1. What’s your name, where are you from and how long have you been a member of the TS?
Jennifer Hay. I am from near Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and have been a member of the TS since 1986.
2. Are you active in your Lodge/Association and if so, what do you do?
I am the Treasurer and Acting President of York Lodge, so I handle all the Lodge’s administrative affairs.
3. How did you first learn about Theosophy or come in contact with the Society?
I first learned about Theosophy from my parents, when I was a child. My father, William Harley, joined the Theosophical Society in Scotland in 1938, when George Arundale was the international President. When he met my mother, he introduced her to Theosophy, so I was born into a Theosophical life experience.
4. What does Theosophy mean to you?
It is a foundation for living life that provides a context for its ups and downs, removes justification for using the phrase “this isn’t fair,” removes fear of death, and informs all aspects of life with the understanding that we are spiritual beings inhabiting a succession of physical bodies for the purpose of soul growth.
5. What is your favorite Theosophical book and why?
The Kingdom of the Gods by Geoffrey Hodson. It provides a glimpse into the spirit world which surrounds us and that most of us aren’t blessed with the ability to see. It shows us that we are just a small part of a vast tapestry of life that has evolutionary pathways other than our own, and with which we can interact if we develop ourselves sufficiently, as they did in Findhorn, Scotland.
6. What in your opinion is the biggest challenge the TS is facing at the moment?
Membership decline. We need to attract young people in order to keep the Society thriving.
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?
My expectation is that the Congress will provide an opportunity for fellowship, and for learning about best practices of regional societies from around the world, which may be doing things better than we are here in Canada.
My wish for the Theosophical Society is that it will grow in the coming years, and not dwindle away for lack of new members to replace the aging ones. I hope that enough of those new members will be willing, as we have been, to give of their time and energy to do the many tasks that are needed to sustain each Theosophical nucleus.
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.