AMORC Light of Egypt 1929

c&he Story of the rRosicrucians

S IR F R A N C IS B A CO N , K. R. C. IM P ERA T O R OF THE RO SIC RU C IA N S

IN

THE SEVENTEENTH

CENTURY

It %vas nearly eleven o'clock and the guests had been pleasantly enter­ tained after dinner w ith a program of music and song, and now lingered with the hope that shortly the heavy rain would ccase and permit a more com ­ fortable departure for their homes. The large fireplace w ith its cheery flames and w arm th attracted the guests, some of w hom squatted close to the old screen that held back the occasional sparks, while others lounged in chairs, or stood near by, in silent concentration upon the burning logs. One by one the brighter lights in the large d ining room of the W entw orth home had been extinguished and only a soft color of orange and blue, from shaded lamps and burning logs, lighted the countenances of the guests on this tenth anniversary of the W entw orth marriage. Outside the wind and rain added their mystic tones and notes to the enchantment of the scene within. "Com e, Roberts, and tell us the story that you promised at the table. This is the time and place for any story that is really worth the telling.” All agreed w ith the invitation extended by Johnson, the new District Attorney, and chairs were moved closer together while Roberts, the physician and advisor to most of those present, assumed a position in front of them, to the side of the fireplace. “ If you have the time to listen to the whole story— which w ill take some time to tell, I w ill gladly keep my promise. Hut I must exact one promise from all of you in return; it is that none of you w ill go forth into the world and repeat this story w ithout m akng sure of your facts. The story is an old one, but a much abused one; and in thirty years I have heard as many versions — each differing in such details as to make the story either of value or non­ sensical. In fact it was becausc young Deem ing, breaking into reportorial work for the E vening Journal, had expressed him self with some erroneous ideas about the Rosicrucians that I promised to tell the real story some tim e.” “ I am sure we can all promise to remember the truth and nothing but the truth of the story,” responded Judge W entw orth, which brought a merry chuckle from the wom en present. “W e ll, then, let me tell you that the Rosicrucians— ” “W h y not tell us what Rosicrucians means, as an introduction,” inter­ rupted Mrs. Lashburn, the very precise teacher of the G irls’ Friendly G y m ­ nasium, a local social centre.

“That is just what I was about to do. The Rosicrucians much prefer to have their name and activities completely veiled if the unveiling cannot be done expertly, or at least efficiently. I mean by this that they do not fancy the unwarranted mystery that some writers and lecturers attach to them, but it is more acceptable than the m isunderstanding that results from incorrect statements found in some encyclopaedias. “ I cannot tell you when the Rosicrucians as a body of men and women using the term Rosicrucian, were first organized. O ne can find traces of them as individuals, and as groups, far back into the dawn of civilization. But I can start my story w ith the time when the whole of Europe was suddenly awakened to the fact that the Rosicrucians were well established in the form of an international brotherhood, and in possession of very valuable secrets and principles of nature.” “Is this a story of some secret cult?” queried Miss Fletcher, the active little missionary worker of the M ethodist Church. “ Not at all; and that is one of the points I wish to make very plain. The Rosicrucians and their groups throughout the w orld do not constitute a cult nor a religious school, nor can I say that they form a secret society, since we are here discussing them, and I am perm itted to tell you anything you wish to know about them, and they are anxious to reveal anything— any knowledge, any inform ation, they possess. That is hardly the attitude of a secret society.” “ Y ou say you are perm itted to tell us the story. Does that mean that you are a member of this organization?” asked Deeming. " I am. A n d a large number of persons in this city are members. M any of you deal w ith them, meet w ith them, have pleasant contacts with them, and do not know that they are members; not because they hide their identity, but because you have never asked them about the m atter.” ‘‘I am sure that I have never met one of these very unusual persons before,” exclaimed Miss Fletcher. “O h, yes you have, Miss Fletchcr,” replied Roberts. “Y ou have told us this evening how greatly you and m any others in your Church admired the excellent abilities of the O rganist who came to your Church last Fall, and how he had volunteered to teach a class of the Sunday School teachers so as to prepare them for the questions asked by the young folks. Y ou did not know that this brilliant musician and well inform ed teacher was a Rosicrucian. But this is all beside the story I wish to tell before the hour passes. “As I was saying, the whole of Europe, that it is the intellectual or learned part of Europe, was suddenly mystified in the year 1610 by the wide­ spread distribution of seven pamphlets, in several languages, em anating from hundreds of sources, and announcing, in excellent style and conservative statement, that the Fraternity of the R osy Cross was reborn in Cassel, Ger­ many. The pamphlets contained an introduction addressed to the progressive minds of the land, but the appeal was unnecessary, for they at once took to themselves the message of the pamphlets and the foolish smiled and scoffed. “Never in the history of m an had a single message reached so many persons and aroused so much comment. The art of printing was still young, and it was the first time that this new art had been used to prove the power of the press. By what means the pamphlets were so generally distributed to scores of central points for logical dissemination, may never be known. But w ithin ten days the message contained in the Fam a, as it is briefly designated, was not only being discussed, condemned, ridiculed, praised, admired and rejected, but dozens of other pamphlets attacking or supporting it were keeping the few printing presses of Germany and other countries busy. “Clergymen of all denom inations used it as a basis for a sermon with either satire or satisfaction. Physicians and chemists were called together in general assemblies to determine the number of their own class that might be found in agreement or disagreement w ith the message. The populace recalled and retold fantastic Rosicrucian stories heard from grandparents. Thousands wrote letters or sent messengers long distances inquiring for more inform ation, and the agents of the government were advised to solve the mystery of all the claims set forth in the Fama. "T he original pam phlet was in German, and all others were translations of it, according to their dates. N o name was given, as its author, but it was

issued as a message from C hristian Rosenkreuz. F or a time everyone who did not know believed that this was the name of some person, and a hunt was nationally instituted for Christian Rosenkreuz. Even some of the Germans did not seem to realize that these two words could be translated into C hristian and R osy Cross. Then it dawned upon them — the unknow ing ones — that the sym bol of the fraternity referred to in the pamphlet was a Cross with a Rose in its centre. R ealizing then that the name was only a pen-name for the author, they sought for one of the most learned of the philosophers of the day w ho could have sufficient knowledge to prepare the astounding message. They finally selected one Valentine Andrea, a worker in behalf of the Reform ation and a prom inent Lutheran clergyman. They were strength­ ened in their selection by the fact that the fam ily coat of arms of Andrea contained a cross. A lm ost over night he was acclaimed the “Christian of the Rosy Cross” who had written the pamphlet. “The pam phlet itself was really remarkable in its appeal and offer of universal reform in the lives of men and women. It announced that the ancient Fraternity of the Rosy Cross was about to begin its new cycle in Germ any, and that before m any m onths had passed the hidden or preserved knowledge of the ancients, as well as the foreknowledge of the most illum i­ nated minds of many nations, w ould be at the disposal of those sincere seekers for the philosopher’s stone, health, happiness, success in proper undertakings, the transm utation of baser elements into the most refined, the secret of regen­ eration, resurrection, and life eternal. It cited instances of the fraternity's power through unusual knowledge, its glorious record in ages passed, its high membership, and its exclusiveness. It stated no definite place where inquirers could make contact with the organization, but im plied that the mere expression of desire for membership w ould at once bring to the worthy one the necessary inform ation. "A s I have said, other pamphlets followed it, condem ning it as a hoax, and m any praising or supporting it. A second, official pam phlet was issued giving further inform ation, and in a few years the ideals and principles, the activities and benevolence, of the Rosicrucians were as firmly established in Germ any as they had been for ccnturies in other countries of Europe. The only difference at this time was that it was now a popular subject; the organi­ zation was publicly know n, while in other lands, in other years, the work and even the name Rosy Cross were seemingly unknown. “ I wish I had lived in those days and could remember now what occurred. It w ould be a story of thrillin g adventure that I w ould tell. From the thou­ sands of historical references now extant, one imagines that it was one joyous session after another in Germ any, in small towns and hamlets, in cities large and m ighty. W eek after week men and women, of careful selection, were initiated into the Fraternity, in groups of fives, sevens or twelves. The his­ torical references show that m en of every walk of life, and women of every degree of mental culture, tried to secure admission. M any of them succeeded. There were eminent physicians, whose names some of you w ould recognize as im portant contributors to the art of medicine, as it was called. There were chemists and biologists, scientists and their advanced students. M any of their names you w ill find in lists of famous workers in m an ’s behalf. There were Priests and M onks— yes, M onks like Friar Roger Bacon, and even a Pope of the R om an Church was a m em ber at one time. There were astronomers, authors, and educators, such as Sir Francis Bacon, who had considerable to do w ith the establishment of the new cycle in Germany. Truly, a host of the m ost learned, informed, and progressive of all lands eventually became publicly identified w ith this rapidly grow ing m ovement.” "W a s there som ething new about its knowledge, or its system of instruc­ tion and help, that it offered to m ankind?” queried Deeming. “Yes, and that was one of its tem pting features. Y o u see, the Fraternity of the Rosy Cross, or Fraters Rosae Crucis, as the term is in L atin, had existed for m any centuries; but it had been inactive in Germany for about one hundred and eight years, and secluded or restricted in other lands for many years. This rebirth in Germany was the beginning of another ajid quite different cycle. Every hundred and eight years the fraternity comes to public

