MASONIC RESEARCH PAPER
For the Victorian Lodge of Research (218) 2021
Bro Travis Trinca
travistrinca@live.com.au
WHO ARE THE
ROSICRUCIANS?
Table of Contents
Table of Contents ....................................................................................................................... 1
Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 2
The Rosicrucian Manifestoes ..................................................................................................... 3
Fama Fraternitatis .................................................................................................................. 3
Confessio Fraternitatis ........................................................................................................... 4
The Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreuz ................................................................... 5
A new age dawns ....................................................................................................................... 6
Reformation ........................................................................................................................... 6
Millenarianism and heavenly portents .................................................................................. 6
Authorship ................................................................................................................................. 8
The curious case of invisible brethren ..................................................................................... 11
Orders, Societies and Brotherhoods ........................................................................................ 13
Post-Manifesto Period ......................................................................................................... 13
Modern Day.......................................................................................................................... 14
Who are the Rosicrucians? ...................................................................................................... 16
References ............................................................................................................................... 17
Appendix 1: Timeline ............................................................................................................... 18
1|Page
Introduction
A mysterious brotherhood, calling themselves The Fraternity of the Rosy Cross made their
first public appearance through a series of writings surfacing throughout Europe in the early
seventeenth century. They professed to be healers, teachers, alchemists and claimed to
speak multiple languages. They claimed to be the possessors of secrets which had hitherto
been hidden from Man and their messages alluded to a universal wisdom which hearkened
back to an ancient past.
These curious announcements proved highly attractive to the learned of Europe, particularly
those with an interest in hermeticism, magic, kabbalah and alchemy. In the centuries that
followed, various fraternal societies sprung up across the globe dedicated to the purpose of
studying the Rosicrucian philosophy as initially set out in these writings.
Despite the large impact of this movement, Rosicrucian history and philosophy is still often
poorly understood. The symbolic nature of the early Rosicrucian texts lends themselves to
erroneous interpretation and many groups that would eventually call themselves
Rosicrucian would do so in name only. Moreover, the French occult revival, whilst proving
highly advantageous at bringing together and aligning correspondences between seemingly
disparate traditions, also proved a disservice to Rosicrucian philosophy by complicating it
with other traditions. As a result, the core identity of Rosicrucianism is often challenging to
seek out.
The purpose of this paper is three-fold. Firstly, it is an attempt to clarify and summarise the
Rosicrucian movement by reflecting upon early Rosicrucian writings assessed within their
historical context. Secondly, it will attempt to clarify the meaning of the identifier
Rosicrucian, and whilst the meaning that will be suggested in this paper is neither unique
nor revolutionary, it will be demonstrated that this meaning is perhaps better aligned to the
motivations of the Rosicrucian pioneers. Thirdly, this paper will attempt to illustrate the
importance of Rosicrucian philosophy in the twenty-first century by showing how our
current world bares a stark similarity to the world which gave birth to the Rosicrucian
manifestoes and which nurtured the Rosicrucian movement.
2|Page
The Rosicrucian Manifestoes
One summer morning in 1622, the citizens of Paris awoke to find posters plastered at the
major intersections of their town. Upon the posters was written a curious message from an
enigmatic group calling themselves The Brotherhood of the Rosy Cross. Translated, these
posters read as follows:
“We, Deputies of the Principal College of the Brothers of the Rose-Croix, are making a visible
and invisible sojourn in this town, by the grace of the Most High to Whom the hearts of the
just are turned. We shall show and teach without books or signs to speak all kinds of
languages of the countries where we wish to go, to save our fellow-men from the mirror of
death.
If he causes trouble to one of us by finding out about us for curiosity alone, he will never
communicate with us, but, if desire truly drives him to have his name inscribed on the
register of our confraternity, we, who will judge thoughts, will make him see the truth of our
promises, so that we will not need to divulge the place of our residence, since the thoughts,
joined to the true will of the reader, shall be capable of making us known to him and him of
us1 (Sédir, 2006).
At first glance, these messages seem to implant the idea that there exists in Europe a secret
society of wisdom keepers working hiddenly to assist mankind; a sort of esoteric Justice
League or Order of the Phoenix of Harry Potter lore. Yet, if we reflect upon it for a little
longer, we may start to see that there is more to this message than meets the eye.
This was not the first announcement claiming to be from this enigmatic Rosicrucian
brotherhood. Earlier in the same century, three anonymous manifestoes were published in
Germany. The messages contained within the first two of these manifestos resonate
strongly with the messages appearing in the Paris posters, indicating that the writers of both
the German manifestos and Paris posters had, at the very least, shared similar values. It also
highlights the growing influence of Rosicrucian philosophy, especially amongst those that
were seeking a new revitalized Christianity or who felt that the Protestant Reformation was
failing to bring about those changes in society which they had hoped (more about this
shortly).
