Michele and Pablo Sender
Four Weekday Mornings

Kriya-Shakti:  The Power of Thought

September 24 – 27 

Tuesday – Friday, 10 am – noon
Theosophical teachings postulate that thoughts can affect our daily lives, our bodies, and even the world around us. Mastering our minds is essential to a healthy and fulfilling life. How much do thoughts define our perceptions of who we are? Is it possible that some of our thoughts are not ours? In this class, Michele and Pablo will explore the fascinating world of thought, presenting practical tips on how to train our minds and use the power of thought for spiritual growth and service to others.


Series $50, Single Session $15


Michele Sender joined the Theosophical Society (TS) in 2006.  She has a degree in education and has taught positive thinking skills to high school at-risk students. When working for the TS in America national headquarters, she was president of the Wheaton–Olcott TS lodge. Michele has given lectures and seminars on the practical application of Theosophy, both in the US and UK.
Pablo Sender, PhD, has served the TS since joining in Argentina in 1996, including several years as a staff member at the international (Adyar) and American national headquarters. Pablo presents theosophical programs worldwide in English and Spanish, guides on-line classes, and contributes regularly to theosophical journals.  http://www.pablosender.com

Pablo Sender
Weekend Retreat

Meditation and Self-Knowledge

September 27 – 29
Friday 7:30 – 9 pm, Saturday 10 – noon, 2 – 4 pm,
Sunday 10  –  noon


According to Theosophical teachings, the root of suffering lies in our ignorance of who we really are. It is for this reason that the Delphi oracle had inscribed at its entrance the famous aphorism, “Know Thyself.” However, self-knowledge is not easy. It requires the peeling back of layers of false conceptions and mistaken identities, as well as the awakening of a deeper perception, one that is able to realize our essential nature. In this program, Pablo Sender will present four meditative practices:  self-examination, self-inquiry, self-observation and self-dwelling – each designed to help us discover our true Self. The meditation retreat will include short talks followed by guided practice.  Participants are encouraged to bring a personal notebook.
Series $50, Single Session $15

Pablo Sender, PhD, has served the TS since joining in Argentina in 1996, including several years as a staff member at the international (Adyar) and American national headquarters. Pablo presents theosophical programs worldwide in English and Spanish, guides on-line classes, and contributes regularly to theosophical journals.  http://www.pablosender.com

Robert and Richard Ellwood
Weekend

Zen:  The Outsider’s Road to Surprise

October 4 – 6
Friday 7:30 – 9 pm, Saturday 10 – noon, 2 – 4 pm,
Sunday 10 – noon

This class on the Zen school of Buddhism is based on the tradition that Zen is a special transmission outside the scriptures, based on immediate seeing into one’s true nature, and the literal meaning of a Japanese word used for that experience of enlightenment, satori, “surprise.” We will give some attention to the story of Zen and the many colorful characters who enliven it, but the main emphasis will be on Zen practice, including zazen or Zen meditation, and the skills traditionally associated with Zen, including tea, gardens, flower arrangement, Nō drama, haiku poetry, and the martial arts. All will be vividly illustrated. In the last session, we’ll explore ways that Zen has emerged in the online world, and how virtual Zendos have allowed physically remote practitioners to come together in remarkable ways.  A discussion of Zen and Theosophy will complete our class. 

Series $50, Single Session $15


Robert Ellwood, PhD, is emeritus professor of religion at the University of Southern California. He has served as vice president of the Theosophical Society in America, as director of the School of the Wisdom at the TS headquarters in Chennai, India, and has presented internationally for the Society. Robert has published widely and authored several books on comparative religion and theosophy.

Richard Ellwood is a Krotona resident and director of technology of Besant Hill School in Ojai. Formally, he worked as a computer programmer for the Theosophical Society at its Wheaton, Illinois headquarters.  Richard currently helps maintain our web site and other technology projects for Krotona.

David Orr
Four Weekday Mornings

Mandalas:  Universal Form + Function

October 8 – 11 
Tuesday – Friday 10 am – noon


The Mandala has long served as a symbol representing the universe. CG Jung noted that although the mandala is most often associated with Eastern thought, the form has actually appeared in myriad cultures for centuries. In his introduction to The Red Book, Sonu Shamdasani noted that Jung “held that the mandala represented one of the best examples of the universality of an archetype.” David Orr will take us through his own work with Mandalas, discuss their use across cultural and philosophical spectrums, then open up the process to participants.  The series will demonstrate how the mandala appears in myriad belief systems, exploring similarities between various uses of the form — ranging from ancient celestial maps, sacred geometry, and contemporary diagrams used in particle physics. David will guide your own creation of mandala symbology using elements of your own mythology. Sessions will include artist lectures, mandala making, and group discussion.
Series $50, Single Session $15

David Orr is a visual artist based in California. He exhibits his work internationally, and has presented it at a wide range of venues, including Cal State LA, the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, Death Salon, Dublintellectual Ireland, The Director’s Guild of America, The Mütter Museum, The New School, Parsons School of Design, The Philosophical Research Society, Reed College, and UCLA. He is a member of The Long Now Foundation.

