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2018 No. 1 Vol. 88, No. 1

Cover photo - Orion Nebula (NASA)

ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Vol.88, No. 1, 2018

ROSICRUCIAN FORUM (ISSN #1077-4017) is published semi-annually by the Grand Lodge of the English Language Jurisdiction, AMORC, Inc., at 1342 Naglee Ave., San Jose, CA 95126. Copyright 2018 by the Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORC, Inc.

ContentsIMPERATOR’S ANNUAL MESSAGE 1

2018 REMAINING HIERARCHY DATES 24

ROSICRUCIAN NEW YEAR 3371 24

ROSE+CROIX JOURNAL 25

THE TRADITIONAL MARTINIST ORDER 25

BEQUESTS AND DONATIONS 26

A.M.O.R.C.

No. 1, 2018 Page 1

IMPERATOR’S ANNUAL MESSAGE Year 2018

Dear Frater, dear Soror,

Under the Auspices of the Rose-Cross,

Salutem Punctis Trianguli!

How time flies! This expression is no doubt one which you have used yourself, or that you hear on a daily basis. The same applies in my case, and even more so today as I begin to write this letter. The weeks and months that have passed by have for me seemed like nothing more than a few hours, a condensed period of time, made up of lovely moments filled with interesting discussions and wonderful discoveries, and also of disappointments and sorrows, just like everybody else.

In common with many of you, the year 2017 was one that was marked by numerous tragic events and so-called “natural” catastrophes affecting our planet and its inhabitants, the responsibility for which lies entirely with human beings. As a result of the fact that we are all psychically interrelated and connected to one another, and that information travels round the world in a few seconds, we are all affected by the misfortune that strikes others, even thousands of miles away. An earthquake or terrorist attack occurring somewhere far away and leaving many dead and injured shakes us not only emotionally, but indeed physically. It is in moments such as these, often more than in moments of joy, that we become aware of Humanity’s oneness, and ponder on our origins, our present, and our future.

When I say “we,” I am not only referring to thinkers, philosophers, mystics, to the Rosicrucians that we are, but also to the millions of people who at times − without intellectualizing it, without being able to put words to what they are experiencing, without knowing how to explain it – spontaneously and intensely feel such events, together with everything else that makes up our human condition. Therefore, it is in the name of our fraternal bonds and our oneness that I am going to set down a few words on the activities that I shared with some of you during the year 2017.

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On January 12, we remembered the departure of our Imperator, frater Ralph Maxwell Lewis, 30 years ago in 1987. Those who had the honor of crossing paths with this great Rosicrucian recall him proudly and with much affection.

In the same month, I returned to Miami, Florida, to carry out the installation of frater José Botello to his office of Grand Master for the Hispanic Jurisdiction. This event had been excellently organized by his wife and our fratres and sorores from the Miami Lodge, and it also made possible what was a wonderful gathering of Spanish-speakers and English-speakers. Grand Master frater Hugo Casas, who for a number of years has been giving his support to this Jurisdiction, made the journey there from Spain.

Still in January, on a more personal note but one that is still Rosicrucian, I attended the installation of my granddaughter, Violette, to the office of Colombe. This installation followed that of another of my granddaughters, Alice, at the end of 2016, and we are now eagerly awaiting the next one, which is due to take place during the course of this year, 2018.

In March, it was the turn of frater Michiel Schillhorn Van Veen, Grand Master of the Dutch Jurisdiction, to be traditionally installed to his office. This ceremony took place in the city of The Hague, where the headquarters of the Grand Lodge are located. This time I was joined by frater Sven Johansson and frater Maximilian Neff, who had given me valuable help the previous year, when the changes that had become necessary in this Jurisdiction took place; by being present, they therefore wanted to underline their support for the new Grand Master.

In the same month, I spent a few days in Egypt in the company of fratres and sorores from the French-speaking Jurisdiction. While the atmosphere remains tense in this region of the world, our Order is still fortunate enough to be able to carry out certain activities there, and in particular to have special access to the Sphinx and Pyramids, as well as to various temples.

In April, we learned of the death of our Order’s former Administrator

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in Poland, soror Maria Metzler. I was moved by this announcement, for I knew our soror well, and she always remained a member of the French-speaking Jurisdiction alongside her activities in Poland. It was thanks to her that all the translations were carried out into Polish, and that the activities in this country, modest though they still are, were developed.

In the month of May, I had the pleasure of seeing some Italian fratres and sorores from the Verona region once again, when they came to visit the Château d’Omonville. This was a little bit of Southern sunshine arriving in Normandy, and we had a very pleasant time together.

In June and July, nothing in particular took place, other than dealing with everyday business, and it was not until the month of August that I left France once more, to go to the Democratic Republic of Congo where there were over 700 members awaiting me.

Having celebrated fifty years of being a Rosicrucian in 2016, the seventh day of the month of August marked the fortieth anniversary of my installation to the office of Grand Master of the French-speaking Jurisdiction, which took place during a World Convention held in Paris in 1977, presided over by Imperator Ralph Maxwell Lewis. Some of you who were lucky enough to be a part of this first worldwide gathering held outside of Rosicrucian Park will remember this Convention, which brought together almost 8,000 participants, and saw the holding of one of the biggest banquets ever organized in the French capital, with 10,000 guests. I therefore recalled the month of August 1977 and the long months of preparation that preceded it, as well as the hundreds of hours of work and meetings that were required. But I was young then, and so was the team around me. The outcome matched the efforts that had been put in, and lived up to what we had hoped for.

