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Sunday 24 March 2013

An Interview with Madame Blavatsky,
Theosophist


First of all, my thanks -- and the family's thanks -- to Claudia for the opportunity to converse with Mme Blavatsky and to attempt at first hand to reconcile the conflicting family myths concerning her influence on its past.



Me Mme Blavatsky, thank you for speaking with me.
Rightly or wrongly, my family blame you
for devastation wreaked upon us,
mainly through the agency of Great Aunt Min --
she of the parrot that would squark
at punters in her pub at closing time, to ask
why they'd not got no bleeding homes to go to. Min
maintained the parrot was a gift from you,
that you performed (her word) a seance for her
during which you caused the parrot to appear.

M.B. As if, my child! Am I a conjurer?
A party trickster, me? Am I a perpetrator
of such trivia?

Me It wasn't trivia. The parrot taught my aunt
a whole new lexicon of words --
words not respectable, nor Theosophical. And don't pretend
you are not into tricks, illusions and the like.
Did Eliot in his Waste Land not send you up,
characterise you as a Madame Sosostris,
famous clairvoyante
?
She with the stinking cold and yet
the wisest woman in all Europe? -- That was you, I'm thinking?

M.B. The bird was Aunt Min's nature manifest.

Me That's a kosher way to talk about reality?
Theosophy can talk in those terms, yes?

M.B. Indeed, the way the Secret Document states:
as above, so below. The microcosm is
a tiny copy of the macrocosm. So peace be yours, my son.

Me But not quite yet. Min's husband was a sailor,
said you were an early terrorist, blew up
the ship you sailed in to Piraeus,
yet still arrived in Cairo in one piece --
and fit enough to launch your new Society...
He thought it certainly black magic! My family --
and half Min's punters -- thought you a witch.
So many patrons left, Aunt Min was close to bankruptcy.

M.B. Speak metaphysics and you'll be misunderstood.
But where are all the positives in this? That I --
Theosophy, in fact -- described the atom as divisible
before (and long before) your science had caught up.
And still has not. Our hidden science declares the atom
to be infinitely so. In other words, reality
is non-objective. Matter is pure energy.

Me Like Aunt Min's parrot, eh? --
Not easy, ma'am, to live with, would you say?

Written for Claudia's prompt at dVerse Poets in which she asks us to interact with an historical character.

14 comments:

Mary said...

Well, I have never heard of this Madame Blavatsky; but she definitely sounds like a fascinating presence. Interesting that she declared the atom divisible before science declared it so!

And, oh that parrot.

A Cuban In London said...

I loved the conversation. Full of wit and humour. Many thanks.

Greetings from London.

Mary said...

(Dave, you haven't yet linked this up to dVerse.....hope you will do so.)

kelvin s.m. said...

...first sir it was like: i-don't-know-what-you-both-are-talking-about... but i like it... and the thought just made the entire conversation intriguing...and to me that's a good thing as the mythical sleuth side of me demands to know more about her & that parrot thing...ha... i think your take would make a great declamatory piece perfect for a classy act... loved it... smiles...

kelvin s.m. said...

...i've linked him up... smiles...

baju muslim murah said...

enjoy your posts it is very interesting to read thank you

Brian Miller said...

ha. fun banter back and forth and i dont know her but i googled to get an idea...lets hope her spirit doesnt float up out of the trap door eh? smiles....history does not remember her so well...

Claudia said...

ha...she sounds like a quite interesting talking-to partner.... have to find out a bit more about her...interesting with the parrot as well...ha..enjoyed the conversation dave..

kaykuala said...

A classic dialogue. The other person is not important. But the flow of the conversation and the wit around it is that powerful, Dave!

Hank

Carl said...

Well now I am off to do some research after that wonderful piece! Thanks Dave. Hows the weather in England? Wenderina and I are making a trip to London soon. I have never been there and have my camera ready for whatever I find.

Carl

Elephant's Child said...

And what a dark, dangerous (and fascinating) historical character to choose.
Thanks Dave.

Jinksy said...

That I --
Theosophy, in fact -- described the atom as divisible
before (and long before) your science had caught up.
And still has not. Our hidden science declares the atom
to be infinitely so. In other words, reality
is non-objective. Matter is pure energy.

Love your choice of character - and 'her' observations! *smiles*

Dave King said...

Mary
Yes, fascinating woman!

A Cuban in London
Many thanks for this.

Kelvin
Yes, I did think there might be a bit of that. I did wonder whether I should have put up a few facts - but then, where to stop? Thanks for your thoughts - and for linking me. Much appreciated - both!

baju
Thanks for.

Brian
No, you are right. History does not remember her too well - it was only a few references to her in the literature got me interested.

Claudia
Thank you. Hope she rewards your interest.

Hank
I think she would have thought her important! Thanks.

Carl
The weather - the ice age is due to last at least until Thursday. We're hoping for some improvement for Easter. Hope the sun shines for you.

Elephant's Child
Dark and dangerous sums her up nicely I think!

Jinksy
Yes, incredible that Theosophy was on to the atom before main stream science!


Tigerbrite said...

Wonderful ! I love the bird was Aunt's nature manifest. A mind bending experience of suppressed thoughts opened up after metaphysical experience:) An extra ordinary woman, her Secret Doctrine is truly awesome.