In this episode, we dive into the chaotic, controversial, and extremely entertaining life of Helena Blavatsky — the 19th-century mystic, world traveler, occult celebrity, and eventual co-founder of the Theosophical Society.

But before she became the founder (grifter?) of a major spiritual movement, she was just a kooky little girl born into the Russian aristocracy with a flair for folklore, drama, and telling everyone she could talk to ghosts. Whether you know her as a spiritual icon, a fraud, or the original chaos witch of the Victorian era, this episode explores the myths, scandals, astral projections, and truly unhinged adventures that shaped the occult revival, Victorian spiritualism, esoteric philosophy, and the early New Age movement.

If you’re into messy historical women, occult weirdness, or “Ma’am, what are you doing?” energy… welcome home.

Time stamps:

00:00 Introduction & chat

02:51 Introducing Helena Blavatsky

03:52 Mocktail Recipe: Black Magic Mocktail

05:55 Helena's Early Life and Family Background

28:34 Formative Years in Tiflis

30:36 Discovering Esoteric Knowledge

35:10 Helena's Paranormal Experiences

38:24 The Runaway Bride

49:14 Helena's Lost Decade

55:42 Introduction to Spiritualism

Sources:

• Jules Evans, “Madame Blavatsky and the Perils of Mass Occultism” ⁠https://julesevans.medium.com/madame-blavatsky-and-the-perils-of-mass-occultism-333fcd765c43⁠

• JSTOR Daily — “Spiritualism, Science, and the Mysterious Madame Blavatsky” ⁠https://daily.jstor.org/spiritualism-science-and-the-mysterious-madame-blavatsky/⁠

• CBC Radio: Ideas — Madame Blavatsky episode ⁠https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/madame-blavatsky-a-seeker-of-truth-and-a-fraud-1.6478885⁠

• Pro Theosophy Documentary ⁠https://youtu.be/WWEpVd2AaBo?si=7wPZ6MmmYE9ooSee⁠

• Blavatsky & Theosophy Video Explainer ⁠https://youtu.be/WAVimQTTlgs?si=G1puAIJQwpDyApAu⁠

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