At the beginning of September, I visited our Swedish fratres and sorores in the small town of Onsala, where the Grand Lodge is located. I was pleasantly surprised and delighted to find that the renovation work, started several years ago now, was for the most part completed. This is a peaceful, magnificent location. I took part in several business meetings, met all our fratres and sorores who were there, and of course was able to have

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discussions with soror Live Söderlund, Grand Master of the Scandinavian Jurisdiction. I enjoyed all of these proceedings, but the moment which most moved me was meeting frater Irving Söderlund once more, who that very month was celebrating his ninetieth birthday.

Next, I flew off for a Convention in Boston. This preceded the annual meeting of the Supreme Grand Lodge in Lachute, Quebec, with all the Administrators joining the Grand Masters this year. They each went into their individual reports in great depth, and numerous points were looked into. During this meeting, soror Live Söderlund, soror Julie Scott, frater Hélio de Moraes e Marques, frater Sven Johansson, and frater Paul Panikian had their terms of office renewed. This will be frater Panikian’s last term, as he will then have reached the age limit for re-standing for office.

It was also decided that in alternate years, the Supreme Grand Lodge meeting is going to be held at one of the Grand Lodges. This will enable the Grand Masters and Administrators to visit all of the Rosicrucian locations throughout the world. As it was I who put forward this proposal, which was agreed to by a majority vote, I suggested that the 2018 meeting be held in France. This 2017 meeting, held in the first week of October, was followed immediately by a Convention organized by the French-speaking Jurisdiction, to which I had been invited by Grand Master frater Serge Toussaint. This took place in the city of Quebec. Our fratres and sorores in Quebec are especially welcoming, and we shared some interesting and pleasant hours in one another’s company. I was all the more pleased to take part in this event since two of my grandchildren, who are studying in Quebec, were present at it.

Things are going along quite nicely at the Rosicrucian Domain at Lachute, with a number of Seminars and themed Retreats now taking place there. Activities are even offered in languages other than French. Everyone will be happy to come back here every other year, particularly as the time of year chosen is during the renowned “Indian summer.”

Since I am speaking about Canada, I would like to mention, at this early stage, the World Convention to be held in Montreal in 2023. This will be held under the aegis of the French-speaking Jurisdiction. We shall

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all be a few years older, but if it is said that traveling is good for the young, perhaps it is also good for helping to keep us young. In the meantime, though, we will of course be having our World Convention in Rome, in August 2019.

A few days after my return to France, Grand Master frater Serge Toussaint and I welcomed a group of American fratres and sorores who, under the aegis of our Order and with Grand Master soror Julie Scott at their head, were undertaking a lengthy journey through France, enabling them to visit a number of places bursting with mysticism and noble traditions. Their brief call to the Château d’Omonville brightened up our autumn here in Normandy. Then it was time for me to leave again for Egypt, where I joined some fratres and sorores from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Brazil, and the Netherlands, along with Grand Masters frater Hélio Marques and frater Michiel Schillhorn.

I would now like to speak with you about the activities of the various Grand Lodges and Administrations.

In Poland, the year 2017 was notable for the departure of our soror Maria Metzler, and with this a page in the history of this Administration was turned. Another page now starts with the appointment − and then installation, during the Supreme Grand Lodge meeting in Quebec − of the new Administrator frater Lukasz Metzler, the son of our soror, who assisted her over a number of years.

The number of members in this Administration is small, but constant, and it is financially self-sufficient. Its founding statutes have opened the way for new activities, which include the publishing of Rosicrucian works. The fratres and sorores help where and when they can, and always very enthusiastically, with the tasks connected with the distributing of information and the promoting of books. Frater Lukasz Metzler is carrying on in the tradition of soror Maria, and is being supported in his work by the German Grand Master, frater Maximilian Neff, the collaboration between this Grand Lodge and the Polish Administration having been ongoing for a number of years. Fratres and sorores from Poland, and from Lithuania as well, gather together at Mystical Days held in the springtime,

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at the Memorial Ceremony in the autumn, and on special occasions. These are opportunities for them to exchange ideas, and talk about the future. A special page for the Friends of AMORC has been set up on the website. I wish our frater Metzler every success, and remain hopeful that the number of members will increase.

With our Dutch fratres and sorores, things have progressed considerably since the installation of the Grand Master, frater Michiel Schillhorn Van Veen. During the weekend that our frater was installed to his office, further mystical work took place, including a Martinist Conventicle led by myself. The weekend also provided the opportunity for two Grand Councilors and a Provincial Master to be installed. At around the same time, weekly meditation courses also started at Groningen in Holland, and later on, in November, two Regional Monitors were installed during a Mystical Day held in the same town.

As you are all aware, in September, the island of Saint Martin was ravaged by a dreadful hurricane, and this left the Dutch Grand Lodge without any news of either its members or the Affiliated Body for a number of weeks.

The Grand Master took part in an inaugural Regional Convention in Zagreb, Croatia. As I frequently say to you, exchanges between countries are something that we strongly encourage. Throughout the year, various Initiations were conferred at the Lodge in The Hague, and also at the Lodge in Paramibo, Surinam, the Dutch-speaking country in South America, which celebrated its fifty-fifth anniversary in the month of October. The Grand Master was present at this event, and used the opportunity to place the capsule received during the World Convention at San Jose in 2015 into the obelisk that stands in front of the Lodge Temple. This event received positive coverage in the local media.

Surinam and Belgium are two regions of the Dutch Jurisdiction in which the members are particularly active in making our Order known. In the spring, a new Regional Monitor took up office in Belgium. Just as in the Netherlands, where various events were presented in several towns and cities, seminars and talks were held a number of times during the year

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in Brussels, Belgium. Mystical tours of this magnificent European city also enabled participants to learn about the esoteric aspects of the Grand-Place, Basilica, and Mechelen Labyrinth. Remaining in Belgium, an interactive musical journey into the “New Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz” took place in June at Anvers. And lastly, in October, the Dutch-speaking members in Belgium held an Open Day at Oostkamp, near Bruges.

