Category: Rosicrucianism

No topic in the Western esoteric tradition is as mangled with disinformation and fantasies as the Rosicrucian tradition. One needs to separate the facts from the chaff to get at the heart of the matter.

So, let us take a look.

1) The Reformation of the Macrocosm:

The Renaissance was a cultural “rebirth” that followed the Middle Ages. But it was not all good. The German Peasants’ War (1524-1525) and the Thirty Years War (1618–1648) devastated Europe. Scientists who were hiding in the crevices of European society began to poke their heads out. It was safe — relatively speaking — to be a scientist. Nonetheless, the pyres of the “Burning Times” would not burn out in Germany until 1775. One still had to be careful. It was in this world of religious turbulence and scientific rebirth that the Rosicrucians emerged in 1614.

Philosophy and scientific innovation had influenced these Christian thinkers. In their hands, astrology and astronomy could coexist. Alchemy and chemistry could coexist. Natural magic and natural science could coexist. The line between the antiquated past and distant future was blurred. Rosicrucianism started as a revitalization movement. These movements seek to breath new life into stagnant cultures through a fresh infusion of ideals from the past. In the case of the Rosicrucians, the goal was religious and social revitalization through an infusion of Cabalistic and Hermetic ideas from the past.

Revitalization movements fall into the following categories:

• Messianism
• Millenarianism
• Revivalism
• Utopianism

The Rosicrucian movement fell into all four of these categories. During their era some people believed that the End Times were at hand. Simon Studion had predicted the apocalypse in his Naometria (1592). And the Great Conjunction of 1623 was an auspicious omen. The Rosicrucians believed that it was at hand. But unlike the fanatical millenarians of our modern times it was believed that this religious and social calcination would herald the coming Golden Age that Paracelsus had prophesied. Famine and war would lead to renovation in the form of heaven on earth.

The world would be burned to reveal its inner spirit. And all that was hidden within nature would be revealed in a bright flash of scientific revelation. Tommaso Campanella predicted the return of Elijah the Prophet in Monarchia Messiae (1604). The Rosicrucians believed that a messianic king known as the Lion of Septentrion (Lion of the North) would arrive and rule over a Christian utopia. Many associated Frederick V with the Lion of Septentrion. When he was defeated at the Battle of White Mountain (1620) the utopian dreams were dashed.

2) The Regeneration of the Microcosm:

The second goal is the regeneration of man. Regeneration is the process of bringing the soul to the true gnosis (knowledge) of God. It is the true goal of religion whether or not it is acknowledged. Regeneration has three effects: 1) man rises above the world and the influences of the stars; in other words, he learns to become responsible for his own destiny as opposed to being a victim of planetary and zodiacal forces, 2) man rises to such divine heights that he gains the ability to receive prophecy and work miracles, and 3) the man becomes a member of the invisible fraternity.

What is the invisible fraternity?

Well, instead of looking at it as a group of disincarnate Ascended Masters who guide humanity, it should be perceived as those incarnate individuals who are linked through time and space, who might not know one another, and yet are connected with an invisible thread. What is this invisible thread? Well, for the original Rosicrucians, who were Christians, it was the body of Christ — the invisible spiritual church of Sebastian Franck. But for modern Rosicrucians it could be the body of Osiris. Any persona associated with spiritual regeneration will suffice.

So, how does one go about regeneration?

3) The Science of Alchemy:

Alchemy is the science that allows for the purification of the soul. Andreae spoke against outer alchemy that sought to create gold in a lab. He instead emphasized the inner alchemy that facilitates regeneration. The gold of inner alchemy is love, the domain of the goddess Venus. To arrive at the gold we must imitate Christ or Osiris. We must suffer from the vicissitudes of life. We are metaphorically crucified or diced up into pieces. Our spirit is then released so that it can consume and digest the impurities of our lesser nature like a snake munching on a rodent.

