Translation from German by Robert Hutwohl.[i]
Miraculous effects of the “Virgin Mary”.
Question: — Do theosophists believe in miraculous healing effects of prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary?
Answer: — Yes! Every educated doctor, every psychologist, psychiatrist and every reasonable person who knows that the spirit can exercise power over the body through the soul, believes in this, provided that he understands the matter correctly. The “Holy Virgin Mary” is the symbol of the soul purified of egoism; the “son born of her” is the divine word, i.e. the thought that becomes action through the spiritual (magically acting) will. The soul cannot do anything without the spirit; but if the soul is filled with the (holy) spirit, the spirit works on the body through the soul, and the “holier”, i.e. the freer and more selfless the spirit is, the more powerfully it can work on the body through the power of the will or “faith” and bring about psychological and physiological changes in it. The “prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary” or the “invocation” of her is therefore not a petition to some externally existing, superhuman being, but an activity of the spiritual will in man, which can also take place in his “subconscious”, and the “intercession” of the “Virgin Mary” consists in the spiritual will being stimulated to activity by the elevation of the soul. Most church symbols are representations and allegories based on such scientifically established facts known from experience; but not everyone is ready to understand the deep and scientific meaning of these symbols, and they are therefore understood externally not only by laymen but also by many theologians. Nor is it advisable to force an explanation of these symbols on those who do not understand them, because otherwise one will destroy their faith along with their superstition. All true knowledge comes from experience. A purely theoretical knowledge of spiritual things has little value and easily leads to a materialism coupled with conceit. Everyone should strive to reach the truth through the external, through images, and he will do this by awakening within himself the feeling for truth.
Should theosophical writings be “edifying writings”?
Question: — Should the theosophical writings be “edifying writings”?
Answer: — Theosophy is the union of knowledge and religion, i.e., personal knowledge acquired through spiritualization, and a writing which does not contribute to the elevation of the heart, inner edification and awakening of truly religious feeling has no right to be called “theosophical.” Jakob Böhme says: “What use is a philosophy that is not a religion to me?” Dry scientific writings, treatises, lectures, etc. can at best serve to feed the intellect, to stuff the brain with theories that one forgets again, or to entertain and pass the time. What use is it to me if I am explained in great detail how the world was created, how angels are classified, or what kind of people live on the planet Saturn, if my spiritual view is not broadened and I cannot know what is true about these theories because I do not recognize the truth in myself? The purpose of theosophical writings is to lead man through the realm of external natural phenomena to the knowledge of the essence of all things, from which these phenomena arise, through appearance to reality, and this can only happen if man builds within himself the temple of wisdom in which the light of truth can be found.
Note:
[1] Hartmann, F. (1908). “Theosophical Correspondence. Miraculous effects of the “Virgin Mary”. Should theosophical writings be “edifying writings”?” Hutwohl, R. (trans.), Theosophischer Wegweiser 9, no. 9 (June), 295-296. [Translation from the German by Robert Hutwohl, ©2025]