The Affiliated Bodies on the islands of Aruba and Curaçao are still active and stable, despite their not having many members.

Within this Grand Lodge, the system of online monographs created by the members of the Administration in Hungary has undergone a lengthy adaptation, and was finally put into operation at the end of the year. Efforts are being made to reactivate the AMORC Academy (RCUI), and new Official Lecturers are receiving training. The annual assembly of Grand Lodge Officers and Affiliated Body Officers was also held in October.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this letter, while in Egypt I met up with a group of our Dutch fratres and sorores whom frater Michiel Schillhorn Van Veen was accompanying. I am rather pleased at the new direction this Jurisdiction is taking, and hope that it will quickly benefit from the positive effects of these changes.

In the Spanish-language Grand Lodge, the year 2017 got off to a good start. Frater Hugo Casas was invited to the installation of the new Grand Master of the Hispanic Jurisdiction, frater José Botello, and he therefore joined me in Miami for this event. I asked frater Casas to continue in his office as President of the Hispanic Grand Lodge, which he has now held for seven years. This involves several meetings with the members of the Management Board of this Grand Lodge, and a trip to Mexico in September every year.

Throughout the year, the Jurisdiction’s Affiliated Bodies have carried on with their activities. In the spring, the “Day of the Rose and the Book” took place in Barcelona, enabling our Order to have a stand in one of the city’s main streets. Here AMORC made itself known to passers-by through its books, an activity that is always interesting and rewarding. Talks are

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also organized on a regular basis in Barcelona. The “Columbus” Lodge in Madrid is very active, and puts on events involving non-members as often as is possible, including by means of the Council of Solace ritual. This Jurisdiction also has a Lodge on the island of Tenerife.

Lastly, the Spanish Grand Lodge is continuing to organize Silent Retreats, a number of which are offered in French. Here again, this activity enables the members of the Spanish Jurisdiction and the French-speaking Jurisdiction to meet one another.

Having just referred to Spain, I will move straight on to the activities of the Spanish Grand Lodge for the Americas, which Grand Master frater José Botello is in charge of. This year has seen a revival, and frater Botello is doing everything he can to resolve the numerous material problems that his Jurisdiction had experienced in the past. He is being assisted in this by a number of loyal and capable members. Numerous mystical activities are on offer to the members, and overall there is a good atmosphere on all fronts. This Jurisdiction is very spread out geographically, and includes various countries. Many Rosicrucians in North America speak Spanish, and belong to this Jurisdiction. This is why, for example, there is a Spanish-speaking Lodge in Miami, Florida, as well as the English-speaking Lodge, and it was here in Miami that I carried out the installation of our frater Botello. During the few days I spent there, a number of Grand Councilors were also installed. Similar ceremonies took place at other times of the year in Panama and also Colombia. New lecturers received training both for AMORC extension work and for the Rose+Croix University International (RCUI). A number of Silent Retreats were held during 2017, including in San Jose de Chiquitos in Bolivia, and at the Rosicrucian Domain of Silence in Lachute, Canada.

Cuba comes under the Hispanic Jurisdiction. In previous letters, I have had the opportunity of speaking with you at length about our activities on this island, where loyal members put all of their energy into enabling their compatriots to have access to the Rosicrucian teachings.

Many members gathered in October for the South America Convention in Chile, and in November for the Central America

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Convention in Costa Rica. On these occasions, the Grand Master gives interviews on radio and TV. Lastly, frater Jose Botello went several times for business meetings to the Grand Lodge in Leon, Mexico, where he also celebrated Christmas with the Grand Lodge employees and members who were present. He spares no effort, and is always willing to travel, deserving great credit in this respect since he lives in the United States and, in addition to holding office, has a very busy professional life. Fortunately, in our Order there are no borders, and we are all Citizens of the World. In general terms, the reports that come to me are encouraging, in spite of the problems that some countries are undergoing economically and politically, which unfortunately sometimes prevent our Order from functioning smoothly.

As I am referring to the Hispanic Jurisdiction, I shall take the opportunity to announce to you that I will be taking part in a Convention in Mexico at the end of October 2018. I will be accompanied by fratres and sorores from the French-speaking Jurisdiction, which is organizing a trip for this occasion, just as it did a few years ago for a Convention in Chile, which enabled those taking part to discover that magnificent country along with the mysterious Easter Island.

In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Grand Master frater Michal Eben continues his activities. The Jurisdiction is stable, and in 2017 our frater was delighted when 5 members from Tbilisi, Georgia, asked to receive their Initiation into the First Temple Degree. This was a big challenge for the Czech Initiation Team, since the whole of the ritual was conducted in English.

The fifth National Convention took place in October, and among the invited speakers were frater Claudio Mazzucco, Grand Master of the Italian Jurisdiction, who was accompanied by ten or so members, and also frater Raul Passos, a member from Brazil who now lives in Romania. The latter is an experienced pianist and, much to the delight of the members, gave a short recital. On the subject of Romania, I hope to soon be in a position to announce some good news to you, since our Order is setting up in this country, and activities will be organized there in the near future, I hope. I shall be returning to this later in this letter, and more fully in the years to

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come, I also hope.

In Scandinavia, the completing of the renovations to the Grand Lodge’s administrative building required a great deal of energy during 2017. The fratres and sorores who took part in this work as volunteers have worked magnificently, and I have been able to see the outcome for myself. The building is a timber manor house that is several centuries old, and the work began in 2012.

