A Teacher
G.R.S. Mead
Blavatsky’s secretary who became the modern world’s patient translator of forgotten Gnostic and Hermetic scripture.
The transmission
George Robert Stowe Mead was an English historian, translator, and editor who became Helena Blavatsky’s private secretary in 1889 and helped publish her work.
He served as joint general secretary of the Esoteric Section of the Theosophical Society before leaving in 1909 to found the Quest Society. His scholarly translations and studies, including Fragments of a Faith Forgotten, Thrice-Greatest Hermes, and Pistis Sophia, made Gnostic and Hermetic texts accessible to English readers.
His work remains influential in the study of Hermeticism, Gnosticism, and early Christianity.
What they gave
Translator of forgotten scripture: Produced foundational English translations of Gnostic and Hermetic texts, including ‘Thrice-Greatest Hermes’ and ‘Pistis Sophia.’
- Recovering a lost tradition: ‘Fragments of a Faith Forgotten’ made Gnostic literature accessible to English readers for the first time at scale.
- Theosophical scholarship: Served as Blavatsky’s private secretary and joint general secretary of the Society’s Esoteric Section, grounding Theosophy in textual study.
- The Quest Society: Broke away in 1909 to found an independent body for comparative esoteric and religious scholarship.
The line they stand in
Taught by / Influenced by: Helena Blavatsky, whose secretary he became in 1889.
- Taught / Influenced: Carl Jung.
Revelations they taught
Essential Works
- Fragments of a Faith Forgotten1900
- Thrice-Greatest Hermes1906
- Pistis Sophia1896