When the spirit returns to our purified vessel we are resurrected. This cycle repeats several times throughout life. The ouroboros is a great symbol for this process — the serpent (higher nature) swallows its tail (lower nature) ad nauseam. Just when we are arrogant enough to think that the process is done the universe will give us another kick in the pants. Groups such as the Orden des Gold-und Rosenkreutz (Order of the Golden and Rosy Cross) used laboratory alchemy to prepare its initiates for the greater work of inner spiritual alchemy and magic.

4) THe Practice of Magic:

There are four varieties of Rosicrucian magic:

• Healing magic
• Natural magic
• Theurgy
• Divine magic

Like Paracelsus before them, Rosicrucians are healers. Their methods are not only occult, but also scientific. Metaphysical healing is fine. It does work. But a true Rosicrucian is going to have at least a basic understanding of anatomy and first aid. He or she is going to have some basic knowledge of herbalism and pharmacology. You should know how to make some basic remedies. Herbs that correspond with the sun can be great for Rosicrucian healing magic. Natural magic is the magic of Ficino and Agrippa. It is the use of natural items, such as herbs and stones, that are infused with the virtue or quintessence of the planetary spheres. For example, one might wear a golden ring inset with citrine to attract the solar forces into their sphere of sensation (aura).

Theurgy is the magical process of climbing up Jacob’s ladder toward the godhead. The Holy Guardian Angel is an entity that is sometimes benign — often frightening. As an avatar or embodiment of the god within, it guides (or pushes) us up that ladder. The dilemma: Rosicrucians disagree about what that means. Does climbing the ladder lead to personal transcendence or universal transcendence? I would argue that personal development helps lead to the elevation of humanity as a whole. Divine magic is associated with communicating with entities, such as angels, that are higher up the ladder than we are. These entities can give us advice on how to avoid the pitfalls or make further progress on the path.

Thus, we have:

The reformation of social institutions through the use of a combination of messianism, millenarianism, revivalism, and utopianism.

And the regeneration of ourselves through the use of certain alchemical and magical practices.

Fraternally & Sincerely,

Dana Wright

In 1600, German shoemaker, Jacob Boehme, had a divine revelation as he gazed at a pewter dish that sparkled in the sunlight. In 1612, he articulated this infused knowledge in his The Rising of Dawn. In 1670, Jane Lead, had a powerful vision of Virgin Sophia, not long after the death of her husband. In 1681, after the death of John Pordage, she assumed leadership of the Philadelphian Society, a group of Protestant Christians within the English dissenter movement. These are two examples of inward initiation within the context of the Western esoteric tradition.

Initiation is a hard thing to define. We like to limit it to those spooky rites that we undertake in candlelit lodges. But on a more base level it can include any event that causes a major shift in consciousness. It serves as a paradigm shift that shakes a person out of their doldrum existence. The individual cannot resume life as normal. Life has been shifted into a higher gear. The individual has traded in their old Honda for a Ferrari. Initiation provides a person with a newer, more-powerful vehicle for their consciousness. And it can take time to get used to the extra horsepower.

There are two main forms of initiation: outward and inward.

We are all familiar with the outward initiations that take place in lodges and temples. Inward initiations are those personal and subjective experiences that can cause a person to cross a liminal threshold:

• Dreams
• Near-death experiences
• Psychedelic experiences
• Revelations
• Visions

The only hard rule is that these experiences have to be profound enough to cause a significant shift in consciousness. These experiences are given great importance in cultures that exist outside of industrial civilization. But in the West these experiences are usually discounted as aberrations of an unsound mind. Mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, can make it hard to separate the wheat from the chaff. Rational acumen and discernment are necessary to separate legitimate spiritual experience from whimsical fantasy. The individual must tread on sound and sturdy ground.

Outward initiation into a lodge serves to forge an etheric link between the candidate and the inner plane contact. This contact serves to guide and teach the members of the magical lodge. Inner development is necessary to maintain and strengthen this link; otherwise the link will dissipate and fade with time. For example, a person initiated into the Golden Dawn tradition must continue to do the work to retain the link. Likewise, a person who has received an inward initiation has forged such a link. But outward work must be done; otherwise the experience is lost to the individual.