So, what was contained within these manifestoes that stirred up so much controversy? Let
us start by having a brief look at these mysterious texts.
Fama Fraternitatis
First published in Kassel, Germany in 16142 under the full title of General Reformation of the
whole wide world besides the Fama Fraternitatis or Brotherhood of the Highly Praiseworthy
Order of the R. C. To the heads, estates and scholars of Europe (German: Allgemeine und
1
These messages appeared over the course of two separate days. The first poster contained the writing in the
first paragraph. The second paragraph appeared several days later in similar circumstances.
2
Handwritten copies were already in circulation from at least 1610, but the first published copy appeared in
1614.
3|Page
General Reformation der ganzen weiten Welt beneben der Fama Fraternitatis Oder
Brüderschafft des Hochlöblichen Ordens des R. C. An die Häupter, Stände und Gelehrten
Europae). Hereafter referred to as The Fama.3
The Fama presents the story of a poor German monk of noble birth known as Christian
Rosenkreutz. The Fama is where we get the bulk of the biographical information related to
Christian Rosenkreutz. In this text we learn about his family, childhood, studies and travels.
We also learn about the formation of the Fraternity of the R. C. and its governing rules. The
text then culminates in the founding of his tomb which is filled with enough symbolic detail
to keep esotericists and Rosicrucian philosophers thinking and discussing its rich symbolism
for centuries to come. The text is certainly a spiritual allegory and the likelihood of Christian
Rosenkreutz having been a historical figure is not only unlikely, but his biography is
contradicted within the foundational Rosicrucian texts themselves (although, I would think
it foolish to rule out a historical persona entirely).
Confessio Fraternitatis
First published in Kassel, Germany in 1615 under the full title of The Confession of the
Fraternity R.C to the Learned of Europe (Latin: Confessio Fraternitatis R.C. ad Eruditos
Europae). Hereafter referred to as The Confessio. Few copies of the original Latin edition
exist. As a result, many of English translations of this work have been based upon a slightly
flawed German version from 1652 (such as the so-called, Vaughan Version).4
The Confessio is the neglected middle-child of the Rosicrucian Trilogy. It does not contain
the Indiana Jones-esque treasure hunting spirit incorporated in the Fama. Nor does it
contain the rich alchemical symbolism found within the Chemical Wedding. However, this
text contains perhaps the most comprehensive (if still often enigmatically veiled) insight into
the aspirations and hopes for society held by the anonymous manifesto authors.
Over the course of thirty-seven rationes5 (reasons) The Confessio elaborates how Germany
is suffering from a philosophical sickness and that the Rosicrucian Brotherhood have a cure.
It asserts that a new age was beginning, and it was now time to share the genuine
Rosicrucian secrets; but only to the worthy. Or as it states in The Confessio, “Do not disturb
our sacred silence with your clamor if you merely want to satisfy your curiosity, enticed by
the gleam of gold…Although we could instruct and educate the whole world and free it from
endless troubles, we are not made known to anyone unless God permits it. It is impossible
for anyone to enjoy our benefits against God's will. He will sooner lose his life in searching
for us than attain felicity by finding us (Confessio Fraternitatis- ratione 37).
3
Over the centuries, several versions have appeared in various languages. Christopher Macintosh has put
together perhaps the most complete and modern translation based upon a comprehensive cross-analysis of
various versions. This can be found in The Rosicrucian Trilogy by Godwin, J., McIntosh, C., & McIntosh, D. P.
4
A modern translation based upon the original Latin can be found in The Rosicrucian Trilogy by Godwin, J.,
McIntosh, C., & McIntosh, D. P.
5
The rationes are not explicitly delineated within the text but can be deduced as representing the sentences
ending with full-stops or question marks in the original Latin text (following the initial introductory address to
the reader).
4|Page
The Confessio preaches a return to Adamic wisdom; a true and original Christianity. The
writer/s urge the reader to study both the Bible and Nature (both books considered
revealers of the Word by the authors).
Very little information is provided regarding Christian Rosenkreutz in this manifesto. Ratione
8 states that “Father Christian’s meditations embrace everything invented, refined, and
propagated since the world’s beginnings out of human sagacity of mind, or the experience of
daily observation” and ratione 15 states that Father Christian lived to be 106 years old. Both
rationes further reinforce the notion that we are dealing with a text which is presenting a
spiritual allegory, rather than a historical figure.
The Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreuz
In 1616, the third manifesto of the trilogy appeared. Written in German, The Chemical
Wedding of Christian Rosenkreuz (German: Chymische Hochzeit Christiani Rosencreutz anno
1459) presents an allegorical tale quite unlike the previous manifestoes. Rife with esoteric
symbolism and written with an adept understanding of alchemy, The Chemical Wedding of
Christian Rosenkreuz is a text which still confounds esotericists today.
Of this text, Adam McLean writes, “Its hidden mystery seems always just one step beyond
our comprehension. The more we puzzle over it and appear to clear up one point, another
layer of mystery arises from our new understanding of the symbolism, and occludes its
meaning even deeper. Many esotericists despair of ever grasping its inner content, but all
who work with this allegory come to respect the profound and masterly achievement of the
creator of this elegantly sculpted symbolic tale” (McLean & Godwin, 1991).
Today, many hold the author to have been none other than Lutheran scholar Johannes
Valentinus Andreae. Certainly, Andreae claimed authorship of a text in his youth known as
Chymische Hochzeit, but this text has been lost to the sands of time (at least as far as this
author is concerned. However, I would be extremely grateful to any person who could prove
me wrong). Nevertheless, it is fair to say that Andreae, at the very least, had a hand in the
text’s preparation (more on authorship soon).
It is clear that the Rosicrucian furore was due to more than the texts themselves. To further
understand and appreciate the impact of these early Rosicrucian writings, we must observe
their influence through the lens of seventeenth century Europe. For the impact of the
writings were not solely due to their message, but to the landscape upon which they
appeared which helped to amplify their message in a way that, if anticipated by the original
writer/s, would display an incredible amount of foresight on their part.
5|Page
A new age dawns
If we direct our attention to the turn of the seventeenth century in Germany, we will find
the landscape shaped by various social and political phenomena which influenced the
Rosicrucian manifesto writers.
Reformation
“I used to hold the simplistic view that the Reformation was split away from the Catholic
Church by Martin Luther and his supporters, prompted by the abuses of church privileges,
such as the selling of indulgences to excuse sins. Further examination shows that the
Reformation was a much wider phenomenon than purely religious upheaval... Luther's
formation of the ninety-five theses was not the only initiator of this movement; there were
at least five others. These were the social instability and unrest, the unsatisfactory political
situation of the German Lands, and the growth of a humanist outlook as outlined above, to
which we can add the development of printing, and lastly money. All five initiators are of
course linked; the church's attempts to gather money was one cause of dissatisfaction with
the priests…These primers detonated the slow explosion that became the Reformation in its
many aspects” (Crone, 2004).
The religious landscape, and to no lesser degree, the political landscape, was in a state of
flux brought about by the protestant reformation, and strong anti-papal overtones can be
read in the manifestos. The opening page of The Confessio was not shy at aligning the Pope
with the Antichrist. It would appear that the manifestoes were, in part, a by-product of a
societal disappointment related to the failure of the reformation to bring about the changes
sought by the intelligentsia of the time. Shortly after the Rosicrucian manifesto period, this
societal disappointment would erupt into the Thirty Years’ War.
However, Lutheranism was not the only influence that can be found within the manifestoes.
The Rosicrucian worldview presented in the manifestos inspired many figures to pursue
esoteric wisdom by promising a spiritual transformation during a time of great uncertainty.
Millenarianism and heavenly portents
In sixteenth century Germany, Millenarian writings were becoming rather widespread.
Works by the twelfth century mystic Joachim of Fiore were being circulated and proved
especially influential upon other apocalyptic authors of the time. These works planted the
seed of a coming saviour, dubbed ‘The Third Elias’.
The Swiss born Alchemist and physician Paracelsus (who was praised by the early
Rosicrucians) was one such person who was influenced by the current millenarian attitudes
6|Page
and who was also expectant of this saviour figure whom he associated as a Revealer of
occult wisdom6,7.
Simon Studion also published a highly influential book of prophecies in 1604 called
Naometria. Amongst its numerological prophecies, this two-thousand-page text also
describes a secret meeting held in 1586 to create an order known as the Militia Crucifera
Evangelica whose purpose was to oppose the strict dogmatism of the Catholic Church.
The Paracelsian physician and lawyer Tobias Hess who was an outspoken advocate of Simon
Studion’s writings also added Studion’s apocalyptic millenarian ideals to his own studies of
Lutheranism, science, and alchemy (Dickson, 1996). It is clear that the author/s of the first
two Rosicrucian manifestoes were familiar with the writings of Studion and some authors
suggest Tobias Hess may have even been a member himself.
