Madame Petrovsky
"It is Madame Petrovsky who dreams: looking for symbols, for a vision of the ancient that she can bring before her audience. Her existing images have grown a little tattered around the edges."[1]
Madame Petrovsky is a noted spiritualist and leader of the Theosophistical Society in London.
Secret Dogma
"Madame Petrovsky is not the only spiritualist in town, but she's got the most complicated ideas. Her Secret Dogma is a treatise on comparative approaches to religion and the evolution of human society."[2]
Madame Helena Petrovsky leads the Theosophistical Society, a group dedicated to exploring the mystical theories of the long-deceased Nordic scientist-turned-mystic, Imanuel Lundberg.[3]
Petrovsky is a captivating speaker, weaving elaborate lectures on spiritualism, history, and the evolution of human society.[4] She frequently holds discussions at public gathering places like Beatrice's Tea Parlour,[5] where she lectures on spiritualism and promotes a grand narrative of past civilizations and future enlightenment. According to her, London now exists in the 'Fifth Age,' with two more to come before humanity reaches perfection.[6] These gatherings serve both as recruitment opportunities for her Society and as platforms for soliciting generous donations.[7]
She is a prolific writer, distributing pamphlets across London[8] and authoring several spiritualist texts, including Secret Dogma[9] and Tales of Nightmares.[10] Her lectures attract the wealthy and the curious, drawn in by her eloquence and the promise of secret knowledge.[11] Petrovsky’s salons and debates bring together scholars, skeptics, and the easily swayed alike,[12] and she is ever eager to enlist new followers.[13]
Despite her intellectual façade, Petrovsky is not above using her influence for financial gain, charging exorbitant fees for courses that promise a 'profoundly spiritual existence.'[14] When faced with skepticism, she remains composed, often turning challenges into opportunities for persuasion,[15] or profit.[16][17] She is connected to the Shroud and employs their tricks in her spiritualist demonstrations.[18]
Petrovsky lulls herself into trances to enter Parabola; ineffectively, as she has only managed to reach its outer fringes, the Viric Jungle. She seeks inspiration and mystical images for her work when the previous batch has gotten stale.[1] Her séances are fraudulent, yet her desire to uncover esoteric knowledge is genuine.[19] She craves insights into the past, ancient and sacred stories, particularly of the Bazaar.[20] However, even she sometimes struggles with the overwhelming nature of the portents she seeks.[21]
The Theosophistical Society
"The Theosophistical Society is still in its infancy, but there is a tremendous and growing enthusiasm among Fallen Londoners for all things Spiritualist. Hold a public talk. Drum up some business. Work out who's particularly gullible."[22]
The Theosophistical Society is a growing spiritualist[23] movement in London, appealing to those who seek meaning in the strange, chaotic world after the city’s descent. Its core philosophy is based on Lundberg’s ‘Grand Theory of Correspondence,’ which suggests that hidden patterns govern both spiritual and material reality.[24] Their leader, Petrovsky, claims that understanding these patterns will lead to a higher form of existence.[14] The Society engages in séances and attempts to summon the dead, believing this practice will bring them closer to understanding the Correspondence.[25]
The Society offers lectures, debates, and expeditions, including excursions to the Prickfinger Wastes[26] and the Observatory,[27] where initiates hope to uncover mystical truths. However, beneath the intellectual discourse, there are whispers of financial exploitation[28] and dubious interpretations of the Correspondence.[29] Despite their thirst for knowledge, the Society harbors deep skepticism toward modern science and rationality.[30]
While some members genuinely believe in Petrovsky’s vision, others see it as an elaborate confidence scheme. The organization draws both the devout and the cynical—some seeking enlightenment,[31] others seeking profit.[32] Among its ranks lurk devils, who exploit the movement to separate the gullible from their souls.[33]
Historical Inspirations
Madame Petrovsky serves as a fictional counterpart to Helena Blavatsky, the influential 19th-century occultist and founder of Theosophy. Blavatsky was deeply fascinated by the idea of lost civilizations such as Atlantis and Lemuria, believing that history held forgotten wisdom waiting to be rediscovered. This same belief is reflected in Petrovsky’s work, particularly her two books—Secret Dogma and Tales of Nightmares—which are clear references to Blavatsky’s The Secret Doctrine and Nightmare Tales.
The Theosophistical Society, as depicted in fiction, draws direct inspiration from the real-world Theosophical Society, founded by Blavatsky in the United States. Theosophy sought to merge Eastern mysticism with Western esoteric traditions, incorporating elements from Hinduism, Buddhism, and Kabbalistic teachings. A cornerstone of Theosophical doctrine was the belief that human civilization progresses through seven Root Races, each representing a different stage of physical and spiritual evolution. These Root Races include: Polarian (First), Hyperborean (Second), Lemurian (Third), Atlantean (Fourth), Aryan (Fifth), while the Sixth and Seventh race will emerge in the future. It's important to note that Blavatsky's use of the term "race" differs from contemporary understandings related to ethnicity. In Theosophy, Root Races denote broad evolutionary stages of human development rather than specific ethnic groups. Nonetheless, her writings have been critiqued for incorporating outdated and scientifically unfounded ideas, some of which have been interpreted as racially prejudiced.
The fictional mystic Imanuel Lundberg is a direct reference to Emanuel Swedenborg, an 18th-century Swedish scientist, philosopher, and mystic. Swedenborg’s theory of Correspondence proposed that the material and spiritual worlds were intricately linked, with every physical phenomenon having a deeper, symbolic meaning in the spiritual realm (As above, so below). For example, he argued that light corresponds to wisdom, as it illuminates the eyes just as knowledge enlightens the mind; warmth corresponds to love, since physical heat warms the body much like love warms the soul. Swedenborg claimed that the Bible itself was written in correspondences, meaning its literal stories concealed profound spiritual truths. He believed that by understanding these correspondences, one could bridge the gap between the physical and spiritual worlds, gaining deeper insight into divine wisdom. His writings greatly influenced later esoteric thinkers, including Blavatsky and Rudolf Steiner, the founder of Anthroposophy.
The Victorian era was a time of intense fascination with séances, mediumship, and supernatural studies. The spiritualist movement, which gained popularity in the mid-19th century, attracted believers eager to communicate with the dead and uncover hidden knowledge. Séances became a common pastime among the elite, with some practitioners genuinely convinced of their abilities, while others used elaborate tricks to deceive audiences. Victorian esoteric groups often functioned as exclusive social clubs, sustained by membership fees, book sales, and the allure of secret teachings.
Additionally, the 19th century was marked by an intellectual struggle between materialism, Darwinian evolution, and spiritual progress. Figures like Blavatsky and Steiner opposed mainstream scientific rationalism, arguing instead for an alternative vision of human development—one that emphasized spiritual evolution alongside physical and intellectual growth. This ideological tension between empirical science and mysticism helped fuel the popularity of Theosophy and other occult movements, as many sought meaning beyond the confines of materialist thought.
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