Having experienced the beginnings of this Grand Lodge and its setting-up in this very beautiful site, I can appreciate the magnitude of the efforts put in, first of all by frater Irving Söderlund, and then by the current Grand Master soror Live Söderlund, together with the teams they have been able to gather around themselves over all these years. If you have the opportunity to go to the small town of Onsala, not far from the city of Gothenburg, you will appreciate the atmosphere of this place, and the strength of the vibrations that it gives off. The natural surroundings are part of this positive effect. Like their Viking ancestors, the Scandinavians from the distant Nordic lands are very interested in other countries and cultures. Fortunately, this occurs nowadays in a way that is friendly and peaceful.

In 2017, the Scandinavian-language Grand Lodge held its Annual Convention in the spring, before welcoming me for another major event in the month of September. Most of the activities – Mystical Days, seminars, etc. – are held in the Grand Lodge premises.

In February, frater Claudio Mazzucco came to Sweden, accompanied by some members from Italy. This fraternal exchange provided an opportunity for the Italian Grand Master, through the use of photo and video, to give a presentation on his Grand Lodge − and most importantly on the World Convention to be held in Rome in 2019.

In April, a group of Scandinavian fratres and sorores went to Hungary, and it was their turn to be impressed by the work carried out by the members of this Administration, which is led by frater Akos Ekes.

In July, some Open Days were organized, which was an opportunity to welcome the Administrator from Finland, frater Ilkka Laaksonen. As

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I mentioned earlier, it was in September that I visited the headquarters of the Grand Lodge and formally opened the administrative building. Frater Sven Johansson was also present for this. This visit gave me the opportunity to see the publishing of two very positive articles about our Order in local newspapers. For those of you who did not really know, the Scandinavian Grand Lodge works in three languages: Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish. This involves a tremendous amount of translating and proofreading. Fortunately, soror Live Söderlund is able to count on the support of volunteers in each of the countries concerned. Up until this year, the Jurisdiction’s only permanent Temple was at the Grand Lodge, and it was there that all the Temple Degree Initiations took place. In 2017, for the first time, a First Temple Degree Initiation was conferred in Oslo, Norway. Martinist activities remain centered on the Jurisdiction’s single active Heptad, located at the Grand Lodge, and every year, three Martinist weekends take place there. Considerable promotional work has also been carried out, along with the setting up of the members-only website for online study of the monographs. At the time of writing this letter, this site is not yet active, but that should not be long coming, and I will be in a position to speak to you about it again next year.

In Greece, the Pronaos at Thessalonika continues its activities enthusiastically. Its premises are located in the city center, yet benefit from a quiet environment in the evenings, when the Convocations and Forums are held. In northeastern Greece, there are some members who would like to reactivate an Atrium Group in the town of Alexandroupolis, which used to exist a few years ago. At the moment, nothing has happened, but our fratres and sorores remain hopeful.

In Athens, it has been possible, thanks to a loan from the Supreme Grand Lodge, to buy premises that now house the Pronaos. Here too regular activities take place. As there is no Lodge, an Initiation Team has been formed to enable our fratres and sorores to be initiated into the Temple Degrees; accordingly, the Second and Third Temple Degree Initiations were conferred on twelve members at Thessalonika in October. At the end of November, a talk was presented in Athens, with another one in Alexandroupolis in December. The promotional work continues, and a

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new version of the Mastery of Life has been published. The translation work is also continuing, and I give my most sincere thanks to the sorores and fratres who are taking part in this. A video version of the History of the Rosicrucians is also under preparation in Greek, and in all likelihood will be available during the course of this year. The number of members is very small, but is stable. Our Administrator, frater Iakovos Giannakopoulos, is doing everything he possibly can for the development of AMORC in Greece.

In the Japanese Grand Lodge, Grand Master frater Atsushi Honjo wrote a newsletter at the beginning of the year entitled “Is what you are a physical thing? Mysticism: a theory and practice aiming at happiness, for Japanese people who prefer spirituality to religion.” This article was selected and published on the website of one of the most important Japanese Internet portals for newsletters. It was very well received by the public, even reaching seventh position in the site’s weekly league table. The article is available in Japanese at the URL: www.mag2.com/p/news/240187.

In the month of May, in collaboration with the Grand Lodge, the “Validivar” Lodge in Tokyo organized a members-only event. The two-day program enabled fratres and sorores to join together in the Council of Solace ritual and Second and Third Temple Degree Initiations.

In the autumn, a mystical weekend took place at Hokkaido. This choice of season gives those taking part the opportunity to appreciate all of the forest’s multiple colors at this time of year. The Sapporo Pronaos and Tokyo Lodge worked together to organize this event, which included a Fourth Temple Degree Initiation for the first time in Japan.

Just like the previous year, 2017 saw the continued development of Rosicrucian e-books in Japanese. Newsletters for the wider public are also produced on a weekly basis, and the number of readers is steadily growing. The Japanese Grand Lodge’s blog can be found at: www.amorc.jp/blog. There are primarily three people behind these newsletters: the Grand Master, who writes mainly on physics, psychology, and mysticism; frater Mori Kazuhisa, lecturer and member of the Grand Lodge’s Management Board, who writes about various works drawn from literature

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worldwide; and frater Yamashita Katsuetsu, member of the Grand Lodge’s Management Board, whose primary interest is Shintoism, and who writes about its festivals and the implements used at these. The newsletters also include translations of the articles written by the Grand Master of the French-speaking Jurisdiction, frater Serge Toussaint. Japan has one Lodge, one Pronaos, and three Atrium Groups.

