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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