And those wishing to confirm the arrival of a new age, as presented by the writers just
alluded to, would have been delighted to find confirmatory portents appear in the heavens.
These astrological markers were seen by some as heralding the arrival of the new age. In
1602, a comet appeared in the constellation of Cygnus. In October 1604, a supernova
appeared in the constellation of Serpens. These events were referenced later in The
Confessio: “God’s will has now sent as heralds the stars in the Serpent and the Swan, which
are great signs of the great plan. They can teach how God makes these, together with
human ingenuity, serve the purpose of his occult scriptures. The Book of Nature is opened
wide before the eyes of all, though few can either read or understand it” (Confessio
Fraternitatis- ratione 22). In addition to the above two phenomena, in 1603 Johannes Kepler
observed a close conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in Pisces, which he believed to be the
same configuration as that which occurred at the birth of Christ (Godwin, McIntosh, &
McIntosh, 2016).
The political uncertainty brought about by the reformation, coupled with the anticipation of
a coming saviour and recent advances in the sciences provided the backdrop for the coming
Rosicrucian announcements; a new age was dawning. With the stage set and the scene
prepared, it was time for the arrival of Father CRC.
6
“Although, then, it is not so difficult a work to transmute iron into gold, God wills that the lesser operations
shall be performed first, and that the greater ones should remain occult until the Elias of the Art arrives”
(Waite, 1894, p. 104).
7
“There are still many more of these arcana which exhibit transmutations, though they are known to few. And
although these may by the Lord God be made manifest to anyone, still, the rumour of this Art does not on that
account at once break forth, but the Almighty gives therewith the understanding how to conceal these and
other like arts even to the coming of Elias the Artist” (Waite, 1894, p. 27).
7|Page
Authorship
There is a great deal of speculation regarding this newly announced Rosicrucian fraternity.
We do not know the author/s of the manifestoes, nor have any members been identified.
Indeed, even the existence of the brotherhood itself is not entirely known. Despite this lack
of certainty, the fantastic scholarly research by many have provided us with more than
enough clues that a group of Lutheran scholars operating from Tübingen University are the
likely candidates responsible for the writing and/or distribution of the early Rosicrucian
texts.
It is not my intention to repeat at length the research already produced in this area (those
that are curious to learn more of the Tübingen Circle and potential proto-Rosicrucian
Societies can read Macintosh’s ‘Rosicrucians: The History, Mythology, and Rituals of an
Esoteric Order’), but to highlight a curious issue that existed from the beginning of the
Rosicrucian manifesto period: the lack of identified members.
The first confirmed Rosicrucian society did not appear until 1756. We have no shortage of
Rosicrucian writings written in the ~150 years between the manifesto period and the
foundation of the first Rosicrucian society. Despite this activity, few people ever publicly
acknowledged to being a Rosicrucian.
So who was responsible for generating all of this excitement? Let us now turn our attention
to some personalities who wrote extensively upon the Rosicrucians and who were all
directly and indirectly responsible for fanning the flames of the Rosicrucian fire.
Michael Maier (1568-1622) had a great influence on the Rosicrucian furore powering its way
through Europe. A physician by trade, Maier attempted to strike a careful balance between
the traditional Galenic medicine with contemporary Paracelsian medicine which, due to its
reliance upon correspondences between worldly and supernatural forces, was not often
appreciated by the fellow practitioners of Maier’s Lutheran faith. Naturally, Maier became
supremely interested in alchemy and began his pilgrimage throughout Europe to learn all he
could of the Royal Art. Eventually, he was recruited as personal physician to Rudolf II (as
were many other kabbalists, alchemists and astrologers). So aligned were Maier’s values
with the Rosicrucian cause (Waite, 1887, pp. 268-282) that he even authored a whole book
(Themis Aurea) elaborating upon the six laws of the Fraternity of the Rosy Cross as first
mentioned in The Fama. Throughout Themis Aurea, Maier displays a very intimate
understanding of Rosicrucian philosophy. Whilst he mostly uses impartial language, he does
on occasion use possessive terms such as “our Fraternity” (Maier, 1656, p. 121). However,
on the last page of Themis Aurea, Maier finally admits his insufficiency to reach the worth of
the Fraternity R.C. which would appear (at least, superficially) to be an admission that he
was not a member.
