amorc - the light of egypt (1927)

7/29/2019 AMORC - The Light of Egypt (1927)

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9

B y S r i . R a m a t h e r i o



T h e L i g h t o f E g y p t

The Strange Story of the

ROS ICRUC IANSBy Sri. IRamatherio

L O R D E D W A R D B U L W E R L Y T T O N

a n e n t h u s i a st i c B r o t h e r o f t h e O r d e r o f R o s i e r u c i a n s , d e s c r i b e d

it as : " A n a u g u f t f r a t e r n i t y — m o s t j e a l o u s o f a l l s e c r e t s o

c i et i es — w h o s e d o c t r i n es ( h i n t e d a t b y t h e e a r l ie s t p h i l o s o

p h e r s ) a r e sti ll a m y s t e r y t o t h e g r e a t e s t s c h o l a r s n o t i n i t i a t e d .

I ts m e m b e r s s ti ll p r o s e c u t e t h e ir p r o f o u n d r e s e a r c h e s i n to

n a t u r a l s c i en c e s a n d o c c u l t p h i l o s o p h y , a n d n o m o n a s t ic

o r d e r is s o s e v e r e i n t h e p r a c t i c e o f m o r a l p r e c e p t s "

Pr ivately Issued by Permission of The D epartment

of Publication of the A merican M inistraro for

The Ancient and Mystical Order Rosae Crucis Jurisdiction of North America

R O S I C R U C I A N S Q U A R E

TAMPA FLORIDA

O F F I C I A L P U B L I C A T I O N N O S E V E N E X - C A T H E D R A J A N U A R Y * 9 * 7



)t ^ p m t j o l i g m o f tfje S3>torp

It is the most astounding story of mystery, romance and religion ever

recorde d in the annals of historical facts. I hesitate to att em pt its telling in

less than thousands of pages, and am reluctant to reduce its fascinating details

to mere recitals of gripping events.

Thirty-two hundred years have passed; nearly thirteen thousand genera

tions of civilization have left their indelible mark upon the evolution of man’s

progress of a tta in m e nt si nc e th e Rose an d the Cross were united in th is sub

lime symbol under which thousands today pursue their illuminated courses todefinite goals of success, power and inner peace.

I stand at the Portal of a great city and see through the open gates of

gold the white city of the Ho ly Assembly of the Great Brotherhood. And,

secure in the knowledge that eternally it shall be the haven of the seekers for

Light , Life a nd Love, I glance back war d over the descen ding slopes of the

mounta in. In me m ory ’s sight I see the tram me led lanes of the land below,

peop led wit h th e searching sou ls and devoted hearts w ho fo und th e P a t h an d

paused in th ei r glo rio us journey long enough to erect th e Sig ns that poin t the

W a y .

Pictured before me is the panorama of the materialized dream of the Magi

of old, the inspiration of the Cosmic H osts and the labo rs of the tr ue kindred.

Shall I turn again and describe only what I see within the sacred walls? Or

fix my view upon the story of the past?

The past is gone; but what sustaining encouragement we find in history’s

precedents and through a tta in m e n t’s tests and tria ls! I hear th e call: “ Show us

the Wa y!” And to the humble I speak tne words which only they will under

stand. It is the old, old story; “ Ad Ros am per Crucem, ad Cruc em perR o s a m! ”

S R I . R A M A T H E R I O , S c r i b e .

CO P YRI G H T E D 1 9 2 7 B Y AM O RC O F NO RT H AM E RI CA



S I R F R A N C I S B A C O N . K. R. C.

I M P E R A T O R O F T H E R O S I C R U C I A N S I N T H E S E V E N T E E N T H C E N T U R Y



(T1 ) t S t r a n g e i s > t o i ; p o f t f j e & o s i c r u c i a n g

T H E M Y S T E R Y O F A T O M B

It is just three hundred and twenty-three years ago, in the year 1604, thata group of learned mystics in Cassel, Germany, opened a strange vault in whichthey discovered a tomb, sealed and ensconsed with the strange symbols of theRosy Cross and the Triangle.

Up on openin g the tomb with due reverence and with magical rites transmitted to them through many generations of initiated forbears, they found thesilent resting place of the former founder of their secret fraternity. He re theysaw by the mystic light that had remained undiminished for one hundred andtwenty years, the well-preserved body of that most mysterious of al l beings,C. R. C.

N ear him in th is ol d ca ve, whic h ha d bee n a study, labora tory and sanc

tum, were treasures of knowledge in manuscript form and marvels of devicesfor the demonstration of nature’s most profound and secret laws.

Performing their long-practiced processes, the Brethren restored the invisible w riti ng s to per fect legibility, r emo ved from the hand s of C. R. C. thesacred key and seal ring, and opened the ancient Brown Casket that bore thecartouche of a former Pharaoh of Egypt. (1)

T H E S T R A N G E C A S K E T

In the Casket were found the rituals and graded instructions as received by C. R. C. whi le li vin g th e life of a N eophyte and Adept in the Secret M ysteryTemples of Egypt, amended by the scores of masters of destiny and wisdomwho bad been associated with the Fraternity in ttie period of his leadership.

One manuscript, still fresh with the rare chemical with which it was written, was to be published by the Brethren who made the predicted discovery,and this was issued by them in pamphlet form under the t i t le of “Fama Frater-nitatis.” In accord ance with instructions, it was addressed to “Th e learned ingeneral and the Governors of Europe.”

Its story was so unique, so alluring and at the same time so appropriatefor the times ana condition, that its message spre ad rapidly and created the

greatest concern in every phase of human interest. N o lite rary maste rpiece, no ed ic t of s tate or u lt im atum of potentate ev er

•aroused the interest, the approbation and condemnation, criticism and admiration of men and women in every walk of life as did this simple brochure, unostentatiously printed, conservatively worded, discreetly circulated and anonymously authorized.

Church and State alike disputed, argued and denied it , while vieing in attempts to refute it thoug h unwillingly adm itting its imp ortan t message. Th e

( 1 ) T h i s c a r t o u c h e Is s t i ll us e d a s a m y s t i c s y m b o l b y t h e K o s i c r u c l a n F r a t -ernity In its l iterature and on official documents.



learned and unlearned rushed into print to explain i ts probable origin and immediate significance.

For years i t became the principal topic of conversation among the l i teratiand a certain means of argu me nt amo ng the scientific. For many centuriesthe "Faraa” was the mystery of all occult productions and was responsible for

the issuance of hundr eds of prof ound books com me ntin g upon its relation tothe greatest of all revolutions in the advancement of European civilization.

L I K E A S H A D O W O F T H E P A S T

The opening of the tomb in Germany brought to the minds of many antiquarians and stude nts of Occu ltism the pictur e of a similar incident in the ages pone by. In fa ct , th e German in cident was at on ce li kened to a shadow of the pa st ; lor it was a precise and pre-determ ined rep lic a of th e El A m arna Revelation of 1290 A. D. In that yea r—exa ctly three hund red and fourteen yea rs pre vi ous to th e G erm an Revelation—a group of se ve n advanced and ca re fu ll yelected mystics prepared to make the world acquainted with the existence ofthe great Fra ternity. For years they had labored with the preparations at thesecret headquarters of the organization, located at l 'olosa in Gaul (now Toulouse; in southern France), where the Fraternity had been silently directingthe work of reorganization throughout Europe, Asia and Africa.

The seven mystics, repre sentin g the great powers of Europe, proceeded tothe banks of the Nile under the leadership ofFr iar Roger Bacon the eminentEnglish philosopher and mystic, w'hose writings and profound arcane knowledge liave again startled the world through recent translations.

Along the Nile they found the mysterious stone marking the outer boundaries of the long forg otten “ City of the Sun,’’ called “A khna ten ,” and built inthe twelfth century B. C. by Amenh otep IV, Phar aoh of Egy pt and founder

of Egypt’s secret schools of arcane wisdom.This mystic city—the wonder of the ancient world and now, in the twen

tieth century A. D . a model of beaut v and cha racte r—w as built by the Phar aoh

as a pe rm a nen t center for the secret Brotherhood, the Magi of the East. (2)When the Brethren succeeded in locating the sealed vault amid the many

Tem ple buildings and gardens, they proceeded to open the vault by the samemystical formulas eventually used by the Brethren in 1604.

T H E K E Y T O T H E C A S K E T

In the vault they found a similar tomb, sealed with the emblems of theRose and Cross and Triangle, and within was the form of the great founder,surrounded by books, papers, devices and sealed caskets. In his hand wasalso found the Crux Ansata in gold, as pictured in the hands of the ancientPharaoh in many of the paintings on Egyptian walls to be seen to this day.This “Kej' of Life,” however, was in fact a secret key to the largest of thecaskets, covered with hand-engraved gold and inlaid with precious stones.

Upo n opening this casket they found recor ds of its previo us use by theearlier groups who had used the charts , diagrams and parchments three hundred and fourteen years before when the tomb was sealed pending the end ofthe panic which unsettled civilization at the close of the tenth century becauseof the predicted end of the world in the year one thousand. (3 ) Carefully re-

( 2 ) T h e F r a t e r n i t y i n A m e r i c a r e c e n t l y p r o v id e d f i na n c i al m e a n s t o an e x -p l o r a t i o n s o c i e t y t o c o n t i n u e i t s e x c a v a t i o n s a t t h i s m y s t i c c i t y a n d m a n y r a r e o b j e c t s o f a r t a n d m y s t i c a l w o r s h i p h a v e be e n s e c u r e d b y t h e Fr a t e r n i t y . H u n -dreds of maps and ph otog raph s of the uins of the Temples, ho,mes and wor k b u i l d i n g s ol t h e m y s t i c s h a v e b e e n m a d e a n d t h e w o r k i s b e i n g c o n t i n u e d b y s c i e n t i s t s a n d a r t i s a n s .

( 3 ) Mi l l i o n s f o r s o o k t h e i r h o m e s a n d a b a n d on e d a l l w o r l d l y p o s s e s s i o n s a n d i n t e r e s t s a t t h i s t i m e , a n d i t w a s o n e o f t h e m o s t t r y i n g t i m e s i n t h e h i s t o r y of c iv i l isat ion, fostered by crusades conducted in the na,me of the church.



moving every valuable paper, parchment, stone, metal and papyrus, and leavingonly the body of the founder, in its excellently preserved condition, they sealedthe tomb again and, with appropriate rituals, closed the entrance to tomb andvault and returned to Toulouse.

T H E F I R S T C R U S A D E R S

At Toulouse had been established for several centuries the center of theBrethren of the Rosy Cross for contin ental Europ e, and here grea t schools andtemples of mystic learning had been erected under the patronage and protection of the Raymonds, Lords of Toulouse. (4 ) I t was here that the greatCrusades had their origin, and from this city went forth one of these Lords,Raymond IV, with the greatest volunteer army of thousands, to save the HolyCity; and it was RaymondIV, Lord and Ruler of Toulouse, protector of themystics, sponsor of the broader education of humanity and defender of man'sinherent, divine right to know all truth who succeeded in placing the RosyCross banne r on the Tow er of David in Jerusalem . And w hen the victoriousarmy chose him to be the new King of Jerusalem, he made the now famousreplv: “I cannot wear a Crown of gold where the first King wore a Crown of

T h o r n s .”Immediately following the return of the seven mystics to Toulouse a docu

ment wras issued to the learned of Europ e, rev ealing the existence of the ancient arcane schools and their continued efforts as the Druids, Essenes (5) andTherapa uti of Egy pt and the Orient . The docum ent further outl ined the new pl an s of th e F ra tern ity fo r th e future and predicte d th e victo ry of th e newerteachings (then cal led heret ical ) , warning the world of the greater power overnatural laws about to be given to those who would come within the fold.