In Australia, 2017 was a very active year, just like the preceding ones. Conventions, mystical weekends, fraternal days, and Rose Croix Academy (RCUI) seminars brought together fratres and sorores sometimes from all over Australia, as was the case in February in Melbourne.

The months of September and October were given over to a special program called “Open Door.” The aim of this program is to make our Order known, and it leads to an increase in the number of requests for membership.

Also in the autumn, the “Light” Chapter in Adelaide held a fraternal day on the theme “Atlantis.” The theme of the Convention organized by the Sydney Lodge in October was “The fabric of universal tapestry.” During the same period, the “Harmony” Lodge in Melbourne organized a mystical weekend dealing with “Myth and mystery.”

As I mentioned to you earlier on, Grand Master frater Paul Panikian, who is still assisted by Adminstrator frater Robert Kogel, oversees all of these activities.

Frater Vladimir Koptelov, General Administrator, has now been supervising all of our Order’s activities in Russia for more than twenty-five years. 2017 was a more positive year than the preceding one. The number of members remains stable, and the financial situation has slightly improved as the result of a fifty-percent increase in dues, this having become absolutely necessary. The translation work is continuing, and a number of books by Imperators Harvey Spencer Lewis and Ralph Maxwell Lewis have been made available to the public on the Administration’s website. The “Rosicrucian Almanac” magazine has now been put onto the website as well, and there is also a section entitled “Rosicrucian Travels,” which enables fratres and sorores to share photos they have taken while

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visiting mystical and traditional places in Russia, Europe, Nepal, Tibet, and so on. With the help of frater Akos Ekes, Administrator for Hungary, it is going to be possible to receive the monographs online, we hope in the near future. As I have often mentioned to you, there is a great deal of teamwork going on between the Administrations and Grand Lodges.

There are two Pronaoi in Russia, one in Moscow and the other in Ekaterinburg. The Atrium Group in St Petersburg and the Pronaos in Riga (the capital of Latvia) have had to reduce their activities, due to a lack of members and the difficulty of renting premises; they both continue to meet, however.

As is the case every year, Grand Master frater Serge Toussaint has given me very little to put in my letter, and yet he is very active, as is the whole of the Jurisdiction he is in charge of. This is because we have the opportunity of discussing things very frequently. He continues his travels to the various countries that make up the French-speaking Grand Lodge, and is always full of new ideas. In an overall sense, I can say that everything is quite stable and positive. I would, however, like to bring up a subject that is of great concern to frater Toussaint: he is disappointed at the “half-heartedness” of the French-speaking members when it comes to sharing the websites, videos, blog, etc. with their non-member friends, despite the fact that everything on offer is attractive and of high quality, and well worth passing on. Very many fratres and sorores congratulate the Grand Master on his blog, and yet they rarely share it with others, if at all! We know, however, that they do pass on information where music, films, photos, items of news, and numerous other things are concerned − but unfortunately not in the case of AMORC. Such a pattern of behavior is no doubt typically French, and in all probability has been reinforced by the “witch hunt” in this country in years gone by. However, it is now necessary to move beyond that, and be bold. Therefore, fratres and sorores of France and throughout the world, I invite you to take part nonstop in the work of spreading information about the Rosicrucian Fraternity through what are referred to broadly as the social networks, or social media.

In Hungary, frater Akos Ekes is putting all of his energy into developing

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our Order, and for him the biggest piece of news in 2017 was some information that came to him from the French-speaking Grand Lodge: there is proof that a certain Victor Scherbach was a member of AMORC in the first half of the twentieth century; he was the brother of Maria Szepes, who was herself considered the mother of modern Hungarian mysticism. This discovery is a very valuable one for AMORC members in this country, as there can be no doubt that the works of Maria Szepes were greatly influenced by Rosicrucian mysticism.

In this Administration of our Order, the year began with an Officers’ meeting. Then, in March, the Twelfth Temple Degree Initiation was conferred for the first time, in the Temple at Tata. In April, a Mystical Day was held, and soror Live Söderlund came with a group of members from the Scandinavian Jurisdiction. Seven Colombes took part in the celebration dedicated to them in the month of May, and in June families and friends were invited to the Meditation for Peace. The summer was given over to building work, but there still remains a lot to be done. In general terms, it should be noted that there continues to be a great deal of involvement on a voluntary basis. The system of online monographs has been expanded, and they are now available up to the Twelfth Temple Degree. The Hungarian Administration has offered this system, free of charge, to all of the Jurisdictions and Administrations.

As in Hungary, the Administration in Finland is stable. The work of translating is continuing, and here too Administrator frater Ilkka Laaksonen is able to count on several volunteers. In the summer, a mystical weekend, in which non-members were able to take part, was held at Porvoo, on the theme “Well-being of body and mind.”

The Pronaos in Helsinki and Atrium Group in Tampere continue their monthly activities, as does the Initiation Team, which confers the Temple Degree Initiations throughout the year. As well as the translating of the monographs, which has now reached the Twelfth Temple Degree, all the manuscripts of the Traditional Martinist Order have now been translated for the first time.

In the United States, soror Julie Scott continues to direct the activities

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of the English-language Jurisdiction for the Americas from Rosicrucian Park.

A large number of videos were posted online during 2017, including a nine-part series on the traditions that helped form the Rosicrucian teachings, from Atlantis to the nineteenth century. This series is entitled “The Sacred History of the Rosicrucians,” and it can be viewed at: www.youtube.com/rosicrucianTV.

The Rosicrucian Research Library has posted images and translations of numerous rare books on the site: www.rosicrucianpark.org/research-library.

