What were the historical origins of Helena Blavatsky’s Theosophical ‘Secret Masters’? In the following paper we discuss how it may well have been the long-established heritage of high-grade continental masonry that gave birth to the particular spiritual and historical context in which the Theosophical movement was able to promote its ideas of ‘Secret Masters’ – ideas which ultimately tied in with fantastical beliefs surrounding a secret occult hierarchy supervising spiritual evolution on Earth, known as the ‘Great White Brotherhood’. Blavatsky portrayed these ‘Masters’ of the Great White Brotherhood or ‘Mahatmas’, as living in the remote mountains of the Himalayas, often materializing to the Theosophers in person, or communicating with them by ‘letters transmitted by occult means’… but were their origins actually much closer to home? […]

Source: http://pansophers.com/secret-masters-theosophy-masons/