Aloha,
Ben of Caduceus Books wrote:
> Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodruffe) books on tantra were published in
> the UK from about 1913 onwards. They were advertised in the Occult
> Review which was the premier occult journal of the day.
>
> Also there was a genre of "Phallic Worship" from about the middle of
> the 19th Century which speculated upon the sexual aspects of all
> religions including Hinduism.
I took a quick look at the catalog of Gardner's library. It lists three
books with some links to Hinduism and/or
Tantra:
BOSE, D.N. (ed.) Tantras: Their Philosophy and Occult Secrets
Oriental Publishing Co. Calcutta
MILES, Arthur The Land of the Lingam Hurst & Blacket Ltd. The
Paternoster Library London
1937 (c 1933)
NIVEDITA, Sister and COOMARASWENY, (sic) A.K. Myths of the Hindus and
Buddhists
George G. Harrap & Co. London 1913
I think that if Tantra were a strong influence, there might be more books.
Yes, Avalon could have been a source. So could a range of other authors,
articles, lectures, and people. Certainly there were plenty of
Theosophical and similar sources.
In addition, I found Samuel's essay. It looks to me like he is drawing
parallels between Tibetan Buddhism in the UK and several well-known
Neo-Pagan Craft trads. He doesn't appear to suggest that early founders
like Gardner were directly influenced by Tibetan Buddhism.
Musing Made Of Many Cultures! Rose,
Pitch
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