Carla Friedman
Thus they shall hear and see the Beauties of nature, and imprint
the spirit of the times, not only for the advancement of the present,
but for the benefit of generations to come.”
–Zabelle Abdalian, 1934
Wandering through an antique shop in the seaside village of Cayucos,
Calif., I stumbled upon an impeccably preserved little book, entitled Scientific Air Possibilities with the Human,
by Zabelle Abdalian, 1934. Inspired by the life of a “Madame Mary A.
Harper,” whose biography is detailed in the author’s introduction, this
theosophical compilation of essays includes thoughts on the “beneficial
effects of natural radium in the air,” esoteric views on body, mind,
spirit, science, technology, theology, and economics. Intrigued, I
descended the sea-washed wooden stairway, bought the book, and walked,
face to page, to a bench overlooking the Pacific.
