1. What’s your name, where are you from and how long have you been a member of the TS?
Olga Shtykova Omlin, originally from Belarus, currently I am a resident at Krotona Institute of Theosophy in Ojai, CA. I joined the Theosophical Society Adyar in 2002 and was a member at large until I became a member of the Theosophical Society in America (Adyar) in 2010.
2. Are you active in your Lodge/Section and if so, what do you do?
I serve on the board of the Theosophical Society in the Ojai Valley. I design and prepare for publishing the lodge program brochure; give lectures, volunteer at Krotona library.
3. How did you first learn about Theosophy or come in contact with the Society?
I was not born in a Theosophical family but my parents have been open minded and since childhood indirectly I was exposed to the books on yoga, meditation etc. Since I can remember myself I was wondering about the purpose of life, why we suffer, why we die. One day I came across my first Theosophical book Masters and the Path by C.W. Leadbeater from which I learned about Theosophy and the idea of a spiritual path. Such Theosophical principles as karma and reincarnation made sense to me and were familiar as a forgotten knowledge brought from the past lives.
4. What does Theosophy mean to you?
Theosophy to me is a way of life. In my opinion Divine Wisdom does not belong to you or me it is the essence of everything, it is within and without us, it lives and evolves in tune with our spiritual enfoldment.
5. What is your favourite Theosophical book and why?
The Voice of the Silence by H.P. Blavatsky – to me, this book evokes the intuition, it asks for self-awareness, self-observation, and the discernment between the essential and the transitory.
6. What in your opinion is the biggest challenge the TS facing at the moment?
As we all know the Theosophical Society was founded with a chief aim to proclaim the idea of the Universal Brotherhood of Humanity, and I think the challenge is the same as it has always been – how to be an example of such Brotherhood within the TS itself.
7. Is there anything you would wish for the future of the Theosophical Movement?
I wish that the Theosophical Movement inspire self-reliance in each individual, that each one of us would have courage to live in consonance with the laws of evolution and become the change we want to see in the world.
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.