Astral Plane: Its Scenery, Inhabitants and Phenomena

Written by C. W. Leadbeater

Narrated by Phil Benson

As sceptics dismissed other-worldly phenomena as the stuff of legend, trickery or delusion, nineteenth-century 'occult science' set out to explain them scientifically.

Here, C. W. Leadbeater maps out the scenery and inhabitants of the astral plane, accounting along the way for phenomena such as the journey of the soul after death, magic and sorcery, vampires and werewolves, pixies, gnomes and fairies, ghosts and shades, and communication with the departed in the seance room.

A leading figure in the Theosophical movement after the death of Madame Blavatsky, Leadbeater was reincarnated in Stockport, Cheshire, (now part of Greater Manchester) after an unusually long spell of 2,300 years in the heaven-world. Ordained as an Anglican clergyman, he became a prolific author on theosophical topics. His theosophical studies took him to Ceylon and Australia, where he was the spiritual leader of the Manor commune in Sydney, which still exists today.

Summary by Phil Benson

• Language: English
• Publisher: LibriVox
• Release date: Aug 25, 2014
• ISBN: 9781094250229

C. W. Leadbeater

Charles Webster Leadbeater (1854–1934) was a British clairvoyant, Theosophist, and prolific spiritual teacher who played a leading role in the Theosophical Society alongside Annie Besant. Originally ordained as an Anglican priest, Leadbeater left the church to pursue occult exploration and was known for his claimed clairvoyant abilities, including visions of auras, chakras, and past lives. In works like Life After Death: And How Theosophy Unveils It, he examined the post-mortem journey of the soul through the lens of karma, astral planes, and spiritual evolution. Leadbeater contributed to the popularization of Eastern metaphysics in the West and was instrumental in introducing esoteric concepts such as kundalini and etheric bodies to broader audiences. Despite controversy—particularly around his personal life—Leadbeater helped define modern Theosophy and laid the groundwork for many New Age beliefs and practices that followed.

[Hermes · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Generally, I am not fond of occultist books. But I like the conciseness of this one.

[Rachel Markham · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Quite informative, howevet slightly difficult to follow. Learned alot though.