The English physician Robert Fludd (1574-1637) would write three papers defending the
Rosicrucian movement8. Maier and Fludd were known acquaintances and it was perhaps
8
Apologia Compendiaria (1616); Tractatus Apologeticus integritatem Societatis de Rosea Cruce defendens
(1617); Tractatus Theologo-Philosophicus (1617).
8|Page
Maier’s instigation that led Robert Fludd to write his third paper in defence of the
Rosicrucians. It has also been speculated that Maier may have even introduced Fludd to the
Rosicrucian brotherhood (although proof of this is outstanding (Craven R. J., 1968). Robert
Fludd’s three-volume series on the History of the Macrocosm and the Microcosm (a trilogy
of works that was incomplete upon his death) shows a tremendous concurrence of thought
between Robert Fludd and the anonymous Rosicrucians. After receiving extensive criticisms
that his own work was too similar to that of the Fraternity of the Rosy Cross to have been
purely written by his own hand, Fludd disclosed that his writings in question were written
four-five years before he had even heard of the Rosicrucians. He sums up this confession by
stating that his own works are as far from the works of the Fraternity of the Rosy Cross as
Earth is from Heaven or Light is from Darkness and that he has never seen, known or
conferred with any of the Fraternity, much to his grief (Huffman, 2001, p. 106). Perhaps
more enlightening is the content contained within Book Four of Fludd’s Summum Bonum
(written under a pseudonym) where he is more explicit about the meeting place of the
Fraternity of the Rosy Cross, the location of which he writes “…is in the house of God, of
which Christ is made the corner stone. By their lives they show themselves to be of the seed
of God…. The foundation of the house is well known…It is not built, as fools imagine, by
alchemy or magic, but is a divine structure… It is, indeed, a house not made with hands, but
has its eternity from above9.” (Craven J. B., 1902, pp. 130-144). The above points maintained
by Fludd regarding the ineffability of the Rosicrucians should be kept in mind as we will
expand upon this theme again shortly.
Johannes Valentinus Andreae (1586-1684) was another Lutheran scholar who some regard
as being an author of the Rosicrucian manifestoes, and not without justification. He was
from a strong Lutheran family (his grandfather was nicknamed the Luther of Württemberg);
his family coat of arms contained a cross surrounded by roses; he was involved in at least
one (but perhaps several more) fraternities operating from Tübingen University; and he
claimed authorship of a text known as The Chemical Wedding (German: Chymische
Hochzeit) which he claimed to have written in his youth. Nevertheless, it is unlikely that he
was operating as a lone wolf, especially considering the considerable differences that
differentiate the third manifesto from The Fama and The Confessio. During the course of his
life, he went from being highly sympathetic to the Rosicrucian cause; to voicing approval of
the Rosicrucian ideals whilst distancing himself from the movement; before finally voicing
strong opposition to the buzz in an attempt to create some distance between himself and
the Rosicrucian furore (Dickson, 1996).10 Confusing, yes?
9
See also, Acts 17:24-34
Regarding Andreae’s involvement, Dickson further writes, “We can avoid the scholarly quagmire that
surrounds his "involvement" in the so-called Rosicrucian brotherhood by foregrounding four important
bibliographic details. First, in his "Breviarium vitae Andreanae", a biographical and bibliographical record in the
form of a yearly diary, Andreae ascertained his authorship of the Chymische Hochzeit and fixed its date of
composition at 1605. Second, Andreae included axioms from the Confessio in the Theca gladii spiritus (1616),
thus linking himself to this second manifesto. Third, Christoph Besold, one of the leaders of his circle,
translated the Boccalini chapter published with the Fama. Lastly, a reception study from Andreae's own work
in the aftermath of the furor most importantly the revisions to his dialogue on the Fraternitas from the 1617 to
the 1618 editions of the Menippus - reveals that his admiration for their aims was being replaced by
10
9|Page
At the time, these three men perhaps wrote more upon the subject of Rosicrucianism than
any other. If we assume that there really was a Rosicrucian fraternity, and if we take their
denial of membership in such a fraternity at face value, then we have to ask, if they were not
members, then who in the hell was?
repugnance at the public response to the call he had helped draft. The first two bibliographical certainties
render the debates over Andreae's involvement moot and apologists who wish to preserve his pious memory
unbesmirched by Rosicrucianism defenseless.”
