woman initiate exposes weird rites of the rosicrucians (1920)

7/27/2019 Woman Initiate Exposes Weird Rites of the Rosicrucians (1920).

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W oman Initiate Ex poses W eird Rites of the RosicruciansFearsome Oaths and Exhibit ions of Magic

Described as Chief Features in

Ceremony of Induction

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2/9

T H E S U N A N D N E W Y O R K H E R A L D , S U N D A Y , A P R I L IS , 1 9 2 0 .

W oman Initiate Exposes W eird Rites of the RosicruciansFearsome Oaths and Exhibitions of Magic

Described as Chief Features inCeremonv of Induction*

IS t h a g e n e r a l t a d t r d l f t e r e r o e t o t f c e

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3/9

Woman Initiate Exposes Weird Rites of the Rosicrucians

Fearsome Oaths and Exhibitions of Magic Described as Chief Features in

Ceremony of Induction

Member Who Resigned Tells of Attempts to Make Her Pay Penalty for

Withdrawing From the Order

In the general sad indifference to the most recent computation of vril the

coming force, and to the latest astronomical and astrological data from Mount

Ecclesia there are persons in New York who are not aware that many branches of

the Rosicrucian Society exist in America. H. Spencer Lewis, F.R.C., grand master

general and imperator of the Rosaecrucian (note the spelling), shares this ignorancewith them, or alms to, for he says in his history of the order in America:

"While in the United, States there is an array of organizations all purporting to

be true Rosaecrucians, there is in truth but one true order, the original and perfect

Rosaecrucian order, which is known by one only name, 'The Ancient and Mystical

Order Rosae Crucis,' whose universal and worldwide symbol is the triangle with

the point downward. '

Another statement by Founder Lewis will surprise a good many persons who

thought they knew all about Rosicrucianism in this country. It is that the American

society dates back from 1915. He made a misreading of his original instructions

from theInitiates.,and when in 1913 he called upon the Society for Psychical

Research to help him form a lodge here of the Rosy Cross he met with

indifference. It could not be otherwise, for the adepts had retarded the date to 1915.

In the early part of that year, with the assistance of Superior Secretary-General

Thor Kiimalehto and when "the moon was in Sagittarius," armed with charter and

"black book," Founder Lewis called together a little band of nine men and women

to form a committee to originate a Supreme Council for America.

I Growth of the Organization.

The preliminary work went forward steadily. In March fifty persons had taken

the "preliminary oath in the officialBlack Book. On April 1 thirty of the most

active workers met at a proposed lodge room in Seventh avenue and there and then


4/9

they constituted themselves the first true Rosicrucian convention of the order ever

held in the temple to America.

"Since then," glowingly reports Founder Lewis, "the order has grown amazingly.

There are now associated with us hundred of merchants, land owners, newspaper

editors, Government officials, physicians, surgeons, lawyers, scientists,professional men and women, artists, artisans, laborers at little trades, all working

for a common good and meeting on a common level."

At once the sheep were separated from the goats, and societies which had gained

notoriety as being lodges, &c., of the Rosaecrucians were asked to give an account

of themselves. Many of them did so and disclaimed the intention of representing

officially the great secret order. One o f these was Max Heindel, a writer on mystic

subjects. He explained that he had, indeed, founded the "Rosicrucian Fellowship,"

but it made no pretension to temporal power. Mrs. Marie Russak also explained themeaning and powers of her "Temple of the Rosy Cross."

With the Rosicrucian factory of Dr. Clymer, at Allentown, Pa., the American

authorized society had more trouble. From this printing centre books went forth

broadcast, among them one called "A Secret Book Giving the First Forty-nine

Degrees of the Illuminati of the Rosicrucian Order." This book sold for $10. But

any connection between Dr. Clymer and the true Rosaecrucians was finally

disproved.

What is a Rosaecrucian? Here is Dr. Lewis's answer:"A Rosaecrucian is one who lives a life of attainment, determined that before he

completes this cycle or period of earthly existence he shall have accomplished

through personal endeavor some deed o f goodness for the betterment of the human

race.

"The Rosaecrucians have nothing to do with any other religion, including the

Christian religion. They created the symbol of the cross, they say, and the

Christians adopted it. They do not teach spiritualism nor mediumship.

