In the Outer Court

What It's About

In the Outer Court collects five lectures delivered at the Blavatsky Lodge in London, headquarters of the European Section of the Theosophical Society, in August 1895. Together they form an introductory guide to the early stages of the spiritual path as understood in Theosophy - the preparatory work a student must undertake before deeper esoteric progress becomes possible.

Key Concepts

The lectures move through five linked stages: Purification, on clearing the lower nature of selfish desire; Thought Control, on mastering and directing the mind; The Building of Character, on cultivating the virtues needed for spiritual work; Spiritual Alchemy, on transmuting ordinary experience into spiritual growth; and On the Threshold, on the trials and readiness required before initiation.

About the Author

Annie Besant (1847-1933) was a British writer, orator, and social reformer. Beginning as a campaigner for secularism, birth control, and workers' rights, she later became a leading figure in the Theosophical Society, serving as its international president from 1907 until her death, and was also active in the movement for Indian self-rule.