life in some part of the w orld where it has been inactive. Then for one hun­ dred and eight cars it assumes and m aintains a very prom inent place in the mental and cultural development of the citizens. At the end of the period of one hundred and eight years of public cxistcncc, it retires to seclusion or seeming inactivity for another hundred and eight years. In other words the birth of a new cycle is every two hundred and sixteen years for each country, with a new cycle born in the meantime in some other land. “A t the time of the new cycle in Germany, in 1610, the fraternity in other lands was quite active, though sccludcd, as is shown by the many books found in later years. The F am a itself called attention to the previous cycle in Germany in preceding centuries. The unique point about the revival in 1610, however, was its very wide and open announcement to all classes of per­ sons, made possible through the use of the new art of printing, and made necessary by the grow ing activities of the R eform ation that was taking place, with the resulting demand for inform ation that w ould free all men and women from the superstitions, false notions, and the unrevealed obstacles to health, complete happiness, and worldly as well as spiritual power. “ And so the message was welcome indeed. The knowledge offered by the Rosicrucians was to them, what it is today to all men and women of this advanced civilization of the twentieth century. It was the tearing away of the veil that hides the Truth, and the revealing of the L ight of W isdom . It offered that inform ation, that positive knowledge, which only the fortunate few could obtain in the past by long years of research or contact with the advanced schools of higher learning; and it offered to the m ultitude the simple, simon pure, keys to the mysteries of life. Some of you may smile and say that you suspected that the Rosicrucians were a school of magic or mystery, but I want to assure you that I would have no more time for such things than you have. But, can any one of you honestly say that never in any hours of our daily life, in hours of test and trial, hours of relaxation or recre­ ation, in hours of m editation or speculation, have you had the slightest wish to know the answer to some of life’s mysterious problems? D o you ever wonder why you arc here on earth? D o you ever speculate as to why you were born, and where life w ill lead you? Have you ever been face to face with one of the com mon, though ever mysterious, manifestations of natural law, and wished that you could understand it? Have you ever been face to face with death or transition? Have you ever seen the sick, the suffering, the passing consciousness, pleading for help, and you could give no help, no ex­ planation? Have you ever looked into the eyes of a new born babe and wondered about the strangeness and the marvelousness of Divine prin­ ciples? O h, I know how each of you would answer these questions, and the answer w ould be the same today as it was a thousand years ago. “ M an is constantly face to face with problems that call for action of the mind, the application of laws and principles regarding which he understands little. H e is totally at the mercy of casual understanding or misunderstanding. He is ever confronted with tasks and trials that require the functioning of powers w ithin himself which may be so underdeveloped, so inexperienced, that in the m inute of most use, they fail him and he is lost. D o you think that such experiences comc only to those who have an attraction to the wierd and mystical things of life? N ot at all; for who am ong you can say right now, which are the mystical things of life and which are the practical? “W e send our sons and daughters to college and the university to acquire a broader and more comprehensive education than the public schools can give them. W e want them to have a larger education than we have had. W e want them to include Latin and other languages in their studies; we insist that ancient as well as modern history be included; we encourage them to study the arts and sciences in their fundamental principles; we approve of such subjects as will make their hands and fingers nimble, their minds alert in reasoning and com prehending; we wish them to make sure that their eyes are well trained to see, their ears to hear, their other senses to apprehend. This we believe is necessary in order that they may be able to master any problem that arises, meet any question, solve any perplexing situation. W hy ? In order that they may be successful in life, not only in a material sense, but

in a cultural, ethical, mental, and spiritual sense. W e want them to achieve self-mastership and attain w orldly mastership. D o we feel that they can successfully go through life w ithout ever requiring the principles of m athe­ matics to serve them? D o we im agine that they can get along successfully without a knowledge of the sciences or the arts? D o we feel that since we do not expect them to be musicians we need not ask them to know anything about the laws of music and harm ony? D o we assume that since they are not going to be civil or electrical engineers, they need know nothing of the principles of physics or m agnetism? “ But, look at ourselves! W e seem to assume that since we are dealing with business propositions all day long, we have no need for any knowledge that does not pertain to our business. Y ou, Johnson, are our new District Attorney. Y ou arc quite sure, I suppose, that your large knowledge of the laws of m an is quite sufficient to make success certain for you in your life’s work; but, can you say right now that you w ill never have need to know even the simple fundam ental laws of G o d ’s kingdom on earth? Can you feel sure at this m oment that tom orrow , or the next day, there w ill not arise in your daily affairs, or in your home life, or in your own personal affairs, some incident, m ild or serious, that will not bring a desire to know what law, what principle, what force, or agency is at work, and which of the many laws of G od and Nature you can apply quickly and efficiently to meet the situation? Can any of you say that? “ W h at makes one man more successful than another? His training in just one line? Y ou know that is not true! Y ou cannot make a good business man out of a youth who has been taught nothing more than buying and selling. Y o u cannot make a good physician out of a man or wom en who has been taught only the principles included in the restricted four years of medical college. The fallacy of such preparation has been known for many years. Is a successful m other of children and a happy housewife only a woman who has ignorantly given birth to a child, mechanically cooks and cleans her home, and is unfam iliar with any of the laws of nature, art, music, science, and literature as they relate to her duties, obligations and aspirations'? “ Success in life means mastership, and mastership means utilizing every inner force and power of the being as well as every outer force. M an ’s creative abilities do not rest in the muscular strength of his body, nor in his fertile im agination. H e must be able to bring his mental im agining into materal expression, daily, hourly; and to do this he must be able to use other faculties than simple visualization of the im agination. He must not place all dependence on his or other hands to work out the concrete expression. He must be able to re-create things in that w orld of form which exists between the m ental and the m aterial— the transitory stage where success is assured in the plans or failure is inevitable. “ It was this sort of knowledge that the Rosicrucians offered so generously in the seventeenth century in Germany, and in other centuries before and after that time. The success of their plans, in aiding men and wom en to achieve their desires in life, brought them some fame, but more power. Before the end of the seventeenth century they were ready to carry their work to the New W o rld , to America, in accordance with plans made long before Columbus ventured to explore the unknow n seas. “ It was in 1693 that the leaders and eminent Rosicrucian workers of Europe gathered together and selected from their volunteers those proficient in the arts, sciences, trades, and professions, to go to America and establish the Great W ork. That was one hundred and eight years after the new cycle had started in E ngland, and two hundred and fourteen years after the new cycle had started in France. In their own boat and w ith proper ceremony they departed, and reached the shores of America in the early part of 1694.” “ D o you mean to say that the Rosicrucians have been in America all these years? asked Johnson. “ Yes, and they were really a part of Am erican history long before that. A ccording to very dependable records a well know n Rosicrucian leader of Europe sailed w ith an early expedition from Spain and landed w ith the exploring party on the shores of California in 1602 or 1604, and there deposited

