was born on August 12, 1831, at Dnepropetrovsk (Ekaterinoslav), Ukraine, daughter of Colonel Peter Alexeyevich von Hahn and novelist Helena Andreyevna (née de Fadeyev). In 1849 she married N. V. Blavatsky, and shortly thereafter began more than 20 years of extensive travel, bringing her into contact with mystic traditions the world over.

In 1873 Blavatsky arrived in New York from Paris where, impelled by her teachers, she began her work. At first she attempted to interest the Spiritualists in the philosophy behind phenomena but they resented her refusal to accept their standard explanations. In July 1875 she was urged "to establish a philosophico-religious society," and in the Fall of the same year she became the principal founder, along with H. S. Olcott and W. Q. Judge, of The Theosophical Society. She devoted the rest of her life to its humanitarian and educational objectives, namely:

• to demonstrate that the oneness of all life is a fact in nature;
• to form a nucleus of a universal brotherhood;
• to promote better understanding among all people and recognition of the essential unity of life;
• to encourage the study of ancient and modern religions, sciences, and philosophies;
• to investigate and share the spiritual, psychological, and material laws and powers found in the cosmos and in the human being.

About the time the Society began, she started to write her first major work, Isis Unveiled, and after its publication in 1878 she and H. S. Olcott left for India. There they worked to re-establish Oriental philosophical and religious ideas, largely through the pages of The Theosophist, a magazine which Blavatsky founded and edited.

In 1885 Blavatsky left India for Europe, where she continued to write The Secret Doctrine, her masterwork. In 1887 she settled in London, and began a new magazine Lucifer ("Light-bringer"). In 1888 The Secret Doctrine was published and, in the same year, aided by W. Q. Judge, she formed the Esoteric Section of The Theosophical Society. Shortly afterwards she wrote The Key to Theosophy and The Voice of the Silence. In 1890 she became head of a newly-established European Section. She died in London on May 8, 1891 after many years of chronic illness.

Collected Writings: Isis Unveiled (1887)
Collected Writings: The Secret Doctrine (1888)

Synopsis: A fountain of esoteric knowledge for deep truth seekers, this classic work examines the birth and structure of the universe and how everything has the Divine as its source. It also traces the development of humanity - drawing from sacred scriptures, mythology, and legends to give a spiritual view of human beings. Volume III is an index to help readers find any topic easily. Illustrations.

An Invitation to the Secret Doctrine
The Key to Theosophy
The Voice of the Silence
From the Caves and Jungles of Hindostan (1883-86)

Collected Writings: Vol I (1874-78)
Collected Writings: Vol II (1879-80)
Collected Writings: Vol III (1881-82)
Collected Writings: Vol IV (1882-83)
Collected Writings: Vol V (1883)
Collected Writings: Vol VI (1883-85)
Collected Writings: Vol VII (1886-87)
Collected Writings: Vol VIII (1887)
Collected Writings: Vol IX (1888)
Collected Writings: Vol X (1888-89)
Collected Writings: Vol XI (1889)
Collected Writings: Vol XII (1889-1890)
Collected Writings: Vol XIII (1890-91)
Collected Writings: Vol XIV (Miscellaneous)
Collected Writings: Vol XV (Cumulative Index)