The Hermetic credo “as above so below, as within so without” holds true. Outward initiation within a magical lodge must be reinforced with inner development; otherwise it is nothing more than empty ceremony. The Golden Dawn initiate must keep up with the daily ritual work that facilitates inner development. Inward initiation must be reinforced with outer work; otherwise it is nothing more than a mystical experience. The initiate must travel to the castle to locate Virgin Sophia and the crucible. There the experience is transmuted.

There are individuals who collect degrees and grades without any focus on inner development. There is a sort of consumerism mentality that can take place with some people. Likewise, there are individuals who are preoccupied with inward experiences without any focus on outer work. People on both sides of the coin must strive for balance. The Great Work requires the initiate to place his heart upon the altar as a sacrifice. In other words, you have to sacrifice and do the work to facilitate the initiatory process. You have to put gas in the tank.

The wind possessed a frigid chill despite it being a sunny day. Crammed in an automobile, we set out in the late afternoon along a rural road. We drove for miles in silence through the verdant terrain. In a secluded glade deep in the forest, we celebrated the sacred consummation of Christ and Sophia within the bridal chamber of the natural world. Sophia is the deification of nature — the source of all life — who nourishes gods and humans alike with the milk from her breasts. She is the many-breasted Ephesian Artemis of the Greco-Roman world.

We used an uprooted tree encrusted with moss as an altar. Upon it we placed a sprig of hawthorn and a chalice of wine. Hawthorn is associated with marriage and sexual union. In this case, it is associated with the sacred marriage of Christ and Sophia. It is also associated with the crown of thorns that Christ wore during the crucifixion. In the Cabalistic tradition of the Rose and Thorn, the cross is superimposed over the Tree of Life. Thus, the head of Christ, adorned with the crown of thorns, rests upon Kether. Kether is associated with Uranus, the emasculated god, who is in turn associated with the Wounded King of Arthurian legend.

The layers of symbolism get deep…

The chalice of wine was shared among us as a magical sacrament. It sparks within each of the brethren a desire to undertake the Grail Quest. In the Cabalistic tradition of the Rose and Thorn, Geburah is associated with the spear that pierced the side of Christ, and Chesed is associated with the chalice that caught the blood from the wound. In the Elder Futhark, the spear corresponds to Thurisaz (Thorn) while the chalice corresponds to Pertho (Cup). These polarities — Christ and Sophia — Spear and Chalice — contain layers and layers of mysteries.

– Dana

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

December is a busy month for us at the Rosae Solis.

December 8th was our feast day for Sophia. Catholics will notice that our celebration takes place on the same day as the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Members pray for the inner spirit of Christ to be nourished. And other petitions are made as well.

December 21st is our winter solstice celebration. It is a time for quiet introspection and soul-searching. There is also certain work that is done in regard to the sphere of sensation. The winter solstice is of particular importance to us this year due to the great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. As most of you know, this planetary conjunction has great significance to the Rosicrucians.

And of course, December 25th is Christmas. We wish all of you a Merry Christmas from the bottoms of our hearts.

Merry Christmas,

Dana Wright

One of our mysteries relates to the double-rose.

In botany, a double-rose occurs when a rose bud grows within another rose bud due to a genetic abnormality.

But what does the double-rose represent? Well, it represents the dual nature of the divine light.

But let us backtrack a bit.

In Hermeticism, God was all that existed within the primal chaos before creation. For reasons hitherto unknown, God emanated the light into the darkness that surrounded it. John 1:5 states: “the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”

As the Hermetic Corpus states: “there was darkness in the deep and water without form and there was a subtle breath — intelligent — which permeated the things in chaos with divine power. Then, when all was yet undistinguished and unwrought, there was shed forth holy light and the elements came into being.”[1]

This explosion of light is known in scientific parlance as the Big Bang. It was the Logos — the Word. John 1:1 states: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

The Opening by Watchtower ritual describes the Word as the “image of a voice.” The Logos was created in the image and likeness of God as a declaration of the divine will.

The light burst through the darkness like lightning. The Watchtower ritual states that it was “abounding, revolving, whirling forth, crying aloud.” The Logos is depicted as a “lightning flash” that zigzags down the Tree of Life from Kether to Malkuth.

