At the age of 17, rejecting nineteenth-century materialism, Helena Blavatsky (1831-1891) left her native Russia and traveled through India, Tibet, Egypt, Europe, and the Americas seeking out the sources of ancient wisdom as a key to spiritual truth. In 1875 in New York, she co-founded the Theosophical Society for the study of occult traditions. Many popular ideas of rediscovered ancient wisdom, including reincarnation and karma, trace their origin to Helena Blavatsky and Theosophy. This anthology includes material on her life and travels, as well as excerpts from her major works.

Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, General Editor of the Western Esoteric Masters Series is Professor of Western Esotericism at the University of Exeter and director of its Centre for the Study of Esotericism. He has published studies on Paracelsus, John Dee, Cornelius Agrippa, Emanuel Swedenborg, and Helena Blavatsky. His pioneering work, The Occult Roots of Nazism has been translated into nine languages.