1. What’s your name, where are you from and how long have you been a member of the TS?
My name is Sharon Ormerod and I am from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
2. Are you active in your Lodge/Section and if so, what do you do?
We no longer have enough people in Hamilton to maintain a Lodge; however we do have a small study group. Occasionally I travel to Toronto, an hour journey, to join other Theosophical friends who are devoted to Blavatsky, Judge and the Masters. Joining in on Theosophical discussions “on line” has been a good way for me to connect globally to Theosophy. I have formed the New Theosophy Network social page, and have worked over the last fifteen years, along with several forward thinking souls to form a group with renewed focus on the future.
3. How did you first learn about Theosophy or come in contact with the Society?
Having had the good karma to be born into a Theosophical family, my mother, aunt and cousin were very active in the Canadian Section of the Theosophical Society, I joined myself in 1964 when I was eighteen. Over the years I served on the national board of directors for a short term and became president of the Hamilton Lodge.
4. What does Theosophy mean to you?
For me, Theosophy means that divine wisdom, found in the original teachings of the Masters, H. P. Blavatsky and Judge. I see the Theosophical Society is a vehicle needed to maintain the original teachings and to teach, by example, in an applicable way, the Theosophical principles. Theosophy has provided me with a framework of seeing my humble life, (which is a mere “wink in the eye of self existence”), in the concept of a reality which has a much larger view, a Cosmic view.
5. What is your favourite Theosophical book and why?
The Secret Doctrine and The Voice of the Silence continually offer me a reality check when I'm questioning my motives/goals/intent and examining my life. I am truly grateful that these teachings are still available in their original form.
6. What in your opinion is the biggest challenge the TS is facing at the moment?
I think the biggest challenge is to provide for and encourage the “next generation” of Theosophists. In today's society the younger generation have all knowledge at their fingertips, they are being constantly bombarded with more and more “information” and they are hopefully learning the skills to sort it all out. We need to clearly teach the differences between higher and lower thought. We need to show a picture of man's place in the universe. I think we need to work on practical application of basic Theosophical teachings which will give this form of life we are living a spiritual context and put materialism in its proper place. How we do this will be, I hope, the subject of much discussion.
7. Is there anything you would wish for the future of the Theosophical Movement?
This first approach to the biggest challenge of Theosophy will address “the other elephant in the room”; the division between different schools of Theosophical thought. This division amongst ourselves has prevented Theosophy from making as big an impact as it should. I think the young are capable of bridging this gap, whereas we older Theosophists tend to have formed our affinities to different interpretations of the teachings, the young are curious to know everything and they are capable now of having all the different outlooks available to them. I would like to think they will be capable of seeing the larger picture and along with a few forward thinking older Theosophists and form a unified future for the Theosophical Movement.
That is my vision for the future.
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.