In 1884, H. S. OLCOTT, then international president of the Theosophical Society visited Scotland. As a result, the Scottish Lodge was formed on July 17 of that year. Factionalism in the early 1890s resulted in the Scottish Lodge’s severing its connection with the Adyar headquarters, so consequently its charter was withdrawn. A new Edinburgh Lodge was chartered in 1893, and another Lodge was chartered in Glasgow in 1900.

During those early years, the Scottish Lodges were part of the English Section. The Scottish Section was formed in 1910, and the following year the premises at 28 Great King Street, Edinburgh, were purchased for a national headquarters. This building, in beautiful Georgian Edinburgh, is still the Scottish headquarters. In 1910 the Scottish Section held its first national convention in the newly acquired premises with the then international president, Annie BESANT, as guest speaker.

By 1951 the Scottish Section had twenty Lodges. However, in the years following World War II, Scotland underwent a general decline in Theosophical activity. In 1983 its national charter was withdrawn and the General Secretary was dismissed by the General Council. In 1994, a Presidential Representative was appointed. New Lodges were formed at Inverness, Dundee, and Meigle (Perthshire).

By 2012, three Lodges were active in Dundee, Edinburgh, and Glasgow, and the Scottish membership was about 110. Gary Kidgell, who serves as organizing secretary of the Scottish Section, reports that the Theosophical Society in Scotland is striving to play its part in the global shift in consciousness as we undergo a transition between the Piscean and the Aquarian Age. This has been greatly assisted by many of our members undertaking the Diploma in Theosophy, which was introduced in 2011 by the English Section. The Scottish Section believes that, by providing answers to the origins and the spiritual purpose of humanity and by promoting the concept of universal brotherhood, based upon the great Theosophical truth that all creation is part of the one divine life, we are playing our part in achieving what was intended by the Society’s outer founders and the great beings who are its inner founders and inspired the outer work.

Alan Senior

Gary Kidgell

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