a “ Rosicrucian Stone.” This means that he established some foundation, some principle of the work, in the name of the Order. There are a number of references to this fact in Rosicrucian writings. However, in 1694 the Rosicrucian colony arrived at what is now Philadelphia, and in Fairm ont Park on Mystic Lane one can still see part of their first building. Their colony increased, their work progressed, and in a few years they moved further inland to a quiet valley, and built m any structures and established many of the first Am erican institutions. Y o u may be surprised to know what a valuable contribution they made to the founding of America. I do not have my note books at hand, but I can tell you what I have read in a book by Julius Sachse, the eminent H istorian of the Grand Lodge of Free­ m asonry for Pennsylvania, and who was reputed to be a descendant of one of the families closely connected w ith the colony. H e quotes the records in the Pennsylvania H istorical Society, and books and records in possession of former Governor Pennypacker of Pennsylvania and hundreds of other au­ thorities. H e shows that these early Rosicrucians established a really m arv­ elous system of widespread brotherhood activities for the advancement of m an’s inner and cultural development. To do this they utilized all the laws of nature and taught those laws. Here they created the first complete printing plant in America, and made their own paper in the first American paper mill. O u t of this shop came the largest books ever made in America during those years, and books that had no other purpose than to reveal to men and women the laws of nature which w ould lift them out of the ruts. Not mystical books, not books of secret teachings, but unusual books. Even the first American Bible was published here, and the first Sunday School was established by them, sixteen years before one was established in E ngland.” “ I thought you said they were not a religious school or cult?” asked Miss Fletcher, intent upon finding some support for her erroneous belief. “ Publishing a Bible and establishing a Sunday School w ould not make them a religious body. Rem ember that they found that most of the settlers in Am erica came here for religious freedom. They catered to this, and kept free from all sectarianism, just as the Rosicrucians have in all ages. So, these first Rosicrucians in Am erica helped to establish and dedicate several churches in Philadelphia, by furnishing the music for choirs and trained teachers as clergymen; they helped churches of six different denominations, and expressed no preferment. They even published the first Christian Testa­ m ent produced in America, and the first religious magazine. A ll of this was the work of Brother Sauer, the master printer of the colony w ho had been selected abroad because of his knowledge. H e also established the first Am erican type foundry and finally produced the most beautiful books ever made in America during the eighteenth century. “They also established mills for grinding corn, a factory for the m aking of organs, and actually made the first organs ever m anufactured in America for church use. T heir chemists and biologists worked w ith their botanist, and the first botanical gardens were established for the purpose of preparing herbs and medicines for the most advanced medical practices. They were not mentalists to the extent that they placed a fanatical valuation on the power of m ind, but gave rightful place to all the sciences, as do the R osi­ crucians today. “Just to show you the hum anitarian activities of this colony, let me say that they established free schools for children, free clinics for the sick, and free systems for aiding everyone in im proving the existing standard of living. A ll who wished to unite with the w ork were welcome to do so and all shared alike in the benefits and obligations. " I t was in the college rooms of this com m unity that the Declaration of Independence was translated by a Rosicrucian into the several foreign lan ­ guages so that all colonists could read it; and the famous document now preserved in W ashing to n was engrossed by a Rosicrucian in that colony. I t was here also that the first propaganda for the freedom of the negro slaves was started, as is shown by the early records.”

“ I thought it was com m only believed that Thom as Jefferson wrote or engrossed the Declaration of Independence?” remarked Johnson. “ It may be, since Jefferson was not only a member of the Rosicrucians but one of the later officers of the colony. A ll that the records show, however, is that it was engrossed in the editorial rooms of the com m unity college. O ther famous documents were prepared there, for they were constantly pre­ paring manuscripts for future generations, and many of them are in existence today, show ing skilled penmanship, lettering, and colored engrossing like those made by the M onks of ancient times. "W h a t were these manuscripts about?" asked Mrs. Nathan, who had been silent through all the story. “They were private manuscripts of instruction, intended for the students of the Rosicrucian Order of that and future generations. I remember some of the titles, for we still use some of them — copies of course— in some of our lectures. There was one entitled ‘The Mystery of Numbers.’ I t revealed how the law of numbers, the law of averages, and the law of proportion, affects things in our lives. Such ideas have been established am ong learned men and women since then, but the m ultitude knows little about the subject. A nother m anuscript was entitled ‘Phisica, Mctaphisica, and H yperphisica,’ and another deals w ith the ‘Non-ego’.’’ " I had no idea that the modern subject of Metaphysics had such an early start in Am erica,” remarked Johnson. “That is just it. Am erica today is being offered m any systems of New Thought, Metaphysical, occult, and practical psychology courses of study, and they are offered as som ething new, som ething surprising and astounding. The Rosicrucians have been teachers and demonstrators of these things for very m any centuries, and have the only dependable system of personal devel­ opment that men and women can rely upon to awaken and make active their inner, latent, faculties. But, the Rosicrucians have never sold this knowledge in books and have never conducted paid classes. They w ill not commercialize the knowledge which was given to them freely and which must be passed on just as freely. “ M any eminent characters in Am erican history became members of the Rosicrucian colony. I could cite hundreds of names which all of you would recognize. There was Brother Rittenhouse, for instance, who established the Rosicrucian astronomical observatory at the colony. It was the first in America and soon became w orld famous, for it was Rittenhouse w ith his unusually large telescope, a Rosicrucian invention based upon principles laid down by the Rosicrucian, Roger Bacon, who placed Am erica in the foreground of astronomical research. Rittenhouse made the first measurements of the distances between the planets— the sun and the earth. W as that not scientific achievement? Y o u could hardly call that the dreamy work of a mystical philosopher— and yet he was a philosopher, a Rosicrucian philosopher, which means one who is very practical and has no time for idle speculations. Thomas Jefferson, speaking of Rittenhouse’s wonderful discoveries of the distant sky which brought the heavens nearer to m an’s understanding, said: ‘H e has not indeed made a world, but he has approached nearer to its Maker than any man w ho has lived from the time of the Creation to this day.' B enjam in Franklin worked out his great library plan as an associate of the Rosicrucian library, and he also worked in the experimental laboratories of the colony, and became advanced in the principles of natural forces. Can anyone say that such education given to Franklin and used by him for further experi­ ments did not benefit m ankind as well as himself? “A n d so the years passed. The eighteenth century ended, and the com ­ m unity of Rosicrucians consisted of many hundreds of families, w ith hundreds resting in their graves, in the grave yard which still exists, and hundreds away in other states and cities becoming leaders and masters in the arts, industries and trades. Every large city in America at the close of the eighteenth century contained in its roster of eminent citizens and successful homes, m any R osi­ crucians— all happy men and women, prospering in their business affairs, m astering in their life problems, leading others in education and development, and m aintaining the high standard for American progress. “Then came the year 1801. It was just one hundred and eight years after the new cycle of the Rosicrucians for America. The year had come for the

Rosicrucians to retire again into silence. O ne by one the buildings of the com m unity were sold or abandoned, and the workers and leaders departed for other cities. Sccret sessions were held twice yearly for m any years until all the initiates then living had passed to the beyond, and their successors were instructed how to preserve the work and carry on in silence and seclusion. From time to time in im portant local or national criscs, one of the most advanced of the silent workers would come forward and aid, in ways that only the Rosicrucians understood. Manuscripts were prepared and issued in secrecy, and hundreds of students of the work went to Europe to receive initiation into the Order in one of the active Jurisdictions. “Then as the period of one hundred and eight years of silence came to its close and the year 1909 approached, those who had been in preparation for the birth of the new cycle of public activity made ready for the first steps. Thus, in 1909 many Americans offered their services to foreign branches of the Rosicrucian Order in establishing a new Am erican branch. Some went to Europe, others sent communications. Some were high officers in the Freemasonic fraternity, others were leaders in various metaphysical and scientific work based upon the Rosicrucian principles. “A m o ng those who went to Europe was Dr. H. Spencer Lewis, the President of the New Y ork Institute for Psychical Research, and former editor of several scientific and metaphysical magazines. He was duly exam­ ined and tested for his seven years of preparation, and sent from Paris to a city in the south of France where the ancient scat of Rosicrucian Councils had been m aintained for several centuries. Here in a special conclave of Supreme Masters, Heirophants, and Councilors of the Order for France and other countries, he was selected and elected to be the American Legate, and the proper instructions were given him to proceed to Am erica and announce the new birth of the Order, just as it had been announced in Cassel, Germany, in 1610.” “That is all very interesting, Roberts, but there are two questions that come to my m ind at once,” remarked Johnson. “ First, why is it that so many encyclopaedias say that Christian Rosenkreuz established the whole Rosicru­ cian order in Germany in either the fourteenth or the seventeenth century, and secondly, why do some small Rosicrucian fellowships or societies in America claim that they have authority from the first Rosicrucian society established by this fellow Rosenkreuz?” “Those were the points that were bothering Deem ing tonight at the table, were they not, Deeming? Y ou w ill remember that I told him he had an erroneous impression. Hut I do not blame him. Just today I had in my hands one of those popular books claim ing to explain the Rosicrucian myster­ ies, offered by a conccrn that writes, prints, and sells books which seem to have the Rosicrucian teachings in them. 1 have already stated that the real organization has never issued its teachings in any public book and never will. W hat would you think of a book entitled “The rites and mysteries of the Freemasons?" Y ou would know at oncc that it had none of the legitimate rites, none of the real principles in it, or it would not be printed and sold. Y ou would know at once that if the book was really a true Rosicrucian book it could contain nothing more than a short talk or brief description of the Order, such as I have been giving you tonight. There are many such books which tell the story of the Rosicrucians much better than those which claim to have the secret teachings. Such books are like the one by Lord Bulwer Lytton, called ‘Zanoni,’ or the books by Marie Corelli. But the organization itself issues a book about its history and existence, and gives it away freely to sincere seekers. The book which I examined today is found in m any book­ stands and m any who buy it for several dollars believe that it is more than just a roundabout story of the Rosicrucians. They think it contains the real teachings— and sold for profit. This particular book, like a dozen others I have seen, is an example of the ignorance of those writers who know nothing even of the history of the Rosicrucians. It distinctly stated that it traced the Rosicrucian brotherhood, and traced its whole existence, to the foundation established by Rosenkreuz in Germany. T hat is so ridiculous that I cannot understand how anyone believes that story today. As I intim ated, there never