T H E S P IR I T O F T H E F U T U R E

This ancient incident, like unto its successor in the year 1G04, presagedwhat would inevitably occur again in future periods of three hundred and fourteen years. (6 ) And so it came about that three hundred and fourteen years

after 1604, or twice three hundred and fourteen years after 1290, the Fraternityof the R osicrucians was well established in the new world, with continentalheadquarters in the United States as well as in all the countries of Europe, Asiaand Africa.

As the significant, symbolical year of 1918 approached, a great conventionof Rosicrucian mystics was decreed to be held in New York City under the patronage of th e Suprem e Coun ci l of th e ancient headquarters in T oulou se andwith authori ty from the Fratern ity temples in Egy pt and India. Prel iminaryto that Convention the foundation for the Great Revelation was laid in everysection of the Nort h American Continent. Secret conclaves had been held,delegates appointed, and a Supreme Master and Imperator elected. (7)

Then early in the year 1918, the three hundred and fourteenth year sincethe Revelation in Germany, the official Legate of the Fraternity, H. Spencer

( 4 ) T o u l o u s e i s s t i l l c o n s i d e re d t h e m y s t i c c i t y o f m o d e r n t i m e s a n d f ro m t i m e to t i m e i n t e r n a t i o n a l c o n v e n t i o n s o f t h e R o s i c r u c i a n F r a t e r n i t y a r e h el d here in some of the old Temple bui ldings .

C51 I t wa s the Es sen e s ect io n of the Brotherho od, ment io ned in Sacred W r i t i n g s , t h a * p l a ce d t h e b od y o f t h e M a s t e J e s u s i n o n e o f t h e i r f a m o u s v a u l t s a n d to m b s a f t e r u s i n g t h e a n c i e n t f o r m u l a s f o r p r o t e c t i n g i t a g a i n s t t h e s l i g h t -e s t d e g r e e o f d e t e r i o r a t io n . J e s u s w a s a m e m b e r o f t h e E s s o p » s a n d s t u d ie d In E g y p t d u r i n g h i s y o u t h , a s e x p l a i n e d i n v a r i o u s s a c r e d b o o k s o f t h e E a s t .

f f i ) Three hundred and fourteen years i s the special cycle for the return to power of al l Avatars nr Masters .

( 7 ) T h e d e t a i l s o f t h e v a r i o u s A m e r i c a n o r g a n i z a t i o n m e e t i n g s a n d t h e n a t i o n a l a d o p t i o n o f t h e R o s i c r u c i a n C o n s t i t u t io n , a f t e r t h e p u b l i c a t i o n o f a n off icial Pronunziamento for America, have appeared in various his torical records , b o o k s o f t h e F r a t e r n i t y i n A m e r i c a a n d o t h e r p a r t s o f t h e w o r l d , a n d i n m a n y l a n g u a g e s .



Lewis, Fellow of the Rose Cross of France, began his journey to the Vault andTo mb as had his predecessors in 1604 and 1290. Dr. Lewis had been initiatedinto the F rate rnit y in the Suprem e T emp le in the old district oi Tolosa(Toulouse) in 1009, from which Friar Bacon began his journey to the Vault in

Egypt.

H. S P E N C E R L E W I S , F. R. C. P h . D. ,I M P E R A T O R O F T H E A M O R C O F N O R T H A M E R I C A

M E M B E R O F T H E S U P R E M E C O U N C I L O F T H E W O R L D

L E G A T E O F T H E O R D E R O F F R A N C E



Empowered by the highest l iving authorities of the Fraternity, Dr. Lewiswas to be the next potentate to unveil the work to the newer generations andcarry the responsibili ty of the periodic revival throug hou t the world. Proceeding from New Vork, with jewels, keys, formulas, and a very old map, and withnine ye ars ’ study of the secret instruct ions th at he had received in Eu rope, hewent to the Pacific Coast, where the Revelat ion was to be made. His journ ey

was to the West because of the activities of the Fraternity under the directionof his predecessors in the seventeenth century, when the last great Revelationhad been made.

T H E F I R S T R O S I C R U C I A N S I N T H E O C C I D E N T

Tow ard the close of the seventeenth century a group of Rosicrucianmasters had proceeded to America and laid the foundation of the Fraternity onthe eastern shores of the United States, as explained in a later part of thisstory. But, man y years before this, when the earliest Europ ean explorerswere wending their way to the Pacific Coast, hunting for the “land of gold,”as depicted in ancient manuscripts , the Rosicrucian Fraternity sent seven otits highest initiates to the West on a secret mission. T he y accompanie d oneof the early Spanish exploration expeditions and carr ied with them manycaskets of rare devices, papers, jewels and a sealed sarcophagus. (8 ) Thesethings f inally found a resting and hiding place on a small peninsular juttinginto the Pacific, which is a mo unt aino us pa rt of the ancient conti nent ofLemuria, where temples and shrines of a forgotten mystic race have lef t ineffaceable evidence. (9)

In this quiet and peaceful place on the Pacific shore, a crude temple was bui lt of ado be, adjoining a ca ve describ ed ,on th e m ap s they poss ess ed. In thecave the sarcophagus, jewels and documents were placed, and the entranceclosed to form a tom b and vault. Tn the crude temp le services were held formany years by the seven mystics who lived here, awaiting the arr ival of a boatto take them back to Spain and France.

I t was to this cave and the ruined temple that Dr. Lewis journeyed in

1918, performed the rituals and rites, followed the formulas, and broughtto l ight the well-preserved “body ” of C. R. C. again. Th ous and s in Europe,hundreds in America, and man y in all lands awaited anxiously the annou ncement that would be made in secret channels when the Great Ligh t was revealed again to the world.

G R E A T A M E R I C A N C O N C L A V E

Dr. Lewis quietly returned to New York and prepared the translationof the documents he brought back with him, and in other ways arranged forthe celebration of the Revelation at the Great Convention, w-hich was heldin New York in the summer of 1918.

Several high representatives from Europe, delegates from the SupremeCouncils of France, India, England and Egypt, came to New York and verified the iewcls, seals and ancient cartouche of Amenhotep IV, now in the possession of Dr. Lewis: and the Convention revealed to the world again that, inacco rdanc e with the decree issued in Eg vp t in the twelfth century . B. C.,

( 81 T h e s e m y s t i c s a c c o m p a n i e d V i z c a i n o i n 1 6 02 w h e n h e la n d e d a t M o n te -rey . Ca l i fo rnia . The pro pe rty o n the Pa ci f ic Co a st c la imed by these My stics , and used by t hem fo r their f lrgt sett lem ent, w a s deeded to the AMOHC in 1918 a fter h a v i n g b e e n h e l d b y an I n d i a n t r i b e f o r s e v e r a l c e n t u r i e s a s " h o l y g r o u n d . ”

( 9 ) L o c a l t r a d i t i o n s i n C a l i f o r n i a t o d a y t e l l o f t h e e x i s t e n c e o f t h e s e d e -s c e n d a n t s o f t h e m y s t ' c o f L e m u r ia , an d m a n y s e c r e t s e t t l e m e n t s a t t h e p r e s en t t i m e a r e s o u r c e s o f i n e x h a u s t i b l e i n q u i r y a n d f r u s t r a t e d i n v e s t i g a t i o n : a s , f o r i n s t a n c e , t he m y s t e r i o u s s e t t l e m e n t a n d s t r a n g e b u i l d i n g s c l a i m e d t o b e s e e n a t the fo o t o f Mo unt Sha sta in No rthe rn Ca l i fo rnia .



the "Light of Egypt" had passed to "the land where the Eagle spreads i tswings.” (10)

It will be recalled that when the tomb and vault were opened in Germanyin 1604 the Revelation was announced to the world—and especially to the

thousands who were awaiting the facts—through the issuance of a private pamphlet enti tl ed “ F araa F ra te rn ita tis .” And w hen th e vault and tomb wereopened by Roger Bacon in 1290 the Revelation was followed by the issuanceof a similar docu ment bearin g the sam e title.

So, in 1918, Dr. Lewis issued in A me rica a private docum ent to thevenerables in America and Europe, enti t led “Fam a Fra ternita tis .” It was read by th e highest of fi cers of th e F ra te rn ity in various la nds, signed by ea ch, andamended by a long personal statement on the part of each officer of the Fraternity who sponsored or represented some jurisdiction or branch of the Inte rna tional organization. That document, dated in the year 1918 A. D. and 3271R. C., is one of the most important papers of the Fraternity throughout thecivilized world today.

THE MYSTERY OF C. R. C.

The Occidental world,, unfamiliar with the tradition and mysteries of theOrien tal occultis ts and mystics, has asked the question: “W ho is C. R. C.and why these strange Revelations every three hundred andfourteen years?”

To explain the cha racte r of C. R. C.,however, is som ew hat difficult un less one directs his words to the stu den t of mysticism who can discern several of the gre at occ ult laws in the facts slightly veiled.

"C. R. C.” is the name of the founder of the Frate rnity . It is a namegiven to him by the Fraternity in honor of his great sacrifices and devotionin behalf of humanity. In moder n times the initials are exoterically interpretedas meaning “Christian Kosenkr eutz” ( the G erman for Christian Rosy Cross) .But this was not the precise meaning of the initials as originally devised.

E G Y P T I A N T R A D I T I O N S

According to tradit ion, the mystics in the Egyptian school of the Fraternity had not only learned the methods of prolonging life to a great length, but they ev ol ve d a m ethod of preserving th e physical bod y after transition sothat it was not necessary 10 use the cus tomary Egypt ian methods and “mummify” it. but the body could be left lying in a natural-looking state, as thoughasleep, with all the true coloring and aspects of a living body.

This art on the part of the Rosicrucians may be better understood or ap pr eciated when 1 call the re ad e r’s a ttention to th e work in th is di rec ti on of arecent, mod ern Rosicrucian, living today in Amer ica and ackn ow ledge d inmedical and scientific pap ers as an emi nent scientist as well as a learnedmystic.

A few vears ago he startled the scientific world with the announcementthat, through his study and laboratory experiments with the secret principlesof the life torce in the human body and the law's of vibration (as taught by theRosicrucians in their secret teachings), he had evolved a chemical which, ifinjected into the human body, made the whole body transparent in less thantwo hours, so that the inner part s could be seen. And this chemical also preserved the hody if injected soon after transition, and prevented any formof decay or change.

