Category Archives: Public Programs

The Cyclic Law of the Universe

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Sunday Afternoon Public Programs
January 10, 2:00 PM • Group study hosted by Lee Haga

Fundamentals of Theosophy: This Cyclic Law also includes the Identity with the Oversoul, which states that we are each connected as sparks of the Divine to the Universal Oversoul. As such, every spark, soul, or being must travel through its own specifically designated time span, or cycle, in this world until that spark is “extinguished” and returns to be absorbed into the Oversoul.

How does this last Proposition affect our attitude to our own current purpose on this journey? How can our day-to-day thought patterns, emotions, actions, and attachments be impacted by a deeper understanding of these repetitions in regards to future patterns? Please join us to consider this proposition’s impact and importance on our daily and future life cycles.

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Spiritual Initiation — The Path of Becoming the Soul

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Sunday Afternoon Public Programs
December 13, 2:00 PM  • Presented by Therese Rossignol

The soul seeks to express through its imperfect instrument, the personality. The personality consists of the collective energies of the physical, emotional, and mental bodies. In the journey of awakening and consciousness, these elements of personality progress through discrete and somewhat predictable stages as they increasingly come under the soul’s influence. As this process develops, and we move along the Path of Initiation, we become an increasingly effective instrument of the soul’s expression, becoming more ‘light’ filled and reflective of the soul’s true nature. This program explores the soul-person infusion process stages, more commonly referred to as initiation.

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The Universal Law of Periodicity

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Sunday Afternoon Public Programs
December 6, 2:00 PM • Group study hosted by Lee Haga

Fundamentals of Theosophy: What do high and low tides, night and day, and life and death all have in common? They are manifestations of the Second Proposition, i.e., the Universal Law of Periodicity. This Law, which is discernible on all levels of Nature and life on this planet, exemplifies the concept of Abstract Space and constant Abstract Motion, or the Great Breath, in and out.

It might be easy to take the influence of this Law for granted, since it is so closely interwoven into our daily lives on the physical plane. However, once acknowledged, its acceptance can enhance our understanding of the rhythm of our endeavors and its influence on our actions and “footprint.” Please join us for this discussion!

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G.I. Gurdjieff: Waking Up from the Sleep of Daily Life

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Sunday Afternoon Public Programs
November 15, 2:00 PM  • Presented by Richard Smoley, Theosophical Society National Speaker

Am I asleep? Many people have found themselves asking this question. The great spiritual teacher G. I. Gurdjieff said that human beings are actually asleep in day-to-day life, and that we habitually walk around in a low-grade hypnotic stupor. What is the nature of this waking sleep, and what is the way out of it? Gurdjieff’s teaching, which he called the “Fourth Way,” tries to answer these questions.

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Sunday Afternoon Public Program Schedule

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November 2020 – January 2021

Here is our complete schedule for November through January. Please check our News page for updates. Each upcoming presentation will be announced there several days in advance, in addition to any time changes, cancellations, etc.

Times: 2:00-3:30 PM Sunday afternoons
Location: Zoom. We presently are meeting via Zoom until further notice due to lock-down restrictions. Please see the individual event entries on our News page for Zoom details.

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Why Study Theosophy?

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Sunday Afternoon Public Programs
November 8, 2:00 PM  • Group study hosted by Lee Haga

Fundamentals of Theosophy: In our first program of this series, The Portland Lodge of the Theosophical Society offers the first “Fundamentals of Theosophy” program of our Fall 2020 season. This presentation will provide the public with a unique chance to interact with a panel of three Society members as they discuss why they find the ancient, divine wisdom of Theosophy to be a spiritual oasis in a world filled with tensions and divisiveness between many religions.

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Temporary Closure

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Due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19, we have temporarily closed the library and are suspending our Sunday Public Programs.

Please check back here for updates. We hope to see you again when we reopen!

Canceled Programs

  • March 22: G.I. Gurdjieff: Waking Up from the Sleep of Daily Life
  • April 5: Fundamentals of Theosophy — The Importance of Meditation

Library Closure

The library will be closed through April 10. As the situation is uncertain at this time, we will post a notice when we re-open.

Reincarnation

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Sunday Afternoon Public Programs
March 8, 2:00 PM • Group study hosted by Lee Haga

Fundamentals of Theosophy: Several ancient religions, philosophies, and schools of thought, including Theosophy, accept the concept of Reincarnation as a logical alternative to just having one chance, or life cycle, to “get it right” on the spiritual plane. As expressed in the Third Proposition of Theosophy, each of us, as “sparks” of the Divine, must embark on an obligatory pilgrimage, or journey, through many cycles of incarnations in order to achieve spiritual enlightenment. Continue reading →