Rosaecrucianism has nothing to do with Yogi or other philosophy. It sells no booksor degrees purporting to contain secrets of initiation. It has regular lodges or

temples in various cities, each with its master officer and under officials: It has

also its grand lodges, and its supreme lodge is in this city. The work o f the

American branch is outlined by the supreme council of the world and is secret. The

funds are collected by regular contributions."


5/9

The Rosaecrucians lodge of New York city has apparently judged it wise to use

another name than its famous one; it functions as a society for educational

purposes as the Metropolitan College, Incorporated. The president of this college

was formerly a Jesuit priest and it has a large society of adepts and initiates and

probationers, with branches and connections in other cities.

Tells of Weird Initiation.

Meetings and classes or the "college" are held in the Masonic Temple in Harlem.

Classes for the instruction o f probationers are held weekly and the "initiates," some

of whom are called "Initiates of Tibet," meet on the 15th and last of each month.

All meetings are held at night and the religious meetings, so-called, start at

midnight.

A candidate for probation is obliged to show letters from three well known

business men who have known him for at least five years. When these have been

passed on favorably by the officers he will be summoned to the initiation

ceremonies. As the ancient and mystical order is truly mystical and secret, to know

what these ceremonies are one must depend on what is told by persons who have

gone so far as to have the experience and then backed out. A woman of a high

degree of intelligence and genuinely "seeking" had the experience and did retreat.

She tells the story of her initiation in good faith and would willing to sign her

statement i f by doing so any good would be gained."Another woman and a man were the other candidates for initiation besides

myself' said she. "We were locked in a small antechamber while the society

carried on its ritual in the main auditorium. Occasionally we heard a loud voice

raised in speech or a sort of song or chant, but these came to us muffled. I talked

with the woman candidate, who was very nervous, and learned that she mourned a

dear relative and in the hope of getting into communication with her spirit she had

sought the aid of the Rosicrucians. The male candidate impressed me as being

influenced by curiosity simply."At the stroke of midnight the doors were thrown open and we three were

admitted into the big chamber. It was dimly lighted. An assemblage o f 200 or 300

persons, each wearing a black robe with a black headdress and mask moved in

procession past us and around the hall. Each one, whether man or woman, carried a

cross with a red rose upon it, lighted by electricity. At the head of the procession


6/9

walked two men, one bearing a bowl of sacrificial blood and the other a skull.

These were also illuminated by electricity.

"When the procession had paused near the top of the room we, the candidates,

went blindfolded and led before them. Then oaths were administered to us. I wish Icould remember how these were phrased but I do not. They were long and we were

asked to repeat them in sections, and all I recollect is that the oaths were very

weird and wild. The principal oath was coached in quaint language, which we were

told came down from the fourteenth century. The last oath o f the series was that we

would never reveal the secrets of the order or exhibit to an outsider any of the

literature of the Rosicrucians.

"The folds were then removed from our eyes and we were given seats in a circle

while initiates gave exhibitions of magic to prove what powers can be gained by a

diligent student.

"Throughout this exhibition the auditorium remained dimly lighted, but the altar

with the cross and rose shone brilliantly.

"In the circle in which I sat to witness whatever marvels might be vouchsafed

there were, I think, about twenty-four persons, new members and we three

candidates. In our midst stood an initiate of Tibet with his feet resting on the bare

floor. We could see him dimly and he gradually faded from view as if he sank into

the floor. As soon as he had completely disappeared from our circle his voice was

heard from the altar, and turning our eyes there we saw him standing in front of thecross.

"This seemed wonderful but it did not content the male seeker, who asked for

further miracles, and his request was echoed by several voices. The initiate agreed

to produce a dozen fresh roses with the dew on them and cause them to fall from

the air in our midst. Apparently he did this. The roses fell one by one in the midst

of the circle, each one wet with dew as if freshly plucked. The season was winter

and the initiate stood far removed from us, near the altar. Following this

demonstration nothing further in the way of magic was done, and to repeatedrequests for more the adepts frankly said they were exhausted.

Resignation Carries Penalty.

"I went to one or two classes, after this general meeting, but I decided that I did

not care to carry out my plan to become an adept member and asked to be


7/9

permitted to resign. The secretary of Metropolitan College, who is the wife of a

dealer in secret society equipment in Maiden lane, replied to my request that I

could be allowed to resign only by paying into the society a sum equal to one-tenth

of my income and by returning all literature that I had borrowed or purchased. I

have done neither and have received many letters from officers and adepts whichare fairly threatening in their nature. It has come to my knowledge since trying to

free myself from any connection with the Rosicrucians that another aspirant in

endeavoring to break with the society had an even more unhappy experience than

mine."