was a m an by the name of Rosenkreuz. O ne character, connected w ith the Order, used that name a number of times in w riting some public pamphlets. It was used long before the Order started in Germany, and long afterward by persons representing the same character. The name sim ply meant that the writer of the pamphlets was a Christian Brother of the R osy Cross, or in the Germ an language, ‘Christian Rosenkreuz.’ As for the Order starting in Germ any, that appears strange at once when one reads any of the prin­ ciples. O ne notices quickly that the Order had an E gyptian origin, that it started in those mystery schools of E gypt where the w orld’s knowledge was preserved for centuries. W e find the Order in Germ any in the year 1115 with headquarters in Cologne, where the old records are still in existence. The K in g of Denm ark was the head of the branch in his land in 1484. In Richlicu’s memoires there is m ention of Gautier the Im perator of the Order in France in 1410. W h y , a large convention of Rosicrucians was held in E ngland several years before the Christian Rosenkreuz name was ever made public in any pamphlet. “As for the existence of various societies, let me assure you that the real Rosicrucian Order is well established in every civilized land today. But, it is know n in its present cycle by the only title it ever made official. T hat is the Rosicrucian Order, or in Latin, the ‘Order Rosae Crucis.’ It does not use such names as society, fellowship, or club. The w ord ‘R osicru­ cian’ is not patented, and cannot be patented. I t is an old word and has been freely used in m any ways, just as has the words M asonry or Masonic. But, there is only one organization in Am erica and other lands that can rightfully call itself the ‘Ancient, Free, and Accepted Masons.’ Others may form a Masonic club, a Masonic Publishing Com pany, and print and sell books relating to m any interesting subjects, but it w ould not be a part of the Masonic international fraternity, and it w ould not claim that its books contained Masonic ‘teachings.’ A ll of you can see that point very plainly. The same is true of the Rosicrucians. W e, here tonight, can legitimately form ourselves into a Rosicrucian Club, a Rosicrucian Society of Students, or a Rosicrucian Association. There is nothing to prevent it. W e can proceed to solicit other members, and when we have discussed and talked all we can about the Rosicrucians, we can issue a magazine or a few books containing our discussions and our personal ideas of what we thin k Rosicrucianism really is. But, we could not be a part of the Rosicrucian Order if we sold such books, held such unsystematic sessions, and had no affiliation w ith other Rosicrucian Orders in foreign lands. I am sure that you see m y point, now. The new cycle of the Rosicrucian Order uses the complete name, Ancient M ystical Order Rosae Crucis, the initials of which form the strange word A M O R C . This word A M O R C is used by dozens of foreign branches, all a part of the one new cycle of the Order in every land where the new cycle has started. N o other name is used, and none other means the same.” "W h a t right, then, have these other organizations, to use the same sym bol?” asked Deeming. “They have no right to use the real symbol, and know ing that they have no right, they do not use it. Y o u w ill notice that other organizations using the w ord Rosicrucian use a symbol of the Rosy Cross that is slightly different from the true one. They use a cross w ith several roses on it, or a wreath of roses on it, or around it. The ancient and true symbol of the Rosey Cross is a Cross with JU S T O N E R O S E in its centre— no more and no less. And, that sym bol, with the true name, A M O R C , is patented in the United States Patent Office by the organization know n as A M O R C . N o other Rosicrucian organization in Am erica has such a patent. That should mean som ething.” "A n d are we to look upon all these other Rosicrucian activities as abso­ lutely worthless and shun them as— what shall I say?” queried our inquisitive friend, Miss Fletcher. "L o o k upon them as clandestine, as we say in the fraternity to which I belong,” replied Johnson. “ N ot at a ll!” answered Roberts. “That is a harsh and unkind word which the Rosicrucians avoid using; for they do not under any circumstances criticise or attack any movement that is trying to help m ankind in any way.

But, if one wants a complete, private, efficient Rosicrucian knowledge, one should go to a regular Rosicrucian source for such knowledge, not to a pub­ lishing company or group of students who are sim ply skim m ing over the subject, and enjoying each other's difficulties in the search for such knowledge. “The Rosicrucians of today are practical; they deal with the mental and material problems of life on the one hand, and u'ith the inner faculties and powers of m an on the other. They show each student H O W to prove the laws and principles in daily application with personal problems. They do not waste your time telling you how the Masters of the Far East, the mystics of the Orient, and the H indus of Ind ia did wonderful things in days gone by — things which if you could duplicate today w ould simply make you qualified to be a magician on the vaudeville stage, or a first class medicine man peddling medicine and giving trick performances along the highways of the country. T hat w ill not do for men and wom en who are practical, who are not only sane, but conscious of the fact that there are forces in the w orld today, at m an’s disposal, which w ill enable him to subdue conditions around him, arouse dorm ant powers, and master the matters at hand. There are principles which I use in my daily medical practice to help nature restore health and strength to the sick, and at the same time prevent further complications or other ill­ nesses. There are simple rules which make men conscious of other person’s thoughts and intentions, and m any successful business men have found them their greatest asset. There are other principles which enable anyone to attract the better things of life and change the course of living from m ediocrity to noble achievement, from the com m on place to the extraordinary. These are the things we wish to know, and I can say to you, that I have found them all in the Rosicrucian teachings.’’ “ May anyone join the Rosicrucians?” asked Miss Fletcher, w ith an evident personal interest. “Yes, providing one is a good citizen, a sincere seeker for this personal knowledge, and ready to use the principles to help others as well as himself. Men and women of every walk of life, even the most humble, are freely adm itted into the Order. They become members and are given the private instructions, w ithout the purchase of any books or private lessons of any kind. In our city we have a group of members, form ing a chartered branch, and in it are eighty-nine of the city’s finest wom en— housewives, business women, teachers, physicians, nurses, librarians and artists. M any of them never attempted any reading along this line before, but their lives have been changed since they united w ith the Order and learned how to live. W e also have one hundred and sixty men in that group— men of all walks of life— and each one more successful today in his occupation than he was when he joined us. There are thousands of such persons in America, in hundreds of cities and towns everywhere. In some cities there are several groups. More and more the Order is attracting to itself those who wish to rise higher in life. It is the one true pathway to personal evolution. It brings great happiness through the peace and power that it creates; it brings success through the mastership it gives in directing our affairs and our desires; it brings satis­ faction, for it answers our problems, reveals the true w orkng of all of nature’s laws, and points out the m eaning of life and transition in a new and astounding light. W h a t more can one ask? Yet the Order docs not w ithhold its teach­ ings, but offers them freely. It invites the seeker to come to its portals. It extends this invitation to all. And, one may study at home in privacy! “And now the hour is late. The rain has stopped I believe, for 1 do 1101 hear it. Let us wend our way homeward, and think over the beautiful gifts of God and nature, and the glorious privileges which are ours. If you now feel an inner urge to accept the invitation of the Rosicrucians— the way is open.” (H o w to accept the Inv itatio n to share in the Rosicrucian privileges, is explained on the last pages.)

fkrt Ctuo S O M E IN T E R E S T IN G F A C T S A B O U T T H E O R D E R

THE FIRST ROSICRUCIANS In the traditional history of the Rosicrucians we find one man standing out boldly in the light of illum ination. H e was Am enhotep IV , Pharoah of Egypt, and the w o rld’s ‘‘first great citizen," to quote the em inent historians of E gyp t’s period of re-birth. Descendant of a previous Pharaoh, who had es­ tablished the first secret schools of advanced learning in Egypt, and who was know n as the Heretic K in g because of his modern viewpoints, and born of parents w ho looked forward to his com ing as the first great ruler of a m ighty brotherhood of enlightened men and women. A nd, A m enhotep IV , at an early age was made K in g as well as the high potentate of a secret organization which in a few years changed the whole religion of Egypt, cast aside its antiquated art, revised its language and literature, ended its continuous warfare, rebuilt its falling Temples, created new cities, and instructed the Tribes of Moses in the laws of God and nature. O u t of the great L ig ht thus brought into alm ost blinding effulgence in darkened Egypt, there passed to m any lands and to m any nations of peoples a new standard of living, a new system of thinking, a new process of cooperative action, which became the foundation for every one of our present day methods of higher education and successful living. Am enhotep changed his name— along w ith thousands of other changes he authorized— and into the w o rld’s history stepped Akhnaten IV , the man of whom history has written that he was the w orld’s first modernist. In 1350 B. C. this m an left to posterity his well developed plan of con­ ducting secret or private schools for the superior education and preparation of men and wom en for the parts they must take in life to be the lights of civilization, the pathfinders of new and untram m eled roads to health and success, the leaders of advancing hum anity. H is own descendants and the graduates of his secret schools in the Palace on the banks of the N ile wended their way into other lands— Jerusa­ lem, Persia, In d ia and Greece, and in each of these lands the great work continued, always under the same sym bol, w ith the same banner, the same standard and the same cry: “ Per rosam ad crucem, per cruccm ad rosani!” By the Rose to the Cross; by the Cross to the Rose!

