Who was Alice Bailey?

Alice Bailey (1880-1949) was a British-American writer, esoteric teacher, and prominent occultist who famously coined and popularized the term "New Age". Born Alice La Trobe-Bateman in Manchester, England, she relocated to the United States in 1907. After a brief period in the Theosophical Society, she broke away to co-found the Lucis Trust and the Arcane School in 1922 to disseminate her vast spiritual philosophy.

Alice Bailey claimed that the majority of her 24 books were dictated to her telepathically by a spiritual entity known as Djwhal Khul, often referred to simply as "The Tibetan" or "DK". According to Bailey, Djwhal Khul was a Master of the Ageless Wisdom who used her as an amanuensis (a literary assistant) to deliver a comprehensive system of spiritual science intended for the modern world.

The "Blue Books" is the popular collective term for the 24 volumes of esoteric philosophy written by Alice Bailey between 1919 and 1949. They are named for their distinctive blue covers published by the Lucis Publishing Company. Nineteen of these volumes were written in telepathic collaboration with the Tibetan Master Djwhal Khul, while five were authored by Bailey independently.

The Great Invocation is a worldwide prayer and mantra delivered by Alice Bailey in 1945, intended to invoke spiritual light, love, and divine purpose into human consciousness. It is widely used by New Age practitioners and group meditation networks to foster planetary healing and prepare humanity for the reappearance of the Christ (or World Teacher).

The theory of the Seven Rays is a core metaphysical concept in Bailey's books most notably A Treatise on the Seven Rays. She describes the Seven Rays as seven distinct streams of divine energy or cosmic forces that shape all life, personality types, psychological traits, and nations on Earth. Spiritual evolution involves understanding and balancing these forces within the self.

The Lucis Trust is a non-profit educational corporation founded by Alice Bailey and her husband, Foster Bailey, in 1922. Originally incorporated as the Lucifer Publishing Company (before changing its name to reflect the Latin word for light, lucis), the organization manages the publishing of Bailey’s books, runs the Arcane School, and operates global programs like World Goodwill and Triangles.

Alice Bailey was a second-generation Theosophist who considered the works of Helena Blavatsky foundational to her own. However, Bailey criticized the Theosophical Society for becoming dogmatic and institutionalized, leading to her departure. While Bailey's framework reworks core Theosophical concepts, mainstream Theosophists frequently debate her claims, with some viewing her teachings as a departure from Blavatsky's original doctrines.

For Alice Bailey, her cosmology, "The Plan" refers to the divine blueprint directed by the Spiritual Hierarchy of Masters to guide humanity's spiritual evolution and expansion of consciousness. According to her writings, individuals can actively align with this Plan by choosing selfless global service, practicing meditation, and establishing "right human relations".

Alice Bailey's work attracts controversy from multiple fronts. Orthodox religious groups frequently label her teachings as heretical or satanic due to her use of occult terminology and her early use of the name "Lucifer". Secular and academic critics have raised concerns regarding passages in her books that touch on racial evolution and the Jewish race, which have been criticized as antisemitic, though her defenders argue these views were symbolic expressions of her era's esoteric frameworks.

While Alice Bailey did not directly advise the United Nations, her organization World Goodwill (a branch of the Lucis Trust) has long maintained status as a recognized Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) at the UN. Her writings frequently mention the United Nations as a vital early framework for establishing the global cooperation and "right human relations" necessary for the Aquarian Age.