Summary

Annie Besant and Charles Leadbeater were both prominent figures in the Theosophical Society, a spiritual movement that emerged in the late 19th century. While they are best known for their spiritual teachings, they both had interesting backgrounds in biology.

Biography

Annie Besant and Charles Leadbeater were both prominent figures in the Theosophical Society, a spiritual movement that emerged in the late 19th century. While they are best known for their spiritual teachings, they both had interesting backgrounds in biology. Annie Besant (1847-1933) was an English writer, speaker, social reformer, political activist and theosophist who became one of the most influential women of the 19th century. She was born in London on October 1, 1847 and originally studied to be a schoolteacher. Her involvement in politics began when she joined the National Secular Society advocating for free thinking, anti-clericalism, and atheism. In 1879, Besant turned to theosophy - a blend of Western philosophy and Eastern religious traditions. Besant then adopted Indian citizenship in order to fight against child labor laws as President of Indian National Congress from 1917 to 1919 after spending decades traveling and lecturing around India on spiritualism and education for women. Her famous works include books about Darwin's evolutionary idea and socialism, as well as public speeches about how progress only comes through hard work. She died at 86 years old in 1933 in Adyar, near Chennai. Charles Webster Leadbeater (1854-1934) was a prolific theosophist, mystic and clairvoyant who, through his research and writings, introduced an accessible means of understanding concepts such as karma and reincarnation. Born to Anglican parents in 1854, his family were clergyman from a young age, leading him to be quite studious in spirituality.

He joined the Theosophical Society at 17, living in India for 25 years and traveling around the world to lecture on his spiritual studies. Many regard his greatest work as “The Inner Life” which offers readers a greater insight into esoteric movements from Hinduism to Christian mysticism. Ultimately, C.W. Leadbeater became one of the pioneer’s in bridging the gap between spiritual teachings and everyday life up until his death in 1934.