The English Grand Lodge for the Americas also publishes the Rose+Croix Journal, an online, transdisciplinary, peer-reviewed journal, whose articles deal with subjects related to the sciences, history, the arts, and spirituality. The articles are published in their original language, and their summaries are always translated into five languages − English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and German. The Journal can be accessed at: www.rosecroixjournal.org. Members throughout the world are encouraged to take part in this publication as authors, translators, reviewers, proofreaders, editors, graphic designers, and so on. If you are interested, please contact the editorial team at the following address: editor@rosicrucian.org.

The eighth annual Colombe Convention was held at Rosicrucian Park in June, providing these young girls with the opportunity to meet one another and share their experiences with Colombes from around this jurisdiction as well as from others, and to serve in a Convocation in the Grand Temple. They were also offered an excursion to Carmel, California in the company of the Grand Master, soror Julie Scott, so that they could find out about the roots of the Rosicrucian Tradition in this region. It is worth mentioning that this Convention enabled our Colombes to have a very unusual experience – a “sleepover” in the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, which I imagine was enjoyable and made an impression.

The year 2017 in the United States also saw a major exhibition presented in New York, with “The Salon de la Rose+Croix” as its theme. This was organized not by our Order, but by the famous Guggenheim

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Museum, and thousands of New Yorkers and tourists were able to enjoy it over a period of several months. I have received many positive reports from members from a number of countries, including France, who came across this exhibition by chance and were greatly moved by it.

In the month of October, some forty-seven members from the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean took part in a mystical journey in France, on the trail of the Cathar mysteries, Mary Magdalene, and the Black Virgins. They also visited some important Rosicrucian sites in the Toulouse area, and it was during this trip that I met them when they came to the headquarters of the French-speaking Grand Lodge in Normandy.

In Italy, Grand Master frater Claudio Mazzucco is busy preparing for the next World Convention, to be held in Rome in August 2019. As well as this important work, there are the usual activities such as seminars, talks, mystical weekends, Initiations, and so on. Weekends called “Mystical Journeys” are proving very popular with the members, who have the opportunity during them to visit highly interesting places connected with the Esoteric Tradition, whether it be landmarks, museums, ancient libraries, or villages packed with history. Special messages are prepared for these occasions, and each weekend finishes with a Convocation. Initiations into the First to the Twelfth Temple Degrees are regularly held at the headquarters of the Italian Jurisdiction at Ornano. The Grand Lodge building was slightly affected by an earthquake in the month of February, and so work to strengthen it was immediately started.

A group of Italian fratres and sorores went to Sweden to take part in an enjoyable and harmonious gathering with our Scandinavian fratres and sorores. A similar trip took place in October when, at the invitation of Grand Master frater Michal Eben, a group accompanied frater Mazzucco to Prague, to take part in the Annual Convention for the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

As you now know, we are setting up an Administration in Romania, and this is being overseen by the Grand Master of the Italian Grand Lodge. He is being supported logistically in this task by the Portuguese Grand Lodge, via a member who works at the Grand Lodge in Brazil,

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frater Raul Passos. Frater Passos has agreed to leave his own country and live with his family in Romania for as long as is required. He is a fluent Romanian speaker, having studied for several years at the Academy of Music in Bucharest. It is in this city that quarters have been rented to provide premises for the Administration and for the activities of a Pronaos. The translation of the monographs and important texts into Romanian has commenced, and this means that the three Manifestoes published by our Order, along with the Mastery of Life, are now available in this language. The Order is starting to make itself known to the general public, and I hope with all my heart that all our plans will be able to come to fruition.

You can follow how all this develops on the website amorc-romania.org, and on facebook.com/AMORC.ROMANIA. If you know any people in Romania, please make them aware of the presence of our Order in this country.

After this digression concerning Romania, I would like to finish my report on Italy by coming back to the organizing of the World Convention in Rome, which as you already know, will be taking place from August 14 to 18, 2019. Registrations have already been received, showing the level of interest that members all over the world have in this event. Here is the address of the website for registration, which is available in five languages: roma2019.amorc.it.

I know that a number of Grand Lodges have made plans for organizing a pre-Convention or post-Convention trip based around this event.

I now come to the Portuguese-language Jurisdiction, whose headquarters is in Curitiba, Brazil. Frater Hélio de Moraes e Marques is still its Grand Master, and carries out all of his activities with great energy and enthusiasm. This Grand Lodge has many commitments within civil society, and also supports the United Nations’ sustainable development objectives. Working groups are organized within the Grand Lodge on various subjects such as health and well-being, responsible consumerism, action for the climate, peace and justice. At the environmental level, within the Grand Lodge itself, great effort is put into avoiding any waste and limiting energy consumption. A tree nursery and organic vegetable garden

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have been created, and the use of bicycles is also strongly recommended. Naturally, paper is recycled, plastic glasses are no longer used, and so on. I can only be delighted at all of these responsible actions that are being promoted in this Grand Lodge.

The Grand Master spares no effort in promoting the growth of our Order in Brazil, and everything that is done is aimed at consolidating the good reputation of AMORC. As a result, Rose+Croix University International (RCUI) has been recognized by the Brazilian Ministry of Education. The achievements and plans in this respect are extremely numerous, and I am therefore not going to list them all for you, but I congratulate all those who are taking part in these programs.

The Grand Lodge also launched an inaugural amateur theatre competition, which received twenty-six entries. The ten best plays are going to be performed and compete for first prize, and the winner will see their work put on stage at the Guaria Theatre for the Twenty-fifth Rosicrucian National Convention in 2018.

As Angola comes under the Portuguese-language Jurisdiction, a delegation of Officers went there to confer Initiations. Convocation rituals were also conducted. This proved to be very positive, and has served to strengthen our Order in this part of the world.