"Our House of the Holy Ghost," is the veiled admission of the Society of

Rosicrucians, "though a hundred thousand men should have looked upon it, is yet

doomed to remain untouched, imperturbable, out of sight, and unrevealed to the

whole godless world forever."As i f in agreement with this desired mystery the beginnings of the Society of the

Rosy Cross are difficult to find in history. That it was founded by one Christian

Rosencreutz, a German mystic who dwelt for a time in India and Egypt and

claimed to have absorbed their secret wisdom, is vehemently denied, and so is the

statement that the name of the secret order is derived from his cognomen: Lewis

denies that it was established in Germany by him or by Andrea Valentine or by

Martin Luther. Claims of its foundation by all of these are made by different

authors seeking the fountain head.

Lewis tells of a seeker named Arnaud who had heard of a wonderful society in

Egypt which held the key to all science and all art. At the instance of Charlemagne

Arnaud went to Thebes in 778 A. D., returned to France six years later and

established the first Rosicrucian lodge. The place was Toulouse and the year 804.

From that start we hear of it all over Europe as it pursued its course with the

various tinctures of differing material, national habit and custom, but never

definitely.

From the beginning the society pretended to transmute metals, to prolong life, topossess knowledge of what was occurring in distant places and to foretell the

future. Vaughan, who planted it in America, "lost" the Rosaecrucian stone in order,

he said, "that it might sink into the soil and fertilize the land with the thought and

spirit of Rosicrucianism."

Although known to the world as Brothers of the Rosy Cross, a mere exact


8/9

etymology is derived from ros (dew) and rosa (rose). Dew was considered by the

ancients as the most powerful solvent of gold and the cross in alchemy is the

synonym of light. In 1638 a bit of doggerel fixed its mission thus:

"For what we do presage is not in grosse.

For we are brothers of the Rosie Crosse:

We have the Mason word and second sight

Things for to come we can fortell aright.''

Some of the ancient books of the society may be seen, according to a statement

made by the head of the order here, in our public library, "but only in a private

place, where by special privilege I may show them for the edification of trueadepts. These books are rudely bound, printed on papyrus and leather; some of the

leaves are crumbling from very age."

More modern writings are titled like the following: "Astrological Letters."

"Death and the Life In Purgatory," "Life and Activity in Heaven," "Birth, a

Fourfold Event," "Astronomical Allegories of the Bible," &c.

These books and others like "Continuity or Life, a Cosmic Truth." by Prof. W. L

Lockwood, "Beyond the Borderline of Life," by Gustavus Myers, may be had byaddressing the publishers and booksellers to the S. R. I. A., who are at 45 John

street, New York, but other books intended for students and postulates are given

out mysteriously at the "college," and all are warned not to permit an outsider to

see them. To do so is to commit a crime by making the Rosicrucian secrets

common.

TheMercuryis the official organ of "Metropolitan College" and is issued

semimonthly. It gives the calendar for the month, a biography o f some illustrious

initiate and other innocuous matter. A book of "Principles and Practice for

Rosicrucians" is issued for neophytes. It was written for the fraternity by "Khei."

Another book cherished by seekers Is "The Landmarks of the Most Holy Order of

the Golden and Rosy Cross, and the Constitution of the Societas Rosicruciana in

America: to which are appended the By-Laws of Metropolitan College, S. R.I.A."


9/9

Prayer of the Rosicrucian.

Here is the prayer of the Rosicrucian, which he is expected to repeat at least

three times daily "in a slow, forceful and intense manner":

"Great Central Flame: thee we venerate, thee we adore, thee we invoke: not as a

person but as Essence. Power, wisdom. Light and Life Incarnate. Be with us in this

and all laudable undertakings.

"Invisible Fraters of the Rose Cross: Let your guidance be manifest through

counsel of the Worshipful Adept in this and future convocations."

To all the secret publications from which the above data were drawn is appended

this "Allegiance":

"Metropolitan College S. R I A. acknowledges allegiance to the magi and officersof the high council o f the Societas Rosicruciana in America as the sovereign source

of the Rosicrucian art in the United States of America. The house of the S. S. is at

present situate in the city o f New York."

woman initiate exposes weird rites of the rosicrucians (1920)

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