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CopyRIGHTED 1937 BY BEVERLY HaLut CorPoRATION
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
THE LIBRARY BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY
OR SOC Pa ym. . » cee
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Che Confederation of Snittates
(REGISTERED)
Descriptive of that body known as the
Rosicrucian Fraternity
(REGISTERED)
Founded by True Initiates
Four Centuries A go and Now—as Then—
Slasters of the Anes
Recommended only to Sincere Thinkers
HE tenets of the faith—the foundation of J its powerful and deathless philosophy—have been stated by one of the greatest Thinkers
and Initiates of all time:
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“TRY! The soul grows tall and comely, and waxeth powerful and strong only as it putteth forth its Will! Mankind is of seven great orders; the last and greatest are the Genii of the Earth, the Children of the Starkain, the Inheritors of the Temple. Weak ones can never enter its vestibules, but only those who truly try, and trying for a time, at length become victors and enter in. Man fails because of feebleness of Will—succeeds because he arouses the Will and ever keeps it wakeful.”
The Soul World By Dr. P. B. RANDOLPH
First Supreme Grand Master of the Rosicrucian
Fraternity in America.
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Gn Opportunity
N UNUSUAL opportunity is now being extended to you. You are invited to join the Rosicrucian Fraternity—to become one among the School or Confraternity of Initiates.
It has been truly said that “many are called but few are chosen”’ to abide with us in absolute, full fellowship. “There are several reasons for this:
First, too many people are hampered by haste, impatience, mistrust, fear, lack of application—and consequent failure to grow into complete communion with us.
Second, gabblement, the desire to tell all one knows, to speak of things that should not be mentioned, in order that the speaker may ve considered a person of importance. “In silence alone is strength,” and the silent lip and steady head alone are worthy. \
Third, because we can hold in close fellowship only those who are really anxious to attain the status of a Master and who, with true single purpose, enter the Path and refuse to deviate one iota therefrom.
Masters are men who gradually overcome and then govern circum- stances, instead of permitting circumstances and environments to govern them. They become absolute Individualities, self-created Kings of Will, majestic of purpose and willing to suffer, if necessary, to attain the goal. For them, after the sacrifices, come the blessing and peace; after the labor, the reward.
If you are willing to overcome the handicaps of which we speak—if you are ready to travel the Path with us, and to obey the True Law unquestioningly— we invite you to take the initial steps now: first, by reading the message as imparted in this book; second, by sending to us your Application-Obligation for review by a Master now in the Work.
If you are truly sincere, the Way will be opened unto you.
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MEAT T A ese She fe etek aas (REGISTERED)
icrucian Symbol Che 1773 Seal of the Rosicructan Brotherhood
66
A Light which, spoken into existence by the
HE Light which, shining from the Councils of our Brotherhood, shall Illuminate all the world
voice of God, shall do the Work. of God in every human heart.’”’ —The Brotherhood of the Rosy Cross.
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GAhat is Initiation? - A Definition—and a Warning
RUE initiation is the result of a real growth of the
J - Soul; it is the penetration into certain realms of the
Cosmic Consciousness which before had not been
accessible to him who goes through such an initia-
tion. Access to these spiritual realms is attained only as a
result of a labor of self-improvement, it is the reward of a
moral and spiritual regeneration of the individual which
cannot be conferred by any ritualistic initiation, or by the
mere performance of outward ceremonies, irrespective of their grandeur.
These ceremonies may only remind one of certain exalted spiritual experiences which one has already passed through. To him who has not had the realization, all these ceremonies remain dead, unintelligible, and therefore useless. “hey may even be harmful, as such a person may imagine that, by par- ticipating in such rituals, he or she has acquired some real benefit or knowledge; whereas nothing has been actually ac- quired, because that person has not developed—through a certain mode of living and practices—those qualities and capacities which are necessary to assimilate Occult Truths.
A ritual can sometimes fix in one’s consciousness that which has been once experienced, lived through, but it can never be effectively substituted for such a real experience.