This Rosicrucian’s inventions are being used today by many large manufacturers. for he has found ways of art ificially producing and transmuting manyof na tur e’s products. Th ere are a million homes in Am erica today—and many

( 1 0 ) T h e r e a r e m a n y a n c i e n t r e f e r e n c e s t o t h e E g y p t i a n p r e d i c ti o n t h a t i n a certain cycle of the tw enti eth centur; , A. p . . the nys t ic l igh t of the secret school s o' the Orient would pa ss to the Occident, “to the land wh ere the Ea gle spread s i ts wing s." O some old map s the A.merican Cont inent is thus referred

t o — l o n g b e f o r e t h e p r o f a n e w o r l d e v e n t h o u g h t o f t h e w e s t e r n w o r l d .



in other lands—using one of his very practical inventions as a remarkable com

modity.To ret ur n to C. JR. C. again, I mu st rem ind the o ccult st ude nt of the sev

eral real facts of reincarnation—not the theoretical claims and superstitious

be li efs that are com m only associa te d with reinca rna tion as ta u gh t by oth ermovements. (11)

EGYPT’S MYSTI C KI NG

According to the Rosicrucian traditions, therefore, the original founder of

the Fraternity, in i ts systematic form, was Amenhotep IV, the “heretic King”of Egypt, or, as the Encyclopedists call him, the “world’s first great citizen.”At his transition in 1 3 5 0 B. C. his body was prepared and placed in state in atomb in his mystic city, and with it the seals, documents, and official “papers”

of the Fraternity.His soul, his personality, passed on to the higher planes as “C. R. C.,” to

await further reincarnation at certain special periods as decreed by the Cosmic.In the year 908 B. C. the soul of C. R. C. was again occupying a physical

bo dy on earth and it s af fai rs brou ght it to th e to mb w herein it s ol d body was

lying in state. Disc overin g a familiarity with the papers, seals and devicessurrounding the body, C. R. C. announced to the chiefs of the mystic schoolsthat he had found the abiding place of “C. R. C.” and produ ced the long-sought for cccult seals and keys. This brou ght to the world an immediate revival of the Fraternity’s activities, and history records the many startling eventsof that period in behalf of man’s attainment over the obstacles and weaknessesof ignorance.

Thereafter every three hundred and fourteen years the Fraternity at temptedto learn, through its channels of research in ail lands, who was the probablereincarnation of C. R. C, and, if found within the Fraternity’s ranks, to commission him to prepare for the next Revelation.

It is a remarkable fact that so far the reincarnation of C. R. C. has beenfound, in each period, within the active ranks of the organization and alwaysemployed in its highest work with enthusiastic devotion. This wou ld tend to

prove one of th e mysti cal contentions th a t ea ch of us, upon reinca rnation in anew body on earth, seeks to continue the work and interests interrupted by our

pre vious transit io n, and th a t we gradually fi nd ou r way back to fa mil ia rhaunts, studies, hobbies and devotions.

T H E G R E A T M A S T E R S

Thus it was the soul of C. R. C., existing in a body known as Zoroaster,who in 908 B. C. opened the vault and tomb in behalf of the Fra tern ity.Zoroaster was the Supreme Magus of the organization at that t ime, and thefew histories of the Middle Ages that give his period of reign as between 500and 600 B. C. are generally recognized as in error by later historians, who haveexamined his docum entary writ ings. He contributed the wonderful mysticalwritings of the Zend-Avesta to the arcane schools and is generally reco.gni/.edas one of the world’s marvelous characters and great teachers.

Likewis e, in late periods, the sam e soul of C. R. C , hav ing been r ein car nated a num ber of times, was discovered again in the pers on of RogerBacon, f 12) He had started life as a studen t of the ology and the naturalsciences, and even advanced to membership in the Franciscan Order of Monksof the Roma n Chur ch. But his love of the natural sciences led him into theRosicrucian fold again, and his enthusiasm there was responsible for his re-

( 1 1 ) T h e t r u e d o c t r i n e o f r e i n c a r n a t i o n , a s s e c r e t l y t a u g h t b y t h e R o s l c r u cia ns, i s no t Inco nsisten t wi th the Christ ia n do ctr ine o r o tb°r Scriptura l w ri t-ing s, a s a re m a ny o f t he "re inca rn a tio n” principles lo o se ly ta ug ht by so me m o d e r n , f a n t a s t i c m o v e m e n t s .

(12 ) Ro g er Ba co n sho uld no t be co nfo unded with Sir Fra n cis Ba co n, a la ter Ro sicrucia n. Ro g er Ba co n’s g rea t secret , my s tica l wr i t in g s under Ro sicrucia n seals ha v e been recen tly disro i » red a nd tra nsla ted a nd the sc ienti f ic wo rld no w pa y s ho ma g e to him a s a sc ien ti st hun dreds o f y ea rs in a dv a nce o r his perio d.



jectio n fr om the Church. H is mysti cal and sc ien ti fic w ritings— marvelous insecret knowle dge to this mod ern day—made him an emin ent ofticer in theRosicrucian fraternity. Th e discovery of his real personality, however, broughtupon him the gre ate r responsibility of ma kin g the periodic Revelation in1920 B. C.

Then came the most notable of the Revelation Periods, that of 1604, when,of all other times, the world was mos t anxiou s for the Gre ater Lig ht and soughla sure relief from the creeds, dogmas, and superstitions of the day.

S I R F R A N C I S B A C O N

At a high council of the Fraternity held in Toulouse, and later confirmedat a special congress of the International chiefs of the organization at Basel,Switzerland, it was decreed that, inasmuch as the reincarnation of C. R. C. had be en located onc e m ore wit hin their ranks, he should be commissioned to makethe Revelation determined for 1604.

This man was Sir Francis Bacon, Lord Chancellor of England and a high

officer in the Fr aternity. Fo r years he had been at work producing secret andcoded manuscripts containing the wisdom of the ages as he acquired i t throughthe archives of the Rosicrucians. H e had also evolved a newe r form of publiceducation, the play on the stage, and was engaged in writ ing such plays underthe name of his principal actor, William Shakespeare. (13)

He was cal led to Germany, where the German Deputy Master of the Fraternity, John Valentine Andrea, arranged with a few others for the formal opening of the secret vault by Fran cis Bacon. Th is was followed, as we have said,

by th e publi cati on of th e fam ous “ F a m a ” and o ther boo ks , wit h anon ym ou s orfictitious names.

It was a coincidence that on two occasions the soul of C. R. C. should befound in the bodies of pers ons bear ing the worldly name of Bacon. But, afterall , inwardly they were the same person—the same soul.

T H E S E C R E T O F T H E F R A T E R N I T Y

In this brief resume of the history of the Order of Rosicrucians we see the peculiar secret of it s existence. Th e seeker is always puzzled by the apparentlycontradictory statements made by historians in encyclopedias and reference bo ok s. Some state , wit h emphasis , th a t after th e F ra te rn ity came to life inGermany in the seventeenth century it flourished for a Hundred years or moreand then, in the height of its glory and splendor, passed out of existence for

ever. Othe rs say that the Fr aternit y was not created as a new society in Germany but existed for ages. Ot her s claim that it has no existence today and

p robably ne ver ha d a tangible fo rm. Y e t in the sum m er of 19 26 there w as he ldthe forty-third International Congress of Rosicrucians in Europe, the sixty-first Rosicrucian Convention in Toulouse, and the forty-second Supreme Council Conclave in Switzerland, with delegates and legates from every part of the

world, representing seventeen complete jurisdictions, eleven Supreme Lodgesand Councils, and thirty-n ine Grand Lodges, with power s derived from twohundred other Rosicrucian Lodges and bodies throughout the world.

N ot in exis te nce n o w ’ H ow s t ra nge the sta tem ent seems to th ose whohave been active members for at least twenty of their forty years of life, andto those whose parents and grandparents were members for many generations.And there is not a large city of the world where active, enthusiastic and devoted Rosicrucians cannot be found, living successfully, happily, prosperously,and in unusual peace and power, occupying high posit ions, pursuing every pro

fession and leading in every walk of life.

11 31 W i t h i n t h e o a s t t e n y e a r s m a n y b o o k s h a v e b e e n w r i t t e n b y e m i n e n t S h a k e s p e a r i a n s c h o l a r s s h o w i n g t h e R o s i c r u c i a n e m b l e m s i n t h e d e c o r a t i o n s a n d w a t e r m a r k s o f t h e o r i g i n a l p l a y s



As Walter Ramsay, writer ot banking and business reports , says: “Wherever you go in America or Europe and f ind a man or woman highly successful,happy, contented and prosperous in l ife, with a personal power which seemsto puzzle friends and draw forth the envy of associates, there you find astudent of the arcane knowledge of the Rosicrucian—a true inmate and adeptof the Fraternity.”

A M ER I C A ’ S F I R S T R O S I C R U C I A N S

The f irst Rosicrucians to come to America and bring the Light to this newcountry were those who journeyed to the Pacific Coast early in the seventeenthcentury and deposited there the “body” and documents of the last C. R. C. ofEurope.

But the f irst group of the Fraternity to come to America and establish thework came in a specially charte red b oat in 1694. The y left all par ts of Europeunder the direction of the Master Kelpius, in accordance with the plans made

by Si r Francis Bac on, th e E u ro p ean Im p e ra to r of th e Fratern ity , an d pu bli sh edin the secret book called “The New Atlantis” or the "House of Solomon.”

They arr ived at what is now known as Philadelphia and built many buildings, temp les an d schools and .gave America its first kno wledge of the sec retlaws of nature. Pa rts of the original buildings still rema in in Fa irm ou nt Park,and elsewhere, and America’s historical records are replete with facts aboutthe excellent work accomplished by the Fraternity in behalf of the freedom andadvanceme nt of this country. (14) Many Americans promin ent in the earlyhistory and foundation of this country were associated with this Great Work;such as Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin.

As one prominent American newspaper man recently wrote: “I t is one ofthe joys of America's growth as well as prides of her history to have had theinfluence and pow er of the Rosic rucian Fr ate rni ty .” And years later, whenthe Fraternity made its public Revelation of its existence, the newspapers mademuch favorable comment front coast to coast. Fo r instance, the Pittsbu rghLeader said: “This is a distinct honor which will be understood later on.”

T H E R O SI C RU C IA N S I N T H E W O R L D T O D A Y

In every civilized land the Fraternity is in operation todav, using the anc ie nt La ti n n a me A N T I Q U U M A RC AN T M R U B E A E R O S A E E TA U R EA E CR U CIS, or the abbrevia ted English form. A ncient and Myst icalO rder Rosae Crucis (A MO RC).

All of the Grand and local Lodges of the Fraternity are affiliated with andform an essential part of the International Congress.

( 1 4 ) M a n y i n t e r e s t i n g f a c t s r e g a r d i n g t h e e a r l y A .m er ic an R o s i c r u c i a n s a nd t h e i r in f l u e n c e o n A m e r i c an f o u n d a t i o n s a r e g i v e n i n t h e v e r y p r e c i s e w r i t i n g s o f Wa tso n , Am erica ’s mo st ca r eful a na ly st a nd histo r ia n. Other fa cts , reco rds, d o c u m e n t s , a n d r e l i c s w i l l b e f o u n d i n t h e h i s t o r i c a l m u s e u m o f P h i l a d e l p h i a .



The world is divided into definite jurisdictions and the largest of theseis that of North America, with its Supreme Council, Supreme Master and Administration Buildings located at Tampa, Florida, after liavTng been locatedfor a period of years in the East and then on the Pacific Coast.

