degree in counseling psychology from Antioch University.  She worked extensively with Dora Kunz for several years, learning how our mental and emotional patterns affect the healing process.

Sandra Revesz, R.N., L.M.T. is a registered nurse and massage therapist.  Sandra has studied Therapeutic Touch for several years with Dora Kunz.  She has been a teacher of Therapeutic Touch for over 20 years.  Ms. Revesz has a medical massage practice at Virginia Mason Hospital.

The Fool:  The Soul on the Path of Return with Anne de Vore                                                         Back          
October 17                
Sunday,  4:00–5:30 pm                     

W.B. Yeats once wrote that man’s only identity is that of a pilgrim of eternity:  a life of drifting like a river from change to change.  If we desire to become aware of that river and the changes, of what we are and what we can be, there is a tool.  The Tarot deck in its best use can be that tool and a map for individuation.  The 22 major arcana are the many states the Fool must undergo on the journey to enlightenment.  The minor arcana are the 4 realms of life, each with 10 conditions, which we must contend with as incarnate beings.  We will speak of the history of the Tarot and its use as a powerful path and means for your own growth.  Dr. Anne de Vore is a local Jungian analyst, astrologer, and metaphysics teacher whose special interests are the life and works of  W.B. Yeats and Dion Fortune.

 

The Titanic and the Paranormal with Eileen Grimes
October 24
Sunday, 4:00–5:30 pm                

Is it an “accident” when thousands of people die after a ship hits an iceberg and sinks?  Studying over 1000 birth charts of Titanic passengers, crew members, the ships builders, the birth chart of the ship itself, the time of the “accident,” and the birth charts of people involved with Titanic movies and books, Eileen Grimes has found a common astrological signature which indisputably links them all.  One does not have to have astrological knowledge to appreciate what Eileen will be sharing with us, based on her 6 years of research.  Her presentation will also include much of the paranormal phenomena that has surrounded the Titanic.  About Eileen’s book  Titanic Astrology   “Grime’s book is that wonderful rarity, a true astrological page-turner!  I literally couldn’t put it down.”  Steven Forrest, author of the award-winning, The Inner Sky.

Samhein:  Instrument of Self Transformation with Leon Reed
October 31
Sunday, 4:00–5:30 pm            

The time of year when we celebrate Halloween was called Samhein by the Celts.  It was their Celtic New Year, a time for starting over.  As human beings we are as much affected by the energies of seasons as are plants and animals.  Those of us living in an urban culture may, however, feel removed from the seasonal ebbs and flows that the Celts were quite attuned to.  Leon will share with us how the Celts viewed this time of year as a time to begin again, to be followed by Winter’s inward gestation and then birth.  Leon will explain, then, how we can take advantage of Samhein, as the Celts did, as a time for self renewal and for inner transformation.  Leon is a founding member of the Bards of Caer Pugetia (British Druid Order). 

Fragrance Of Faith: Insight & Practices from Islamic Mysticism with Jamal Rahman                   Back       
November 7
Sunday,  4:00–5:30 pm              

Drawing on his deep understanding of Sufi mysticism, an esoteric path that connects with all other spiritual traditions, Jamal will provide us with methods of healing, empowering and transforming our beings.  These practices will be ones we can incorporate into our daily lives to work in both the visible and invisible realms, and will help us to open up our minds and hearts so that we can create spaciousness within.   Jamal comes from the Sufi lineage of Bengal and is the minister at the Interfaith Community Church in Seattle.  About his book The Fragrance of Faith :   “A priceless book!  You cannot read The Fragrance of Faith and not be equally inspired by its eminently practical spirituality, its awesome humility, and its heartfelt humanity.”  Brother Wayne Teasdale, author of The Mystic Heart  and  A Monk in the World.

Inner Citizenship & The Karma Of Nations a Half Day Workshop with David Spangler
November 13
Saturday,  10:00 am–2:00 pm
Suggested Donation   $20.00 - $35.00  (Brunch Included)

Working from the notion that meaningful change in America can only come about through an awakening of the US consciousness, David will share with us what we can do over the long term that can help this to take place.  Whatever the election results, we are all a part of the American soul, its destiny and it’s karma.  In this workshop we will practice methods of attunement to the American soul, as well as ways of assisting in the meeting of its karmic challenges.

First recognized for his contributions to the development of the Findhorn community in Scotland, David is the internationally known author of The Call, Blessing,  and  A Pilgrim In Aquarius.  “David Spangler’s work is one of the shining lights on any serious seeker’s path.”  --Marianne Williamson

The Hermit Tradition In China with Red Pine
November 14
Sunday,  4:00–5:30 pm                 

This slide presentation will explore the development of the quest for the sacred in China, the sacredness with which mountains have been revered, and the practice of the monastic tradition by hermits in those regions.   Red Pine is the award winning translator of two works that lie at the center of Zen,  The Heart Sutra and the Diamond Sutra.   He is also the translator for several other books including Collected Songs of Cold Mountain  and Poems of the Masters.     “Collected Songs of Cold Mountain” is an exquisite publication…On every level this is a beautiful book.”  Judges’ statement, Western States Book Award.

