The History of Rosicrucianism

"The History of Rosicrucianism"

The Rosicrucian Order, AMORC, is known internationally by its traditional and authentic title, the Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis. Rosae Crucis from the Latin means “of the Rosy Cross”. There is no religious connotation associated with this symbol; the Rosy Cross symbol predates Christianity. The cross symbolically represents the human body and the rose represents the individual’s unfolding consciousness.

The lineage of the Rosicrucian movement can be traced from its beginnings in the mystery schools of ancient Eygpt founded by Pharaoh Thutmose III (1500 to 1447 B.C), and more particularly from his grandson Pharaoh Amenhotep IV (also known as Akhnaton) ~ through to the Greek philosophers such as Thales and Pythagoras, the Roman philosopher Plotinus, and others like Parmenides, who journeyed to Egypt and were initiated into the mystery schools ~ through to the symbolism hidden in the love songs of Troubadours, the formularies of Alchemists, the symbolical system known as the Qabalah, and the rituals of Orders of Knighthood during the dark and dangerous times of medieval Europe.

The Famous ‘Fama Fraternitatis’

In 17th century Germany, a mysterious publication called the Fama Fraternitatis written by ‘Christian Rosenkreuz’ was printed. This heralded a renewed interest in Rosicrucianism throughout Europe. As part of this great renewal, the renowned Sir Francis Bacon (1561~1626) English philosopher, essayist, and statesman, directed the Rosicrucian Order’s activities both in England and Europe. Rosicrucian history states that Sir Francis Bacon was actually the author of the Fama Fraternitatis and other works that brought about the revival of the Order in Germany.

Throughout history a number of prominent persons in the fields of science and the arts have been associated with the Rosicrucian movement, such as Leonardo da Vinci (1452~1519), Cornelius Heinrich Agrippa (1486~1535), Paracelsus (1493~1541), François Rabelais (1494~1553), Teresa of Avila (1515~1582), St John of the Cross (1542~1591), Francis Bacon (1561~1626), Jakob Boehme (1575~1624), Rene Descartes (1596~1650), Blaise Pascal (1623~1662), Baruch Spinoza (1632~1677), Isaac Newton (1642~1727), Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646~1716), Benjamin Franklin (1706~1790), Thomas Jefferson (1743~1826), Michael Faraday (1791~1867), Marie Corelli (1855~1924), Claude Debussy (1862~1918), Erik Satie (1866~1925) and Edith Piaf (1915~1963).

Crossing the Atlantic

The Order crossed the Atlantic in the late 17th century when a Rosicrucian colony was established in Philadelphia. Later such eminent Americans as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and Thomas Paine were intimately connected with the Rosicrucian community. Throughout history there have been periods of greater and lesser activity of Rosicrucianism around the world. Inactive in the Americas during the 19th century, the Order was very active in France, Germany, Switzerland, Russia, Spain, and other lands during this time.

While Rosicrucianism is primarily a western phenomenon it is also eclectic and draws on the diverse mystical traditions of ancient Greece, China, India and Persia. Naturally enough, it also embraces the great explosion of human, scientific and philosophical knowledge of the 19th and 20th centuries.