Theosophical Correspondence.
Translation from German by Robert Hutwohl[1]
Meaning of the name “Jesus”.
Question: — What is the meaning of the name “Jesus”?
Answer: — The name “Jesus” means “the light of the world”, i.e. the light of wisdom, both in the macrocosm and in the microcosm. Without this light, the human soul would be dark. The father of this light is “Jehovah”, its mother, the realm of the material (Māyā or Mary), the soul of the world, and its revelation the Word from which everything arises (the realm of appearances). “Jehovah” means the five vowels I E O U A, i.e. the five creative forces in the universe, along with H, the breath that gives life to everything. Jehovah is thus the universe, but the dark universe in which there is still no wisdom. If the Hebrew letter ש (“Shin”), which means fire, is placed in the middle of the word Jehovah, the word “Jehovah” becomes the word “Jehoshua”, from which the name “Jesus” comes. This indicates that the light of knowledge came into the world through the fire of love. But Jehovah is the “foster father” (Joseph); for everything external comes from the Father through the Son, and the light is born out of darkness; without the Father there would be no son. (Compare “Mysteries and Symbols.”)
Intelligence and self-consciousness.
Question: — Can one have intelligence without having self-consciousness?
Answer: — Yes! — Where there is life and feeling, there is also a certain kind of consciousness, but that does not mean self-consciousness in the true sense of the word; for the conceit which is caused by external appearance is to be distinguished from true self-consciousness. Animals also have consciousness and some even have a high degree of intelligence. The animal also sees that it is individually different from similar animals, and in each one the characteristics belonging to its class are revealed as if they were its own. The same is the case with the animal-man. He sees that in his physical appearance he has an individual existence different from other people, and from this arises his conceit and egoism. He believes that he thinks and acts himself, and yet it is not he, but nature, that thinks in him and moves him to act. His intelligence is not his property either, but a general force lent to him and revealed in him, just as the life that is active in his organism is not his permanent property. A man can therefore possess a high degree of intelligence, even be a great philosopher and scholar, without having true self-consciousness or having achieved true self-knowledge.
Astral.
Question: — What does the word “astral” mean?
Answer: — “Astral” comes from “astrum” (Latin for “celestial body”). This does not refer to the visible celestial bodies, but rather to the so-called “spiritual world”, i.e. the world of ideas, thoughts and feelings, sympathies and antipathies. The word “forehead” comes from “celestial body” and is often used in old German books because the region of the forehead is the seat of thoughts and ideas. The astral world with its inhabitants is not purely spiritual, but rather the “middle region” or the dream world with its ideas, which, however, are just as real and actual for their inhabitants as the objects of our world are for us.
Spiritual guidance.
Question: — Where can I find a real spiritual guide?
Answer: — You find the right spiritual guide within yourself when you are ready for it. All an external guide can do is show the serious seeker of truth the way to the inner guide. There are a great many such signposts; they can be found in the writings of all the worldly sages, and they contain all the rules that are necessary to attain the inner life, provided that you not only read them but also follow them. The law of justice (karma) also determines that everyone who has become ready for higher training and needs a personal guide will find one if he is worthy of the guidance. Many are called, but few are suitable. The great majority strive selfishly to possess occult powers in order to make them serve their material purposes, and would like to be promoted to adeptship through some hocus-pocus. They then usually fall into the hands of fraudsters or become victims of black magic.
Theosophical textbooks.
Question: — What are the best books for learning theosophy?
Answer: — True theosophy is the knowledge of the truth, which everyone can only find within themselves and therefore cannot learn from any book. Anyone who does not have the ability to gain this knowledge will not understand or recognize the truth that is in a book. Books about theosophy only have the purpose of showing the reader the path he should take in order to attain wisdom; however, everyone must take the path himself. It consists in seeking and finding the light of knowledge within oneself and following it. All true knowledge arises only from one’s own experience, and just as one can only gain real knowledge of external things through one’s own observation, one can also only gain true knowledge of spiritual things through one’s own experience in the spiritual realm, i.e. through one’s own spiritualization. But this is the product of a spiritual development that usually only takes place slowly. All religious or theosophical writings written by people who have themselves come to this knowledge and inner enlightenment contain the same basic truths; but they are not immediately recognized by everyone. One must first become mature enough to understand them through frequent reading and reflection. So it happens that one usually considers the book that brought about this maturity to be the best, and this book may perhaps be the same one that one read through ten years ago without understanding and then threw aside. The best books are those in which a person who thinks clearly inside writes clearly about what he himself has experienced. The books contain the teaching, but the light for understanding it, theosophy, comes from God.
Note
[1] Hartmann, F. (1908). “Theosophical Correspondence. Meaning of the name Jesus. Intelligence and self-awareness. Astral. Spiritual guidance. Theosophical textbooks.” Hutwohl, R. (trans.), Theosophischer Wegweiser 9, no. 8 (May), 262-264. [Translation from the German by Robert Hutwohl, ©2025]