10 | P a g e
The curious case of invisible brethren
Certainly, there were great practical reasons for denying intimate associations with the
Rosicrucians. Not all responses to the manifestoes were positive. Critical responses ranged
from the manifestoes being a childish joke to claims that the Rosicrucians were devilworshippers. Michael Maier states in his Themis Aurea that many have accounted the
fraternity as heretics, necromancers, deceivers and disturbers of the Commonwealth and
posits that many of these criticisms may be sourced in wealthy apothecaries who were
suffering a financial loss as a result of people turning away from their exotic and needlessly
expensive alchemical remedies, which was in turn encouraged by the growing Rosicrucian
influence (Maier, 1656, pp. 130-131). Self-preservation would wisely dictate distancing
oneself from such claims and powerful enemies.
However, I wish to posit a reason, however idealistic, that I have yet to see (to the best of
my knowledge) made before. That is, that the individuals that were responsible for drafting
and publishing the Rosicrucian writings could be both responsible for the authoring of the
manifestoes, whilst also not being members of the Fraternity of the Rosy Cross. These
seeming paradoxical points of view can be reconciled if we look closer at what membership
might entail.
Every person sees and understands historical events differently depending upon our own
preconceptions (naturally, shaped by our age, culture, education etc) which can influence
our understanding of history. It is natural that our 21st century viewpoint addresses the
question of Rosicrucian membership by seeking a physical filiation between members in a
common meeting place. Afterall, we as Freemasons generally identify ourselves as such by
our regularity of attendance in addition to our shared values (no, this paper will not be
followed-up by another entitled Who are the Freemasons?). But as you can see from the
small selection of quotes from Rosicrucian texts which I have included in this paper, it would
appear that the Rosicrucian writers were keen on using metaphors and allegories to
describe their cause. The Rosicrucian writings of this period were more akin to spiritual
allegories and utopian aspirations than historical narratives. With this outlook in mind,
Rosicrucian writers of this period may have been quite correct in stating that they were not
members of the Fraternity of the Rosy Cross, because such membership would entail having
already achieved an enlightened state, akin to Christhood. By viewing the Rosicrucian
manifestoes (and other associated works) as a mystical ideal, we can reach the conclusion
that the desire to meet the true R.C. is analogous to the desire for reunion with that source
from which we are all emanated, and that the purpose of the fraternity is to assist man to
come to know the relationship that exists between Man, Nature and God; and heal that
division that exists between them. From this perspective, the enigmatic and cryptic phrases
contained within the manifesto period writings start to make a lot more sense, such as the
closing line from The Fama, “And our building, even if a hundred thousand people had seen
it from close to, shall forever remain untouched, undestroyed, unseen, and completely
hidden from the godless world”. This is not to say that all of the Rosicrucian Trilogy and
similar texts should be regarded as only a spiritual allegory. Certainly, they do contain
11 | P a g e
political, religious and historical concepts. However, these notions are of less importance to
us and are not the reason why Rosicrucianism is still spoken about today.
12 | P a g e
Orders, Societies and Brotherhoods
Post-Manifesto Period
It is not the purpose of this paper to detail at length each and every Rosicrucian society.
However, it would be remiss of me to not discuss the first known physical society calling
itself Rosicrucian, not only because it was a Masonic society, but also because of the impact
it had in bringing together Rosicrucian philosophy with ritualistic fraternal work.
Established in 1756, the German Order of the Gold and Rosy Cross (German: Orden des
Gold- und Rosenkreutz); hereafter referred to as GuRC was the first physical Rosicrucian
fraternity that we know of. Inspired by the Alchemical-Rosicrucian writings of Samuel
Richter admission into this order required one to be a Master Mason of at least thirty years
of age11. By the 1770’s, GuRC had lodges in Germany, Austria, Hungary and Northern Italy
(McIntosh, 1980, p. 88). However, the highly hierarchical and rigid structure of this order
was unable to be maintained and by the end of the eighteenth century, the order would
cease to exist in Germany. The primary goal of GuRC was to reunite man with his original
Divine condition prior to The Fall. The teachings were provided to the candidate over the
course of nine alchemical degrees, each degree becoming progressively more specialised.
The first two degrees were purely theoretical. From the third degree onwards, actual
laboratory work was expected. Whilst some of the key doctrinal points of the order (such as
man being triune in expression) would have been familiar to the early Rosicrucians during
the manifesto period, much of the alchemical work would have been unrecognisable.
Nevertheless, GuRC had a great influence upon later Rosicrucian societies. As one example,
the grade structure of GuRC would go on to be adopted by many later Rosicrucian groups,
including the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia (SRIA), The Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis
(AMORC), The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and The Fellowship of the Rosy Cross.
Below is a table showing the grade structure as initially used by GuRC but later adopted by
other Rosicrucian groups. Each grade was accompanied by various signs, colours and words.
