Krotona Institute of Theosophy

The story of Krotona in Ojai begins with a move. A. P. Warrington bought 128 acres of the Kerfoot Ranch in the Ojai Valley and won permission to relocate the Krotona Institute from Hollywood. Construction began in 1924 on several buildings at once. In April 2024 the community held an open house to mark a hundred years, with a Chumash blessing among the day's observances and a documentary, Krotona: An Enduring Vision, made for the occasion.

Today Krotona is a residential community of Theosophical Society members who describe their purpose as studying and living the Ageless Wisdom. The estate holds gardens, meadows and woodlands, and doubles as a sanctuary for wildlife. On the grounds are the Krotona School of Theosophy, the Library and Research Center, Quest Bookshop, and a Sanctuary of Connections, a quiet place where people of any faith or none can walk the links between traditions.

The rhythm of the place is set by practice. A guided group meditation runs Monday to Friday, 9 to 9:20 am, in Krotona Hall, with the foyer doors left open. The Ojai Valley Lodge meets on the first and third Tuesdays, October through May, sitting in a circle to read and discuss a Theosophical text. The School's weekend programs range widely: Therapeutic Touch, a Thomas Merton retreat on contemplative prayer, and gatherings on the writings of H. P. Blavatsky, held onsite and on Zoom.

Guests can stay on campus. Apartments with kitchens serve students and faculty, and the Kern Guest House offers small studios for personal retreats and for writing or research. Krotona has no central dining area, and guests follow a community practice of vegetarianism and abstention from smoking, alcohol and recreational drugs.