H.P.B. in London, 1889. (Wikimedia Commons)

In the Hall of Magic Mirrors: Reckoning with Madame H.P. Blavatsky

The Victorian-era occultist eludes facile analysis

How controversial is globe-spanning Russian occultist Madame H.P. Blavatsky (1831–1891), whose exploits and exotic claims enthralled Victorians and future generations?