As the light lost inertia, it began to condense into physical matter. The energy released from the Big Bang formed the matter that would become stars and planets. This was the formation of the physical plane.

Like lightning striking the earth, the Word crackled as it struck physicality. This was the fall of Lucifer recounted in various stories, such as John Milton’s Paradise Lost. In Luke 10:18, Christ states: “I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.”

According to mythology, Lucifer was a proud, rebellious angel, who fell from heaven. In some accounts, he was once a member of the seraphim, the “burning ones,” the highest order of angels. Like Tiamat, a dragon who embodied primordial chaos, the seraphim were described as dragon-like creatures with six wings.

Lucifer is also associated with the planet Venus when it appears as the “morning star.” Small and dim in comparison with the sunrise, this inferior source of celestial light is considered a “false light.”

In Cabala, Tiphereth is the sixth Sphere of the Tree of Life. It corresponds to the sun, and as such, it occupies the center of the Tree of Life, much in the same way that the sun is at the center of the solar system.

But Tiphereth not only relates to the sun, but also to the heart center. It is the rose at the center of the cross.

The light of Tiphereth shines down upon the “loud resounding sea” of Yesod, the astral plane. Like a sunrise over the ocean, one source of light is real and tangible (the sun) and one is false and illusory (the reflection of the sun on the water).

Christ is considered to be the real and tangible source of light. He is known as the “Light of the World.” He was humble and meek — compassionate and benevolent.

Lucifer the “Bearer of Light” is the illusion of light mirrored in the astral world. He was arrogant and prideful — tyrannous and malevolent. Many occultists exude an overabundance of pride and egotism; fortunately, such personality traits can be transmuted.

In Lucifer’s Court, Otto Rahn describes how the Holy Grail was a stone (meteorite) that fell from the crown of Lucifer during the War in Heaven.[2] This makes sense considering that Kether, the highest Sphere on the Tree of Life, is analogous with a crown.

In alchemical terms, Christ is associated with gold, the Royal Metal, whereas Lucifer is associated with fool’s gold (iron sulfide) that can be used to produce the green lion (sulfuric acid). Just as sulfuric acid can be used to refine gold, Lucifer serves only to make the light of Christ brighter when he consumes and ravages the physical plane.

Like Janus, the two-headed god, Christ and Lucifer embody the two polarities — positive and negative — of the light. As two sides of a coin, these two opposing forces are intrinsically linked.

While we have Christ as the “Light of the World,” we also have Lucifer as the “Bearer of Light.” Thus, we have two avatars of light. One is “true” and one is “false.” But we live in a world in which truth is dependent upon perspective. So, which is which? Could both of them be equally valid? Could both of them be equally invalid? Could the two, Christ and Lucifer, be seen as two sides of a cosmic coin?

Joséphin Péladan, the founder of the Salon de la Rose + Croix, believed that Lucifer could be redeemed through our compassion and sympathy,[3] for his fall was due to his misguided love for humans.[4] In this capacity, Lucifer was more akin to Prometheus than the demonic monster depicted in the works of Dante Alighieri. Evil is a base material that can be transmuted into something good. Lucifer is an unfinished expression of the cosmos that can be made to move toward good.

Fortunately, for Lucifer, the great villain (or antihero) of the world, his tale follows the cyclical nature of the sun. As the sun sets in the evening, Lucifer falls from heaven and bathes the world in darkness. But as the sun rises the next morning, Christ is risen, illuminating the world. The villain is redeemed and becomes the hero — at least until he falls again. The cycle continues ad infinitum — ad nauseam.

Footnotes:

[1] Hermes, Scott, W., & Ferguson, A. S. (2001). Hermetica. Montana (USA): Kessinger Publishing Company.

[2] Rahn, O. (2008). Lucifer’s Court: A Heretic’s Journey In Search Of The Light Bringers. Inner Traditions.

[3] Peladan, J. (1893). Istar. Paris: Dentu.

[4] Péladan, J. (1894). Comment on Devient Artiste: Esthetique. Paris: Chamuel.

