Esoteric Ireland

It is called the Isle of Destiny, and its hill-men will tell you that it has always been a “saintly island.” It teems with tales exactly duplicating those of Hindu yogis; the very grass seems to whisper as with the footfalls of unseen beings. One tradition is that in very ancient times, before the island of Albion [i.e. Great Britain] rose from under the water, there was an ancient college – or Ashram as the Hindus would call it – on the island, where great adepts lived and taught disciples who from there went out to all lands. They stayed there until a certain great cataclysm, and then migrated to . . . . In connection with this the following quotation from some remarks by H. P. Blavatsky in Lucifer will be of interest, in reading which one can also profitably remember the Greek tradition that near Britain there was an island called Ierna to which men went in order to learn more about the secret mysteries. She says:

“It is a tradition among Occultists in general, and taught as an historical fact in Occult philosophy, that what is now Ireland was once upon a time the abode of the Atlanteans, emigrants from the submerged island mentioned by Plato. Of all the British Isles, Ireland is the most ancient by several thousands of years. Inferences and “working hypotheses” are left to the Ethnologists, Anthropologists, and Geologists. The Masters and Keepers of the old science claim to have preserved genuine records, and we Theosophists – i.e., most of us – believe it implicitly. Official Science may deny, but what does it matter? Has not Science begun by denying almost everything it accepts now?”

— William Q. Judge, excerpt from the article “Ireland” (“William Q. Judge Theosophical Articles” Vol. 2 p. 98, and WQJ Pamphlet #18 “Wisdom from the Past”)

The quote from HPB is from a short comment or note in the June 1889 issue of “Lucifer” magazine and published today in the book “Theosophical Articles and Notes” p. 205. These books and pamphlets referred to are all published by Theosophy Company and available from the United Lodge of Theosophists. Please see the Books on Theosophy page for further information.