C. W. (Charles Webster) Leadbeater

Born in England in 1854, Charles Webster Leadbeater first worked within the Church of England before turning toward Theosophy in the 1880s. He became closely associated with the Theosophical Society and spent much of his life writing and lecturing on spiritualism, clairvoyance, reincarnation, and other esoteric subjects.

Leadbeater was an unusually prolific author. His books and essays explored invisible worlds, thought-forms, and spiritual evolution, and he often wrote for readers who wanted mystical ideas explained in a direct, practical way. He was also linked with other major Theosophical figures, including Annie Besant, and played a part in related religious movements such as the Liberal Catholic Church.

He remains a controversial figure as well as an influential one. Even so, his work had a lasting effect on modern occult and New Age thought, especially through the wide circulation of his writings and his role in expanding Theosophy beyond Britain.