OJAI VALLEY LODGE – Established 1927
Betty Bland
From the point of view of the Theosophical teachings, when we have an understanding of the process of death and dying, life takes on new meaning And by it we are drawn into a field of consciousness in which we realize all is united and permeated with love.
Betty is a past president of the TSA; after having a near death experience she was “catapulted into an intense quest of understanding, where nothing matters, but everything matters.”
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January 21st (meditation & study 6:00, meeting 7:00) – Members Study
Self-Culture in the Light of the Ancient Wisdom — Book Study & Discussion
Chapter 8: The Functions of the Mental Body
We shall consider in this meeting the functions of the lower mental body, the vehicle of concrete thoughts. As in the case of the emotional body the subject will be dealt with from the special point of view of a self-culturist and we will consider the facts and methods which enable us to understand and use this body efficiently.
January 14th – Meditation & Study 6:00 PM, Meeting 7:00 PM
The Technique of the Spiritual Life – Book Study and Discussion Group
Chapter Five: The Training of the Emotions
The first thing we should do is to realize that we are not our feelings. As we watch them moving, urging, arising, we notice that they are motivated by the purely personal outlook. The same body expresses desire, passions, and love. Through self-knowledge we are able to cultivate the finer responses to life and begin to engage in it completely.
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Michael Carter
Hilma of Klint, (1862 – 1944) was a Swedish painter and occultist, her vibrant, innovative, and highly metaphysical paintings have firmly entered the public consciousness and finally taken their place in 20th-century art history. Here we will address how events in the early history of the Society impacted her life story and illuminate the influence of specific Theosophical teachings behind her most well-known artworks.
Michael is an artist and educator, his work is an inquiry into metaphysical theories of art and has shown extensively locally and internationally.
PUBLIC TALK – February 4th (meditation 6:30, meeting 7:00)
Ken Small
In The Secret Doctrine, HPB states that there exists a perception of things unseen, which can be gained by using our previous knowledge and in meditation “climbing to the loftiest summit.” Ken will share with us a meditative journey through a sacred universe of planets, seasons, and elements as reflected in our daily life.
Ken is a teacher of Zen meditation, esoteric traditions, ethno-botany and a lifelong theosophist. He co-curates the Lomaland Theosphy archive at San Diego State University Library.
Please bring refreshments to share
To let you know due to the holidays there will be no lodge meetings December 24th and December 31st!
December 10th – Meditation & Study 6:00 PM, Meeting 7:00 PM
The Technique of the Spiritual Life – Book Study and Discussion Group
Chapter Three and Four: The Significance of Will and the Body
On the second Tuesday of the month we will facilitate an Introductory Theosophy discussion on The Technique of the Spiritual Life by Clara Codd utilizing the study guide written by Maria Parisen. Tonight, we will begin with the Introduction to the book and the practice of Meditative Inquiry.
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December 3 (meditation & study 6:00, lecture 7:00) – Public Talk
Glori Zeltzer and Leon Berg
“So when you are listening to somebody, completely, attentively, then you are listening not only to the words, but also to the feeling of what is being conveyed, to the whole of it, not part of it.” Krishnamurti’s words seem so simple yet how often do we fully listen to one another without being distracted, without judgement of what is being said, without wanting to interrupt? Join us as we explore listening and things that get in the way. Glori is a licensed marriage and family therapist with forty years of practice, specializing in relationship counseling. Leon is a founding member of The Ojai Foundation, and for the past 30 years he has been a Senior Facilitator and Trainer in the Way of Council. (please bring refreshments to share)
All the organs of sensation are situated in the emotional body and our most difficult trials and sufferings usually come from our struggles with our desire nature. When we become self-aware and master over these desires, we are already well on the path towards peace and harmony.
(Please bring refreshments to share).
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November 19 (meditation & study 6:00, meeting 7:00) – Members Study
Self-Culture in the Light of the Ancient Wisdom — Book Study & Discussion
Chapter 6: The Functions of the Emotional Body
All the organs of sensation are situated in the emotional body and our most difficult trials and sufferings usually come from our struggles with our desire nature. When we become self-aware and master over these desires, we are already well on the path towards peace and harmony.
November 12 (meditation & study 6:00, meeting 7:00)
The Technique of the Spiritual Life – Book Study and Discussion Group
Chapter II: Understanding of Ourselves
To understand the technique of the Spiritual Life we must understand ourselves. We are not only this body, which we see with the physical eyes. There is a soul, which uses the body by “osmosis,” as it were, for thought and feeling originate in the inner, subtler worlds of being. The Spirit is the third factor within us—it is the eternal, undying part, which endures forever.
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