Book excerpt: This collection of essays from The Theosophist, the official journal of the Theosophical Society, offers readers a fascinating and wide-ranging introduction to the ideas and practices of this influential spiritual movement. Edited by an anonymous member of the society, the book includes essays on topics ranging from mysticism and philosophy to science and history. A must-read for anyone interested in theosophy and its place in the history of spirituality. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.