I would like to look at a small group known as the Rose and Thorn. I have permission to share this information.

I encountered this group while traversing the metaphysical scene in the American northeast. This group has its meetings in a secluded forest. I had the privilege of visiting this forest on numerous occasions. It has an enchanted, magical quality to it.

The members were calm and studious. They had in their possession old texts, magical tools, and other bits of antiquity.

The Rose and Thorn venerates Christ (Mars) as the herald of the divine light. Sophia (Venus) is also venerated. As a married, conjoined duality of soul and spirit — they provide the model that we must emulate.

Christian Rosenkreuz is presented as a sort of friendly hermit who lives in the forest. He guides those who are lost, as well as heals those who are wounded. He is syncretized with the Green Man.

The Rose and Thorn does a lot of work within the realm of herbal alchemy. Members are taught how to use medicinal plants to create spagyrics. Wortcunning, the knowledge of the magical properties of plants, is a big part of their curriculum.

But the real meat and potatoes is their spiritual alchemy that involves a marriage between the initiate and a fae spirit known as a changeling for the purpose of reconstituting the lunar body.

They practice the natural magic of Agrippa, as well as communicate with the elemental spirits of Paracelsus.

The Rose and Thorn does interesting Cabalistic work within the realm of the crucifixion mysteries that I have never seen before. I am not at liberty to say more on this secret work.

Due to the work carried out by Sam Robinson, I have started to look at Rosicrucian groups for elements of Pansophy.

Members of the Rose and Thorn believe that the light gleaned from mysticism can be applied to real world problems.

First and foremost, the members believe that education reforms should be made to push philosophy, as well as ecology, as mandatory coursework in schools. Students would not only be instilled with an appetite for metaphysics, but also with respect for the natural world.

A few members support the concept of garden cities. These are communities that incorporate gardens, parks, and other ecological features. English urban planner, Ebenezer Howard, originally proposed this concept in the late nineteenth century. His idealized garden city was concentric, with six radial boulevards extending from a central urban sprawl, each lined with gardens, parks, farms, woodlands, et cetera. The natural world would be brought back into the cities.

A few members support the ideas of Italian architect, Paolo Soleri, who proposed that an ideal city could be contained within a single immense vertical building, thereby reducing wasteful consumption and preserving the natural surroundings. By placing apartments, shopping centers, indoor farms, et cetera, all inside one giant building, the horrors of the urban sprawl could be drastically inhibited.

More realistically, members suggested the construction of massive parks for recreation, urban forests for the restoration of native flora and fauna, as well as communal gardens for the growing of food.

That is it for now.

Are we entering the Age of Horus?

No, I am not talking about that Aleister Crowley rubbish. At least, that is not my goal. I am no Thelemite.

But this might be a paradigm shift for humanity. It might be an opportunity from the universe to change our ways. It is ironic that a virus is teaching us such a hard lesson. We are being forced to peer at our own virulent reflection in a cosmic mirror.

One thing that we can learn from the Rosicrucians is that a better world depends upon a consensus of the heart. It is about collective improvement as a species. It is about rising up to become like the angels. Then and only then can there be heaven on earth. It is the utopian dream.

But doomsday scenarios do not work to change the status quo. Scaring people does not work. Look at Y2K or the 2012 phenomenon. We still do not have our act together. What then makes us think that the COVID-19 pandemic can be different? Well, unlike Y2K or 2012, COVID-19 is real — it has teeth — sharp teeth.

Back in February, I had a dream that I was at a flea market. On one of the tables was a wooden statue of Horus that I was keen on purchasing. As I picked it up, an older woman approached me and said, “Set is a jealous god.” I looked to my side and saw a statue of Set on an adjacent table. Rather than holding a traditional scepter, he held a shepherd’s crook. What better way for a wolf to lead the sheep? I thought this was an interesting dream and jotted it down in my dream journal.

Two days later, I injured one of my eyes in a freak accident that landed me in the hospital. I had lacerated the lacrimal caruncle (the little pink nodule in the inner corner of the eye). My vision was extremely fuzzy for several days. I had to use medicated eye drops for a while. I thought that the dream and the injury might have some connection. It was an interesting coincidence that I could not shake.