The work of the Order is still conducted along the traditional lines andmen and women of acceptable qualif ications are admitted to its membership by

invitation. (15)

T H E S E C R E T A R C H IV E S O F R O S I C R U CI A N K N O W L E D G E

I t is not strange that every seeker for true knowledge sooner or latercomes face to face with the fact that he must turn to the Archives of the Rosi-crucian Fraternity for the more profound laws, principles and manifestationsof nature’s secrets. It is a notable fact, testified to by every research studentalong every line of specific instruction, that each avenue of search, each pathof enlightenment, and each source of unbiased knowledge brings the inquiringmind to the original and inexhaustible goal of the Rosicrucian Mystics.

Whether we inquire into the true and tested principles of psychology, theestablished and dependable laws of health and long life, the fundamentals ofreligion and philosophy, or the attainment of mastership in life’s problems, wefind that constant references, quotations and recommendations by thousandsof eminent writers in all ages brmg us eventually to the secret teachings of theRosicrucian Mystics. The re probabl y never was and never will be any othersingle source and fountain of arcane, secret knowledge equal to the presentknowledge of this organization.

T H E O R I G I N O F R O S I C R U C I A N K N O W L E D G E

Since the dawn of civilization the true knowledge and wisdom of man has be en caretully pre serv ed. H o w of te n we are astounded at th e marvelous th ingsknown to or accomplished by the ancients. Ho w m any times are we impressed

with the fact that the ancients possessed rare knowledge, far beyond the knowledge of today, which we discern in small driblets of wisdom gathered fromtheir writings. It has been believed for ages that the wisdom, the rare, secretknowledge oossessed by the Master minds of the past has heen carefully preserved. But by wh om ? and where?

In all ages there have been the few—the specially learn ed and wise, theMasters, the initiates—who have had access to the arcane, secret and vital principles of all knowledge, and these persons have carefully concealed such knowledge from the unw orthy , the evil-minded and the selfish. Such persons haveconstituted the Fraternity of il luminated ones and their organization has beenknown by manv names but alwavs under the direction of the Great WhiteBrotherhood. Now we find this knowledge preserved and taugh t through thechannels of the Rosicrucian Order, the original conservator of such knowledge

W H A T D I D T H E R O S I C R U C I A N S T E A C H ’

It is the general belief of all investigators of the Rosicrucian doctrines thatthe members of the Fraternity were experts and masters in the subjects ofthe transmutation of base metals into pure gold, the prolonging of life, the immediate cure of disease, the perf orm ance of seemin g miracles the control ofna tu re’s forces, the m ast ers hip of life’s prob lem s, an d w ere rli- ecto rs of fu tureevents, and they have always been credited with possessing the true sacredknowledge of God, life, transition and immortality.

Many books and papers refer to the Rosicrucians as Alchemists and Hermetic Physicians. The tni th of the matt er is that the Rosicrucians of all ages

(1 5 ) I t Is a n a n ci en t p ra ct i ce o f th e F r a ter n i ty to i n v i te d es i ra b l e o r s i n cere

seek e rs to u n i te w i th th e m em b ers F o r cen tu ri es in E u ro p e i t h a s b een co n -si d ered a d i s t i n ct h o n o r to b e i n v i ted to co m e w i th i n th e ra n k s b y b e i n g h a n d ed an appl ication form.

n



not only devoted their time in laboratories to t ransmuting metals , but a greater part of th eir time was spent in t ran sm u tin g the baser elements of human nature into the pure gold of health, happiness and prosperity. Thi s was theirhigher form of alchemy. Their general teach ings and activities were devotedto overcoming the obstacles in l ife which kept progressive men and women

from atta ini ng individual heights. The refo re their teachings include the secretfacts 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 might be prevented or cu re d. T h e y ta u g h t al so th e n ature of m a ny of the strange universal forces which surround man and which few even today suspect as existing.

T H E M E N T A L P O W E R S O F T H E R O S IC R U C IA N S

However, one needs to read only a few books a'bout the Rosicrucians, suchas Lo rd Ly tto n’s "Zan oni ” and Marie Corrclli’s “ Life Everl astin g,” to seethat the greatest power developed by the Rosicrucians was the mental powerthey were able to use over persons and eve n inanimate things.

The R osicrucians tau gh t—esoterical ly—t hat every thin g in the world,

from the smallest cell in a living or non-living body to the rocks in distantmountains, could be affected by an unsuspected mental power which can bedeveloped by their formulas. They pointed out how they could make them selves invisible, or unseen , at one place, while visible at distan t places; howthey could transmit thoughts or even material things from one place to a moredistant place; they demonstrated their ability to make people think and actas they directed, and to have nat ure ’s forces obey their wills. All the m iraclesof ancient Babylon. Persia, India and the Orient generally they reduced tosimple processes. Th ey sou gh t to become migh ty in the pow er to foresee,or see at distant places and in the future; to hold back the progress of undesirable conditions; or set into motion newer and more favorable conditions.

All this the y taug ht each initiate to do for himself. They- did not performmiracles for one another except on rare occasions, for they taught that each

pers on possesse s a pow er and a fa culty to di rec t hi s own af fa ir s more efficientlythan anyone else could do it for him. (16)

T H E T E S T S O F H U N D R E D S O F Y E A R S

As the ages passed the teachings of the Rosicrucians were tested by newerknowledge at the hands of later mystics and Masters. From century to century the Rosicrucian teachings were amended, strengthened , improved andwidened in their scope until they- now embrace knowledge in every- scientificfield, in every- art professio n, industry- and b usin ess activ ity of modern times.

W H O T H E Y A R E T O D A Y

The Rosicrucians of today are practical men and women, occupying highgov ernm ental positions in every land, leaders in all form s of education, inschools, colleges and universities. They include clergymen of every deno mination—theological leaders and eminent international authorities; physicians andscientists of every high grade; lawy-ers, judges, bankers, musicians, artists, inventors and heads of big corporations: newspaper editors and owners; and menand women in every- humble walk of life who are more successful and pros pe ro us , happy and maste rf ul than th e average pe rs on . N o on e is ev er de ni ed

( tG) In this reg a rd the Ro sierucla ns ha v e e v er been di fferent fro m tho se scho o ls o r mo v ements which merely sta te wha t ca n be do ne o r ha s been do ne by the pa st Ma sters . The Ro sicru cia ns tea cli ea c i mem ber precis e ly ho w to dem o nst ra te indiv idua l i ty , when a nd wh ere required by perso na l co ndit io ns. r<is fo r this rea so n tha t the R o sicrne ia ns a re ca l led pra etlea l a nd no t specula tiv e m y s t i c s



admission because of lack of college or academic education. Mor al charac terand sincerity of desire are the only qualifications considered.

All agree in their enthusiast ic com men t upon this one point: The know ledge given to them in their studies and through their connection with the Fraternity has enabled them to round out their own lives, and more efficiently

carry on their l i fe work, in a manner almost impossible without the benefi tsderived from the specialized knowledge they now possess.

T H E G R E A T W O R K T O D A Y

N ot onlv is th e G reat W o r k of th e F r a tern ity st il l carried on in Europeand other lands, with annual International and National congresses to unifythe work throughout the world, but in America the organization is especiallysystematized and well founded.

The North American continent consti tutes the largest single jurisdict ionof the Fraternity which operates throughout the world under the name ofAM OR C. In the United States, Canada, Mexico and the dependencies of, theUnited States, there are College, Universi ty and Lodge Branches, as well asstudy groups in every important ci ty and town, with many reading rooms and

study halls alway s open to those who are associated with the work. Nationalconventions have been held in the United States and hundreds of newspaperand magazine articles have appeared in the public press, within the last fifteenyears, referring to the unusual features offered by the Rosicrucian system ofeducation and evolution.

i P a r t t E t o o

A “National Lodge”For H om e Study Members

The North American Jurisdict ion of the Fraternity offers some special features to seekers not found in all the foreign Jurisdictions.

As wil l be unders tood from the statements on preceding pages, the workof the organization in the past has always been carried on in Lodges under thesupervision of Grand Lodges. In such Lodges the accepted members wereadmitted into the Order by an elaborate Ini t iat ion Ceremony, general ly referred to as “ Crossing the Thre shold .” This ceremony, Egyp tian in form andwith Egyptian costumes in Egyptian Temples of the Order, has been cal ledthe most beautiful of all ceremonies coming down to us from antiquity in its pri sti ne natu re. I t is never fo rg o tten by any w ho pass th ro u g h it. A fte r su ch

Init iat ion the members of a Lodge meet once a week in the Temple and receive their weekly lessons from the Master of the Temple who carries them

thro ugh a completely graded course of instruc tion week after week. Such lec-ture-sessfons are in t i led Lodges and members are admitted only upon presenting the prope r pass word s and grips. Such Lodg es are located in the principalcities of North America.

A N E W P L A N F O R A ME R IC A

At one of the national conventions of the Order held in this country theGrand Master of New York presented a plan to the delegates for the establishment of a “National Lodge” which would invite members from any sect ion ofthe North American Jurisdict ion who could not f ind i t possible to attend the'sessions of a local Lodge.

The proposal was discussed and voted upon and final ly adopted. I t per mitted the Supreme Lodge of the Order for North America to establish what



might be called a correspondence course of instruction in the teachings of theFra tern ity upon a distinctly unique basis. Th e plan required several years toevolve and today this plan is being adopted in many foreign jurisdictions.

P R I V A T E C O R R E S P O N D E N C E I N S T R U C T I O N

This plan of pr ivate instruction at home is so unique and so new to thiscountry that i t must be explained so that i t will not be compared with the so-called “correspondence courses” issued by correspondence schools in America.

First of all i t was recognized at once that such lessons as were to be sentto nation-wide students could not he in printed form, for two excellent reasons:first , the t imt-honored injunction against any of the lessons of the Order inany land being printed or issued in prin ted form; secondly, the continuedchanges, improvements, amendments and modern adaptations of the teachings,would prevent their preparation in text-book or pr inted form of any permanentnature.

I t is common for a correspondence school to send its s tudents a set of text books accom panied by n tonthlv prin ted reading le ssons an aly zin g th e vari ouschapiers of the text-books. Year af ter year the same instruction, the same books an d pamphlets, are se nt to th e th o usan ds of students. T h is is pos si bl e

in presenting such subjects as Law, English, Mathematics, History, or some ofthe sciences. I t would not do, could not do, in pres ent ing the teachings of theRosicrucians; for such teachings are continually improving in subject matter ,application to human affairs and relation to recent discoveries by the Mastersof the Order .

H O W T H E L E SS O N S AR E P R E P A R E D

So the f irst pr inciple insisted upon by the Imperator ot the Order wasthat the lessons to be sent to the correspondence members must be speciallymade and prepared from month to month to keep them up to the minute withthe teachings being presented in all the Lod ges by the M asters in this countryanti in other lands. Th at meant trem endous work, grea t cost and a staff ofmaster teachers continually working upon the lessons.

I t must be kept in mind that the Rosicrucian teachings have for ages beenin advan ce of general science as tau gh t in oth er schools and colleges. Discoveries announced from time to time by scientists outside of the Order and givento the world as star tl ing discoveries, have been known to and taught by theRosicru cians for years. But the world moves, and if the Rosicruci an expertsin all fields of knowledge and investigation did not keep continually at theirwork, the general knowledge of the world would soon catch up to the teachings of the Rosicruc ians an d the one big pow er of the Ord er would soonweaken.

