Sunday Afternoon Public Program Schedule

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January 2020 – May 2020

Here is our complete schedule from January through April. Please check our News Page for updates. Each upcoming presentation will be announced there a couple of days in advance, in addition to any time changes, cancellations, etc.

Location

The Theosophical Society in Portland
9725 SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy, Suite 110
Beaverton, OR 97005

We have ample parking, with ADA access at the rear of the building. We also can easily be reached by public transit.

Time: 2:00-3:30 PM Sunday afternoons. Refreshments will be offered following the presentations

Fees: Donations gratefully accepted

January 5

Man and His Seven Fields
Fundamentals of Theosophy, group study hosted by Lee Haga

Our Sunday Presentation: Interpenetrating the dense matter of our physical world are other higher fields composed of frequencies. In the same way, man has higher fields composed of these finer grades of matter that permeate his dense physical body or vehicle. Please join us as we discuss man’s seven fields and their conveyances of expression and importance. You will never think the same about your potential impact!

Lee Haga is a retired teacher from Mt. Hood Community College and is a practicing artist. She has been a member of the Theosophical Society since 1979. She enjoys sharing theosophical concepts in group settings and has been coordinating Basic Theosophy and Fundamentals of Theosophy discussions for the public for over 12 years.

Fundamentals of Theosophy Group Study: A number of our Sunday Programs will be devoted to fundamental concepts of Theosophy presented in an informal format and led by a lodge member. As a group, we will study and discuss some of these influential concepts. All levels of interest are welcome.

January 26

Mind, the Great Slayer of the Real
Presented by Michael Nagel, MA

HPB says, “The Mind is the great Slayer of the Real. Let the Disciple slay the Slayer.”  Of course, HPB doesn’t mean that we do away with the mind. Rather she suggests a relationship to the mind that does not slay Truth. For if the Real is lost, then the disciple is lost in Maya.

Michael’s presentation will explore how the mind enshrouds reality. The nature of that reality will be pointed to. He will present practical take-home techniques for ‘slaying the slayer’ from such diverse traditions as Patanjali, esotericism, Dzogchen, Gurdjieff, and psychology. A resource list for further study of this essential point for inner development will be shared. Q&A will follow.

Michael Nagel is a therapist and spiritual counselor in private practice in Portland. Michael has authored How to Be Yourself: A Guide to Living an Authentic Life and The Getting Grounded Manual. Over his 50 years of inner Work, he has authored articles and presentations on spirituality, esotericism, psychology, and philosophy that have been published in magazines, journals, books and conferences. www.whole-person-counseling.com

February 2

Kharma/Dharma // Dharma/Kharma
Fundamentals of Theosophy, group study hosted by Lee Haga

It can be said that “Kharma” and “Dharma” represent two sides of the same “coin.” These two ancient laws are intrinsically linked as the primary, impersonal forces shaping all past, present, and future life cycles. Kharma has often been defined as “fate” and “Dharma” as duty, but these definitions can be sometimes misleading. In Theosophy, Kharma expresses the impartial, scientific law of “cause and effect,” or ” for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction on all of the planes”. Dharma refers to the inner truth of an individual as it unfolds. Please join us as we explore these two profound laws.

February 16

Karma, Reincarnation, and Astrology
Presented by Judith Hill

The great American psychic Edgar Cayce stated that we could know something of our past life activities by observing our current life’s “proclivities”. Our natal chart provides an accurate portrait of these proclivities; and thus, provides a window into our previous life attainments, (both negative and positive). Furthermore, ancient astrological traditions abound regarding “karma” as shown in the birth chart. One idea is that we are reborn at a time that best reflects us, and our self-generated karmas. However, we must expand this term “karma” to include five distinct types of cause-and-effect. Join Judith Hill for this fascinating tour through the world of karma, reincarnation and the astrological birth chart.

Judith Hill is an award-winning author of ten books including: Medical Astrology, A Guide to Planetary Pathology; The Astrological Body Types; and Astrology & Your Vital Force; and The Lunar Nodes: Your Key to Excellent Chart Interpretation. Judith produces The Renaissance Medicine Conference and Medical Astrology 101 and served as Research Director for the San Francisco National Council for Geocosmic Research in 1989.  She was possibly the first to introduce Western Medical Astrology to Szechuan, China.  She is an internationally recognized researcher known for co-publishing significant statistical research on astro-genetics and astro-seismology. She is a lifetime consulting astrologer and maintains an international practice.

March 8

Reincarnation
Fundamentals of Theosophy, group study hosted by Lee Haga

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 one life cycle, “to get it right.” As expressed in the Third Proposition of Theosophy, all of us are “sparks” of the divine and must travel on an obligatory journey through many life cycles or incarnations in order to achieve spiritual enlightenment. Do we retain any memories of these past lives? Please join us for a discussion on this fascinating topic.

March 22

G.I. Gurdjieff: Waking Up from the Sleep of Daily Life
Presented by Richard Smoley

CANCELLED

Am I asleep? Many people have found themselves asking this question. The great spiritual teacher G. I. Gurdjieff said that human beings actually are 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.

Richard Smoley is a distinguished authority on the mystical and esoteric teachings of Western civilization. Editor of Quest: Journal of the Theosophical Society in America, he is the author of The Deal: A Guide to Radical and Complete Forgiveness. Other books of his include Hidden Wisdom: A Guide to the Western Inner Traditions (with Jay Kinney), Inner Christianity: A Guide to the Esoteric Tradition; Supernatural: Writings on an Unknown History; The Dice Game of Shiva: How Consciousness Creates the Universe; Conscious Love; The Essential Nostradamus; and Forbidden Faith: The Secret History of Gnosticism.

April 5

The Importance of Meditation
Fundamentals of Theosophy, group study hosted by Lee Haga

CANCELLED

Meditation should not be necessarily equated to concentration. Instead, it is a method of gradually opening our higher minds daily to connect to the One, Unified, Absolute Reality. The main obstacle to achieving realization of our true Self is our day-to-day identification with the impermanent, physical planes of our ourselves, like our bodies, emotions, and our fleeting thoughts of our monkey minds as being “Real,” or permanent. Please join us for a discussion of the importance of the practice of meditation and its various types to help us gain higher wisdom.

April 26

Aesthetics, Beauty, and the Buddhic Plane
Presented by Lee Haga

CANCELLED

What elements make something of nature or art so beautiful and visually stunning that it astounds and inspires us? What qualities of nature provide perennial inspiration and help our minds to expand? Join Lee Haga as she explores some ancient, aesthetic, and scientific laws which govern our quest for and perception of beauty.

May 17

Stars, Supernovas, Consciousness, and Fragile Earth
Presented by Robert McGown

CANCELLED

Robert McGown will present a talk on Stars, Supernovas, Consciousness and our Fragile Earth. The universe can be more mysterious that we ordinarily think. Discover sub-theories of the laws of physics as we investigate the classic laws of the mind. There are many unknown connections that we will explore.

Bob McGown is a physicist, an astronomer and space researcher with expertise in the continuum of consciousness in light of the teachings of Ken Wilbur and Saul-Paul Sirag. He has published many scientific papers and co-authored Galaxy Groups and Clusters with Miles Paul PhD. He has presented to the Portland TS members on quantum physics and the continuum of consciousness.

While all of our Sunday programs are free, donations are critical to funding our public program series. The Theosophical Society in Portland is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and your donations are tax-deductible. Thank you for supporting our programs!