Theosophical Foundational Works
Blavatsky’s major books and the second generation that systematised them.
The Theosophical Society was founded in New York in 1875. Isis Unveiled (1877) and The Secret Doctrine (1888) set out Blavatsky’s claims; Besant and Leadbeater produced shorter, systematic accounts in the 1890s.
The later works depend on Blavatsky’s ideas but not on her text, so they are labelled as influence.
The Lineage
Listed in approximate chronological order. The label above each title states how it relates to the rest of the family.
Isis Unveiled Vol. I & II
Blavatsky’s first major work.
The Secret Doctrine: The Synthesis of Science, Religion, and Philosophy
Her cosmological and anthropological synthesis.
The Key to Theosophy
Blavatsky’s question-and-answer summary of her own teaching.
The Astral Plane: Its Scenery, Inhabitants and Phenomena
Leadbeater’s description of the astral plane.
The Astral Plane: Its Scenery, Inhabitants and Phenomena
Charles Webster Leadbeater
The Astral Plane: Its Scenery, Inhabitants and Phenomena
Charles Webster Leadbeater
English · Theosophy
Relationship Labels
Root text: The earliest surviving text the family is organised around.
Direct textual relationship: Shares or reworks text, or is a translation or edition, of an earlier member (supported by manuscript or textual scholarship).
Influence: Draws on ideas, names or structures from earlier members without reproducing their text.