I t is because the Order is able to keen its members educated in advanceof the public mind, and give its members knowledge which outsiders cannotobtain, that it enables its Brothers and Sisters to overcome obstacles, meetonco ming conditions and prepare for future circumstances. Th e scientif ic

world outside of the Order is just now trying to discover and evolve certain pri nc ip le s reg a rd in g healt h, di sea se and th e pro lo n g in g of li fe whic h R o sic rucians have know n and practiced for centuries. Th e same can be said reg ard ingnew "discoveries” in the sciences, arts and professions.

H O W T H E L E S S O N S A R E I SS U E D

Therefore the Imperator appointed a staff to prepare and issue the correspondence lessons for those members who would be admitted in the “NationalLodge.”

Such members were to be TNVTTF.D to join by sending them, upon recommendat ion, an application blank. After the answe rs in this form were ex am



ined and an investigation made of the applicant’s worthiness and sincerity, heor she was to be notified to prep are for Initiation.” A plan was finally adop ted. based upon an old Egyptian system used by the early Rosicrucians, wherebysuch members made one room of their home a temporary “Lodge Room” byarranging the few small essentials in a certain way and using a special ritual

sent to them sealed and in sec ret form. By the use of this priva te ri tual intypewritten, personal form, the candidate “initiated” himself or herself at homein the private sanc tum called the “Lodg e.” The ma ny thous ands in Ame ricatoday who have used this ritual—men and wo men of all walks of life from thehighest positions in the country to humble workers in the home—have foundthis home initiation one of the most astounding evidences of the psychic powers

pos ses sed by th e O rder, fo r at ea ch in iti at io n th e w orthy candidate dis covers that one of the Masters of the Order or one of the highest soul expressions is present to assist and instruct. Tho usa nds of letters on file prove thatthis initiation is precisely what each applicant seeks and what the Rosicruciansalways taught was possible.

When a report of this initiation is sent to headquarters, it is examined andthe candidate’s requ irem ents given careful attention. Fr om then on he receiveseach week, in sealed and protected envelopes, a special lesson of the Rosicrucianteachings in typewritten form.

N A T U R E O F T H E L E S S O N S

Such lessons are not mere speculative statements or points of philosophy, bu t care fu ll y w rit ten and ed it ed expla natio ns of la ws , begin ning with th e fundamental and simple ones, worded in language which any can understand and illustrated by analogies, examples, common references and everyday experiences.Then several experiments are given to be practiced at convenient times throughout the week. In this way, week after week, mon th after mon th, special lessons, always being revised and amended, are sent to each member covering thewhole system of private Rosicrucian teachings, developing faculties and powers

the member never realized he or she possessed.

S T U D E N T ’S P R O G R E SS G I VE N P E R S O N A L A T T E N T I O N

Soon after passing through the prel iminary and foundation lessons whichenable the student to perform many remarkable demonstrations in his dailyaffairs, his standing is passed upon bv several special instructors in consultationwith the Maste r who has been directing his studies. If the student has madethe proper progress he is then assigned to a special high teacher for personalguidance thereafter.

From that t ime onward the lessons sent to the student each week have a personal to uc h. T he student not on ly re cei ve s sp ec ia l personal let ters from his

teacher, but the correspondence between them on points of special knowledge, problems in life an d helps re quir ed by th e student in th e af fa ir s of his life, constitute a personal help equalled only by membersh ip in a Lodge wher e thestudent meets his Master weekly.

Letters and telegrams come daily to headquarters from students to theirteachers here asking for immediate and special help in illness, business problems, help for others and guidan ce in times of perp lexit y. Such persona l helpsent at once is one of the remarkable points of service rendered by the Orderto its members, and without any fees for such service.

In this way the “National Lodge” permits men and women in all walks oflife, and with iust ordinary school education, to have the full advantage of Rosicrucian membership regardless of where they live.



tlortlt A. ttrertran ̂ utusiiurium

$art ®fjree

The Value of Membership in the Amorc

It is 110 simple matter to present to the seeker or investigator a true pic

ture revealing all the facts and minute details of so vast and vital an organization as that most popularly kno wn as the Rosicrucian Fra ternity . A thousandyears ago the greates t masters of tho ug ht and pen pictures found it so. SirFrancis Bacon, while international chief of the various continental Rosicrucianorganizations, found it necessary to write and have published a number of bo ok s under di sti nct ive ti tl es , adequately to re veal to th e w orthy se ek er th e real

nature of the Fraternity.

Lord Bulwer Lytton resorted to a method typical of the means used beforeand after his time and wrote a novel called “Zanoni” in which he cleverly revealed the existence, teachings and activities of the Rosicrucians of his day.And we have had tbe writings from the pen of Marie Corelli, Shelly, Ainsworth and others in which the Rosicrucians are mentioned frankly and their be ne fi cial teachings and endeavors beauti fu lly expounded.

A thousand books in the past thousand years have mentioned the Fraternityor described the wo rk of one or mor e of its great leaders. No organizatio n inthe world, aside from tbe Essenes and Therapeuti of the Holy Land, has beenso generally known for ages and yet evaded the skill of the writer’s pen to doit justice. Pe rha ps this one feature alone is respo nsibl e for the classification ofthe Fraternity as a very secret society.

T H O U S A N D S A R E S E E K I N G — F E W A R E W O R T H Y

Thousands in every section of the world today are inquiring for and seeking after precisely what the AM OR C offers. W e know this from the let tersreceived daily from every par t of the civilized world. Nev er before in the history of civilization has there been such an awakening to the higher things of



life, and never has there been such an universal call for association, with thosewho know and can reveal the many fundamental principles, laws and forcesthat make one man, or one woman, more healthy, successful, and happy thananother.

The AMORC stands today, as did its ancient parent bodies, as one of themost vital, constructive, re-creative forces in the world devoted to the personaland national benefits of mankind. Because this is so, it has the endorsement,enthusiastic support and happy co-operation of men and women in every walkof life, in every profession, art and science, and in every civilized land of theworld, who have been found worthy of admission.

Strangely, many of the modern encyclopedias continue to reprint the blindor veiled history of the Frate rnit y which appeared in ' 'Ch amb ers’ Encyclo

pedia” ma n y y e a r s ago, when the organization was so secretly operated that itwas thoug ht to have passed out of existence A notable exception—and thereare a number—is a recent edition wherein our present Imperator, or Chief Executive of the AMORC, is mentioned as an authority on the subject and history of the Rosicrucians.

F A M O U S R O S I C R U C I A N S

It appears as a notable fact that in every country where great str ides weremade in civilization the historians of the time made reference to the evolutionary effect of the Rosicrucians and their teachings upon the people as a preliminary step to the adva nces made. Man y are the referen ces also in books dealing with chemistry, medicine and surgery, music and astronomy, giving creditto the profound knowledge of the Rosicrucians and the important effect of thatknowledge upon the advancement of these sciences.

To suggest even a partial l ist of the eminent characters who have beennotable f igures in the Frat ern ity would take ma ny m ore pag es than I amlimited to in this book. Suffice it to say tha t the Rosicrucian Fra ter nit y tracesits real and traditional history so far back into the past ages that it is lost in

pro found mystery, b u t ever sheds arou n d it a glory of achievement fo r it smem bers and a won drous light of attainm ent for the nations. Tod ay the spiritof their great work carries on th rou gh ou t the world in the work of theAM OR C. W ha t that work is and wh at it can mean to you will be explainedon the following pages.

T H E P R E S E N T -D A Y R O S IC R U C I A N S —T H E A M OR C

The AMORC, as an international organization, is not a relic of the ancientRosicrucian Lodges. I t is a logical, natural and systematic development andcontinuation of the Rosicrucian principles and ideals as laid down in the past

by the g reatest of the Rosicrucian leaders and ev olv ed by the master-teachersof the ages intervening.

W H Y T H E F R A T E R N I T Y G R O W S

Vn illustratio n of the im port ance of this fact ma y be seen in the comm entof thousands who have pursued the present-day teachings of the AMORC.which comment may be summarized in the words of a former high officer ofanoth er school of philosophy and m etaphy sics in America: “ Man has evolvedin the past several hundred years through definite cycles and stages of mentaland spiritual awaken ing and comprehension, jus t as he has advanced inscientif ic achievement and attainment. Those thoug hts, those principles andIhose ideals which were vital and guiding to him five hundred or even, one hundred years ago are obsolete now. some even impracticable. T ha t school ofthought, that system of instruction, that course of practice in life which hasnot evolved and advanced step by step with man’s evolution is passe today.AMORC is notable for its advancement and its foresight in keeping manysteps ahead of man’s present stage in civilization, so that today the Rosicrucian

teachings and benefits offered by the AMORC constitute a goal to approach,an ideal to hold before us—a true leadership to follow.”



N O T T H E T E A C H I N G S O F O N E P E R S O NThere are systems of philosophical and higher-thought instruction in the

world today which were outl ined or prepared by one or more founders, discoverers or leaders—systems which were prophetic and ul tra-modern in theirday—but because the founders of such systems made no provision for theadva ncem ent of the teachings, or the gradual gr ow th and evolution of thesystem, they stand today as monuments of good in the past but inadequateand 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 adultof a hundred years ago. To adhere to the philosophic or scientific teachingsof th e ancients, no matte r how rem arka ble they ma y have been in their day,would be equivalent to teaching and promulgating dead languages as a vitalfactor in our modern life.

M O ST A D V A N C E D O F A L L T E A C H I N G S The AMORC of today preserves and presents in the most impressive and

helpful manner every law and principle that was known to and used by theancient Rosicrucians and which made them famous as the forerunners of al lscientific, occult, metaphysical and practical schools making for man’s greatergrowth and development. Each year of the past f ive hundred years or morehas seen additions made to those fundamenta l teachings. Each mo nth of the pas t hundred years has se en th e ancient system of instruction and co op era ti ve bentfits im pro ved, moderniz ed, and ad van ced .

Dur ing the past f i fteen years the evolutionary grow th of the plan ofAMORC has been phenomenal. In every field of endeavor, in every art, scienceand domain of thought, AMORC has taken great steps forward unti l today i tsknowledge of certain laws of nature, activities of the human mind, powers of personal fo rces , manifestations of pri ncip les and po ss ib il it ie s of unsuspectedagencies, is far in advance of man’s general evolution and greatly in the leadof all other schools or movements.

A G L O R I O U S A C H I E V E M E N T

In other words, AMORC, typifying the Rosicrucian spiri t , represents today the very soul of the Rosicrucian Fraternity of all ages—the most advancedand practical guide or movem ent in ma n’s behalf. This has been no simpleachievement. No orga nization bu t tha t which lives with the spirit of trueRosicrucianism—fearless, dauntless, and mighty in its own powers—could havesurvived in the past decades the many obstacles to growth and the insistentattack s of its natural enemies—the enemies of all progress. None but the present Im pera tor of the A MO RC , Ha rve Spencer Lewis, F. R. C., Ph. D., could have accomplished the tremendous task set for him when he acceptedthe obligation and duties of his office for the purpose of re-establishing theFraternity in modern t imes as Bacon was commissioned to do in the seven

teenth century in Europe, and others before him.

