(1883-1965). Prominent theosophist and author. He was born in Manchester, England, in 1883. He attended the Manchester College of Technology, gaining Firsts in Physics, Chemistry and Geology. Wood joined the Theosophical Society (TS) in 1902. A worker for theosophy in education, administration, lecturing and writing, he was a founder of the Theosophical College at Madanapalle, India, and also Founder and Principal of the Sind National College at Hyderabad. Wood worked as Secretary to Charles W. LEADBEATER for some years. He was awarded the SUBBA ROW MEDAL in 1924. Wood held office as the Recording Secretary of the TS at Adyar 1929-33. He was an unsuccessful candidate for President in 1934, losing to George ARUNDALE. He moved to the US and took the post of President and Dean of the American Academy of Asian Studies, a graduate school in San Francisco. Wood became literate in Sanskrit and studied texts on yoga in their original language.

Wood brought a severely practical attitude to his theosophical work, constantly looking for opportunities to apply the theories. He was not easily fooled and he exposed as a fraud an Indian woman who claimed to be holy because she could go without food for long periods. Wood simply locked her into an isolated room with a guard on her and she soon cried for food and confessed to her fraudulent activities.

Publications include:

A Guide to Theosophy; Reincarnation; Concentration; Memory Training; Character Building; Destiny; Intuition of the Will; The Seven Rays; Rāja Yoga; An Englishman Defends Mother India; A “Secret Doctrine” Digest. His book entitled Yoga was published as a Penguin paperback in 1959.

P.S.H.

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