M EA N IN G O F THE N A M E A N D SYMBOL The Order of the Rosy Cross (L a tin , Rosae Crucis), as the organ­ ization has been officially know n for so m any centuries, derived its name from the early secret symbol of the society. T hat symbol is no longer either secret or mysterious. It served its purpose well in the early days through being veiled; today it is seen and know n in too m any lands and am ong too m any m illions of persons to be considered as a secret sign oi any kind. The symbol is composed of a Cross w ith a red rose upon its centre. A great m any persons believe that the cross as a sym bol had its origin in the early days of Christianity. T hat is a mistake. It can be found on the walls of tombs and temples in Egypt, and m ay be seen on the two obelisks that were sent from H eliopolis to L ondon and New Y o rk City. The cross has always had several meanings, closely related. T o the mystics of Egypt or the O rient who were the first to use it, it meant m an’s body in either a posture of salutation to the rising sun (w ith arms held out in horizontal position) or m an’s body being crucified by the labors, trials,

tests and sufferings of life. N o religious significance was attached to the cross until years after the crucifixion of The Christ, when the cross was adopted by the early church Fathers as a symbol of their new institution, and that cross adopted by them had a crucified body upon it. The mere fact that the Hebrews and other races had crucified their crim inals upon crosses for years before The Christ was crucified, plainly shows that these peoples associated no religious ideas w ith the cross.

FR O M EGYPT TO OTH ER LANDS From out of Egypt and Palestine, as well as Greece, came the great L I G H T which in m any lands was protected by the secret brotherhood. Under various names— but always w ith the same ideals and standards— the brotherhood operated. W e find them referred to as the Therapeuti, the Essenes, the Silent Brothers, and m any other names in the m iddle ages, when secret or private schools of advanced learning were forbidden. Just as the pagan priesthood of ancient E gypt finally cast into oblivion all that Am enhotep IV and his brotherhood had accomplished in that land and brought the great darkness over the nation again, so other priesthoods in the m iddle ages succeeded in forcing the state to forbid the spread of the aw akening consciousness in the peoples who sought The L ight. But ever did the w ork continue, and the time came when in every part of Europe, as well as in the O rient, the fraternity of the R osy Cross was a m ighty factor in the social, political and economical development of nations. In certain long established centres of learning, national and international headquarters were maintained. Thus at Toulouse, in southern France, a seat of advancement in all learning, the Rosicrucians m aintained one of the oldest centres of their activities. T o this centre came the philosophers, educators and leaders of hum an activity from all parts of the world, and it was here that m any of the w orld’s most im portant reforms and innovations had their birth.

STRANGE STORY O F CHRISTIAN RO SENKREUZ

H owever, it was the mystics and sages of Am enhotep’s schools in the Palace that evolved the Rosicrucian symbol by adding the red rose to the Cross. Perhaps it was A khnaten himself, for it was he who loved roses and introduced the Persian rose into Egypt. The rose was made sym bol­ ical of the inner consciousness, the spirit, the S O U L of man. The fact that the rose gradually opened from a tightly closed bud into full bloom and expression, and then slowly faded, drooped and passed out of sight, made itself suggestive of the soul of m an which came into the youthful body imprisoned, slowly evolved to m anifestation and beauty, and slowly weakened in its expression until it seemed to be no more. The evolution of the rose seemed to typify the evolution of m an ’s soul. Years of obser­ vation convinccd these sages that the tests and trials of life, the experiences, lessons learned and suffering endured, contributed to the evolution of the soul; to them it seemed that the soul of m an was evolving through the experiences of the body. Since the cross had ever been to them the symbol of the body of man in its sufferings, they added the rose to the cross and created the sym bol which has but one explanation. T hat is: The Rose (soul) evolves and gains beauty and fragrance while being crucified upon the Cross (the body). From this symbol and the term Rosy Cross, we have the term R o si­ crucian as the E nglish form of the name of the organization which now exists in every civilized land. T hrough the experiences of life, m an’s soul and understanding evolves; through the united experiences of thousands of members in one brotherhood the soul of the group of persons or even of a nation, evolves and becomes more potent in the direction of personal and national affairs. T hat is the explanation of the symbol and the name. It is age-old, honored, respected and glorified in every clime, and in its name has man achieved and succeeded beyond his fondest dreams.

According to the erroneous story told in some popular encyclopaedias, a group of scientists opened a tom b in Cassel, Germ any, in the 17th century and there found the body of Christian Rosenkreuz, the founder of the R osi­ crucian fraternity, along w ith papers and documents for the continuance of the organization hundreds of years after his transition. The real facts are that there was no one person know n as “ Christian Rosenkreuz” (which words mean, in Germ an, Christian Rosy Cross) and such a character was certainly not the original organizer of the Rosicrucian Fraternity. However, there are m any popular writers on the subject of Rosicrucianism today, and a small group of Rosicrucian students form ed into "fellow ships” and “associations” in America w hich believe that the whole Rosicrucian order started in Germany at the hands of "C hristian Rosenkreuz,” and he (!) is named by these per­ sons as their beloved "founder and originator” of the form of Rosicrucian teachings they present. The incongruity and inconsistency of these statements do not seem to dawn upon those who adhere to this ancicnt absurdity. A m an w ho never existed as the personality attributed to him could not have founded or originated an organization that was in existence hundreds of years before the time given as the date of his foundation work. W h o , or what, was Christian Rosenkreuz? This is the question that was asked several hundred years ago when a series of books or pamphlets were issued in Germ any inform ing the “learned of E urope” that the R osi­ crucian fraternity was again active in the lands of that continent. These books— am o ng them the renowned F am a Fraternitatis—were issued under the fictitious name of Christian Rosenkreuz. or “ C. R C .” Investigations revealed that the books were the w ork of Sir Francis Bacon, L ord Verulem. Bacon had become the international chief of the Rosicrucian fraternity as had other eminent characters in the past; and he proceeded to enlarge the activities of the Order and bring it into conservative publicity through the issuance of books credited to a fictitious name that told every student of the Rosicrucian teachings that the real author was a C hristian Brother of the R osy Cross. The same name or the initials “ C. R C .” had been used centuries before. In the year 908 B. C. the name was used by Zoroaster while he was Supreme M agus of the mystic fraternities of his time. In 1290 A. D. the same name was used again in connection w ith an event sim ilar to that which occurred in Cassel, Germ any, in 1604. A ll who are fam iliar w ith even the

superficial facts of the origin and historical activities of the Rosicrucian fraternity or Order, know that a man, one m an, having a genuine name of Christian Rosenkreuz, did not found or originate the Order in Germ any in any century. Em phasis is put upon this fact w ith reiteration here because of its extreme importance to American persons w ho are seeking the facts.

FRANCIS BACON'S LEADERSHIP Lord Bacon is generally acknowledged to have done more for the universal grow th of the Rosicrucian Order than any other man since the middle ages. H e found the fraternity, and its m any branches in Europe and the Orient, an excellent channel for the im portant changes which he wished to bring about in the practical affairs of m en’s lives. N ot only did he revise the activities of the Order in Germany, where he made Valentine Andreae his Deputy, but he sent his brother and other associates to every part of Europe to lecture and propagate the work openly am ong the learned and sincere. H e it was who lifted the obscure veil that enshrouded the fraternity, and daring the criticisms of state, ensconced it with the halo of glory to w hich L ord L ytton referred in his famous novel about the Rosicrucians, called Zanoni. A t once the Order attracted to itself the interest of nobility as well as the men and women of the average walks of life, and like a tidal wave sweeping over some level land, the prestige and good works of the Rosicrucians reached every land.

W O RLD W ID E O R G A N IZA T IO N Prior to Bacon’s leadership as Im perator for Europe, or rather certain parts of Europe, the Order Rosae Crucis was well established in m any lands under the old cycles of existence. N ot only was there a convention of Rosicrucians of m any lands held in E ng land just prior to Bacon's elevation to the position of Im perator, but sim ilar conventions or Congresses had been held in other countries for several centuries. A m o ng the m any picturesque incidents of the operation of the Order in foreign lands in the fourteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, we find, for instance, the record of the Initiations held on the Island of M auritus in 1794; the operation of a Lodge of the Order on the G old Coast of Africa in 1799; the selection of Cornelius Agrippa, the eminent philosophical writer, as Im perator in the year 1507; the record of a new cycle of one jurisdiction in E urcpe in 1410; the In itiatio n of the famous character known in history as Paracelsus, in Basle, Switzerland, in 1530; the operation of a large Lodge in Cologne in 1115; the public activities of the Rosicrucians during the Crusades in the south of France between the years 1192 and 1227; and the development of the Order in H o llan d during the years 1483 to 1498. In Spain, Italy, and the O rient, the Order carried on extensively in certain channels, while in Russia, China, and especially in Tibet, the Order had many members w ho exerted a great power for progressiveness. Hundreds of books and manuscripts have been listed in catalogs known as Rosicrucian Bibliographies, and published in m any historical, mystical and Freemasonic encyclopaedias. These show that many writers of m any lands wrote historical essays, official Manifestoes, Instruction guides, and treatises upon the subject of the O rder Rosae Crucis, the Brothers of the Rosy Cross, the Fraters Rose Croix, the Rosenkreuzer, etc. For m any centuries the organization held international Conventions or Congresses in cities most convenient to the greatest number of delegates. Most of these were held in Switzerland, usually in Basle, and later in Zurich and Geneva; and in Toulouse, France; H alle, Germ any; Cologne, Germ any; L ondon, E ng land ; and Lyon, France. A few were held for special purposes in Cairo, E gyp t; and Calcutta, India. Even to this day these Congresses are held every few years and delegates from, or representing, thirteen lands or more are present along w ith many officers of various ranks and departments.

