A Textbook Of Theosophy

A Textbook of Theosophy is a book by C. W. Leadbeater, first published in 1912. In clear, didactic prose Leadbeater sets out the central doctrines of the Theosophical tradition — the nature of the soul, the laws of karma and reincarnation, the constitution of the human being (physical, astral and higher principles), and the purpose of spiritual evolution — arranged so the work reads like a classroom manual for earnest students of occult philosophy.

The book aims to translate complex metaphysical ideas into practical principles and exercises, and it reflects Leadbeater’s characteristic blend of the mystical and the systematic: a work meant to instruct rather than merely to speculate. More than a simple primer, the text situates itself in the wider Theosophical movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries and helped shape how subsequent readers and writers framed esoteric topics for a general, spiritually curious audience. Readers seeking a concise introduction to topics such as clairvoyance, the planes of consciousness, and ethical consequences of spiritual development will find this work useful as both an overview and a practical guide.