Theosophy in Poland was more than an esoteric movement; it represented an attempt to formulate a modern spirituality that joined mysticism with practical engagement and the search for meaning with ideals of service and brotherhood. This book uncovers the forgotten world of Polish Theosophists: artists, intellectuals, and reformers of everyday life who, in the early twentieth century, formed communities, organized lectures, and undertook publishing and social initiatives. Their understanding of spirituality encompassed not only beliefs about dimensions of reality imperceptible to the naked eye, but also education, vegetarianism, women’s rights, art, and natural medicine. Drawing on dispersed archival sources and publications, the author reconstructs the history of the Theosophical movement in Poland, from the first occult salons and artistic ventures to the establishment of the Polish Theosophical Society. It is a narrative of a forgotten facet of modernism, in which spiritual inquiry intertwined with social projects and esotericism became a tool for transforming reality.
About Author
Dr Karolina Maria Kotkowska. Assistant professor in the Centre for Comparative Studies of Civilisations. Graduate of pedagogics, ethnology and philosophy. She defended a doctoral thesis on Polish Theosophy with honors in the Institute of Philosophy of the Jagiellonian University. In her interdisciplinary research she concentrates on the margins of culture, alternative currents and controversial ideas – especially those of esoteric and religious character. From the perspective of intellectual history, she studies alternative spirituality and Western esotericism and their role in shaping of various cultural phenomena. She is a member of Polish and international research teams.
LanguagePolish
Title in EnglishThe Polish Theosophical Society: History, Ideas, and Related Organizations from the 19th Century to World War II