PRESENT D A Y H E IRA RCH Y In all lands where the new cycle of existence of the Order is established (in accordance w ith the law of “ 108 years of secret activity and then a birth into public activity for another 108 years”) each branch of the new Order has its own Jurisdiction, as heretofore, with its own Im perator for the Jurisdic­ tion, and under him a Supreme G rand Master, a Group of Grand Masters, and a score of Masters of local Lodges or groups. The Im perators of the various Jurisdictions constitute a supreme council of advisors to the W h ite Lodge, which is the superior body of the entire Order in the world. In each Jurisdiction the G rand Masters and executive officers constitute the Supreme Council for the Jurisdiction, at the head of which is the Im perator. This form of national and international co-operation between all duly chartered and empowered branches m aintains a system of united effort and at the same time makes for solidarity. It means that, despite the division into official jurisdictions, the Rosicrucian O R D E R is one body throughout the world.

THE INTERNATIONAL N A M E The Order of the new cycle uses the same old ancient name that is found in the oldest records. T hat name, in its complete L atin form is: A ntiquae Arcanae O rdinis Rosae Rubeae et Aureae Crucis. Translations and abbreviations of this name are used by the various jurisdictions to meet the requirements of the local tongue. In America, and some other E nglish speaking lands, the name is shortened to: Ancient, M ystical O rder Rosae Crucis. This form retains the ancient L atin words Rosae Crucis which mean: of the R osy Cross. For the sake of veiling the full name the initials of the short name are used, as: A. M. O. R. C. or A M O R C . Even in some Latin countries we have the Spanish form of the name thusly: A ntiqua y M istica Orden Rosae Crucis, giving us the initials again of A M O R C . In some other lands the complete name is used or abbre­ viated to: A. A. O rdinis Rosae R. A. Crucis, or A A O R R A C , or “A. A. O .” or “A. O .” However, such abbreviations are used only when public papers or other matters are to be veiled, but not in connection w ith official documents. And, always the sym bol of the Order is a cross w ith one red rose in its centre. The use of a num ber of roses on various crosses or around a cross, does not make the official, ancient, emblem. Such modifications indicate that the person or group of persons using them are not connected with the above Order—The A M O R C .

THE FIRST A M E RIC A N BRANCH Before his transition, and while Im perator of the O rder in Europe, Bacon made plans for the spread of the w ork to America. This he did by w riting a story called T he New A tlantis, or the H ouse of Solom on. This was, presumably, a story of a newly discovered land in the A tlantic where everything was done according to Rosicrucian standards. In the story was contained the famous Bacon secret code which he also used in w riting the Shakespearean plays and m any other books now found to be his work. In the code used by Bacon, instructions were given for the establishment of a national centre on the shores of America. For years the strange plans in this book puzzled those who read it and knew not the ideas back of it. Then in 1693 the plans began to materialize, and in _all parts of Europe men and wom en came together in Rosicrucian _ sessions to select those who were to carry out the Baconian plan. F inally in the fall of 1693 a group of several hundred men w ith their families were decided upon and they joined together in E ng land and H olland.

Men for the plan were selected according to their professions and trades. A ll men had to be able to contribute to the knowledge and experience required, and in the winter of 1693 the group of Rosicrucians set sail for Am crica in their own chartered boat, the Sara Maria. No more fascinating story of pilgrim age is told in history than this. They travelled under the auspices of Bacon’s former Lodge in London, the Rosicrucian Lodge known by the Greek word, Philadelphia, and they carried with them rare manuscripts, records, scientific devices and equipment such as had not been brought to Am erica before. The work of the first Rosicrucians spread rapidly throughout the colonies in the first hundred years and laid a foundation for it from coast to coast. Some uninformed writers of early Am erican history state that the first Rosicrucian foundation in Am crica was laid by a Dr. P. B. R andolph who lectured considerably on psychological and Rosicrucian subjects during the latter part of the eighteenth century. H e claimed Initiatio n in a foreign branch of the Rosicrucian Order, but it has been found that he was sim ply a member of a small Hermetic organization of Rosicrucian students of either Paris or London, and had no authority to establish permanent Lodges any­ where in America. Aside from the fact that his lectures here were many years after the Order had come to Amcrica, and therefore could not have been the first efforts to bring the work to this land, his groups of students in a few cities did not carry on any systematic organization work after his transition, and there was no affiliation between his student groups and the Order in other lands.

THE PRESENT A M ERIC A N O R G A N IZA T IO N The year 1909 was a very im portant year in the activities of m any R osi­ crucian Jurisdictions, and in the history of many metaphysical, alchemical, and Herm etic organizations. To the Rosicrucians it was the year of new birth, the year of the new cycle, in those lands which had completed the 108 year of silence. Chief am ong these was America, where the Rosicrucian activities consisted of a great fire of power and knowledge burning in quiet preparation for the sudden fanning into brilliant flames. W ith other organi­ zations the year was an im portant one in its relation to the periodicity of the Aquarian cycle. A ll in all, 1909 proved to be the “quickening and aw akening” year for all lands ready for the new dispensation of “L ig h t, L ife and Love.” For several years prior to 1909 m any men, and several women, of pro­ found metaphysical and occult training and preparation journeyed to Europe, and, in either France or E ngland, received Initiatio n into the Rosicrucian Order to enable them to assist in the newer activities for America. Two characters stand out in the history of the present American organi­ zation. One of these is Mrs. Col. M ay Banks-Stacey, a descendant of the D'Arcys of France, and through blood relationship w ith the nobility of E n g ­ land, a high Initiate of the oldest Rosicrucian organization of L ondon and Paris. She was also an Initiate of the Order in India, and was appointed an American Legate of the Ind ian Jurisdiction. The other is Dr. H. Spencer Lewis, form erly President for m any years of the New Y o rk Institute for Psychical Research, editor of several m eta­ physical magazines, and a co-worker w ith Elbert (F ra) H ubbard of Roycroft fame, and Mrs. E lla W heeler W ilco x , both of whom were desirous of helping in the Rosicrucian work and rendered unusual services. Dr. Lewis went to France in the sum mer of 1909 and after consultation w ith the Supreme Master of the French Jurisdiction was placed under the direction of the European Supreme Council whose sessions finally agreed to the plans of the new cycle for America, and authorized the French Jurisdic­ tion to sponsor them. Dr. Lewis returned from Europe and began at once his official activities. In the winter of 1909 he held conferences w ith a number of those who had been initiated abroad, and w ho were fam iliar w ith the rules and regulations of the foreign jurisdictions and acquainted w ith the Supreme Officers.

H . S P E N C E R L E W IS , F. R. C., Ph. D „ IM P E R A T O R OF T H E AMORC OF N O RT H A M ER IC A M EM BER OF T HE SU PREM E CO U NCIL OF THE W O R L D LE G A T E O F T H E O R D E R O F F R A N C E

The task of translating into E nglish the many documents and papers of authority, required m onths of labor, and the form ation of a foundation committee necessitated m any interviews and private council meetings. Twelve men and women had been placed on the foundation committee by Dr. Lewis before the end of 1909, and thereafter m any m onths were spent by these persons assisting in the preparation of literature, a new and typically Am erican constitution for the Order, and the development of many new features that had not been introduced in America. A ll this had to be done in great secrecy until a ccrtain stage of the work was reached. W h e n this point was attained there came to Dr. Lewis the first of the m any messengers of the Order in Europe. This first representative was Dr. M ay Banks-Stacey. A w om an of wide travel and m any affiliations, she came as a special Legate of the Order in India. She brought to Dr. Lewis and the foundation Com m ittee the final papers of preparation for the great work, and the Jewel of A uthority, a rare official emblem, and valuable treas­ ures from the archives of the O riental headquarters. D u rin g her stay in New Y o rk she acted as the first Matre of the Order.