T H E D I S T I N C T I V E C HA R A CT E R O F T H E F R A T E R N I T Y

As one may sense from wha t has been said on the prece ding pages, theRosicrucian Fraternity ever was, and still is, a very distinctive body so faras fraterna l organiza tions go. In days gone by one of its outs tand ing featureswas its recognition of the ef |uality of the sexes. This does not seem exceptionaltoday, but in this Fraternity women have ALWAYS been el igible for everyoffice or station, and the organization points with pride to the fact that it wasthe first international organization to assist women to compete with men efficiently in all arts and sciences. The wholesom eness and bro ad ne ss .o f itswork permits men and women to share alike in its benefits.

The absence of sex distinction has resulted in another impressive feature.Men and their wives, mothers, daughters and sons are found associated in thestudies and work . It is a delightful scene to witn ess couples and families offrom three to ten persons, young and old, attending lectures or class lessons



togeth er jus t as they do church or theater, withou t separation or disqualification because of sex!

T E A C H I N G S A R E N O T S P E C U L A T I V E .The next important dist inction between this Fraternity and other Broth

erhoods is due to its practical and operativ e nature. It is not and never has been a sp ecula ti ve bo dy or a scho ol of theoreti cal phil oso phy. This s tatement is not intended to be a criticism of those fraternal movements, schools,or cults which deal exhaustively with speculative philosophies or metaphysical theories. It is only because these things have a place in our lives thatthe AMOR'C of today devotes its time and efforts to those things which haveto do with the practical affairs of l ife H E R E and N O W !

Convinced of the immortality of the soul, and referring to this convictionoften in its teachings, it uses the law or laws which make the soul immortalto aid the individual in attaining health and power on this plane of existence.Demonstrating all the laws that relate to our existence in a spiritual, divineand metaphysical sense, the demonstrations are made in such manner, and

accompanied by such lectures, as will enable the student to apply the samelaws in meeting the obstacles, trials and temptations of this life—daily andhourly.

G U I D I N G T H E S E E K E R T O M A S T E R S H I P .The obligations of each individual to God and His Decrees are not evaded

or minimized. But his furt her obligations to those depen dent upon him, tohis fellow man and himself, are clearly pointed out and demons trated. Evenmore than this, he is taught, carefully and step by step, how he may efficiently,successfully and joyfully meet these earthly, material, practical obligationsand rise to powe r and mastership. Such practical work is the keynote of theAMORC teachings and practices.

The ancient Rosicrucians were popularly known as chemists, alchemistsand scientists, as well as humanitar ian workers. It is notable that the most

advanced of them were not found in isolated habitations, living as hermits,giving to the world nothing more than an illuminated book of inspiring philosophy. Ra ther were they found living in accessible places, adjoining labor atories and schools, laboring with the problems of medicine, surgery, chemistry, astronomy and similar subjects.

P R A C T I C A L P R I N C I P L E S .True, much is said of their alchemy and the experiments with the trans

mutation of the base metals into gold. But these expe rime nts were madenot for the purpose of securing wealth alone, but to demonstrate, proveand discover various laws of Nature which have an important bearing uponevery phase of life. Ma ny of the moder n sciences today trace valuable aidsto the practical work performed by these devoted workers.

S E R V I C E T O M E M B E R S .Wherever civilization was in the making and progress in the arts, sciences,

literature and work-a-day activities was most evident, there the influence,guidance and contributions of the Rosicrucians were most evident. Tod aythis distinctive feature of practicability is augmented by the co-operativeservice spirit which is emphasized in an unique manne r. With me mb ers inevery trade, profession, art and industry, and in every walk of life, locatedin every large citv and every fair-sized town in the United States, for example,the close association, the mutual understanding, the universal pledge to renderservice at every opportunity, results in a personal benefit to each member thatwas not possible in the days of old. Th us we see that from man y anglesthe AMORC is a distinctive organization, hut the following additional featuresare important also.

N O N S E C T A R I A N A N D T O L E R A N T .The AMORC is absolutely non-sectarian in its teachings and practices,and free from sex and race limitations. It recognizes the unive rsality of the



brotherhood of mankind. I t ta kes cognizance of th e fa ct tha t w e are N O Tall created alike except in soul essence and Divine Consciousness; but thisvery exception is the keynote of its broad, tolerant, and s ym pathe tic operations.

W H Y W E A R E N O T E Q U A L.

Some are born to learn and progress through following, while others are born to de ve lo p cer tai n abi li tie s through le adership. Some ar e ho rn toachieve through serving, others are born to materialize the needs of manythrough mastership. Some are born to at tain power thro ugh poverty andlabor, others are born to suffer the responsibility or share the blessings ofwealth and leisure. Th e Rosicrucian Fr ater nity seeks to make real leadersof men and wom en and limits its members hip only to those who are trulyworthy of leadership.

O V E R C O M I N G O B S T AC L E S.

W ha tev er may be our station in life, som e cause has made it so. "But, ”-ays the knowing Rosicrucian, “these stations in life are to serve us, to teachus; no const ructive Law and no cruel hand of fate ordai ns th at we shall not rise

above and evolve from the station in which we are born, and every law ofnature is at our command to serve us to learn the lesson of our present situation and turn this into a steppi ng stone to rise higher. It is our duty tolift our eyes higher; it is our bounden obligation to help each other on ThePath to health, success, and Mastership.”

N O S E C T A R I A N C R E E D .

With a universal brotherhood which has its devout students and workersalso in China, Japan, India, Persia and other Oriental countries; with sincereand enthusiastic men and women in countries of every creed and race, andwith every form or creed or religious belief, sectarian teachings would be im

poss ib le . Any system of metaphysical, oc cult or mysti ca l teachin g bas ed up onsectarian principles cannot be universal and cannot, therefore, be Rosicrucian

in spirit.A firm conviction of the existence of a Supreme Being, Great Architect,

Divine Mind or Omnipotent intelligence, is absolutely necessary, however, onthe part of any applicant for membership in the AMORC.

R E L A T I O N T O O T H E R R O S I C R U C I A N B O D I E S .

Because of the antiquity of the Fraternity, and because its name and sym bol ever ty pif ie d th e spi ri t of profound research and arcane te achin gs, theword "Rosicrucian ” has become synonymous with mystical and arcane. Forthis reason the word has been freely used to designate teachings or discoursesthat are uncommon and inspiring.

O T H E R O R G A N I Z A T I O N S .

There are a few organizations in Europe and America and perhaps elsewhere which are simply select societies devoted to arcane research and whichuse the term “Rosicruciar.” or its equivalent to indicate to the seeker theirhigh standard of conduct.

Most of the organizations throughout the world using the name or symbolof the ancient Rosicrucians are, however, worthy and inspiring movements;nearly all of them are allied in fraternal bonds with AMORC, such as theGrand Lodge of AM OR C of Great Britain and those in Denmark, Holland,Africa, China. India, Germany, Spain. Russia. Switzerland, and the East Indies}others are branch bodies of the principal Grand Lodges in ma ny cities and

lands.



'Part Jfour

W h at the Fraternity Offers the Select Few YOUR HOME A PRIVATE LODGE

Through the help that the AMORC offers men and women who arcinvited to ioin its ranks, the privacy of one's home may be utilized to bringinto dominent usefulness the mental, physical and psychic powers of man.

With simple lessons which begin at the fundamentals, all that is strangeand potent in man, all that is mighty and helpful around man, and all that ismajestic and creative in the universe, is made plain and practical for the manor woman who would advance from the sta te of mere l iv ing to O M N IP O T E N T M A S T E R S H I P .

The reading of books—no matter how learned or suggestive or enticing

may be iheir titles—will not brin g illumination, the unde rsta ndin g of natur e’s secret laws and principles. Books were never writ ten to reveal thesethings. W ha t is mo st earnestly sou ght and truly needed will not be found in books made and so ld fo r pro fit , foi m oney and se lf is h ga in . T he greatesttruths, the vital truths, the practical, helpful truths, have never found theirway into the public print of popular books, except in the case of the Scripturesand sacred writings. Thi s was true in the days when the mystics, the philosophers and the religious devotees spen t their lives compiling hand-w rittenand i l lustrated manuscript on parchment, when secrets were carved on stoneand mystic laws were engraved on the papyri of Egypt. Fr om hand to hand,from mouth to mouth, from paper to paper, through the secret channels of a brotherhood, the g re a t t ru th s of all age s, the la ws and princip les di sco ve redyesterday and today will pass from those who know to those who deserve to

know; while the masses, caring little, seeking indifferently, unwilling to sacrifice time or pleasure, live on and on in the lowly state of darkness andsuperstition, happ y in their folly perhaps, but enjoyi ng none of the real ple asures of life, receiving none of it s tru e gi ft s, and constantly subject to th eevil that lies waiting to orey upon them with ill-health, disease, misfortune, povert y, oppression and ignominy.

A T T A I N I N G H E A L T H , P R O S P E R I T Y , H A P P I N E S S

Thes e three e’em ents are G od’s privileges to ma n—as a gift. But manknows not how to accept that whiclt is offered. God and nature provide forman being well born—when the parents live as nature seeks to instruct—and from the mom ent of birth H E A L T H , not disease, is man ’s most naturalendowment from all the forces and elements of the universe.

P R O SP E R IT Y , too , i s a natural acquisi t ion ,conf orm ing to all the ethical,spiritual and beneficent laws of the universe. God mad e ma n in His ownimage, with the same faculties for perception, retention and reconstructionwhich vitalize the creative pow ers of the universe. All nature prospe rs and en

jo ys th e abundance of all th at ex is ts , because na tu re is in h arm ony with th ecreative principle. Man alone, the highest creation of all, falls sho rt of hisrightful and privileged possessions because he does not always know how tolive in harmonv with all that creates, masters, controls, attracts and retains.

Prosperity is the result of attraction, poverty the perfect manifestationof repulsion and negation. Not only is it true tha t man is as he thinks, but heenjoys and possesses that which heattracts. Lab oring to earn that whichone desires is not the application of the laws of attractio n; it is merely sub-tituting man ’s crude met hod of exc han gin g labo r for life’s essentials. To

deserve, either through labor, worthiness, sincerity of purpose, goodness ofmotive or altru ism of intention, is hut the first step. Th e nex t step is to



at tra ct to one’s self that which is desired, and such a ttractio n on the part ofman is only possible when the inner self is permitted to function, to manifestand direct the forces of the outer self.

Just as the flower bends its body toward the sun, that it may more efficiently at trac t the sunlight, jus t as the multi-colored pa nsy lifts i ts head

from the leaves of green to attract the admiration and attention of the passer by , so must th e in ner man, the mind wit hin th e so ul , th e h eart within th e ps ych ic bo dy , li ft its el f above and beyond the com m on-place of life and a ttract, demand, and draw unto itself the abundance of this life, the riches ofexistence and the wealth of the universe.

Prosperity in material things is happiness, health, power to direct, powerto control, p ow er to will and become; ass urin g success of venture, att ain ment of ambitions, and the blottin g out of all unhappiness, i l l-health andmisfortune—this prosperity is man’s rightful, divine privilege, and naught butman’s ignorance of laws and principles and misguided belief in the falsities ofl imit ing creeds and dogmas keeps him f rom being P R O SP E R O U S in everysense of the word.

