The Theosophical Order of Service will be holding its third annual Silent Auction at Theosofest on September 11, 2010 at the Theosophical Society in Wheaton, IL. All proceeds from the auction go to benefit the homeless at the various local shelters that the TOS Action Group has been serving.
As part of our Silent Auction, two handmade donations, which are valued at over $200.00 are raffled off at the end of the day and this year is no different.  read more »

Virgo is the sign of the divine mother. She represents the budding relationship between spirit and matter. The mother aspect, or matter, becomes the guardian of the child- the Christ principle, which dwells in all atoms of existence. As opposed to in Gemini where we have the twins who represent matter and spirit in complete and separated duality, here in Virgo we have the progression of these two into a growing symbiotic relationship. The matter aspect is conscious of her job as mother and the seeds of the spirit are being tended to.
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Leo is the fiery sign of the individual and represents self-consciousness and self-awareness.  It is the midway point between the two great poles of the evolutionary ladder.  In the sign of Cancer we see the focus on the unthinking, instinct driven mass consciousness, which over a great expanse of time eventually gives way to the individualistic, self-centered state of Leo consciousness.  This "self-centeredness" or awareness of ones self also eventually gives way to something greater.    read more »

 Cancer is the watery and emotional sign of the masses.  It is considered the "gateway" which leads into the life of concrete form as a result of desire.  The 7th ray is the ray of ceremonial order.  It is the last of the rays and is that energy which combines the "highest" spirit with the "lowest" matter (and all that lies in between), culminating in their union.  read more »

 Gemini is the intellectual sign of the twins, who represent the recognition of duality in nature. The 2nd ray is the ray of love and wisdom and is the energy that is symbolized by the second aspect of the trinity. Awareness of duality is what eventually leads people to grow through a developing sense of responsibility towards that which appears to be separate from the individual self. The recent interest in the proper treatment of the other kingdoms in nature is an excellent example of this awareness playing out in the dense physical world.  read more »

 Taurus is an earthy, grounding sign.  The 5th ray is the ray of mind, and concrete science.  The energies of this ray tend to create a focussed attention to detail and an ability to work, single-mindedly and unemotionally, with the material world.  Taurus, one of the "earthiest" signs, combined with the downwardly directed focus of the "scientifically inclined" 5th ray make for a good energy combination when dealing with the environment, which is our TOS category for this sign.

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Aries is the fiery sign of creation. The 1st ray is that of Power and Will and is known as the initiating impulse. The expression of the Will, or the initiating impulse, can be said to be an accurate definition of art. Likewise, the person who manifests Will by creating, no matter what the creation, is an artist. So this month in connection with the sign of Aries and the 1st ray, we focus on the TOS category of art/music.

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 Pisces is the sign of the savior.  The 2nd ray is that of Love and Wisdom and is ruled by the Christ Consciousness, or "World Teacher".

A perfect example of this combination of Piscean energy and the 2nd Ray in action was the life of the Master Jesus, who is believed by some to have been the physical vehicle for the Christ.  All social service projects fit in here.

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I'd like to tell you about my service project. I'm Lloyd Standish, your TOS-USA webmaster.
PS This is an update of an article originally published Jan. 15, 2008.

My family has a small business in Costa Rica producing pure carao fruit extract. Carao is a wild tropical fruit that has shown amazing properties as a natural remedy for anemia in both humans and animals, with no side effects.

In 2005, through donations of carao fruit to Dr. Attahiru Sokoto (a Nigerian pediatrician), we discovered that carao fruit is extremely effective at eliminating the symptoms of Sickle Cell anemia in both children and adults.  Sickle Cell Disease is very common in Africa and India, and the symptoms are both painful and debilitating.  read more »

We at the T.O.S. action group in Wheaton have been experimenting with different methods of service, and everybody involved has had very positive and useful insights into how to make things more effective and efficient. One such insight, which is the subject of this posting, is the forming of a yearly calendar, which will make it easier to serve all of the 7 branches of the T.O.S., as outlined by Mrs. Besant:  read more »

Meet the TOS Action Group –Wheaton, IL

The TOS Action group was formed in September 2008 by a group of individuals who share a desire to get actively involved in service work. Meetings are held the fourth Monday of each month to discuss ideas; plan how we can increase and participate in service opportunities and take the necessary action to complete the project. All meetings and activities are open to TS/TOS members, nonmembers, families with young adults, and retirees who just want to help. Participants are encouraged to get involved at their own pace in whichever project appeals to them most.

Left to Right: Jon Knebel, Joe Maiello, Jade Maestras, Paula Finnegan, Pam King, Jon Johansen
Kneeling in Front: Lois Tomaskovic  Photographer: Jeanne Proulx
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The Phoenix Study Center of the Theosophical Society in America has just made public its new website:  http://www.phoenixtheosophical.org.  With intimate involvement in existing service projects of TOS-USA, the Phoenix Study Center will continue to serve and promote the goals of TOS.

THEME: EXPLORING OUR POTENTIAL FOR SERVICE (July 27 to 30, 2007)

The second International conference of the Theosophical Order of Service took place July 27 to 30, 2007 at the USA national centre in Wheaton, Illinois.

[ To add: description and review of the conference. ]

Participants are invited to post comments on their impressions of the conference.

Revised Aug 5

Warm greetings from Costa Rica! (revised)

This is a forum intended to allow "post TOS Conference" discussion on any TOS issue (International or USA).

This particular forum topic (you can start your own topic) is about planning for this new TOS-USA (with international participation) TOS-USA community website.

In addition to this TOS discussion forum, I will soon set up a TOS mailing list (e-group style), which I think will be easier and more convenient for some people than a forum.  Essentially, any email sent to the TOS mailing list address will be send to all members of the mailing list.  When the TOS mailing list is ready, I'll send out an announcement to TOS convention participants with an invitation to join.  I won't "sign up" anybody.

This is a "community" website. For my first post to this forum, I'll explain (below) the difference between a "community" website and a "static" website.

If any TOS member is interested in helping out with website administration, or has any ideas to share regarding the planning and development of this website, please post your comment here (or contact me by email if you prefer, using this website's contact form.)  read more »