THE GREAT NATIONAL C O N V EN T IO N In the summ er of 1916 the w ork of the new Order had spread so rapidly in Am erica and so many new branches were in operation, that a national convention of all officers and delegates was held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvaniwa, for one week. A t this convention the principal officers of every American branch and the delegates from every state were present. Sessions were held during the day and evenings w ith lectures, demonstrations and discussions. It was at this great convention that a committee composed of leading characters in m any other fraternal organizations, devoted their time to a study of the national constitution of the new Order as it had been worked out by the supreme officers in the years preceding. O n the last day of the Convention the Com mittee read the proposed constitution and it was adopted, paragraph by paragraph by the delegates assembled. O ther matters of great importance to the Order were definitely settled at this convention, and at the one held in New Y o rk in the sum mer of 1918.

THE AM ERIC A N A M O R C Thus was established for the new cycle in America, the Rosicrucian Order now know n in every state of the U nited States, every Province of Canada, and every im portant section of Mexico. Manifestoes were issued presenting the official headquarters of the Am erican A M O R C , its list of selected and elected officers, its affiliation w ith bodies of similar name in other lands, and its high purposes. The Am erican A M O R C also announced: that it had no connection with any other metaphysical, occult, or fraternal bodies except those which were Rosicrucian; that it w ould adhere to the ancient landm arks and traditions, and w ould present the enlarged and evolved Rosicrucian teachings of the past and present, with such slight changes as were necessary to make the work of benefit to those of this progressive continent in the twentieth century. Legates and high Officers of the Order in other lands visited the American headquarters, official com munication was established with the lead­ ing foreign Jurisdictions, and the Am erican Im pcrator was officially appointed by other Jurisdictions as their H onorary representative in America, in letters and documents now preserved in the A M O R C archives. In all recent international conventions or Council sessions held in foreign lands, the A M O R C of Am erica has been invited to participate with the other A M O R C Jurisdictions, and the American A M O R C is the only Rosicrucian organization in America ever invited to have a part in these sessions. Today the A M O R C in m any lands is operating in a new cycle and in close affiliation and co-operation, and the Am erican branch is an inseparable part of this unique body of Rosicrucian workers.

IDart Efirec T H E P R IN C IP L E S O F R O S IC R U C IA N IS M

THE ARCHIVES O F KNO W LEDGE W hether we inquire into the true and tested principles of psychology, the established and dependable laws of health and long life, the funda­ mentals of religion and philosophy, or the attainm ent of mastership in life’s problems, we find that constant reference, quotations and recommendations by thousands of eminent writers in all ages bring us eventually to the reserved teachings of the Rosicrucian schools. There probably never was any other single source and fountain of arcanc, universal knowledge equal to the systems of this organization. In all ages there have been the few— the specially learned and wise, the master philosophers, the initiates— who have had access to the arcane, secret and vital principles of all knowledge, and these persons have care­ fully concealed such knowledge from the unw orthy, the evil-minded and the selfish. Such persons have constituted the school of advanced wisdom and their organization has been know n by m any names, but always under the direction of one Great Brotherhood. Now we find this knowledge pres­ erved and taught through the channels of the Rosicrucian Order, one of the original conservators of such knowledge.

W H A T D ID THE ROSICRUCIANS TEACH? It is the general belief of the casual investigators of the Rosicrucian teachings that the members of the fraternity were experts and masters in the subjects of the transm utation of base metals into pure gold, the prolonging of life, the im m ediate cure of disease, the performance of seeming miracles, the control of nature’s forces, the mastership of life’s problems, and directors of future events. A nd they have always been credited w ith possessing the correct knowledge of God, life, transition and im m ortality. M any books and papers refer to the Rosicrucians as Alchem ists and H erm etic Physicians. The truth of the m atter is that the Rosicrucians of all ages not only devoted their time in laboratories to transm uting metals, but a greater part of their time was spent in transm uting the baser elements of hum an nature into the pure gold of health, happiness and prosperity. I his was their higher form of alchemy. T heir general teachings and activ­ ities were devoted to overcom ing the obstacles in life which kept progressive men and women from attaining individual heights. Therefore their ancient teachings included the secret facts of nature about health, the source and nature of the vital force of life, how it could be retained and increased, and how disease of all kinds m ight be prevented or cured. They taught also the nature of m any of the strange universal forces which surrounded m an and which few even today suspect as existing.

M ENTAL P O W E R S OF THE ROSICRUCIANS However, one needs to read only a few books about the Rosicrucians, such as L ord L y tto n ’s “Z an on i" and Marie C orrelli’s “ Life Everlasting," to see that the greatest power developed by the Rosicrucians was the m en­ tal power they were able to use. The Rosicrucians taught— esoterically— that every th in g in the world, from the smallest cell in a living or non-living body to the rocks in distant m ountains, could be affected by an unsuspected mental power which can be developed by their formulas. They pointed out how they could make their thoughts become concrete realities; how they could transm it thoughts from one place to a more distant place; they demonstrated their ability

to make people think and act in accordance w ith law, and to have nature’s forces obey their wills. A ll the seeming miracles of ancient Babylon, Persia, In d ia and the Orient generally they reduced to simple processes. They sought to become m ighty in the power to foresee, to hold back the progress of undesirable conditions, or set into m otion newer and more favorable conditions. A ll this they taught each selected student to do for himself. They did not perform miracles for one another, for they taught that each person possesses a power and a faculty to direct his own affairs more efficiently than anyone else could do it for him.

THE TESTS O F H U N D RED S OF YEARS As the ages passed, the teachings of the Rosicrucians were tested by newer knowledge at the hands of later Master teachers and workers. From century to century the Rosicrucian teachings were amended, strengthened, im proved and widened in their scope until they now embrace knowledge in every metaphysical and psychological field, in every arcane art, and every practical, mental system for the development of m an’s greater powers.

W H O THEY ARE TODAY The Rosicrucians of today are practical men and women, occupying high positions in every walk of life, from the humble workers and happy housewives to leaders in all forms of education, in schools, cojleges and universities. They include persons of every denom ination, physicians and scientists, lawyers, judges, bankers, musicians, artists, inventors and heads of big corporations; newspaper editors and owners; men and women w ho are more successful and prosperous, happy and masterful than the average person. N o one is ever denied admission because of lack of college or academic education. M oral character and sincerity of desire are the only qualifica­ tions considered. A ll agree in their enthusiastic comment upon this one point: The kno w l­ edge given to them in their studies and through their connection w ith the fraternity has enabled them to round out their own lives, and more efficiently carry on their life work, in a manner almost impossible without the benefits derived from the S P E C I A L I Z E D instructions given to them by A M O R C .

THE GREAT W O R K TODAY Not only is the Great W o rk of the A M O R C . still carried on in F.urope and other lands, with periodic International and National congresses to unify the work throughout the world, but in America the organization is especially systematized and well founded. The N orth American continent constitutes the largest of all the jurisdic­ tions of the Rosicrucians which operate throughout the world under the name of A M O R C . In the U nited States, Canada, Mexico and the dependencies of the U nited States, there are College, University, and Lodge Branches, as well as study groups in every im portant city and town, with m any reading rooms and study halls always open to those who are associated with the work. National conventions have been held in the United States and hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles have appeared in the public press, within the last twenty years, referring to the unusual features offered by the Rosicrucian system of education and evolution. In some cities as m any as a thousand persons meet weekly at one session to hear the Rosicrucian teachings expounded, and in m any of the branches there are three to five sessions of students a week.

W H Y THE FRATERNITY G R O W S A n illustration of the importance of the new cycles of the Order may be seen in the comment of thousands who have pursued the present-day teachings

of the A M O R C , which comment m ay be sum m arized in the words of a former high officer of another school of philosophy and metaphysics in Am erica: "M an has evolved in the past several hundred years through definite cycles and stages of m ental and spiritual aw akening and comprehension, just as he has advanced in scientific achievement and attainm ent. Those thoughts, those principles, and those ideals which were vital and guiding to him five hundred or even one hundred years ago are obsolete now, some even impracticable. O the r schools of thought, systems of instruction, courses of practice in life w hich have not evolved and advanced step by step w ith m an’s evolution are passe today. A M O R C is notable for its advancement and its foresight in keeping m any steps ahead of m an’s present stage in civilization, so that today the Rosicrucian teachings and benefits offered by the A M O R C con­ stitute a goal to approach, an ideal to hold before us— a true leadership to follow .”

N OT THE TEACHINGS OF O N E PERSON There are systems of philosophical and higher-thought instruction in the w orld today which were outlined or prepared by one or more founders, “discoverers” or leaders— systems which were prophetic and ultra-modern in their day— but because the founders of such systems made no provision for the advancement of the teachings, or the gradual growth and evolution of the system, they stand today as m onum ents of good in the past but in ­ adequate and inefficient today. The child of today is taught in school, in high school, and in special courses, those subjects which were select and advanced subjects for the evolved adult of a hundred years ago. To adhere to the philosophic or scientific teachings of the ancients, no m atter how remarkable they may have been in their day, w ould be equivalent to teaching and prom ulgating dead languages as a vital factor in our modern life.