T H E R O S I C R U C I A N W A Y F O R T H E S E L EC T .Know the laws and principles! Study nature’s secret teachings! Master

fate’s decrees which operate only with the unprepared, the undeveloped andthe unknowing. Attune yourself with those who are successful and happy.Co-operate with nature’s laws and revel in the power that comes into your

bein g wi th the daw n of ea ch da y and abi de s li ke an unseen guest in your ho me ,your office, your places of pleasure and meditation!

The successful man dominates the situations as they arise, directs withdynamic mind the course of his life in home, business and social affairs through

knowing the laws that make possible a release of his inner powers and meta phys ic al ab il it ies.

The brill iant woman is the woman who knows her possibili t ies, her dormant faculties and psychic strength, and uses every magnetic, personal, subconscious. potent factor of her existence to raise herself to the supreme mastership of worldly matters.

Knowing mea.ns study and comprehension—and comprehension accom pa ni ed wit h m editation brin gs il lu min atio n and th e pow er to us e th e la ws thu sstudied.

Sitt ing in one’s home, carefully examining the simple, P R IV A T E lessonsand testing the simple laws, one by one, is the process offered by the AMORCto those who seek this unusual method—more efficient than the reading of bo ok s whi ch dare not te ll the re al fa ct s, whic h never conta in natu re’s se cre tlaws and which arc sold for any price you are willing to pay.

With lessons graded for each mastership, arranged in weekly subjectsand experiences, made practical with principles and laws to use every day andin every way—this is the system the AMORC uses to help those who wouldmake their home a sanctum of attunement, a home of pr ivate instruction, a

pla ce of up li ft , development an d mastership.

T H E T R U T H U N V E I L E D T O T H E M E MB ER S.Without avoiding the facts that should he revealed, without veiling thetruths so that none can comprehend, and without f lowery words or elegantora tor y w'hich leave the studen t unacq uain ted with the fundam entals, the private, typewritten, specially prepared lessons of the AMORC are given toits members, its students, in a manner beyond description or realization unless one has lived with them for a few weeks and found the great changes,the wonderful powders that manifest in every affair of our earthly activities.

Remember, the AMORC offers i ts carefully selected members not onlythe method and the plan of developing secretly, privately and effectively, butit offers its students all the advantages of association with those master mindsof the laws of nature, who have held the reputation of being the most highly



trained teachers, philosophers, scientists and workers m the uplift of the raceof man—the Mystics of the Order Rosae Crucis—the Brethren of the RoseyCross.

H O W T H E I N S T R U C T I O N S A R E GI V EN

The teachings, lessons and experiments constituting the CorrespondenceInstruction of the AM OR C are called the “Temple Lectures.’’ Th ese have

be en ev olv ed through y ears of te st an d experi ence, im provem ent, ad diti on s,modifications and extensions.

N O C O L L E G E E D U C A T I O N N E C E S S A R Y .

These “Temple Lectures” begin with the very fundamentals of nature’slaws as they relate to man and the universe, and explain and make plain allm an’s s ecret p owers, possibilities and potential activities. Th e lessons arecarefully graded. No college, academic or even high school educatio n isnecessary to understand the lessons, for they have been prepared by someof the best educators in various lands for the purpose of meeting the generalmind.

N O M E M O R I Z I N G R E Q U I R E D .Various educational boards have said that the system employed by

AMORC in teaching and instructing is the ideal system, for it does not require memorizing, and throu gh the examples, i l lustrations and experimentsused the stude nt com prehen ds and reme mb ers without the least effort. Mereconcentration upon the words being read and a few moments’ meditation uponeach principle or law makes them stand out in the mind and consciousnessfor all time.

A R R A N G E D I N E A S Y S T E P S .

Th e “Temple Lectures” are arrang ed in Grades or Degrees, l ike untoclasses or grades in a school. Each gra de starts with an initiation or sym bo lical ceremony to be p erform ed in th e home by th e s tuden t w ith o ut any dif ficulty. Th ese “Initiation Cerem onies ” are for the purp ose of illustra ting and

dramatizing some of the laws to be revealed in the lectures of that Grade.Such ceremonies conform to the beautiful ceremonies held in our Templesand are based upon the rituals used in the olden days to teach and illustratecertain principles. Aft er the ceremonial nig ht there follows a series of week ly lectures and experiments, constituting a course of study for that grade.The ceremonies can be performed very quietly and privately.

At the close of each series of the first three grades of lectures there is aself-examination and a written examination with answers to be sent to theMas ter of your class so th at he can see wherein you have succeeded or failedto grasp a clear understanding of each point and may send you additional information. Thes e exam ination s are easily passed if the lectures have been

properly read—not laboriously st ud ie d.The first three Grades constitute the preparatory ones in which the foun

dation for the whole work of the Order is laid and give the student the basisfor starting a new and greater career in life.

T H E H I G H E R T E A C H I N G S .

Upon entrance into the Fourth Grade, the member receives his “card”or certificate of universal membership in the Order and then he starts withthe higher teachings and the serious application of them in the Mastership

of his problems in life, reaching toward success, health, happiness and thegoal of his amhitions.

There are three prepar atory land very import ant) Grades, consisting ofthirty-six to forty weekly lectures, weekly experiments, daily tests and im pro vements, wit h much ad dit io nal reading m atter in th e m onthly bu lle ti nfor magazine) called “The Mystic Triangle,” and oth er matter . Then begin

the nine higher grades, each having from twenty to fifty weekly lectures andspecial instructions.



M A S TER Y A T EA C H S TEP .

There never was and never will be a more systematic, a more detailedand complete course of perso nal-d evelo pmen t s tudy than this. \V nile it is truethat i t takes three or more years to complete the whole course of three preliminary and nine higher grades, the student becomes a master of certain laws

and principles each week and before the first few months have passed he nolonger desires to hurry and go on more rapidly chan the system provides. I tis not like a course of study which must be entirely finished before it may be

put into practical opera tion. M ost of our m em b ers dis cover th e true va lu eand eff iciency of the work af ter the f irst month of preparation and experiment,and derive help from the very first lessons.

S I M P LI C I TY , S Y S TEM , P R I V A C Y .

The graded lessons are mailed in sealed envelopes complete with everyaid, plan, sugge stion or illustration necessary. Lesso ns are mailed each weekwith a system and regula rity that is pleasing and dependable. No one needknow what you are studying or what you are associated with unless you desireto interest them.

A L O D G E N I G H T A T H O M E .

Members are asked to select one night of the week to be their “Lodgenight” a t home. Wh ethe r it be every Wednesday night, every Thursday nightor every Friday night, thousands of other members in your own country will be st udying, practicing and experim en tin g in a ttu n e m e n t with yo u. W e p refer that each member select Thursday evening for his or her Lodge night athome; for this is the Rosicrucian Night throughout the world and it meansgre ate r power throu gh the multitudes who are thusly attuned. But any otherevening will do in case you find it necessary to change your selected weeklyLodge Night at home or in the privacy of a room elsewhere.

W H A T M E M B E R S H I P W I L L M E A N T O Y O U.

Through membership in the A MO RC the seeker for Light not only f indsthat wonderful i l lumination and u nderstan ding of God’s laws which he or shehas sought in vain elsewhere, but there are many other advantages.

Each member holds a card of membership and possesses a “Password"and certain key words which will always guide, direct and sustain in the hour

of need or doubt.Those who enter the Correspondence work of AMORC will f ind them

selves in touch with thousands of other Neophytes at t imes and under conditions which canno t be explained in this book. Each will come to realize, understand and feel that s trange psychic attunement with the Masters whichhas always united Rosicrucians and which passeth understanding of the uninitiated.

Each mem ber has the additional pr ivilege of visit ing any branch Lodge,of me etin g all regular Lo dge Brot hers and Sisters on an equal basis and ofenio ying all the exoteric benefits of this Ord er.

Rut undoubtedly the greatest benefit of all is that of sitting one night aweek in silence at home, following our simple instructions, and, by the Rosicrucian simple pro cess of a ttu n em en t , becoming psychically and cosmicallyattuned with all the members in the Order who are in silent meditation andconcentration at the same time for fifteen minutes or more.

Likewise during this period of weekly study and attunement most of theregular R. C. Lodges of our Order are holding Temple Convocations, and these,added to the correspondence membership, make thousands of minds united inlove, power, sacrcdness, health, prosperity and Peace Profound.

I t is during such weekly hours of meditation (according to secret instructions) that the trials and troubles of life are softened, health regained, success attained, prosperity and happiness attracted, with the heart’s desires fulfilledin proportion to the sincerity of desire and the worthiness of the purpose.



These hours of meditat ion— what Peace Proio und ! Unk nown to others,unsuspected by even advanced students outside of our Order, yet yours mostsurely if you deserve and prove worthy.

W H O M A Y U N I T E W I T H A M O R C B Y I N V I T A T I O NAny man or wom an over eighteen years of age (or a few years

younger by special dispensation) of any race or any religious belief, being freefrom allegiance to any semi-political despot or any organization which limitsthe freedom of m an ’s mind and inner developm ent. Th ose Who know thatthere is a Divine Mind ruling the universe, who are clean in thinkin g andliving, having never been guilty of treason in any country, nor engaged in anyunlawful occupation and anxious to become citizens of the Invincible Empireof advanced workers and successful beings in God’s Vineyard, are eligible tofull membership in the AMORC by invitation.

W H O M A Y N O T U N I T E W I T H A MO RC

Infidels, atheists, agnostics, fanatics of any kind, drones, political conspirators, objectors to law and order, bigots, the insincere, the frivolous, doubters,idle investigators, "spiritualistic mediums" (unless they abandon such practices), promoters or endorsers of questionable sex theories under the guise of“oriental” instruction, "conscientious” (?) objectors to defending their countryor flag in times of em erge ncy or Gove rnm enta l call, those seekin g to buy power or in fl uenc e wi th money, or th ose whose moral co de is weak or n egligible. All these, or any of them, canno t unite with the AM OR C re gardlessof recommendations or inducements of any kind.

W H A T T H E A M OR C D O E S N O T D E M A N D

The AMORC is not a body of fanatics or extremists of any kind or class.

It has in its ranks men and women of every school of therapeutics for instance,including professors and international authorities in all the subjects of medicines, chemistry, botany, physiology, physics, and allied sciences. It has m em be rs in every art. pro fessio n, tr ad e, bu sin es s, hobby, an d av ocati on.

The AMORC does not demand that i . ts members shall become vegetariansor eaters of raw foods; nor does it advocate the eating ot flesh to the exclusionof othe r foods. It teaches the true science of eating and perm its its mem bersto exercise personal rights in choosing what is best for the individual.

Neither do es the A M O R C d em and that it s m em bers support any an timovement relating to dissection, vivisection, vaccination, or other practicesor systems.

N o demand is made upon it s m embers that they adopt any change in religion. business or social matters, except those which each member finds are

be st for his or her in di vi du al advancement.

S O M E R O S I C R U C I A N S Y M B O L S

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S E A L O F J P R E M E C

T H EO U N C I L



T H E A D M I N I S T R A T I O N B U I L D I N G c e n t e r o r a c t i v i t i e s a t r o s i c r u c i a n s q u a r e , t a v p a



$ a r t J f i b e

How You May Become a Member

READ VERY CAREFULLY Only properly admit ted members of the Fraterni ty may receive the com

pl et e in str uctions, cou rse s, lesso ns , le ct ur es , guid es, he lp s and se rv ic e of th eFrate rnity. Th e Rosicrucians do not perm it their knowled ge to be publishedin books, never sell or loan their lessons or lectures or otherwise permit theknowledge to come,into the hands of the unworthy or those who might use the powers and abi li tie s fo r evi l or se lf ish ends to th e harm of oth ers.