It should be kept in mind that the grade structure does differ slightly between Rosicrucian
groups with some groups including preliminary grades as well as grades beyond Magus.
Nevertheless, this hierarchical grading scheme provides the basic foundation of the
traditional Rosicrucian initiatic structure.
11
GuRC underwent several reformations. In its later periods, candidates would also be required to be
Christian.
13 | P a g e
First
Second
Third
Fourth
Fifth
Sixth
Seventh
Eighth
Ninth
Rosicrucian Grade Structure
Juniorus (Zelator/Studiosus in some RC traditions)
Theoreticus
Practicus
Philosophus
Adeptus Minor
Adeptus Major
Adeptus Exemptus
Magister
Magus
Table 1: GuRC Grade Structure used from 1767 onwards.
In 1785 a highly influential book containing GuRC symbols and teachings was anonymously
published in Altona, Hamburg. Known as The Secret Symbols of the Rosicrucians (German:
Geheime Figuren der Rosenkreuzer) the alchemical-mystical drawings printed within these
pages gives us perhaps the greatest insight into the doctrines of this order12. The Secret
Symbols of the Rosicrucians contains thirty-six full-page plates with several treatises and a
poem all written in a mixture of Latin and German. Many of the plates are now known to
predate this book and it is possible that the text was used as a device to provide knowledge
deemed useful to interested people that were unaffiliated with GuRC. The opening treatise
is a title-less complex summary of the alchemical processes required to help improve the
health of human beings, animals, plants and metals; and bring their perfection up to the
highest degree using the innate powers present in nature and directed by God.
The alchemical descriptions, symbolic images and highly philosophical nature of The Secret
Symbols of the Rosicrucians makes it a rich source of inspiration for esotericists, even if
requiring effort to retrieve the pearls of wisdom it has contained within.
Naturally, Freemasons being adept at using signs and symbols to reveal important truths,
have found such texts to be rather inspired. Despite Freemasons perhaps having an
advantage in studying Rosicrucian symbolism, the archaic language used within The Secret
Symbols of the Rosicrucians and the manifestoes still makes it an arduous study without
modern translations, commentary and an understanding of the socio-political landscape of
the time.
Modern Day
For modern Rosicrucian societies, striking a balance between maintaining traditions and
maintaining relevance has proven to be a difficult and contentious area of work, with many
contemporary groups happy to work in isolation. This has led to no shortage of Rosicrucian
groups each with their own identity and traditions. For example, some Rosicrucian societies
have maintained that Rosicrucianism is a Christian tradition and only accept members of a
12
A full pdf copy of this text with English translations can be found here: https://www.rosicrucian.org/secretsymbols-of-the-rosicrucians (as of 10/05/2021).
14 | P a g e
Christian faith (eg. Fellowship of the Rosy Cross); some societies only accept Master Masons
and by extension are only open to men (eg. SRIA); and some have removed some of the
more archaic and religious terminology to present the core Rosicrucian principles in a
contemporary fashion (eg. AMORC). Despite the numerous differences between the dozens
of modern Rosicrucian societies, many groups (including the three just alluded to) are
certainly capable of producing adepts.
This should hardly be surprising, for even though all contemporary Rosicrucian groups have
found ways to elaborate upon the mysteries espoused by early Rosicrucians, they have all
started with a similar foundational resource (ie. the manifestoes and their subsequent
apologies/replies; The Secret Symbols of the Rosicrucians; esoteric works of the Occult
Revival period). Therefore, a more useful exercise than discussing individual groups would
be to examine exactly what a Rosicrucian group should endeavour to be.
The initial Rosicrucian writings contain a rather holistic (albeit often inexplicit) doctrinal
framework for man to know thyself and study the relationships that exists between Man,
Nature and God. Therefore, any Rosicrucian group worth their salt should be labouring with
this work in mind. The purpose of any Rosicrucian system of study is therefore not to
provide a student with a goody-bag of passwords, signs, gestures and traditional history
(although most Rosicrucian societies do include such treasures) but to assist the student to
form a working relationship with their inner (divine) nature. Students should then be
encouraged to put the inspirations thus gained from this relationship in service of
themselves, humanity and beyond.
15 | P a g e
Who are the Rosicrucians?
Looking back at the journey Rosicrucianism has taken, we cannot help but notice that our
modern world shares a similar backdrop as the landscape in which the manifestoes were
conceived and which gave birth to the Rosicrucians. Our world is rife with materialism and
conspirituality. Perhaps Rosicrucian philosophy is needed now more than ever. True
Rosicrucian wisdom is not found in heavenly philosophies, nor is it found in materialism.