A few weeks later, a friend of mine, who is a well-known psychic in New York, stated that one of his clients had picked up on the pandemic years ago. But more importantly, this mysterious client had suggested that it all had something to do with the battle between Horus and Set — that the post-COVID-19 world would be a reflection of this myth. Horus might sit upon the throne of the world while Set is banished to the desert. I found this to be an interesting synchronicity.

As a side note, the Greeks associated Horus with Apollo. And it was Apollo, according to the Rosicrucians, who commanded the reformation of the world.

It is also curious that the winter solstice of 2020 will mark a conjunction of the planets Jupiter and Saturn in Aquarius. It is an auspicious astrological event. It dredges up that whole Age of Aquarius thing that you hear so much about. I am not going to speculate beyond this. That is dangerous territory. I am certainly no interpreter of divine revelations.

Horus was conceived when Isis had intercourse with the reassembled corpse of Osiris. A life born from death. Likewise, perhaps a New World can be reconstituted from the pieces of the Old World. But is that not what we are already doing? Society is constantly renewing itself upon the corpse of the past.

Like the reassembled corpse of Osiris, the spheres of the Tree of Life can be seen as a segmented cosmos that can be reassembled to create a New World. Like the sperm of Osiris or the acorn that falls from the mighty oak, the New World will be conceived from the seed of the Old World. That seed contains the genome of the Old World; however, the New World will have its own soul and spirit.

The world has come a long way since the Dark Ages. But we are very far from political and social perfection. We are very far from religious perfection. There is definitely not much collaboration between social classes. And there certainly is no ideal spiritual society as Andreae and Bacon envisioned.

During this pandemic, we have learned about the fragile nature of social constructs. Economies have been blown asunder like houses of straw. We are being forced to learn that “the love of money is the root of all evil.”

In a few short months, we have learned how vulnerable we are as individuals. While isolating ourselves, we have learned about the importance of community — to “love thy neighbor as thyself.”

It would seem that human hubris has been brought to its knees, for the time being.

So, what am I hopeful about? Well, I am hopeful about the spiritual work that my friend, Nkanwi Fokwa Ambe, is doing with his Spirituology movement in Africa. But that is the subject for a future article. I am also hopeful about the wonderful work that Sam Robinson is doing over at the Rosicrucian Tradition website.

Happy Easter!

I have been toying around with this article for awhile now. In the face of the pandemic, it seems appropriate to publish it.

One of the primary credos of the original Rosicrucians proclaimed: “none of them [Rosicrucians] should profess any other thing than to cure the sick.” As inheritors of the Rosicrucian tradition, we must take this tenet seriously if we wish to walk in the footsteps of our predecessors.

Healing is one of the cornerstones of the Rosicrucian tradition. Many early Rosicrucians, such as Adam Haslmayr, were Paracelsian doctors. And with alchemy as one of its main components, the Elixir of Life is part of the Rosicrucian mythos. The promise of healing and perfect health has always been there.

Many Rosicrucians, myself included, work in healthcare in order to fulfill this sacred obligation. Many of us are on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. I give kudos to all of my peers. Many of us practice traditions of metaphysical healing, such as laying on of hands and the popular system of reiki. Unfortunately, using these healing modalities is dangerous in the face of a contagious virus, as well as inapplicable in lieu of social distancing. Fortunately, an absentee healing list is a great way to go at this time. Despite all the criticism that it receives, AMORC maintains an absentee healing list known as the Council of Solace.

So, what should Rosicrucians do during the COVID-19 pandemic? First, it should go without saying that you should follow all of the recommendations of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). And that means obeying social distancing. Keep yourself and others safe. Second, practice humanism and compassion. Be concerned for the welfare of your fellow human beings. Perhaps, it is not necessary to raid the stores for toilet paper, so other people can buy some too. Third, maintain a prayer list for those who are sick. Pray and meditate for their recoveries. Pray and meditate for the world to come out of this situation.