I walked into the summer ITC with low expectations, concerned I would have nothing to add and that I might not fit in. These people were hard core Theosophists. How could we spend one day talking among ourselves about one topic? Would it be boring? Would it be a stream of intellectual banter? I decided to remain silent, but soon I was sharing, laughing, and hugging – intermingling with a new family. These people loved and valued what I valued, and they were resolute in sharing Blavatsky’s vision of a better world. These new cousins of the truth, kinship I didn’t know I had, blessed each breath.

Each day brought a mixture of insight, information, and transformation. Rarely do we get the chance in our hectic modern world to distill a higher vision for humanity, but it happened, right under the very roof that was ordained to bring words of wisdom and thoughts of the highest nature into being.

If the veil is thin, then Olcott, Blavatsky, and Judge were peering in, happy with the unity that nurtured blossoming friendships and birthed ideas that bring light to the darkened corners of our minds.

We hear about people pulling themselves up by their bootstraps, moving from the bottom rungs of failure and repositioning themselves into a place of victory, but Blavatsky called for more. She asked that those with courage, tenacity, and vision become the very bootstraps by which humanity pulls themselves up. This was the main concern of the conference, to continue as architects of an uplifted humanity, and we may not be there yet, but we are on our way. Conferences like this one are no doubt conducted at the pleasure of the Masters.

– Anne Gillis