1. What’s your name, where are you from and how long have you been a member of the TS?
Jeanne-Louise Dufresne Val-David, Québec Canada. I have been a theosophist since 1982.
2. Are you active in your Lodge/Association and if so, what do you do?
I am President of the Montagne du Cerf Lodge in Val-David and a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Theosophical Association.
3. How did you first learn about Theosophy or come in contact with the Society?
Through my partner at the time, I became a member of the Order of the Round Table and then of the Theosophical Society. I loved the unifying message of Theosophy from the beginning.
4. What does Theosophy mean to you?
It is first and foremost the first objective that attracts me. The heart of the Brotherhood. This is the essential element of teaching in my eyes and the most difficult of theosophy’s missions. Living the “One” and all that it means in daily life.
5. What is your favorite Theosophical book and why?
It’s hard to name just one so I’ll name 3! Danielle Audoin’s Golden Steps, Hugh Shermann’s The Round of Experience. But there’s also Ianthe Hoskins’ The Foundations of Esoteric Philosophy. I like authors who manage to synthesize the teaching and allow me to grasp a fragment and immerse myself in it. I often come back to these books to read a few lines during the day.
So you won’t be surprised to know how much I like Annie Besant’s Invocation to Unity even though it’s not a book.
6. What in your opinion is the biggest challenge the TS is facing at the moment?
Finding a way to offer the coherence of the theosophical message to the greatest number. Nowadays, people who adhere to theosophy have often read a lot of things of all kinds and come to us to find the common thread in everything they have read, they come to validate themselves. For us, this means reviewing our way of transmitting the message and demonstrating how to actualize it in everyday life. For us, this means being open and knowing the movements that exist in the world today and being able to bridge the gap with our teaching without judgment. We necessarily return to the first Object in this exercise.
7. From July 23 till July 27 2025 your association is hosting the 12th World congress in Vancouver. What are your expectations, and is there anything you would wish for the future of the Theosophical Movement?
I am touched by the enthusiasm felt among theosophists around this event! The future lies in sharing each other's spiritual journey more and more and in an increasingly simple way, without judgment and in mutual aid. Canada is fortunate to be a welcoming land for people from all over the world and demonstrates the ability to live together in peace despite differences. I hope that this example will be an inspiration to all. Looking forward to seeing you all again in July 2025! It will be a great moment!
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.