The occult, in the broadest sense, is a category of esoteric supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving otherworldly agency, such as magic and mysticism and their varied spells. It can also refer to supernatural ideas like extra-sensory perception and parapsychology. Contents: Introduction by Manly P. Hall The Secret Doctrine by Helena Blavatsky The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception by Max Heindel

Theosophy is a religion established in the United States during the late 19th century. It was founded primarily by the Russian Helena Blavatsky and draws its teachings predominantly from Blavatsky's writings. Categorized by scholars of religion as both a new religious movement and as part of the occultist stream of Western esotericism, it draws upon both older European philosophies such as Neoplatonism and Asian religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism. At a meeting of the Miracle Club in New York City on 7 September 1875, Blavatsky, Olcott, and Judge agreed to establish an organisation, with Charles Sotheran suggesting that they call it the Theosophical Society. Prior to adopting the name "Theosophical", they had debated various potential names, among them the Egyptological Society, the Hermetic Society, and the Rosicrucian Society. The term was not new, but had been previously used in various contexts by the Philaletheians and the Christian mystic Jakob Bhme. Etymologically, the term came from the Greek theos ("god(s)") and sophia ("wisdom"), thus meaning "god-wisdom", "divine wisdom", or "wisdom of God". The term theosophia appeared (in both Greek and Latin) in the works of early church fathers, as a synonym for theology.In her book The Key to Theosophy, Blavatsky said that the term Theosophy had been coined by "the Alexandrian philosophers", especially Ammonius Saccas. Contents: H. P. Blavatsky ISIS UNVEILED FROM THE CAVES AND JUNGLES OF HINDOSTAN WHAT IS THEOSOPHY? WHAT ARE THE THEOSOPHISTS? MAHATMAS AND CHELAS OCCULT OR EXACT SCIENCE? THE ESOTERIC CHARACTER OF THE GOSPELS OCCULTISM VERSUS THE OCCULT ARTS IS THEOSOPHY A RELIGION? THE VOICE OF THE SILENCE THE KEY TO THEOSOPHY THE SECRET DOCTRINE ADVENTURE AMONG THE ROSICRUCIANS THE GRAND INQUISITOR (Translated by H. P. Blavatsky) Henry Steel Olcott THE LIFE OF BUDDHA AND ITS LESSONS THE BUDDHIST CATECHISM THE GOLDEN RULES OF BUDDHISM THE SPIRIT OF ZOROASTRIANISM

This book, originally entitled An Adventure Among the Rosicrucians, was first published anonymously under the pseudonym "A Student of Occultism" in 1887, but with copyright in the name of Franz Hartmann to protect its text. In 1910, Hartmann republished the story with a new title: With the Adepts. However, in his preface, he mentioned that it "has been gathered from notes handed to me by a friend, a writer of considerable repute." That friend and writer was H. P. Blavatsky.