Rather it is found at the meeting place of these two worlds whose conjunction takes place
within our very self.
Whilst a return to dogmatic religiosity would be anathema to the current needs of the
world, a return to a true spirituality founded upon an appreciation of natural laws
discovered from a diligent study of the mysteries of Nature and Science would be beneficial
to our current situation.
Perhaps only when the leaders of Rosicrucian societies come to understand and agree upon
the true purpose of a Rosicrucian group will the time come for them to reconcile their
differences and work together for the common goal whose fans were flamed by the
manifesto writers of old.
From a thorough study of the early Rosicrucian writings, we can start to deduce exactly
what it means to be Rosicrucian and find that for most people, becoming a Rosicrucian
would always remain an aspiration; for true Rosicrucian adeptship would be an exceedingly
rare occurrence. Perhaps Dr Franz Hartmann put it best when he said, "To call a person a
Rosicrucian does not make him one, nor does the act of calling a person a Christian make
him a Christ. The real Rosicrucian or Mason cannot be made; he must grow to be one by the
expansion and unfoldment of the divine power within his own heart. The inattention to this
truth is the cause that many churches and secret societies are far from being that which their
names express” (Hartmann, 1888).
Perhaps when viewed from this perspective, Father CRC embodies that self-realised
enlightened state of being who, after having attained the Philosopher’s Stone, assists others
in realising their own true Divine state. The similarity of Father CRC to the life of Christ
warrants reflection and the aims of the Fraternity of the Rose Cross to bring about a True
Christianity should be understood from a personal mystical level. For anybody that wishes to
learn more about Rosicrucian philosophy I would highly urge you to seek out a Rosicrucian
group to learn more.
16 | P a g e
References
Craven, J. B. (1902). Doctor Robert Fludd (Robertus de Fluctibus), the English Rosicrucian: life
and writings. Kirkwall: William Peace & Son.
Craven, R. J. (1968). Count Michael Maier- Doctor of Philosophy and Medicine, Alchemist,
Rosicrucian, Mystic. London: Dawsons of Pall Mall.
Crone, H. D. (2004). Paracelsus: The Man who Defied Medicine. Eaglemount, Australia:
Albarello Press.
Dickson, D. R. (1996). Johann Valentin Andreae's Utopian Brotherhoods. Renaissance
Quarterly, 49(4), 760-802.
Godwin, J., McIntosh, C., & McIntosh, D. P. (2016). Rosicrucian Trilogy: Modern Translations
of the Three Founding Documents. MA: Weiser Books.
Hartmann, F. M. (1888). Secret Symbols of the Rosicrucians. Boston: Boston Occult
Publishing Company.
Huffman, W. (2001). Western Esoteric Masters Series: Robert Fludd. Berkeley, California:
North Atlantic Books.
Maier, M. (1656). Laws of the Fraternity of the Rosie Crosse (Themis Aurea) with
introductionary preface by Manly P. Hall. Los Angeles: Philosophical Research
Society.
McIntosh, C. (1980). The Rosy Cross Unveiled: The History, Mythology and Rituals of an
Occult Order. Northhamptonshire: The Aquarian Press Limited.
McLean, A., & Godwin, J. (1991). The Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz/ translated
by Jocelyn Godwin ; introduction and commentary by Adam McLean. Massachusetts:
Phanes Press.
Sédir, P. (2006). The Histroy & Doctrine of the Rose-Croix (translated by Piers A. Vaughan).
Waite, A. E. (1887). The Real History of the Rosicrucians. London: George Redway, York
Street, Covent Garden.
Waite, A. E. (1894). The Hermetic and Alchemical Writings of Aureolus Philippus
Theophrastus Bombast of Hohenheim, called Paracelsus the Great Vol. 1. London:
James Elliott and Co.
17 | P a g e
Appendix 1: Timeline
1541
Death of
Paracelsus/Rise
of Paracelsianism
1610
First handwritten
copy of Fama
Fraternitatis
appears
1604
Simon Studion’s
Naometria
Pre-Manifesto period
1615
Confessio
Fraternitatis
1614
Fama
Fraternitatis
1616
Chemical Wedding
Manifesto period
~200 responses
written to RC
Fraternity
1756
Founding of Orden
des Gold- und
1785
Rosenkreutz
Secret Symbols of
the Rosicrucians
1856
Eliphas Levi
completes Dogma
and Ritual of High
Magic
Post-Manifesto period
1888
Founding of
Kabbalistic Order
of the Rose-Croix
20th century
onwards
Dozens of
Rosicrucian societies
founded
Occult Revival & beyond