Mother's Chronicles - Book Three

3

Théon

They met.

It was in 1905. In autumn, it would seem, when the Théons were on a visit to France during October and November.

Surely Mirra waited that moment with an intense eagerness. She must have felt that she already knew him —through hearsay of course, but mainly through what she had read of his writings. Was he not the one who opened wide to her the gates of knowledge? Would he be, by chance, the 'Krishna' she saw in her dream-visions about a year ago?

"When I met him," Mother said, "I saw that he was a being of great power. He bore a certain likeness to Sri Aurobindo. Théon was rather tall, about the same height as Sri Aurobindo —not a tall man, of medium height —and lean, slim, with quite a similar

profile." Théon had a wide forehead, a moustache that mingled with his beard, and wavy, auburn hair that fell onto his shoulders; he had fine and sensitive hands.

However, Mirra, who had all the shades of vibrations at her fingertips, could not be taken in by Théon's great power. "But I saw, or rather I felt that Théon was not he whom I had seen in my vision, because when I met him he didn't have that vibration. Yet it was he who first taught me things, and I went and worked at Tlemcen two years in a row."

After a slight pause, she added, "But this other thing was always in the background, in my consciousness."

Mother told Satprem, "He was handsome. Have you seen his photo?"

Satprem shook his head.

"No? Oh, I must show it to you." It was some ten years later, when an exhibition of Mother's paintings and drawings was held (in 1970, I think), that we finally saw the sketch she had done of him.

"He was handsome. A man around sixty — between fifty and sixty."

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He normally "wore a long purple robe that wasn't at all like the dress in my vision."

His background? "He was European. He was either a Pole or a Russian, I am not sure. But the impression I got is that he was more certainly a Russian, of Jewish descent, and that he was forced to flee his country. He never said anything about this to anyone, it's only an impression.... He never said who he really was, or where he was born, or his age. Nothing."

All about him was shrouded in mystery. Even his name. "He had two assumed names. He had adopted an Arab name when he took refuge in Algeria — I don't know for what reason —after having worked with Blavatsky and founded an occult society in Egypt. After that he came to Algeria; and there he was first called 'Aia Aziz' —a word of Arabic root, meaning 'the beloved'; and then, when he began setting up his Cosmic Review and his 'Cosmic Group,' he called himself Max Théon, in other words, the Supreme God (!), the greatest God! And nobody knew him by any other names than these two: Aia Aziz or Max Théon."

But Mirra had picked up one reliable piece of information. "Théon was a Jew, although he never

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mentioned the fact. It was made known by the Tlemcen officials; when he arrived he had to tell them who he was. He never talked about it and had changed his name. They said he was of Jewish origin, but they never could say whether he was a Pole or a Russian. Or else, the person who told me never knew."

Understandably Mirra was more interested in Théon's teaching than in his antecedents. It was the Knowledge that he could give which mattered to her. And he gave. And she soaked it all up.

However, Matteo's collegemate, Louis Théman-lys, along with his wife Claire and son Pascal were able to dig up other stray bits of information on Théon's life before he became known in France. Thus a few gaps can be filled up. But it is the sleuthing of our friend Patrice Marot that unshrouded much of the mystery that surrounded Théon. Patrice's notes of his quest, which took him to two continents, make absorbing reading; for he had to find his way through the decades of dust that had settled on the trail of Théon.¹

1. Jackie Semenoff, a relation of Claire's, deserves a big thank you for supplying us with some precise information.

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We, of course, need not go into all that, but will limit ourselves to what concerns Théon directly.

Théon was born on 5 August 1847, exactly one century before India's independence from the British rule.

Of his parentage we know practically nothing. But it appears that he frequently mentioned his mother to the exclusion of any other member of his family, including his father. This may well be due to the profound admiration he felt for her because she had chosen for him a life of consecration. This was symbolized by Théon's long hair, never once touched by any pair of scissors.

It is also on record that before he founded the Cosmic Movement, Max Théon was associated with the mysterious H. B. of L. (Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor or Light). In 1873, Théon, then just twenty-six, was made its Grand Master; the Scottish philosopher Peter Davidson was the Order's frontal Chief. Blavat-sky, Olcott, Barlet and many others were its members. But in 1877 Blavatsky and Olcott severed their relation with the H. B. of L. It is known that Blavatsky's first Master was the magus Paulos Métamon, whom she had

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met in Asia Minor in 1848 and again in Cairo in 1870. Métamon was either a Copt or a Chaldean. Many people, including Barlet, believed that "Dr. Max Théon was the son of 'the old Copt.'"

