Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 2, No. 3, 2003, Page 87
much of what I heard as he reiterated arcane ideas common to the Theosophical theater of
teachings resembling those of Rudolf Steiner and Rosicrucianism.
I purchased and read two of his more popular (among devotees) books, but I have since
thrown them away. All I have is a few sheets of notes I took after the lecture and from the
books. I did write that Aïvanhov teaches that honey bees were a gift from the planet Venus
(Aïvanhov, Vol.1, p.48), and that he believed in an extensive and ancient underground
civilization: ―the center of the Earth is the home of the extraordinary culture of the
Agarthians‖ (Aïvanhov, Vol.1, p.xviii). Within the Theosophical milieu, these are not unusual
beliefs. Feuerstein traces the roots of the Agarthian myth in a section describing some of
Aïvanhov‘s troubles with the law—in 1947 he was accused of espionage in France and
served two years of a four-year sentence. The incident was bizarre a Cuban occultist who
called himself ―The King of the World‖ and who was an Aïvanhov adversary, Cherenzi Lind,
allegedly started a campaign against Aïvanhov. Women filed complaints of sexual
impropriety against Aïvanhov, thus preciptating his arrest. Feuerstein reports the group
version that Aïvanhov was framed. Later a 1950 French news article exonerated Aïvanhov,
and his name was officially cleared in 1962. Feuerstein gingerly insinuates that Agartha is a
real place and reports that Lind claimed to be from there.
I mention this because Feuerstein seems to me to bend and twist page after page to make
Aïvanhov into a sage and heroic figure and not appear delusional and racist. Then again
maybe I bend and twist to try to adjust my impression of Aïvanhov, one I formed nearly two
decades ago. Aïvanhov was born in 1900 in Macedonia his home village was burned by
Greeks in 1907 his father died when he was nine and he had his first spiritual ecstasy at
age 16. He experimented with color effects on his psyche and with trance states. He claimed
his room once flooded with a mystical, purple light. He discovered that he had psychic
abilities: At one of his talks he apparently crippled a friend by psychic power, then released
him from the affliction. As if these were supernatural powers, Feuerstein mentions a few
other demonstrations of Aïvanhov‘s magic, but in every case I found alternative, more
prosaic explanations: Stage magic, autosuggestion, hypnosis, and plain delusional
memories both in guru and disciple.
Do I believe that these psychic powers or miracle workers exist? I can tell you that I have
known and counseled several individuals who told me of even more profound shamanic
powers than anything I read about Aïvanhov. Some of their stories were inexplicable and I
had no reason to doubt them. However, psychic powers, if real, are fickle at best and there
is no reason to believe that shamans who supposedly demonstrate these powers are holy,
dependable, or sane. In any case, Aïvanhov did resort to the same mantra magic used by
most Theosophical cults, particularly the ―I AM‖ Activity and Church Universal and
Triumphant, whose students and former devotees will easily recognize the following
example:
―Sixth Exercise: Kneeling down on one knee, bring both hands up to your face
and then move them away from you in a movement similar to the breast
stroke, saying, ―May all the enemies of the Universal White Brotherhood be
routed, defeated and dispersed, for the Glory of God!” (6 times). The enemies
of the Universal White Brotherhood are not human beings but are dark forces,
ill-intentioned spirits that invade humans in order to destroy the divine work.
You have every right to chase them, you can even say, ―may they be struck
down, ground to bits, annihilated!‖ They have no right to undermine the
Light.‖ (Aïvanhov, 1982. A New Earth, Vol. XIII, 198-199)
There are pages of these magic mantra exercises, most of them for healing and good
fortune.
much of what I heard as he reiterated arcane ideas common to the Theosophical theater of
teachings resembling those of Rudolf Steiner and Rosicrucianism.
I purchased and read two of his more popular (among devotees) books, but I have since
thrown them away. All I have is a few sheets of notes I took after the lecture and from the
books. I did write that Aïvanhov teaches that honey bees were a gift from the planet Venus
(Aïvanhov, Vol.1, p.48), and that he believed in an extensive and ancient underground
civilization: ―the center of the Earth is the home of the extraordinary culture of the
Agarthians‖ (Aïvanhov, Vol.1, p.xviii). Within the Theosophical milieu, these are not unusual
beliefs. Feuerstein traces the roots of the Agarthian myth in a section describing some of
Aïvanhov‘s troubles with the law—in 1947 he was accused of espionage in France and
served two years of a four-year sentence. The incident was bizarre a Cuban occultist who
called himself ―The King of the World‖ and who was an Aïvanhov adversary, Cherenzi Lind,
allegedly started a campaign against Aïvanhov. Women filed complaints of sexual
impropriety against Aïvanhov, thus preciptating his arrest. Feuerstein reports the group
version that Aïvanhov was framed. Later a 1950 French news article exonerated Aïvanhov,
and his name was officially cleared in 1962. Feuerstein gingerly insinuates that Agartha is a
real place and reports that Lind claimed to be from there.
I mention this because Feuerstein seems to me to bend and twist page after page to make
Aïvanhov into a sage and heroic figure and not appear delusional and racist. Then again
maybe I bend and twist to try to adjust my impression of Aïvanhov, one I formed nearly two
decades ago. Aïvanhov was born in 1900 in Macedonia his home village was burned by
Greeks in 1907 his father died when he was nine and he had his first spiritual ecstasy at
age 16. He experimented with color effects on his psyche and with trance states. He claimed
his room once flooded with a mystical, purple light. He discovered that he had psychic
abilities: At one of his talks he apparently crippled a friend by psychic power, then released
him from the affliction. As if these were supernatural powers, Feuerstein mentions a few
other demonstrations of Aïvanhov‘s magic, but in every case I found alternative, more
prosaic explanations: Stage magic, autosuggestion, hypnosis, and plain delusional
memories both in guru and disciple.
Do I believe that these psychic powers or miracle workers exist? I can tell you that I have
known and counseled several individuals who told me of even more profound shamanic
powers than anything I read about Aïvanhov. Some of their stories were inexplicable and I
had no reason to doubt them. However, psychic powers, if real, are fickle at best and there
is no reason to believe that shamans who supposedly demonstrate these powers are holy,
dependable, or sane. In any case, Aïvanhov did resort to the same mantra magic used by
most Theosophical cults, particularly the ―I AM‖ Activity and Church Universal and
Triumphant, whose students and former devotees will easily recognize the following
example:
―Sixth Exercise: Kneeling down on one knee, bring both hands up to your face
and then move them away from you in a movement similar to the breast
stroke, saying, ―May all the enemies of the Universal White Brotherhood be
routed, defeated and dispersed, for the Glory of God!” (6 times). The enemies
of the Universal White Brotherhood are not human beings but are dark forces,
ill-intentioned spirits that invade humans in order to destroy the divine work.
You have every right to chase them, you can even say, ―may they be struck
down, ground to bits, annihilated!‖ They have no right to undermine the
Light.‖ (Aïvanhov, 1982. A New Earth, Vol. XIII, 198-199)
There are pages of these magic mantra exercises, most of them for healing and good
fortune.
