C. W. (Charles Webster) Leadbeater

Born in Stockport, England, in 1854, Charles Webster Leadbeater first trained for the Church of England and served as a curate before moving toward Theosophy. He later became a prominent member of the Theosophical Society and was closely associated with Annie Besant, writing extensively on occult and spiritual subjects.

Leadbeater wrote dozens of books and pamphlets that explored clairvoyance, reincarnation, chakras, the hidden side of religion, and esoteric interpretations of Christianity. He was also involved in Co-Freemasonry and, with J. I. Wedgwood, helped initiate the Liberal Catholic Church.

He died in 1934 in Perth, Australia. Whatever readers make of his claims, his work had a lasting influence on Theosophical thought and on the wider popular vocabulary of modern esotericism.