M OST A D V A N C ED O F ALL TEACHINGS The A M O R C of today preserves and presents in the most impressive and helpful m anner every law and principle that was know n to and used by the ancient Rosicrucians and which made them famous as the forerunners of all scientific, occult, metaphysical and practical schools m ak in g for m an’s greater grow th and development. Each year of the past five hundred years or more has seen additions made to those fundam ental teachings. Each m onth of the past hundred years has seen the ancient system of instruction and cooperative benefits improved, m odernized and advanced. D u rin g the past twenty years, the evolutionary grow th of the plan of A M O R C has been phenomenal. In every field of endeavor, in every art, science, and dom ain of thought, A M O R C has taken great steps forward until today its knowledge of certain laws of nature, activities of the hum an m ind, powers of personal forces, manifestations of principles and possibilities of unsuspected agencics, is far in advance of m an ’s general evolution and greatly in the lead of all other schools or movements.

A GLORIOUS A C H IEV EM EN T In other words, A M O R C , typifying the Rosicrucian spirit throughout the world, represents today the very soul of the Rosicrucian activities of all ages — the most advanced and practical guide or movement in m an’s behalf. This has been no simple achievement. N o organization but that which lives w ith the spirit of true Rosicrucianism — fearless, dauntless, and m ighty in its own powers— could have survived in the past decades the m any obstacles to growth and the insistent attacks of its natural enemies— the enemies of all progress. N one but the present Im perator of the A M O R C , H arve Spencer Lewis, F. R. C., Ph. D., could have accomplished the tremendous task set for him when he accepted the obligation and duties of his office for the purpose of establishing the new cycle of A M O R C as Bacon was commissioned to do in the, seventeenth century in Europe, and others before him.

ADMINISTRATION AND RADIO BROADCASTING BUILDING At the National Headquarters, Rosicrucian Park. San Jose, California

S O M E R O S IC R U C IA N S Y M B O L S

THE EGYPTIAN CARTOUCHE

T H E R. C. TRIANGLE

THE ROSY CRO SS

SEAL O f THE S U PR EM E COUNCIL

$ a rt Jfour c3£ow eTYCembers others to master sim ilar ones. In travelling from city to city, in planning large or small affairs of life, in seeking to improve one’s business or improve the home life, and in thou­ sands of other affairs, the association w ith the organization offers aid and advice.

THE FREE INSTRUCTIONS A N D LESSONS In addition to all the other benefits, the A M O R C offers to its members a special help. This is its graded course of instruction. The A M O R C is not a correspondence school. Its lessons and private instructions are not for sale on any basis. They are given freely to those who desire them. Not all our members are pursuing the courses of instruction; for m any of them have been through the grades, have long since completed the regular courses of study and are not on the student lists at all. They retain their active membership in A M O R C because of the very m any benefits to be derived from the association and intim ate contact with the Order. In foreign jands there are thousands of members who have not had any of the instruction lessons for m any years; their membership in the Order is m aintained solely for the regular membership benefits.

DUAL FO R M O F M EM BERSHIP Therefore it must be quite evident to anyone that membership in the A M O R C is of a dual nature. 1. Active association w ith the Order, with the benefits of intim ate contact w ith members, officers and those who can be of

assistance in advising and helping in hundreds of ways, w ith the m onthly magazine as a connecting link between all members and the general activi­ ties of the Order, plus the services offered by special letters regarding personal problems. This is the regular membership which existed before the personal instructions by correspondence was added as a separate feature in America. 2. The private courses of instruction by correspondence, without any fees of any kind, gladly given to all who are in good standing in the Order. This second feature is unique w ith the Am erican Jurisdiction and is now being tried by a few of the foreign Jurisdictions.

IN V IT A T IO N TO BECOM E A M EM BER Those to w hom this book is sent receive a letter usually inviting them to become a Member of the Order. None are invited to become mere students of a course of instruction. As a member of the Order you are entitled to every benefit of any kind that the Order has to offer and which it may add in the future. By filling out the enclosed application form — which should accompany this book—you accept our invitation to unite with us. T hat application will be examined by a Committee and passed upon. If for any reason you cannot be accepted, you w ill be notified. Otherwise, you w ill be accepted and a formal notice sent.

B ECOM ING A STUDENT Y o ur accepted application for membership will be turned over to the instructors of the various grades and you will be placed upon the student list w ithout further obligations than those of regular membership. Secondly, the m em ber then receives the Secret Docum ent N um ber One, in which he is told how to conduct a simple but most illu m in atin g ceremony in the quiet of some room at home on a night selected for the purpose. This ceremony reveals in one hour more startling facts of the laws of nature than could be placed in several printed books, and the member learns at once the true relation he has with the Rosicrucian Order. This ceremony has been performed by a hundred thousand persons in America and other lands and all pronounce it the most wonderful peace and strength-giving ceremony, as well as the most im portant revelation of nature’s laws, they have ever experienced. T hirdly, after a brief report of this ceremony, the member is considered a duly prepared student of the secret laws and principles, and as such possesses a Student Membership identification Card, number and Pass W ord. Fourthly, from that m om ent he receives weekly the specially prepared secret instructions, lectures, and lessons, with daily and weekly experiments and exercises which enable him to master each step easily and properly. The lecture and lesson each week require a part of one evening of the week for study or reading (there being nothing to m emorize— everything remains in the m ind through the unique m ethod used by the Rosicrucians to teach its laws), and the exercises and experiments require only a few minutes each night, m orning or noontime, at the member’s convenience. These exercises and experiments develop certain faculties from the very first lessons. Fifthly, the lessons relate to life’s immediate problems as wc(l as the future needs of the member. They help ihe members to master the obstacles and overcome conditions from the very start. N o vague theories, no specu­ lations about conditions in the “ethereal realms" that have no bearing upon our present life, but laws and principles that men and wom en must use here and now in very practical ways. Sixth, the m onthly private magazine called the Mystic Triangle is sent to each member each m onth w ithout additional fee. It contains special instruc­ tions and lessons on general life problems, and the questions and answers relating to new principles as well as reports from other members and articles by leading persons in the country on what the Rosicrucian Order is doinc for them.

Seventh, each member, regardless of the study course, is entitled to the many departmental services of the Order, which includes help by correspond­ ence and through our own methods, as well as additional inform ation by mail on points in the lectures, aids in health or related matters, w ithout any additional fees. E ighth, the privilege of meeting w ith other members in the same locality as soon as a certain stage of the work is reached where the members can come together once a week in our own Temple in various cities, or in special meeting places for m utual discussion and help. The graded, systematic lessons, lectures and experiments continue week after week with special helps to make each member proficient, until the member completes the first grade. Then the member starts on the Second Grade, and finally on the Third. A t the end of the T hird Grade the member has the privilege of deciding what furthei steps he wishes to take to attain the higher teachings. From this point onw ard the member may proceed with the higher lessons grade after grade through all the grades of the W ork. Thus the course of study is as complete as any offered by the largest universities so far as length of time and devotion to development arc concerned.

Fees and Dues The Order is strictly a brotherhood, operating as do all other frater­ nities in the world. Membership in the Rosicrucian Order carries with it the many benefits distinct to all fraternities and m any others quite unique. Like unto all fraternities there are membership dues, payable m onthly. And, there is a nom inal "registration fee.” This fee and the m onthly dues of a small am ount are the contributions on the part of members to the general operating funds of the Order, and take care of its propaganda expenses, its building funds, national and international hum anitarian activities, and its dona­ tions to many scientific expeditions and methods of research and investigation. Such fee and dues have nothing to do with the free courses of instructions offered to members. In addition to the general activities of the Order, the Rosicrucians conduct the courses as outlined on previous pages. These cours-es of study are given freely and w ithout charge or fees of any kind to members of the Order. N'ot all members who are active in the Order in America are taking up the courscs of study; not all of our students are members of the Order in America, for some are members of foreign jurisdictions and pay their dues to foreign lands, but receive their teachings from our branch w ithout fees of any kind. Therefore we wish to have you keep in m ind that the study and instruction work is a separate and distinct feature of the Order, not found in any other fraternal organization, and for which our members do not pay. The Supreme Council has purposely made the “ Registration F ee' very nominal. It is Five Dollars, payable w ith the application. The m onthly dues are Two Dollars, payable on the first of each month. These fees include all the benefits of the Order's activities. There arc no other fees or assess­ ments, no books which must be purchased in order to study, no catalog solici­ tations, and no lim itations to the degree of advancement the Members may make in their studies. The m onthly magazine, “The Mystic T riangle,” is also given free to all members who are taking the free courses of study of correspondence from the Supreme Lodge.

FIN AL IN STRU CTIO N S ♦♦

V E R Y IM PORTANT ♦ ♦ **r