- What’s your name, where are you from and how long have you been a member of the TS?
My name is Seth Edwards, I’m from the USA, and I’ve been a member of the Theosophical Society since 2013.
- Are you active in your Lodge/Section and if so, what do you do?
I’m currently the secretary of my Washington DC lodge. I’m also involved with the international youth group movement being led by Rafael Albuquerque in Brazil.
- How did you first learn about Theosophy or come in contact with the Society?
My first contact with the Theosophical Society was through the small treatise Light on the Path, by Mabel Collins in 2011.
- What does Theosophy mean to you?
Theosophy is the gateway to wisdom. If we’re asking the hard questions in life, then theosophy is for us. “Those that ask shall have.”
- What is your favorite Theosophical book and why?
Within its two sets of 21 practical rules, Light on the Path succinctly outlines the human spiritual life. It’s helped me build a framework to see the world more realistically, and each day I strive to make its teachings my own. The more I fail in the endeavor, the more I try.
- What in your opinion is the biggest challenge the TS is facing at the moment?
The New Age is both a gift and a curse for us. More people are interested in spirituality because of it, but it’s also causing the Theosophical Society to be lost in a swamp of New Age superficiality. How do we make the Theosophical Society stand out as a source of serious spirituality against this empty background? How do we let people know that we’re offering something real, difficult, and worthwhile? I believe that’s our biggest challenge, at least here in the United States.
- Is there anything you would wish for the future of the Theosophical Movement?
Yes, schools of practical application. Pablo Sender is a genius in this regard. I’m looking forward to seeing how his Online School of Theosophy (https://study.theosophical.org ) evolves into a hub for practical theosophy as time goes on. Pablo’s Walking the Theosophical Path classes with the Theosophical Society in America have had a profound impact on me throughout the years, and it’s what I believe the Theosophical Society needs more of.
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.