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 Book Release: The Templars & the Grail
Now available 2007: The Knights Templar Encyclopedia
Who were the Rosicrucians? What does the symbol of
"the rose and the cross" really mean? Why was the early 17th. c. Rosicrucian
Enlightenment so fundamental to the founding of the Invisible College, which
became the great scientific academy, the Royal Society of England? Why is
Rosicrucianism connected to such illustrious figures as John Dee, Robert Boyle,
Elias Ashmole, Robert Fludd and Sir Francis Bacon? Such questions have aroused
the curiosity for many for quite some time.
The Rosicrucian movement, often called Rosicrucianism, first
officially surfaced in 1614 Kassel, Germany, with the publication of Fama
Fraternitatis, des Loblichen Ordens des Rosenkreutzes (The Declaration of
the Worthy Order of the Rosy Cross). The name "Rosicrucian" is derived from its
symbol, a combination of a rose and a cross. It has been largely conceived of
as a type of mystical Christianity by many writers in the past, some pointing
out relevant connections to Gnostic thought and alchemical philosophy.
The Fama Fraternitatis had been circulating in manuscript form
for several years prior to its initial publication in 1614. The Fama
Fraternitatis revealed the existence of a fraternity founded by Christian
Rosenkreuz, who was said to have lived in the 14th and 15th centuries, and who
had travelled extensively in the East, before returning to Europe with new
wisdom and knowledge. Members of the Rosicrucian movement were secretive about
the fact, and were said to travel incognito, healing the sick, and spreading
this special esoteric knowledge to others. Upon the death of Christian
Rosenkreuz, even his place of burial was kept secret. However, the Fama stated that the burial vault of Christian Rosenkreuz had been found by the new
brotherhood of Rosicrucians, and that this implied the beginning of a new age.
Naturally, this unusual publication stimulated much discussion and interest in
its time - the early 17th century.
The year after the publication of the Fama Fraternitatis, the Confessio Fraternitatis was also published at Kassel, Germany, again by
an unknown author and, this time, in Latin instead of German. It repeated the
message of the Fama, emphasizing a new age, the hope of a reformed world
with less papal tyranny, and the mysterious and powerful knowledge of the
Rosicrucian brotherhood.
A further year later, in 1616, a third tract was published, this time
in Strasbourg, Germany, entitled Die Chymische Hochzeti Christiani
Rosenkreuz (The Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreuz). This, many
researchers believe, was actually written by a Tubingen Protestant theologian
name Johann Valentin Andreae, who may also have helped to write the Fama. In
the Chemical Wedding tract, Christian Rosenkreuz himself narrates the text and
describes his experiences as a guest - and not the bridegroom, as the title
suggests - at the wedding of a king and queen who live in a magnificent castle.
The whole event develops into a type of initiation, where the guests are
subjected to many tests and some are killed and revived again, due to a special
alchemical operation. This publication has many fascinating and unusual arcane
symbols, many of which are still being studied today. But after the publication
of these three tracts, controversy arose in Germany. Some people wanted to
join, others claimed to be members, and soon so much material was in existence,
that the entire matter became very confusing. Overall, Rosicrucianism is a very
complex topic, and must be looked at in the context of many cultural and
intellectual strands in order to be studied properly.
Overall, Rosicrucianism and its concepts are connected with various
Hermetic and Gnostic traditions, and the history of alchemy in Europe. It is
associated with illustrious figures such as John Dee of Elizabethan England,
Elias Ashmole, Robert Fludd, Robert Boyle, and Sir Francis Bacon. It is also
intimately connected with the founding of the Invisible College, which
eventually became the Royal Society, the great scientific academy which had a
seminal influence in the development of science and scientific thought. It is
thus worthy of the wider and more serious academic study which it is now
beginning to attract.
Dr Karen Ralls
2000-2008 |