It is also worth noting that the Grand Lodge has begun the construction of an additional building to house the extension to the Rosicrucian Egyptology Museum and the Grand Heptad, and provide a place for the RCUI to work, along with a shop for Rosicrucian goods and articles.

During 2017, ten or so Regional Conventions took place, and also several anniversaries of Lodges that have now been active for fifty years, plus that of the Lodge in Sao Paulo, which was set up seventy years ago. In addition, there were a number of mystical journeys, including one to Israel and Jordan, another to the Azores taking in Santiago de Compostela in Spain and Lisbon in Portugal, as well as another to Egypt. The consecration of several Chapters also took place in Brazil, as well as that of a Heptad in Portugal.

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Frater Sven Johansson, Grand Master for the English Jurisdiction for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, greatly impressed me with the presentation he gave in September on his Grand Lodge and the work that has been carried out in the last few years. His report, which had been prepared for his visit to the Scandinavian Grand Lodge during this month, was brought to life with photographs, and we were therefore able to admire the magnificent manor house of Greenwood Gate in its different facets and at different times of year. This Tudor-style building is located within grounds that are abundant in wildlife, at the heart of the Ashdown Forest in southeast England, and it is here in this Rosicrucian location that frater Johansson continues to take on all of the activities connected with his office of Grand Master. He carries out the maintenance of this building, which, although magnificent, is a very costly one. Fortunately, the efforts he puts into this are well worthwhile. This year, a member made a gift that enabled an elevator to be installed, accessing the manor’s three stories. This donation was both greatly appreciated and particularly helpful. Frater Johansson travels a great deal, as his Jurisdiction is very spread out. Public meetings are organized regularly in the United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa, and Cameroon. Social media is being increasingly developed at the Grand Lodge, which is enabling our Order to make itself more widely known. Several magazines are published throughout the year, for both members and non-members. There are also of course the different Temple Degree Initiations, Martinist activities, and fraternal gatherings over one or two days, which are especially popular. In addition to his office of Grand Master, as Vice-President of the Supreme Grand Lodge our frater gives me valuable help in dealing with various documents throughout the year. We have known each other for a number of decades, and it is enjoyable working with him.

Remaining within the English Grand Lodge, I am now going to say a few words to you about Nigeria, Cameroon, and Ghana. Frater Kenneth Idiodi, Grand Administrator for Nigeria, took part once again this year in the meeting of the Supreme Grand Lodge, as he is now an integral part of its Board. The event of the year in 2017 was the Convention, organized in Nigeria every four years. Grand Master frater Sven Johansson was present,

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and the Orb was installed in the Administration’s Temple on this occasion. The Orb symbolizes the bond that joins all of our Order’s Administrations and Grand Lodges to one other, to the Supreme Grand Lodge, and to the Imperator.

AMORC remains very active in Nigeria. Seminars and Conventions are held regularly in different parts of the country. The annual meeting of Affiliated Body Officers brings together around 400 participants every year at the end of March. As I have already had the opportunity of telling you in a previous letter, there is a distinctive feature in Nigeria, namely the existence of an activity for sorores only, called the “Sisters of the Rose-Cross.” Their gathering took place in October, immediately before the Convention. The Torchbearers (for young people) generally meet in the month of April.

One part of Cameroon is English-speaking, but close contact regularly takes place with French-speaking members. Despite the political unrest that surrounds the two languages, the fraternal links between these two parts of Cameroon are strong within AMORC, as is the case in all the bilingual countries in which our Order has a presence. This manner of behaving sets an excellent example, which I would like to draw attention to.

In Ghana, our fratres and sorores often make long journeys to support the Affiliated Bodies and take part in Convocations. They have great difficulty in receiving their monographs through the postal services, and are therefore able to borrow their Rosicrucian documents from the Lodge or Chapter closest to them. There are five Affiliated Bodies in Ghana.

Having referred to working with our frater Johansson, the same applies in the case of the Treasurer of the Supreme Grand Lodge and Grand Master of the German-language Jurisdiction, frater Maximilian Neff. My last visit to his Grand Lodge goes back to 2016, when I was able to admire the way in which it is organized. Seven Lodges, three Chapters, twenty-four Pronaoi, nine Atrium Groups, four Forum Groups, and five Heptads enable the members of the German Jurisdiction to meet together. A new Chapter has been set up in Osnabrück, in the north of Germany.

During the year 2017, some twenty seminars were organized, focusing

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particularly on the Rosicrucian teachings and the symbolism of the Rose-Cross. Mystical Days have now been held regularly at the Grand Lodge for three years. Frater Maximilian Neff also accompanies fratres and sorores on excursions within Germany, fraternal events which are much enjoyed and very popular.

The German-language Jurisdiction also oversees Croatia. The number of members in this Administration located at Zagreb is stable. The Grand Master makes regular visits to the Chapter in this city for Initiations and Mystical Days, using them as an opportunity to give public talks. The Traditional Martinist Order has been established in Croatia for three years, and the opening of a Pronaos is planned at Rijeka on the Adriatic coast. An inaugural South Slavic Regional Convention took place in September. There is also an Atrium Group at Belgrade, in Serbia.

This is a brief summary of my own activities and those of our Order throughout the world for the year 2017, and I think you will have realized that in between my travels, I carry on with all the work related to my office: contacting people, meetings, writing, answering mail, and so on. In addition there are of course my so-called “profane” activities and responsibilities, and my family life.

