1. What’s your name, where are you from and how long have you been a member of the TS?
My name is Kathy Gann. I am originally from a small town in South Dakota (USA), but moved to Denver, Colorado, in 1980. I love it here and have never regretted the move. I joined the TS in 1996 after studying theosophy on my own for about 1.5 years.
2. Are you active in your Lodge/Section and if so, what do you do?
I’m currently serving as Vice President of the American Section. Locally, I continue to be active as webmaster and occasional presenter for the Denver Theosophical Society. I also enjoy my position as Liaison Coordinator for the TOS-USA, and in that capacity I publish an e-newsletter, the Spirit of Service.
3. How did you first learn about Theosophy or come in contact with the Society?
It’s an odd story, but here’s the short version: I stumbled upon a [very] few Theosophical books at a public library. I was astonished when I opened them up read the first bits of Theosophy. Many of the ideas were identical to thoughts I had been thinking, and the ideas that were new to me made immediate sense. I went from library to library, borrowing every Theosophical book they had. When I had exhausted the local supply, I decided to check the phone book to see if the TS still existed. As luck would have it, the next local meeting was only a few days away, and it was in my neighborhood! I joined the TS at my first meeting, and knew that I had come home. As an aside, I later learned that the books I found had been placed in the libraries by the local TS group as a service project.
4. What does Theosophy mean to you?
Theosophy may technically be a noun, but I prefer to think of it as a verb. My experience has been that if you read theosophy, it’s very nice. If you ponder it deeply, it can be expansive. But if you live it, it’s transformative. So for me, Theosophy is a way of living, an ethic I’m trying to grow into.
5. What is your favorite Theosophical book and why?
If I could only select one, I would have to say that my favorite is At the Feet of the Master. I love it because it’s so simply and beautifully written, as the most profound ideas so often are.
6. What in your opinion is the biggest challenge the TS is facing at the moment?
It seems as though our greatest blessing is also our greatest challenge. We have such a wealth of truly beautiful writings and wonderful teachers from the past, that it can almost seem like blasphemy to turn our attention to the creation of new material. Yet if we as a group are to move forward and remain relevant, we absolutely must find a way to convey the beautiful ideas in a current, appealing form. After all, isn’t that exactly what teachers of the past did?
7. Is there anything you would wish for the future of the Theosophical Movement?
Yes: JOY. I wish an endless supply of joy of all kinds, at all levels. I have noticed that joy begets enthusiasm, and there’s hardly anything more attractive than joyful enthusiasm. If we can work from the vibration of JOY, then not only will people of all ages notice our movement, they will naturally want to be a part of it.
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.