Quest Books

In 1875 Madame Blavatsky founded the Theosophical Society at the request of her occult teachers, whom she endearingly referred to as the "Mahatmas", an ancient Sanskrit term meaning "Great Souls". Blavatsky was clear to point out that the Mahatmas, also referred to as Masters and Adepts, were fully mortal men who through painstaking training and service, had evolved their highest psychic faculties. These teachers, whom Blavatsky claimed were among the Universal Brotherhood devoted to the spiritual evolution of humanity, were also the source of her remarkable and vastly extensive occult education. Blavatsky’s own psychic and paranormal feats astonished onlookers of her day, but it was the tremendous wisdom, compassion, and blunt honesty of her Mahatmas that invoked such ardent curiosity in Mr. Sinnett. The words of these mysterious Mahatmas continue to draw and inspire seekers on the quest for spiritual truth into this present day.

Reflections on an Ageless Wisdom comes to us from one of Theosophy’s most respected and beloved veterans, Joy Mills! Joy brilliantly sheds new and profound insight into these 140 plus letters that first astounded Western society over a century ago. Her beautiful, intricate volume of heartfelt observations sequentially covers each of the Mahatma letters, highlighting messages most relevant for today. As Ed Abdill remarks, "In the spirit of a true Theosophist, Joy does not attempt to give us final answers. She asks questions of herself and suggests that we might ask ourselves the same questions." Reflections on an Ageless Wisdom is an invaluable addition to any esoteric researcher’s library; a remarkable gift of inspiration for Theosophists, philosophical seekers, and researchers far and wide.

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Table of Contents| Foreword

Endorsements

Joy Mills has made the Letters more accessible to me than at any time since I discovered them at age nineteen. Not only does she give the Letters a place in history and in the spiritual history of each of us who providentially stumbles upon them, Mills does a remarkable job of letting us in on the personalities of both the Adepts and their endearingly mortal correspondents. Yes, this is a serious tome dealing with nothing less than the meaning of life, and yet, for those of us for whom the meaning of life is endlessly fascinating, it reads like a novel.
—Victoria Moran, author of Creating a Charmed Life, Lit from Within and Shelter for the Spirit

The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett is "an essential part of the foundational literature" of modern Theosophy and a source of surprising insights into the realities of life. Joy Mills, a life-long student of the subject, is the most qualified living person to comment on these letters, which call us "to undertake the journey" to "timeless truths."
—John Algeo

A new book by Joy Mills is always an occasion for celebration among serious students of Theosophy. Reflections on an Ageless Wisdom, the fruit of many years of studying and teaching The Mahatma Letters, can be expected to remain a definitive work on this basic theosophical text for many years to come. Both those coming to the Letters for the first time, and advanced students who enjoy a long familiarity with them, will find much here to stimulate thought and deeper insight.
—Robert Ellwood, Ph.D., author of Frodo’s Quest and The Cross and the Grail

Joy Mills' commentary, Reflections on an Ancient Wisdom, brings invaluable insight and clarity to the mysterious letters of the Himalayan adepts who helped found the worldwide Theosophical Society. While shedding new light on the Perennial Philosophy, Mills shows how the letters illumine the sometimes strange, demanding world of Occultism, where unconditional love, compassion, and an uncompromising search for Truth reign supreme.
—Maria Parisen, director, Krotona School of Theosophy

Joy Mills has been a member of The Theosophical Society since 1940. She has served as President of the Theosophical Society in America, General Secretary of the Australian Section, and International Vice-President. She has lectured in more than 50 countries, and worked as Director of the Krotona Institute of Theosophy, in Ojai, California.

Internationally acclaimed for her groundbreaking United Nations and UNICEF leadership training, and for her founding role in the Human Potentials Movement, bestselling author Dr. Jean Houston has guided thousands of people from across the globe on a transformative journey in search of their ‘essential selves’. Now, in her latest release, The Hero and the Goddess, Houston invites you to embark with her on her most important journey yet, a provocative exploration of antiquity’s greatest epic, Homer’s The Odyssey.

The Hero and the Goddess reveals the timeless power of myth to liberate the psyche. In this engaging journey with the Odyssey’s immortal archetypes the reader truly becomes the hero of old and the goddess divine. With provocative exercises accompanying each chapter, Houston brings Odysseus’s mythic quest to life. Tailored for the individual as well as for group study, The Hero and the Goddess connects the seeker to the ageless wisdom embodied in archetypal figures, those venerable beings dwelling in us all.

By becoming the cunning warrior, the goddess protector, a faithful mother, and endearing son, we meet with the honest reflections of our deepest yearnings and betrayals, our subconscious feelings of loss and grief. Awaiting the champion who stays true is that of the newly ‘awakened self’. And although the mythic journey begins in you, these great archetypes most reveal the transcendent revelation of ‘oneness’, the impetus for a higher global consciousness. This transformative journey brings resurrection and healing to those who dare to embark on the path of The Hero and the Goddess. Set sail and be discovered as the Athena and Odysseus within, welcomed home to join again the “Divine Beloved of the Soul”.