Much of the above is speculation, most of which can now be set at rest once for all. Our Patrice dug up Tlemcen's census of 1911, found in a register kept in the National Archives at Aix-en-Provence, France, Overseas section. This is how it is inscribed:

Saf-Saf road, Suburb of Tlemcen

Théon, Louis-Maximilien, born on: 5 th August 1847; at

Warsaw

Nationality: Austrian¹

Family Status: Head of the household, Widower

Profession: None

Max was exceptionally young when he mastered different occult lores and became proficient in occult-

1. It may seem strange to the modern reader to see Théon, born in Warsaw, giving his nationality as Austrian. History books say that Poland has a chequered political history. In the last couple of centuries it was parcelled up by its three greedy and powerful neighbours, Austria, Russia and Prussia, each grabbing in turn what it could and when it could. The many Polish attempts at independence proved abortive. The uprisings were heavily repressed, which caused large-scale emigration to other Western countries.

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ism. He spoke several languages with ease, and was adept at many crafts. A diversity of subjects interested him —scientific or artistic or sociological. He could always hold his own against the experts in any line.

A rebel at heart he, like Mira Ismalun, abhorred limitation. Any limitation. With the vast knowledge at his command, he soon found out the limitations of the H. B. of L. At the time of Blavatsky's and Olcott's dissension, he too became a dissenter, resigned from his post of Grand Master and broke completely with the H. B. of L. in Egypt.

He left Egypt and went to England.

With his refinement, his aristocratic bearing, he became a much sought-after guest in London's high society. Very quickly he gained a reputation almost matching that of the Count of Saint-Germain —in the Court of Louis XV —who claimed to be several centuries old. Théon never made any such claims. But rumours about him flew around at a great pace. Some spoke of his earthly immortality, others said he was the son of a Russian Prince, and so on and so forth. Dr. Théon's enigmatic personality aroused everybody's curiosity, but he took good care never to satisfy it.

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From one person's gaze, however, he could not hide his real identity. She was an young English poetess. It was in one of the parties that he met her. His keen eyes noted her calm and luminous face. Their first handclasp was like thunder and lightning, revealing to them in a flash their deep-seated harmony of being.

We do not know when exactly Théon landed in England after leaving Egypt, but by May 1884 Max and Alma knew each other well enough to go to theatre together. Not in a twosome, though —the strict Victorian code of morals forbade it — they were chaperoned by Teresa.

Then, on 21 March 1885, Max and Alma were married.¹

The marriage between Louis Maximillian Bimstein, Doctor of Medicine,² and Mary Chrystine

1.The certificate of their marriage, as well as other documentary evidence, in particular that of Madame Théon's death, was very kindly provided to us by Mr Christian Chanel, magistrate in Lyons, France, who is preparing a doctoral thesis on Max Théon and the Cosmic Philosophy.

2.A few particulars given in the certificate, such as Théon's and Alma's ages, possibly too Théon's stated profession of 'Doctor of Medicine,' appear rather doubtful. In all likelihood, Théon disliked any inroads into his privacy and said whatever his fancy dictated on the spur of the moment.

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Woodroffe Ware, was solemnized at the Register Office, in the District of Westminster, County of Middlesex. One of the two witnesses was Augusta Rolfe, who is none other than the devoted Teresa.

Théon's father is listed as: Judes L. Bimstein, Rabbi.

Alma's father as: William J. Ware (deceased), Gentleman.

The three of them went to live in N°ll Belgrave Road, St. John's Wood, Marylebone, which was Alma's residence.

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It would seem that Alma and Teresa were friends from their convent days at Claydon, Suffolk. The latter remained a lifelong companion of the former.

Teresa, when she turned forty, in July 1885, was allowed a year's trial under Théon.

By and by, Théon began holding séances. Soon, however, the couple realized that England was not a place where they could pursue unhindered their exploration of the lost knowledge. So the next year they went to the Continent. It was on March 9, 1886, that the three crossed over to France and reached

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Paris. They spent a few days there sightseeing, before embarking on a tour of exploration. They soon found a house to live in. And in November — 14^th o be exact — Théon began his séances in France. But after several trials of living in one part of France or another, they realized their error: what they really needed was a change of continent. Therefore in December 1887, the Théons left France for Algiers. Three weeks later Teresa —to say nothing of the three dogs!—joined them in Oran. After several months' search they finally found a place in the suburbs of Tlemcen. They acquired, in Madame Théon's name, naturally, a large villa on a hillside with extensive grounds. It took them about one year to make the place livable. Thus it was that on May 1, 1889, they came to live in Zarif. It was to become their base. They lived there many years with their devoted English secretary, Miss Teresa.

"According to a legend, Tlemcen's origin goes back to a remote past. Moses visited it. Solomon stayed in it. Egyptian sorcerers, skilled in witchcraft, made it their chosen town."¹

1. Oran-Tlemcen, Sud-Oranais (1902), by Commandant de Pimodan.

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The greatest spiritual sages in India have always been careful in selecting the site which was to become the SEAT of their attainment. Pavitra told me that the renowned French archeologist Jouveau-Dubreuil found evidence that it was on the exact spot where the great Rishi Agastya and his spouse Lopamudra had made their arduous endeavour of digging through to the "Sun dwelling in the darkness" that Sri Aurobindo and Mother established THEIR seat. Thus the work begun in the Vedic times saw its completion —and more — in this twentieth century.

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