The School or Confraternity of Initiates, known by many names throughout the centuries, but as the Rosicrucian Fra- ternity since the days of Andrea, has been the repository of all Occult knowledge and training and has kept the Ancient Landmarks free from all contaminating and debasing influ- ences. “The Fraternity possesses a ritual second to none, but ritualism is secondary to individual training and develop- ment and is no more than the outward portrayal of inner enlightenment and the unfoldment of wisdom and _ under- standing.
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THE ANCIENT (SCHOOL OT. Txt te
This Fraternity has been and continues faithful to the teachings and landmarks of the Fama Fraternitatis of 1614, and has registered its name for the protection of its Neo- phytes.
Its teachings and training have not been changed through the centuries because Basic Laws cannot change. ‘The appli- cation of these Occult Laws, which lead to all power and understanding, is given a new interpretation and application to meet the conditions of the times, but in the basic teachings and the method of training there has been no need of change.
Rosicrucianism and Religion
ReELiGiIous beliefs or creeds—or lack of these—do not funda- mentally affect your eligibility as a Neophyte in the Brother- hood. All that is required is a belief in the impartial Father- hood of God, and the ultimate Universal Brotherhood of Man.
Furthermore, while our teachings do contain startling and extraordinary statements and beliefs, we boldly chal- lenge any human being to point to any doctrine which has the slightest tendency to draw the soul one inch away from God. On the contrary, hosts have been saved from despair, suicide, and irremedial ruin by following these teachings.
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CAhat is the Rosicrucian Fraternity?
AM AN’ ALL civilized countries there are to be found at present many
4 mystical and occult societies, orders, or brotherhoods which are spreading their teaching with more or less success, and mostly among the cultured classes of society.
Any seeker of the Light who meets for the first time with one of these societies and becomes interested in it would naturally want to know what its origin may be, what are its aims and the methods used for the attainment of its purposes.
We are endeavoring to give in the following pages short but clear answers as to the origin, aims and methods of the Rosicrucian Fraternity. ‘This is the more necessary, as among persons who are not well informed about the sub- ject—and most people are not—many have very fantastic notions concerning Rosicrucianism. Besides, there have always been charlatans who, with selfish purposes, spread misleading information: both as regards the origin and the character of this remarkable spiritual and humanitarian movement.
Early Wisdom Taught by Priests
Amonc all nations of antiquity there have existed, besides the popular reli- gious cults adapted to the need and understanding of the masses, deep and secret philosophical, religious and mystical teachings. The priestly caste was, in ancient days, the keeper of this esoteric wisdom. ‘The priests possessed also very valuable scientific and occult knowledge, which was kept secret. Only men of great intellectual power and exceptionally high moral character were allowed by the priests to learn this secret wisdom.
In some countries, especially in Egypt, the Initiation into these mysteries
1 However much we might wish to give a history of the Fraternity, it is utterly impossible to do so in so small a compass. Those truly interested should read the book, THE FRATERNITATIS ROSAE CRUCIS, Philosophical Publishing Company, Quakertown, Pa., wherein will be found the history of the Order.
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DHE ANCTEN TO SiC ROOT VOT iN abies
was conducted in a very solemn, awe-inspiring manner, and required prelim- inary purification and probation, which sometimes lasted many years. ‘The candidate had to prove that he possessed great courage, a thorough control of his passions and appetites, and genuine sincerity; that he was free from per- sonal ambition and purely selfish motives.
Secrets Learned by Initiates
Ir the candidate passed successfully all these tests and probations, then the initiating priest communicated to him a concept of the One True God, which — was far more elaborate than the religious views held by the unenlightened mass of the people. The Initiate also learned the wisdom as to the pre-existence of the Soul, its Immortality and its many incarnations in physical bodies in order to gather experience and thus gain wisdom.
He was also taught the necessity of a moral and spiritual regeneration through successive initiations, which would ennoble his character, expand his consciousness and ultimately enable him to gain first-hand knowledge of God, to commune with Him and even to achieve complete union with God by means of a method of Deification.