Normally I would end this letter on a mystical note, but I would like to conclude simply with some words of thanks. Gratitude is in fact one of the most important qualities, in my view. I would therefore like to thank here those few members of our Order who, by repeatedly showing great generosity, enable our Order to exist on the material plane: out of discretion, and in order to respect the often anonymous principle of the Law of AMRA, I am not going to name them, but they will recognize who they are. I would like them to know that I am extremely grateful to them for their generosity and trust. Their financial support is truly appreciated, and good use is made of their donations.

I also give my thanks to all of you who − either through small donations, or by means of your work or presence − are contributing to the continuance of the activities of your Grand Lodge or Affiliated Body. This support is vital and indispensable. It is not only the internationally

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recognized charities and many diverse organizations, groups, and foundations that need money in order to exist and carry out their projects. The same applies to AMORC, which does not receive any governmental aid or support from the press, or have any other means of making itself known. Our Order can rely solely on the financial support of its members. Please remember our Order, when you receive all types of appeals and requests for donations, to which your good-heartedness would like to respond. Please remember that our Fraternity is here too, and is counting on a gesture on your part, even though it rarely comes “cap in hand” asking for money, and never pesters.

As I like to share anecdotes and impressions with you, I would like to give you an example of what troubles me, and astonishes me, in this regard. Fratres and sorores regularly ask for help in paying their dues, explaining that they prefer to help the Red Cross, the League Against Cancer, or other similar organizations. They therefore think it right that they should be exempted from paying their dues, because they are making donations outside of AMORC or helping someone they know. They reason as if AMORC were above material contingencies, and could carry out its activities − printing and sending out monographs, employing staff, maintaining its premises and computer hardware, and so on − simply by magic, as if everything needed within AMORC ought to simply appear through “the workings of the Holy Ghost.” As I was saying, the charitable organizations I have just referred to are supported by all governments, by the largest industrial companies, by thousands of personalities from the artistic world, and so forth. Their media coverage is unlimited, and they are exempt from all forms of taxation. This is not the case for AMORC, which has only itself and its members’ dues to rely on. As those who are exempt from paying dues are becoming more and more numerous, donations are the only thing that can offset all the outgoings. I can assure you, fratres and sorores, that knowing as I do the finances of all the Grand Lodges and Administrations, there is no misuse of funds or unnecessary expenditures, or anything like that. When there is the slightest suspicion of any such thing, after checks have been carried out, measures are taken to set things right.

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Fratres and sorores, that is what I wanted to discuss with you in all sincerity and in a clear manner, and I look forward to being in touch with you again next year. Until then, take good care of yourselves, put into application what you learn within our Order, and whatever unfortunate events might occur in your life over the months to come, endeavor to remain positive.

With my best wishes for Peace Profound,

Sincerely and fraternally,

Christian Bernard Imperator

2018 Remaining HieRaRcHy DatesThursday, May 17

Thursday, August 16Thursday, November 15

Rosicrucian members who have reached Monograph No. 1 of the Twelfth Temple Degree receive instructions on how to perform a special experiment on specific dates four times per year at 8 p.m.

local time. The remaining dates for 2018 are listed above.

ceLeBRate ROsicRUcian neW yeaR 3371 at ROsicRUcian PaRK!

Tuesday, March 20Meditation for Peace and Labyrinth Walk

Meet in the Peace Garden at 6 p.m.The New Year Ceremony in the Grand Temple begins at 7 p.m.

Followed by the Imperator’s Universal Attunement Exercise.All members are welcome and encouraged to participate!

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tHe tRaDitiOnaL maRtinist ORDeR

The Rose+Croix Journal is an international, interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, peer-reviewed online journal that focuses on topics that relate to the sciences, history, the arts, mysticism, and spirituality, especially interdisciplinary topics and transdisciplinary inquiries that traverse and lie beyond the limits of different fields

of study.To read the current issue, to submit a paper, or to volunteer to serve as an editor, translator, proofreader, or other member of this team,

please visit: www.rosecroixjournal.org.

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The Traditional Martinist Order operates under the auspices of the Rosicrucian Order, AMORC. Our Imperator is the Sovereign Grand Master of the TMO, and our Grand Master is the Grand Master of the TMO. The Traditional Martinist Order offers initiations, as well as systematic and inspiring studies conducted within a Temple, and a ritual followed by

open discussion among our members.

For more information and to apply for membership, please visit:

www.martinists.org

Printed on 100% recycled post-consumerfiber using soy-based ink.

Bequests and DonationsBecause of the transformative life experiences members have had as a result of studying the monographs and applying the lessons learned in their lives, many members want to remember the Rosicrucian Order in their wills and make donations to the great

work of our beloved Order.

BequestsRemembering the Rosicrucian Order in your will is a lasting way to demonstrate your appreciation to the Order and to help the Order continue its important contribution to the evolution of consciousness.

When your legal professional prepares your will, the legal name and address to use are:

The Grand Lodge of the English Language Jurisdiction of the AMORC1342 Naglee Avenue

San Jose CA 95126 USA

United States Federal Tax Identification Number: 94-1156620.

The Grand Lodge maintains a plaque in the Grand Temple at Rosicrucian Park that honors members who remember the Order in their wills, trusts, and/or insurance policies. In memory of these thoughtful gifts, the names of members making bequests to the Grand Lodge are permanently

memorialized by being inscribed on this Grand Temple Plaque.

DonationsThe easiest way to make a donation to the Order is by logging in to your secure membership portal at https://amorc.customerhub.net or you can

mail your gift to the address above.

All donations are fully tax deductible, as allowed by the IRS tax code.You may also donate stocks directly to the Order.

If you have any questions, please contact gmo@rosicrucian.org.Thank you for helping the Rosicrucian Order to continue to contribute to the evolution of consciousness and to perpetuate the

Rosicrucian teachings for generations to come!