Lisa Love
Weekend

Cultivating Discernment:  Lessons from the Mahabharata

October 18 – 20
Friday 7:30 – 9 pm, Saturday 10 – noon, 2 – 4 pm,
Sunday 10 – noon

One of the greatest literary works in human history is the Mahabharata – the classic story about two warring households, the Kurus and the Pandavas. Many people are aware of a portion of this tale, known as the Bhagavad Gita, where lessons of how to contact our higher nature are given. But few dig deeper into the overall story that shows in masterful ways how we can progressively become blinded by, identified with, and deceived by our lower natures (the Kurus) and our Ego (symbolized by the character known as Bhisma). In each session we will first view important episodes of the familiar exoteric version of the drama.  Then drawing from insights from Paramahansa Yogananda, we will “lift the veil” into the more esoteric meaning of the story, taking time to reflect on our own “Kuru” and “Bhisma” tendencies. These can prevent us from entering the battlefield of life wisely, listening to and being guided by our Krishna, Christ, and Buddhic consciousness.

Series $50, Single Session $15

Lisa Love is a counselor with degrees in Marriage, Family Therapy, Transpersonal Psychology, and Esoteric Psychology.  She also has training in Psychosynthesis and Integral Psychology.  She has worked for decades to help advance people’s understanding of who they are as spiritual beings.  She has authored five books on meditation, love, and relationships.  Her best-seller, Beyond the Secret, takes a more spiritual look at the Law of Attraction. 

Cynthia Overweg
Four Weekday Mornings

Breaking Free:  The Call to Awaken

October 22 – 25
Tuesday – Friday 10 am – noon

The great wisdom teachings of the world share one fundamental principle – the call to awaken to inner freedom. While this “waking-up” can happen in a timeless flash of insight, it seldom lasts long. We live in the field of time, and for most of us, it is a gradual process of inner discovery which awakens us to a greater vision of our relationship with each other and the world. This vital inner work can break the bonds of years of human conditioning.  This series will explore the urgency and challenges of breaking free from the limitations of our own mind, so that the flowering of transformation can grow within us. Our guides in this endeavor will include HP Blavatsky, J Krishnamurti, Ramana Maharshi, as well as excerpts from the Bhagavad Gita, the Heart Sutra, and the parables of the Christ


Series $50, Single Session $15
Cynthia Overweg is an educator, retreat leader, writer, and filmmaker. Her work focuses on inner transformation and our shared aspirations to live in harmony and peace. Her articles about the spiritual quest have been published internationally, and her work as a filmmaker has won awards from American Film Institute and the National Endowment for the Arts. She is the author of The Silence We Don’t Know, available winter 2019. http://www.cynthiaoverweg.com

Cynthia Overweg
One-Day Retreat

The Way of Stillness

October 26
Saturday 10 am – 4 pm

We are confronted daily with a world of conflict, both within and without. It is a world of our own making. But there is a way to reduce suffering, stress, conflict and anxiety. In the art of becoming still, new possibilities appear. Our lives become less chaotic and we can simply live in the present moment, free of the past and future. This one-day retreat is an entry point into the way of stillness, accessible and free to anyone who is willing to slow down and pay attention to the quiet space within. Join us in a beautiful setting of tranquility and peace.

A box vegetarian lunch is available on Saturday, or participants may bring their own vegetarian lunch.


Retreat,  $35Optional Lunch, $13 


Cynthia Overweg is an educator, retreat leader, writer, and filmmaker. Her work focuses on inner transformation and our shared aspirations to live in harmony and peace. Her articles about the spiritual quest have been published internationally, and her work as a filmmaker has won awards from American Film Institute and the National Endowment for the Arts. She is the author of The Silence We Don’t Know, available winter 2019. http://www.cynthiaoverweg.com
Pre–registration is required

E Dovalsantos, J Fergus, G Kiffe, M Leiderman, P Sender, H and J Vermeulen, P Wouters
Secret Doctrine Forum: The Proem: Inquiry and Application

October 29 – November 2, Five Days
Tuesday 6 – 8:30 pm, Wednesday – Saturday 10 am – noon, 2 – 4:15 pm

The Secret Doctrine – The Synthesis of Science, Religion, and Philosophy is HP Blavatsky’s magnum opus. Based on the secret aphorisms in the ancient Stanzas of Dzyan, it presents a panoramic view of the evolution of all life from an esoteric standpoint. In this recurring program, we will explore together various themes to arrive at deeper insights into the teachings and their applications to our lives. This year, the first in the SD Forum series, we will inquire into “The Proem” which encapsulates the most fundamental con­cepts underlying all theosophical teachings.