The Initiate received also explanations concerning the true meaning of the sacred hieroglyphics, or the symbolic pictures representing the deities and of the myths told about the gods—a meaning not even suspected by the uniniti- ated. Those who reached the highest degree of initiation experienced high ecstatic states and thus realized by personal experience the existence of a spiritual world, and achieved a Conscious Union with the Central Fount of all life: 7. e., with the Sacred Flame, or God.
To such high Initiates the leaders of the priestly caste gave access to all the treasures of their traditional wisdom; to the teachings as to the various cosmic planes and the spiritual Hierarchies inhabiting them; as to cosmogony, the origin and history of the human race and the occult forces Jatent in the soul of every man, but usually left unheeded—not even suspected.
Priests Jealous of Their Knowledge
But it is a law of Nature that in the long run every form, uzless it perfects itself, is outlived, deteriorates and ultimately perishes, in order to be replaced by better, more perfect forms adapted to new conditions. It is therefore natural that, as the culture of a nation would degenerate, the religious Mys- teries of that nation would share its deterioration. ‘The priestly caste, much like the political parties, of all nations ultimately became arrogant, ambitious,
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Pee they Pes COrOOn OF hE NITLTAT ES
meddlesome, fanatic on some theme or subject, and sought to grasp the political control of power in order to use it for purposes of its own.
The priests of Egypt, India and other Oriental countries did not remain contented to be spiritual advisers and teachers. “They craved power, honors and riches. ‘They selfishly tried to keep ail useful knowledge to themselves, giving out as little as possible to other classes of society, even when fitted for it, thus keeping the toiling masses in ignorance and subjection, degraded by all manner of superstitions.
They Are Forced to Impart It
HoweEVER, the priests were ultimately forced to impart at least some of the Wisdom, some teaching of the Mysteries, not only to the rulers and their ministers, but also to persons occupying in society a much humbler rank: to architects, artists and even to exceptionally skilled artisans.
This was unavoidable, as the priests needed the help of such persons in order to build those majestic, beautiful temples where the solemn rites of the religious cults were celebrated. And in the subterranean caves? of such temples the priests performed their mysterious initiations and kept important secret documents, ancient manuscripts of philosophical and scientific character to which only the high Initiates had access.
The initiated architects were members and leaders of the guild of masons and other artisans belonging to the building trades; they were in continual contact with the workmen. Many of these architects who were not bound by the strict discipline of the priestly caste were free-thinkers and lovers of freedom.
The Mysteries Are Passed Along
Sucu learned and initiated architects, being leaders of the guilds existing in the building trades, instituted among the artisans belonging to these guilds | brotherhoods possessing their own peculiar Mysteries, but having a democratic and free spirit, very different from that of the corrupted priestly Mysteries.
We must not forget that these learned architects, who had built the won- derful temples of antiquity, so amazing in their beauty and their grandeur, possessed much of the secret knowledge which was originally the monopoly of the priestly caste.
2See THE PHILOSOPHY OF FIRE, Philosophical Publishing Company, Quaker- town, Pa.
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THE ANCIENT (SOOO) (Oh SIN e tet Aa ees
Modern Freemasonry Holds a Remnant
It is held by some authorities on Masonry that out of such brotherhoods of artisans, led by Initiated architects, there arose the later modern Free- masonry,* which is thus a remnant of the ancient Mysteries of the Priesthood.
Unfortunately, however, the great majority of modern Freemasons—even many of those initiated into the higher degrees—have not been instructed in the esoteric meaning of the rituals which they possess and the emblems with which they adorn their lodges. And thus they fail to understand that mean- ing—because it can be understood only by True Initiates; 7. e., by those who have reached a certain degree of moral and spiritual development.
But—the Mysteries have not perished! For, while modern Ritwualists possess some of the outward forms of the ancient mystical essence, this essence has been preserved through the ages by several mystical and occult brotherhoods—of which the (true) Rosicrucian Fraternity is one!