Mem bers of the Frate rnity do not pay for any of the instruction. It isgiven to them freely as a part of their membership along with all the many be ne fi ts shared by all m em be rs in al l la nd s.

To make plain exactly what membership in the Fraternity includes, wewill outline the following benefits:

First, upon examination of the application blank and the acceptance intomembership of any applicant, he or she is notified of this fact by a specialletter by the Supre me Secretary. This is followed by a special set of prelim inary instructions which explain all the simple rules and regulations to be followed in mastering each step of the wonderful work.

Secondly, the member then receives the Secret Document Number One, inwhich he is told how to conduct a simple but most il luminating initiation 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 naturethan could be placed in several printed books and the member learns at oncethe true relation he has with the real Masters of the Rosicrucian Fraternity.This secret ceremo ny has been performed by a hundred thous and perso ns inAmerica and other lands and all pronounce it the most wonderful peace andstreng th-gi ving cerem ony as well as the mo st im po rtan t revelation of natu re’s

laws they have ever experienced.Thirdly, after a report of this ceremony, the member is considered a duly

initiated and prepared student of the secret laws and principles, and as such possesse s a M em bership id en ti fic at io n Ca rd , n um b er and Pass W ord.

Fourthly, from that moment he receives weekly the specially preparedsecret instruct ions, Temple Lectures and lessons, with dai ly and weekly ex periments an d ex erc ises whic h enab le him to m aster eac h st ep ea sil y an d proper ly . T h e le cture and le sso n ea ch week re quire on e evenin g of th e weekfor study or reading ( there being nothing to memorize—everything remainsin the mind through the unique method used by the Rosicrucians to teach itslaws), and the exercises and experime nts require only a few minu tes eachnight, mo rnin g or noontime, at the stude nt’s convenience. The se exercises andexperiments develop certain faculties from the very first lessons.

Fifthly, the lessons relate to life’s immediate problems as well as the futureneeds of the student. Th ey help the mem bers to ma ster the obstacles and ove rcome conditions from the very start. No vague theories, no speculations aboutconditions in the ethereal realms that have no bearing upon our present life, but la w s an d principle s th a t men and w om en m ust use h ere and now in ver y pra ctic al wa ys .

Sixth, the monthly private magazine called the Mystic Triangle is sent toeach memb er each mon th without addit ional fee. I t contains the month lycalendar of days and periods most successful for the accomplishment of certainaffairs, special instructions and lessons on general life problems, and the ques



tions and answers relating to new principles as well as reports lrom othermembers and articles by leading persons in the country on what the Rosicrucian work is doing for them.

Seventh, each member is entitled to the many departmental services ofthe Order, which includes help by correspondence and through the psychic

methods, as well as additional information by mail on points in the lectures,quick advice on personal problems, aids in health or other matters, withoutany additional fees.

Eighth, the privilege of meeting with other members in the same localityas soon as a certain stage of the work is reached where the members can cometogether once a week in our own Temples in various cities, or in special meeting places for mutual discussion and help.

The graded, systematic lessons, lectures and experiments continue weekafter week with special helps to make each member proficient, until the mem be r completes th e fi rs t gr ad e. T h e n th e m em ber s tarts on th e Sec on d Grad e,and finally on the Third . At the end of the Thir d Grade the mem ber has the pr ivi leg e of selecting th e sp ec ia l higher courses th at le ad to the most ad vance dwork ever given in metaphysics and occult knowledge.

From this point onward the member proceeds with the higher weekly lessons grade after grade through the whole nine grades of the Temple Work.Th us the course of study is as complete as any offered by the large st universities so far as length of time and devotion to development are concerned.At the end of the Ninth Grade, or earlier in the work, students who desiremay enter the U N IV E R S IT Y of the O rder and prepare for college degreesand honors.

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THE FEES AND DUES

As we have said, the Fraternity does not carry on its work by the saleof books or the sale of instruction. It is not primarily a school, but a Bro the rhood with vast activities in addition to its cours es of instru ction. In fact itsgreat humanitarian work in behalf of its members and others is supported bythe volunta ry c ontr ibutions of it s highest me mbe rs AND T H E GE NE R A LC L E R I CA L E X P E N S E S A R E S U P P O R T E D RY T H E S M A L L M O N T H L Y D U E S F R O M A L L M E M B E R S AS \ N O B L I G A T I O N O N T H E I RP A R T .

The organization has purposely fixed the membership dues at the mostnominal tigure possible so as to eliminate any feature of commercialism, andyou will agree with the Frat ern ity in this regard. In o rder th at every membermay uniformally assist in defraying the actual clerical, postage and printingexpenses of the work of the Fraternity, the Supreme Council decided on aminimum monthly contribution front each member in the form of monthly

dues. Thes e have been fixed at Tw o Dollars per month, payable on the firstof each month at the Supreme Lodge.

The Registration Fee (which goes into the general propaganda funds toassist in reaching other sincere seekers and worthy inquirers) is set at FiveDollars, payable with the Application for Membership.

There are no other Fees or assessments of any kind.

All the foregoing benefits, instructions, lessons, Magazine issues, correspondence helps and other offerings itemized above are included in the mem bershi p dues of T w o Dolla rs per month.



F IN A L IN S T R U C T I O N S —V E R Y I M P O R T A N T

Th ere are several ways in which this book may have come into your

hands. Th e book is intended to be a priv ate one, carefully and discreetly distributed to only those who seem to be worthy of admission into the Order.

It may have been handed to you by someone who wishes you to realizethat there is something in l ife that may answer your desires and end yourquest. It ma y have been passed along to you by a friend or acquain tance whofeels that it will arouse an inquiry in your mind. Th erefo re there may be noApplication Blank or letter of invitation with the book, and in that case if youfeel interested you should write at once to the Supreme Secretary and ask foran applicati on form. If you r inquiry appears to be sincere the Secret ary willinvite you to file an application with him for investigation.

On the other hand you may have writ ten to headquarters for this bookand it may come to you by mail, or otherwise, accompanied by a letter and anApplication Blank. In such a case the letter will invite you to become a me m be r. I t is a d irect invita tio n is sued after your reque st has be en prope rly considered.

Also, some member of the fraternity may hand you this book andan Application Blank and invite you to join with the Order.

H O W T O P R O C E E D

First: Fill out the Application Blank very carefully when you are readyto f ile your Applic at ion . B e a r in mind tha t YO U A R E B E IN G IN V IT E Dand not solicited in the ordinary way as with correspondence schools or someother moveme nts. You will not be urged from time to time with letters orcircular matter. The Frat ernit y does not resort to such methods to increasei ts m e m b e rs h i p. T h e I N V I T A T I O N c o m e s t o y ou R U T O N C E a n d a r e co r dof that fact is kept upon cards at headquarters. Some member may urge youin a friendly way, but if you do not answer the official invitation you simply

shut the door and cancel the invitation. W e say this in the most kindlv spirit.T h er ef or e D O N O T ' L A Y T H I S I N V I T A T I O N A S I D E wi th o ut w r it ing a letter to the Supre me Secr etar y and telling him iust w hat you expe ct todo. Th e safest way is to send your Application Blank at once and mak e sureof your membership before the privilege is automatically withdrawn.

Second: Having answered all the questions in the Application Blank, signit prope rly and enclose with it the Registr ation Fee of Five Dollars. If for anyreason you cannot enclose the Registration Fee at once, be sure to send theApplication Blank and state why you do not enclose the Fee. Your applicationin such a case will be passed upon and you will be notified of your admissiono r r ej ec ti o n. T h e p r e - pa y m e n t o f t he F ee W I L L S A V E Y O U M U C H T I M Ein starting with the work.

Third: Mail your Application Blank and Registrat ion Fee promptly tothe Suprem e Secretary. Regist er you r lette r if it contains cash and if you

se nd c he c k or mone y orde r ma ke i t pa ya ble to AMOR C FUNDS.Acknow ledgement should reach you within ten days or less. If you do

not hear from the Secre tary in tha t time write h im in detail. If your application is rejected for anv reason whatsoever your Registration Fee will be returned to you with a frank explanation.

A D D R E SS A L L M A I L T O

A M O R CRosicrucian Square

T AM PA . FL OR I DA, U. S. A .



AMORC DIRECTORY

The following- national and international branches of the Rosicrucian Order throughout the world are affiliated with the Interna

t ional Fraterni ty known from ant iqui ty as ANTIQUUM ARCANUMO R D I N E M R O S A E R U B E A E E T A U R E A E C RU CL S. T heorganization is not affiliated or connected in any way with any othersociety or with any cult or movement.

T H E N O R T H A ME R I C A N J U R I S D I C T I O N

(Including the United States, Dominion of Canada, Alaska, Mexico,Guatamala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Republic of Panama,the West Indies, Lower California and all land under the protectionof the United States of America.)

Dr. H. Spencer Lewis, F. R. C ................................................................

.........................

Dean of the University and Imperator of the Order Ralph M. Lewis, K. R. C ................................... Supreme Grand SecretaryRalph A. Wackerman, F. R. C ..................................................................

........................Supreme Grand Master of the Order in N. AmericaDivisional Secretaries with Grand Lodges of the Order are

located in: New York City; Boston. M ass ach use tts; W aterb ury,Connecticut; Pittsburgh, Pa.; Tampa, Florida; San Antonio, Texas;Arkansas City, Kansas; San Francisco, Calif.; Los Angeles, Calif.;Vancouver, Canada; Montreal, Canada, and St. Louis, Mo.

Spanish-American Section, conducting the work of the Order inEnglish and Spanish, includes the Latin-American countries of North

and South America, with headquarters in Puerto Rico, and GrandLodges in Mexico and other countries.Chartered Branches exist in nearly every large city of the

United States.

FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS

Grand Lodges and their branches are in active operation in allcivilized lands, the most important Grand Lodges being located inEngland, Denm ark, H olland, Franc e. G ermany, Austria, Russia,China, Japan, East Indies, Australia, Switzerland and India.

Th e College of the Or der in the Orie nt is located in Madr asPresidency, South India.

Public Lectures and Free Reading Rooms are to be found in many of the larger cities of the East and West inthe United States. Addre sses will be given upon application.

To reach the Administration Halls and Supreme Lodge of theOrder in North America, address all mail as follows:

AMORC, Rosicrucian Square, Tampa, Florida, U. S. A.

(Internation al Cable address, “AM OR CO .” Private Long Distance Bell Telephone number of the Supreme Secretary, H 27 - 70 4 ,

Tampa, Florida.)



runs

Th e matter contai ned in this book is officially issued through the Supreme Council of AMORC under the protec-tion of the above emblem, as are all the sealed, secret and private lectures, lessons, diagrams, dissertations, scientific postulations, philosophical discourses and academic studies of the Fraternity. The above Sym bol s were duly registered solely for the protection of the work of the Rosicrucian Order in North America, and the AMORC is the only Rosicrucian organization authorized to use this Registered imprint and

symbols in the United States.

Registered, f . S. I 'Kent Offioe.

amorc - the light of egypt (1927)

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