Series $120, Single Session $15Pre-registration required (See Pg 11 & 12)
Lodging: Register by October 1
Priority is given for full-series participants

Attendance only: Register by October 22
Elena Dovalsantos has been a TS member since 1972. Often focusing on The Secret Doctrine, she leads theosophi­cal classes locally and internationally.

Jon Fergus is a Canadian student of Theosophy, whose focus of study centers upon the teachings of HP Blavatsky & WQ Judge.

Gerry Kiffe has been an avid theosophical student for over 40 years, leading various studies for the United Lodge of Theosophists.

Martin Leiderman, lectures internationally for the TS in English and Spanish in the areas of theosophy, symbology, and philosophy.

Pablo Sender, PhD, has served the TS since joining in Argentina in 1996, including several years as a staff member at the international (Adyar) and American national headquarters. Pablo presents theosophical programs worldwide in English and Spanish, guides on-line classes, and contributes regularly to theosophical journals.  http://www.pablosender.com

Herman and Johanna Vermeulen lived and worked for nearly fifty years at Blavatskyhouse, the International Headquarters of the Theosophical Society Point Lomain the Hague, Netherlands.

Pierre Wouters is an associate of the United Lodge of Theosophists. Born in Antwerp, Belgium. He has been studying and giving talks on theosophy for over 45 years.

Catherine Ann Jones
Four Morning Workshop

Integrating the Spiritual with Daily Life

November 5 – 8 
Tuesday – Friday, 10 am – noon


Many of us are born with the search for God or Truth deeply embedded within. Thus begins a pilgrim’s progress towards the goal of finding the Grail or spiritual goal. In the process, all too often the separation between daily life and the spiritual widens, creating an almost impassable void – sometimes even creating obstacles in our daily life and relationships. How then can we integrate the goal of finding what we seek yet live daily life harmoniously from the depths? All answers lie within. Visualizations, poetry, and focus journaling (short writing exercises) will explore the vital importance of integrating the spiritual with everyday life.

Series $50, Single Session $15
Catherine Ann Jones, a Fulbright Scholar studying shamanism in South India, holds a graduate degree in depth psychology and archetypal mythology from Pacifica Graduate Institute where she has also taught. She has served on faculties at The New School University (NYC) and USC (LA) as well as the Esalen and Omega Institutes.  An award-winning author, playwright, and screenwriter (Touched my an Angel series), her books include The Way of Story: The Craft & Soul of Writing, Heal Your Self with Writing, Freud’s Oracle, and What Story Are You Living? Catherine is a writing consultant, who leads workshops both in the US and abroad. She also has six online courses at DailyOm.com with over 50,000 subscribers. For blog, schedule, consultant service visit http://www.wayofstory.com

Eneida Carbonell, Luz Tamarit y Alberto Vidaurri
El Fin de Semana

La Meditación

Noviembre 15 – 17
Viernes 7:30 – 9 pm, Sábado 10 – 12 y 2 – 4 pm
Domingo 10 – 12

A través de lecturas y diálogos, reflexiones y prácticas meditativas, exploraremos la meditación  tal cual la tradición de la Sabiduría de Oriente y Occidente nos enseña, permitiendo  períodos de silencio  y recogimiento interior en una relación más íntima con nuestro verdadero ser, Consideraremos,  el “Diagrama de la Meditación” de H.P. Blavatsky, “Meditaciones sobre la Vida” de N. Sri Ram, pensamientos de J. Krishnamurti, del Buda, de Clara Codd y del Maestro Jesús entre otros.


Serie Completa $50, Una Sola Sesión $15
Eneida Elena Carbonell es graduada de UCLA con Licenciatura en Matemáticas Aplicadas y es maestra de Matemáticas para Adultos en Los Ángeles. Ha trabajado en la Biblioteca de Adyar, India, y en el Instituto Teosófico de Krotona. Ha dado diversos seminarios en inglés y español, en Krotona y para la Federación Teosófica Interamericana.

Luz María Tamarit: Nació en Valencia, España, y vive en USA. Desde muy joven buscó el camino espiritual, comenzando por Krishnamurti. Es trabajadora social y continúa trabajando con jóvenes con problemas de aprendizaje. Es presidenta de la Logia España en Los Angeles y también ha servido en la junta directiva del campo teosófico Far Horizons.

Alberto Vidaurri,  tiene un BA en Comunicaciones,
cinematografía, y artes y ha sido miembro de la Sociedad Teosófica en México desde joven.  Él tiene experiencia como escritor creativo, traductor, productor y director de teatro, película, TV, y publicidad. Alberto es ahora miembro de la Logia España de la Sociedad Teosófica en Los Angeles, donde él coordina el Departamento de Comunicaciones.