Theos-Talk Archives (August 2004 Message tt00311)

Poor Pedro has my sympathy as he clutches desparately at straws to defend 
his hero. That anyone could assume that astrological "evidence" cancels 
out historical data and official records presumes they operate in the 
realm of fantasy, no doubt a happy place to be (as the Flat Earthers 
doubtless find) but a long way from intellectual functionality and 
historical investigation.

If we accept the astrologer's "evidence" we have also to accept that (i) 
Leadbeater's parents lied in registering his birth, and (ii) that 
Leadbeater didn't know that he was seven years older than he was when he 
completed documents (e.g. his father's death certificate, documents for 
the Anglican Church).

Does the astrologer have anything to say about Leadbeater's father's 
chairmanship of a railway company (the death certificate completed by 
Leadbeater says his father was a book-keeper) and the trek to South 
America (where, if we accept Leadbeater's account, the locals spoke the 
wrong language) to build a railway that wasn't built by him, or by anyone 
at that time (including the company of which he was chairman, since that 
didn't exist either), and to be caught up in a "revolution" that didn't 
happen, featuring rebels of whom there is no historical record? I have a 
somewhat ironic letter from the Brazilian Embassy in London responding to 
my requests for information about these "events" - but they had the 
disadvantage of relying to government records rather than the message of 
the stars.
Or can the atrologer enlighten us about the brother (Gerald) of whose 
birth and death there is no record ? But since he was allegedly killed by 
a person who didn't exist in a rebellion that didn't happen, perhaps the 
lack of a death record is not to be wondered at.
Or perhaps the astrologer can explain Leadbeater's thwarted studies at 
Oxford (or, in some sources, Cambridge) which has no record of him ever 
enrolling? Or the loss of his father's fortune (of which there is no 
record) in a bank collapse which actually happened at a different time 
than Leadbeater claimed?

Perhaps, to paraphrase Lewis Carroll, believing six impossible things 
before breakfast is the mark of a true intellect. Or a symptom of someone 
who's fallen through the Looking Glass. No doubt the White Rabbit has a 
significant contribution to make to Theosophical history, and should be 
interviewed as soon as possible. No doubt he will tell us that there were 
really two Charles Webster Leadbeaters born to parents (of identical 
names, birthdates, marriage dates, death dates, with parents of identical 
names, and relatives of identical names, etc...) seven years apart, both 
of whom were ordained in the Church of England on the same day in the 
same place by the same bishop, etc.....but only one of whom was recorded 
in the Diocesan records even though both of them must have had the same 
uncle who arranged for both of them to be appointed as curates to the 
same parish. It remains to be explained: what happened to the other 
Charles Webster Leadbeater? Perhaps the astrologer has something to 
contribute on this curious matter.

Dr Gregory Tillett