Here’s the new cover:
ABOUT ALICE A. BAILEY: LIFE AND LEGACY
From tragic beginnings as an aristocratic orphan to becoming the mother of the New Age spiritual movement, Alice A. Bailey is one of the modern era’s most misunderstood occult figures.
Bailey’s journey is a story of faith, from orthodox Christian beginnings, through a protracted spiritual crisis, to a newfound belief in Theosophy. A mystic and a seeker, a founder of global spiritual organizations, and a surmounter of adversity, Bailey’s past is rife with injustices, myths, and misconceptions – including that she was an anti-Semite and a racist with a dark agenda.
With scandals and controversies laid bare, Bailey’s extraordinary life is revealed as a powerful, remarkable legacy.
Some background on the creation of this book
I say this is my life’s work and it really is. I was first urged to compose a biography back in 2007, a year after I was awarded my doctoral thesis at the University of Western Sydney for my comprehensive study of the Bailey books, when I scored a job with a high-powered literary agent representing Nobel prize winners and prime ministers and the like. Back in 2016, the now retired agent wrote me a rather exasperated email in response to mine saying “Isobel, I just don’t know why you won’t write a biography of Alice Bailey.” Sometimes you just have to do what you’re told. I ‘obeyed’, but the manuscript I produced lacked the sort of detail that makes for a good biography. So I transformed what I had into The Unlikely Occultist: a biographical novel of Alice A Bailey.
As a result of that book, which serves now as a companion book to the biography, a door opened. The vital element that was missing until we met was trust. Suddenly, what seemed an impossible if essential task was made possible because of that trust.
Isobel Blackthorn 
Reblogged this on Ed;s Site..
Wonderful, Isobel. I had not heard of this woman before.
Thank you. Not many have but I am hoping to change that if I can. 🙂
Do comments actually work? I’ve tried and tried and tried and tried over the last couple of days and nothing appears. So now trying this very short comment instead. My even Liking the post doesn’t work for me.
Love, Light & Laughter,
Steve Starlord
My short query comment has appeared.
So I tried again to submit what I originally wrote but I still get the message:
“Duplicate comment detected; it looks as though you’ve already said that!”
and yet nothing appears.
Perhaps it’s awaiting your editorial permission to appear???
Love, Light & Laughter
Steve Starlord
Thanks for your persistence, Steve! No idea what was going on there. 🙂
Hi Isobel,
Not heard of you before. I found you on Thursday 23 July 2020 on Amazon.co.uk while looking for very good secondhand hardback copies of AAB books and came across your novel, ‘The Unlikely Occultist: A Biographical Novel of Alice A. Bailey’. I generally tend not to read novels these days though once an avid reader of scifi. Reading inside your book on Amazon I discovered that you’d written a doctoral thesis which I found freely available online and downloaded a pdf copy which I’ve yet to read. I subsequently found a link on your website to your thesis.
Looking at the Amazon Isobel Blackthorn webpage I found that you’d also written, ‘Alice A. Bailey: Life and Legacy’ which I’d much prefer to read. Unfortunately, on the Amazon.co.uk webpage I am informed that though published 10 April 2020 the book is apparently unavailable, if it has indeed been published? I find the same on the Amazon.com website. Has it been published? On your webpage you say “to be released 7 May 2020”. I find it hard to believe it’s already unavailable/sold-out in such a short space of time? It’s also referred to on your website as the ‘New Release’, so maybe it had been available for some time in an earlier edition?
I’ve been a student of AAB/DK and Theosophy more broadly for almost 40 years. I’ve not personally found a conflict of interest between the two, but then I’ve never done devotion/6th Ray. This despite the fact that I have Scorpio Rising and Mars as my chart ruler, with Neptune in the 12th conjunct my Ascendant, both transmitters of the 6th Ray. I’ve never had any heroes/heroines that I admire, adore or worship. I’ve never pedestalised the likes of AAB or HPB, for example.
As a child I was a little scientist, a budding entomologist, but in my early 20’s my life veered-off in another direction towards the occult and environmental politics. My love of Natural History moved from biology to politics. I still love insects, and the fascinating book, ‘The Voice of the Infinite in the Small: Revisioning the Insect-human Connection’ by Joanne E. Lauck, goes someway towards changing the negative-fear-detestation Human-Insect relationship.
A long time ago I joined the UK Manchester branch of the Theosophical Society and did not find AAB much accepted there, to put it mildly. Shortly thereafter I left. The branch has since considerably changed and over the last few years I’ve attended a few meetings. I am now one of the oldies, and all the stick-in-the-mud old fogeys that were there when I first attended as a young man have died-away.
I’ve discovered more on your Alice Bailey Conspiracy website. In respect of the AAB Conspiracy stuff I am somewhat surprised by the misreading of her works. But then I don’t carry the astral baggage that distorts her works in that way. I don’t suffer from paranoia and generally don’t go in for conspiracies, though I know many who do suffer from this ‘disease’. In a recent discussion with a friend, the book ‘High Weirdness’ by Erik Davis and his videos arose. The first 15 minutes of his youtube video, ‘How the World Got Weird’ (28June2019) discusses conspiracism.
On your Facebook page you say that you received your PhD in 2002 and yet the dissertation is dated 2006. On your website you refer to being first urged to write a biography in 2007 a year after you were awarded your thesis. I think the Facebook comment needs amending.
And through your website I’ve just indirectly discovered Steven Chernikeeff and his 2018 & 2019 books about the importance of the year 2025 and the Masters Conclaves and related matters which I think I’ll buy. They are very much of interest to me in my capacity as an Esoteric Astrologer especially interested in politics, history, and ray cycles. I’ve recently been reading and pondering more on this.
Love, Light & Laughter
Steve Starlord (Mars in Aries in the 5th House)
(Being a Starlord is far broader than being just an astrologer. However, it now evokes for many the American Marvel Starlord character, though there was once a Star Lord in British comics well before that.)
PS. Just as I’m about to post this I find on your blog that your book has indeed not yet been published. To be published 5 August 2020. I take it if I subscribe I’ll be kept updated on this publication. I wondered whether to shift this comment from here to there? Still, here it is.
I wanted to add a comment at the bottom of your ‘How I came across Alice A Bailey’ webpage, but I cannot find a way to do so.
PS. PS.
As you know I tried to post this comment on Thursday 23 July 2020 which failed many times. Hopefully this time it will appear. I’ve finally got the ‘Like’ button to work after changing a security setting at my end. The problem appears to be ‘Enhanced Tracking Protection’ which I use to block tracking across websites, but which is apparently essential when using WordPress because all sites are effectively ONE great site! Here goes!
Thank you so much for your rich comment! There is much here to absorb. I can’t find where that 2002 date appears on my Fb page. Please join my Facebook group dedicated to my Alice Bailey writing – https://www.facebook.com/groups/394500304830614. It’s the best way to keep in touch as I don’t have a direct email contact on my website.
I’m involved in Steven Chernikeeff’s work, too, and reviewed his book in The Esoteric Quarterly. I’m fascinated to learn you are an esoteric astrologer. Are you an Iain M Banks fan, by any chance?
LLL!!!!
on amazon uk it says re paperback version of the alice bailey bio — large print – can u clarify what that means does it mean for people with sight problems only ? not clear to me thks
Hi Tony, Large print refers to the font size. The standard paperback format should be available again on Amazon soon. Sorry for the inconvenience.