Shamanic Healing with Betsy Bergstrom
November 21
Sunday,  4:00–5:30 pm  

Betsy has been energy sensitive since childhood and has spent the past 20 years studying with indigenous shamans and healers from other cultures.  She will share with us easy-to-use,  practical steps to clear ourselves and the space that we live in.  These are techniques that can be used by people of all spiritual traditions and paths.   Betsy is also a graduate of the 3 year program through the Foundation for Shamanic Studies and has taught classes in depossession through that Foundation.  “Betsy is the one I would train with in depossession." I think she is a brilliant teacher.”  Sandra Ingerman, author of Soul Retrieval  and  Medicine for the Earth. 

A Calling of Angels with the Sounds Of Sacred Gongs with Richard Hite
November 28
Sunday, 4:00–6:00 pm

In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition gongs are a means of calling an angelic presence.  So it was that in 2002 the Tibetan Lamas from Gaden Jangtse Monastery gave their blessing to the sacred gongs Richard Hite will be playing in this concert.  Biofeedback research with electroencephalographic (EEG) measurement and heart monitors show that the music of these gongs has a powerful beneficial effect on the brain and heart. Richard has been playing gongs in hospitals and clinics since 1987, and listeners have described his music as being like receiving a healing massage.  “Playing Richard’s music as an experiment at our Seattle Theosophical Sunday meditation I was surprised to find that I felt cleansed from the inside out, as though a lot of my own personal debris had been cleared away,” Greg Wilson, meditation leader.  Attendees typically bring pillows, mats or bedrolls to lay on with eyes closed as they journey.

The Illuminations of Hildegard of Bingen  a Half Day Workshop with Tamara Gerard                          Back       
December 4
Saturday, 10:00 am–2:00 pm
Suggested Donation   $20.00 - $35.00  (Brunch Included)

Hildegard of Bingen, who lived over 900 years ago, was the abbess and founder of a large and prosperous Benedictine abbey in Germany.  Mathew Fox calls her, “one of the greatest artists and intellectuals the world has ever seen.”  Besides acting as an advisor to the Pope and his Bishops, she was a prominent teacher, doctor, scientist, artist and composer.  At the age of 42, she began to have visions, which were captured in 36 paintings.  Most of these will be shown and discussed, along with one of her major texts, “Scivias” (Know the Ways), which describes these visions.  Her life, her contemporaries, and the era in which she lived, as well as the images of other 12th Century artists, will also be examined.

Tamara Gerard, M.A. is a cultural mythologist and international speaker on the importance of mythology to self-understanding.  She is an illustrator, and writes and lectures on the deeper meanings to be found in the imagery and archetypes in dreams and visions, myths and sacred stories, legends and fairy tales.  Tamara currently serves as a National Speaker for the Theosophical Society in America.

Drawing on the teachings of Sri Aurobindo, Rudolf Steiner, Maria Montessori, Hazrat Inayat Khan, and other spiritual teachers, David will describe their common vision of what parents and grandparents can provide to children emotionally, mentally and spiritually that can help children to grow towards wholeness.  David will share examples of how parents whom he has interviewed have applied some of these understandings, and how this nurtured their children’s unfoldment and the evolution of humanity.    David is the author of The Common Vision:  Parenting and Educating for Wholeness, and is a professor at Seattle University.

Painted Prayers:  Experiencing Illuminated Books Of Hours with Victoria Scarlett
December 12
Sunday, 4:00–5:30 pm                

The Books Of Hours helped prompt a spiritual revolution in the late Middle Ages by assisting people in creating a devotional life independent of the church.  Victoria will present an illustrated slide talk on these exquisite works of early Renaissance art that became an important focusing tool for personal prayer and meditation.  Enjoy an abundance of wonderful images as she shares with us the content, social context and how these books were used.  Victoria, an experienced artist, art historian and curator, is the Director of the Center for Sacred Art. See www.centerforsacredart.org),  She has presented lectures, workshops and tours at cathedrals, universities, museums and spiritual centers throughout the Northwest.

Solstice Celebrations:  The Meaning Behind the Myths with Sue Prescott
December 19
Sunday, 4:00–5:30 pm  

The winter solstice, meaning, “still sun”, occurs for 3 days every December.  Many celebrations have developed around it, including Christmas.  Sue will explore the symbolism of solstice myths and legends from around the world, their relationship to nature, and how their meaning relates to the spiritual development within a human being.  Author of Realizing the Self Within, a book on accessing one’s own inner wisdom, Sue is a social worker, therapist, life-long theosophist, and frequent lecturer for the Theosophical Society.

SERVICES OF THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY IN SEATTLE

Sunday Morning Meditation at 10:00 AM - Open to All

Theosophical Lending Library
A Research Library and Learning Center now inviting new members and patrons. Library fees ($20 annually) This service is included in your membership if you join the TS in Seattle.
Hours:  Open Saturday, Sunday, and Tuesday 1:00 to 6:00 pm. Open Monday and Wednesday Noon to 5:00 pm

Theosophical Lending Library
A Membership Library, Volunteer Run
Open Saturday, Sunday & Tuesday, 1pm.- 6pm
Open Monday & Wednesday, Noon to 4pm
Telephone:  206 323-4281

Quest Bookshop
Over 10,000 books in stock
Open at 11am Seven Days a Week
Telephone:  206 323-4281

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