Although not a full mason herself, Mme Blavatsky was also well versed in the rites, ceremonies and secrets of masonic practice and history. John Yarker admitted her to the Sat-B'hai, a quasi-masonic order believed to  have come from India and accepting women. You have only to glance through The Secret Doctrine,  for example, to find some thirty-four masonic entries listed. Isis Unveiled has many long dissertations on the hidden truths behind the many genuine masonic traditions preserving for the future the secrets of the Ancient  Mysteries and the Egyptian Rites of Isis. Even today these are now largely obscured by misunderstanding and bigotry. But H P Blavatsky was able to reach into the genuine secrets of the craft, despite living in a male dominated era. She saw particularly its connection with kabalistic teaching and numerology. Both subjects still sadly neglected.

In the early days of the TS a number of members felt the lack of  some form of ritual and special training on which to anchor their meditation and studies. This they found in Westcott's Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and many prominent subscribers to the TS in England joined. It was suggested that, maybe to fill this void, HPB in October 1888 founded the Esoteric Section, as mentioned by Robert Gilbert in Revelations of the Golden Dawn. Nevertheless, the ES was, perhaps,a little too exclusive and so a number of other secret rituals gradually appeared - well covered by Kevin Tingay's talk to the History Conference on Forgotten Ritual Workings in the TS. Masonry was the social and charitable prerogative of men and of little interest to the Society despite the writings of Dr Besant and HPB.

Early Days

All that changed when Dr Besant was introduced to a small break-away group of masons outside Paris who had admitted a well known woman social worker, Mme Desraimes. Dr Besant, with great insight - or more likely guidance from the Masters - realised its potential for good and how a masonic group released from the mores of the past could act as a complement to the work and teaching of the Society. So it was that in 1902 she introduced a masonic order to this country on the strict understanding that it followed the principles and teachings of HPB.

The principles promulgated in 1903 were:

1. Joint Free-Masonry of Britain asserts, in accordance with the ancient declarations of Free-Masonry, the existence of a creative principle, under the title of Great Architect of the Universe.

2. It imposes no restrictions on the free search after Truth and, in order to secure that freedom, exacts tolerance from all its members.

3. Joint Free-Masonry of Britain is therefore open to men and women of  all nationalities, of all races and all creeds.

4. The aim of Joint Free-Masonry is to combat ignorance in all its forms; it urges upon its members obedience to the laws of their country, the maintenance of a high standard of honour, the upholding of justice, a kindly feeling towards all, and a ceaseless endeavour to promote the welfare of humanity.

These are Ideals that will be easily recognisable by all TS members

In the heady early days of the new Order many flocked to join, particularly men who found the English Masonic scene lacking in esoteric content. Rituals were carefully reshaped by Dr Besant to reflect the inner side of Masonic teaching that had been so neglected in the past and most members were also drawn from the TS. The level of ritual work and teaching was very high and attracted many prominent members: Edward Gardner, Geoffrey Hodson, Charles Leadbeater spring to mind. Apart from Dr Besant, subsequent International Presidents were members. For example, George Arundale, C. Jinarajadasa, 'Jack' Coats and, of course, many others.

An interesting side-light is the fact that when resident in Madras, Dr Besant, appointed her daughter, Mrs Mabel Besant-Scott as Secretary of the British Co-Masons, so we had formal instructions and commands from the Head on one sheet attached to a personal covering letter addressed to 'Darling Mab,' and signed 'Your Loving Mother'!

As with all active, strong minded groups, - including the TS itself - there were clashes of temperament and differences of opinion, especially in the 1920s, but  all seemed to proceed well along TS lines until after the last war. The main inspirers had died and the initial TS enthusiasm and influence became swamped or forgotten. Many Lodges took on the character of the standard English Masons although still retaining the outer shell of the rectified rituals introduced by Dr Besant.