Helena Blavatsky part 1
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 Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please get in touch with advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Want more Queens? Head to our Patreon , check out our merch store , and follow us on Instagram ! Never miss a Queens Podcast happening! Sign up for our newsletter: https://eepurl.com/gZ-nYf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices