How many theosophies are there...and where did they come from?

By now, all of you know how I just love to pull out the dictionary and look at words.  Dictionaries can be so fun and unexpected, kind of like a road trip without a map.  The sun and the moon tell you which direction...unless it's cloudy, but as they say, "getting halfway there is a quarter of the journey."

Here's an excerpt from an article on theosophies from thefreedictionary.com

 

the·os·o·phy  (th-s-f)
n. pl. the·os·o·phies
1. Religious philosophy or speculation about the nature of the soul based on mystical insight into the nature of God.
2. often Theosophy The system of beliefs and teachings of the Theosophical Society, founded in New York City in 1875, incorporating aspects of Buddhism and Brahmanism, especially the belief in reincarnation and spiritual evolution.

[Medieval Latin theosophia, from Late Greek theosophi : Greek theo-theo- + Greeksophiwisdom.]

theo·sophic (--sfk)theo·sophi·cal (--kl) adj.
theo·sophi·cal·ly adv.
the·oso·phist n.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.


theosophy [θɪˈɒsəfɪ]
n
1. (Christian Religious Writings / Theology) any of various religious or philosophical systems claiming to be based on or to express an intuitive insight into the divine nature
2. (Christian Religious Writings / Theology) the system of beliefs of the Theosophical Society founded in 1875, claiming to be derived from the sacred writings of Brahmanism and Buddhism, but denying the existence of any personal God
[from Medieval Latin theosophia, from Late Greek; see theo--sophy]
theosophical  [ˌθɪəˈsɒfɪkəl] adj
theosophically  adv
theosophism  n
theosophist  n

 

theosophy, theosophism
1. any of various forms of philosophical or religious thought claiming a mystical insight into the divine nature and natural phenomena.
2. (cap.) the system of belief and practice of the Theosophical Society. — theosophistn. — theosophicaladj.
See also: Mysticism

-Ologies & -Isms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.


ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun 1. theosophy - a system of belief based on mystical insight into the nature of God and the soul
system of rulessystem - a complex of methods or rules governing behavior; "they have to operate under a system they oppose"; "that language has a complex system for indicating gender"
QabbalaQabbalahCabalaCabbalaCabbalahKabalaKabbalaKabbalah - an esoteric theosophy of rabbinical origin based on the Hebrew scriptures and developed between the 7th and 18th centuries"

Where do other theosophies occur that we haven't looked at as of yet?  Science fiction and fantasy, folklore, movies, music, poetry or prose?  What do these look like?  What is the knowledge possessed by the 'gods' of these realms.

Finally, what about those theosophies created by individuals, whether they be of true, divine insight or simply the ravings of the mad?  

Finally, what of the theosophers of those theosophies.

How much room for speculation, wonder and interest!  Where do you want to go today?

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Try this article - from "The Monthly" of anno 1840, written by ???

Google "sketches of theosophy and freemasonry"

The editor of this Jan. 1840 issue was John A Heraud, a poet.  Perhaps the unsigned article on theosophy & freemasonry was by him.

Nicholas Weeks said:

Try this article - from "The Monthly Magazine" of anno 1840, written by ???

Google "sketches of theosophy and freemasonry"

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