From his cabin in California, the artist believed he could communicate with deceased, extraterrestrials, and higher beings through a “mental radio.”
Religion and arts
The Lion That Roared Before Lithuania Was Christian
The Žygaičiai Lion is the enigmatic centerpiece of the Lithuanian art exhibition at Kaunas’ Čiurlionis Museum
O Tell Me the Truth About Leah Hirsig: A Woman Occultist Rescued from Oblivion
Henrik Bogdan and Manon Hedenborg White’s edition of Hirsig’s diaries demonstrates that Leah was not just a footnote in Crowley’s life but a significant force in her own right.
Around Giacomo Balla: Italian Futurists and Theosophy. 5. The Mature Balla and Theosophy
Balla created memorable Futurist-Theosophical icons before leaving Futurism, becoming a “Fascist realist,” and returning to abstract art in his late years.
Around Giacomo Balla: Italian Futurists and Theosophy. 4. Balla’s Encounter with Theosophy
It is unclear when the artist first met the Theosophical Society. General Carlo Ballatore and politician Giovanni Amendola played essential roles.
Around Giacomo Balla: Italian Futurists and Theosophy. 3. Balla: The Early Years
Freemasonry and the anti-Catholic rhetoric of the “Third Rome” were important for the friends Balla met when he moved from Turin to Rome. Theosophy was not far away.
Around Giacomo Balla: Italian Futurists and Theosophy. 2. Futurism and the Theosophical Society
Arnaldo Ginna, a pioneer of Futurism and abstract art, joined the Theosophical Society in 1913. Theosophy profoundly influenced others as well.
Around Giacomo Balla: Italian Futurists and Theosophy. 1. Early Theosophy in Italy and the Arts
Since its origins in the late 19th century, Italy’s Theosophical Society has influenced leading artists.
A Rose Is a Rose Is a Rose: Hilma af Klint, Flowers, and Theosophy at the MoMA
The exhibition “Hilma af Klint: What Stands Behind the Flowers” challenges the idea that botanical works are the flattest (and least Theosophical) part of the artist’s production.
Lawren Harris, Theosophical Painter. 5. How to Be a Theosophist-Artist
Harris denied that his art “preached” Theosophy through symbols. It was “Theosophical” in the sense of being a divine experience of essential forms.