The Origin of Rosicrucianism
Let us now turn back to medieval times—centuries later than the period just under discussion—but connected with that earlier era by a long line of members in the mystic union who kept the Fire alight, and passed its Light down through the ages.
Mystic Students of Medieval Time
DurRING the seventeenth century, then, despite the persecution of all independ- ent thinkers by the various Inquisitions of that age, there existed not only among scientists, professors, doctors and others—but also among monks who pursued scientific and philosophical studies under protection of the walls of their monasteries—persons who were secret students of the ancient Hermetic sciences; i. e., of alchemy, astrology, magic and the Hermetic philosophy.
Such persons were often deeply religious and sincere followers of the moral and religious teachings of Jesus Christ. “They understood his religion, how- ever, as an ethical and mystical teaching concerning life, not as a dogmatic theological system as was proclaimed by the church.
All these students of old were far from sympathetic with the ambitious
*There is no connection whatever between the Rosicrucian Fraternity and Free-
masonry. One is philosophical and in part ritualistic, while the other is ritualistic and social—a true fraternal organization.
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Pie Orne s CE OOL OR INITIATES
political plans of the popes and the ecclesiastical hierarchy, and deplored the despotism, greed and moral corruption of the clergy and the persecutions of free thought, and of all the so-called heretics.
They Unite in Secret Soctettes
Many of these occult and religious students united into secret societies which —in spite of the persecutions instigated by the popes and their faithful helpers —faithfully preserved the traditional secret Wisdom which had come down through the ages from the Pythagoreans, the Essenes, the Gnostics, the fol- lowers of Plato and from Oriental mystical brotherhoods.
Many celebrated scientists, thinkers and mystics of the medieval times pre- ceding the Reformation were members and leaders of such secret societies. Such were, for instance, the celebrated mystic and alchemist, Raymond Lully; the learned monk, Roger Bacon; the Abbot Trithemius of Spandau and the famous physician, Theophrastus Paracelsus.
When the Reformation began in Germany, one of the prominent mystics of that time, Valentin Andrea, whose ideals and views were shared by many of his friends, resolved to make an attempt to unite into a single Fraternity some of the most advanced mystics belonging to the various occult societies and brotherhoods. ‘The aim that Valentin Andrea had in view was the fusion of a mystic interpretation of Christianity—such as had been given by Suzo, Tauler, Meister Eckhart, Simon Studion, Johann Schaeffler and others—with the ancient Hermetic Wisdom of Egypt and the teachings of the Oriental Mystics.
The Cross and Rose Are Joined
Tuis group of Occultists and Initiates chose as the emblem of their new Fra- ternity a combination of the Cross and the Rose.
The organization was successful, and thus arose in the very beginning of the seventeenth century (1614) the Rosicrucian Fraternity which became the heir both of the wisdom and of the ancient Mysteries and of the best thought of Christian mysticism, Higher Occultism and Individual Soul development.
The Rosicrucian Brotherhood, which was in touch with the Occult and Initiatory brotherhood of Egypt and the Orient, gradually took firm root in
nearly all European countries.
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THE VANCIENT SCHOOL (OF) UNTTEAT EG
The Fraternity Established in America
In the year 1856, Dr. Paschal Beverly Randolph, a High Initiate of all the Occult Fraternities in Europe and the Supreme Grand Master of the Rosi- - crucian Fraternity in France, returned to America and with the help of other high Initiates, notably General Ethan Allen Hitchcock, first established a number of Lodges and then the Supreme Grand Lodge for America and the Isles of the sea.
This American Grand Body has continued working without interruption since its establishment and today remains the only legitimate representative of
the original Rosicrucian movement.
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The Aims and Ceachinas of the ‘Rosicrucian Fraternity
LL true Rosicrucians have held that the only true aim which should be pursued by an occult brotherhood is the moral and spiritual re- generation, first, of separate individuals, and, ey of the whole human race.