The Blavatsky Institute of Canada was founded in 1924. Most of its members were students of Theosophy in Toronto, but the non-profit organization was and is independent of the Theosophical Society (TS).

Inspiring the early activities of the Institute was Roy Mitchell, a professor of drama at the University of Toronto and later at New York University. He saw the necessity of reprinting some of the valuable mystic and occult works, products of the early days of the Theosophical Society, which had been allowed to go out of print. To this end a small print shop was established and a group of some 25 volunteers working in the evenings taught themselves how to set type by hand and perform all the necessary functions including operating the press. Among their early publications were Helena P. Blavatsky’s The Esoteric Character of the Gospels, and Claude Falls Wright’s Modern Theosophy.

Another activity was a public speaking course, conducted by Prof. Mitchell. This produced a core of excellent speakers whose lectures were a feature of the Toronto TS program for the next forty years.

Except for reprints, the Institute has not published any new titles in recent years.

T.D.

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