orig. Helena Petrovna Hahn known as Madame Blavatsky
born Aug. 12, 1831, Yekaterinoslav, Ukraine, Russian Empire
died May 8, 1891, London, Eng.
Russian spiritualist and writer.
After a brief marriage, she studied occultism and spiritualism and traveled through Europe, Asia, and the U.S. In 1873 in New York City she became a close companion of Henry Olcott (18321907); they and others founded the Theosophical Society (1875; see theosophy ). In 1879 Blavatsky and Olcott went to India and established headquarters at Adyar. The society thrived, and she edited its journal, The Theosophist . She claimed psychic powers, but the London Society for Psychical Research in 1885 labeled her a fraud. In poor health, she returned to live in Europe. Her most important work, The Secret Doctrine (1888), was an overview of theosophical teachings.