The Secret Source. Maja D'Aoust

are as yet only at the commencement of the path which leads to the realization of this unity in the full development of all its powers, but others have trodden the way before us, from whose experiences we may learn; and not least among these was the illustrious founder of the Most Christian Fraternity of the Rosicrucians. This master-mind, setting out in his youth with the intention of going to Jerusalem, changed the order of his journey and first sojourned for three years in the symbolical city of Damcar, in the mystical country of Arabia, then for about a year in the mystical country of Egypt, and then for two years in the mystical country of Fez. Then, having during these six years learned all that was to be acquired in those countries, he returned to his native land of Germany, where, on the basis of the knowledge he had thus gained, he founded the Fraternity R.C., for whose instruction he wrote the mystical books M. and T. Then, when he realized that his work in its present stage was accomplished, he of his own free will laid aside the physical body, not, it is recorded, by decay, or disease, or ordinary death, but by the express direction of the Spirit of Life, summing up all his knowledge in the words, “Jesus mihi omnia.”³¹

      Troward voraciously studied Rosicrucian teachings, According to Claude Brodeur:

      Troward has based his philosophy on the principle of a “Universal Subconscious Mind,” and that man’s subconscious is no more nor less than universal and infinite God-consciousness . . . . This kind of thinking puts a Rosicrucian stamp on the new religious thinking called New Thought.³²

THE ROSICRUCIAN AND HERMETIC BROTHERHOODS

      Several New Thought authors considered themselves to be Rosicrucians. Most people have a hazy idea that Rosicrucians inhabit secret conspiracy-type organizations, but few realize Rosicrucianism’s Hermetic basis, which evolved in Europe in the seventeenth century. Myriad fraternities have formed throughout time (and many still exist today) that have studied and practiced the Hermetic arts. These groups tend to be secretive, often to avoid persecution from larger religious organizations such as the Catholic Church, but occasionally they expand, sharing their information with a wider audience. The Rosicrucians are one group that shared much of its information with the public. Also known as “The Brethren of the Rose Cross,” Rosicrucians are traditionally Christian organizations, but to be certain, they are Christian Hermeticists.

      In his Apology, Fludd described the Rosy Cross Brothers as true Christians and the spiritual descendants of Hermes Trismegistus. He declared himself a disciple without being a member, and he thought it possible that there was no formal Rosicrucian organization; a community of minds sharing the same spiritual and philosophic goals was quite enough to constitute a movement, in his opinion. “I affirm that every Theologus of the Church Mystical is a real Brother of the Rosy Cross.”³³

      The history of Christian Hermeticists goes back to the dawn of Christianity itself, and there have been schools of thought that combine these two philosophies. The Rosicrucians claim their origins date back to the time of Christ, but there is no written evidence of their existence until the early 1600s in Germany. At that time, three Rosicrucian manifestos were anonymously published one year after the other: Fama Fraternitatis (1614), Confessio Fraternitatis (1615), and the Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz (1616). This last work is entirely alchemical and Hermetic in its contents, basing its contents on the Emerald Tablet. Contained within the pages of these books, particularly Fama, is the story of an initiate who undergoes a spiritual revolution. The name of the initiate is given as Christian Rosenkreutz (also known as C.R.C.). There is no small amount of mystery concerning the origins and identity of C.R.C., and many say the entire story is simply to be taken allegorically. However, Rosenkreutz is commonly credited with being the founder of the original Rosicrucian Order. During his lifetime, the Order was said to consist of no more than eight members, all of whom dissipated after his death. The Order picked up again much later, upon the discovery of his tomb:

      In the morning following, we opened the door, and there appeared to our sight a vault of seven sides and corners, every side five foot broad, and the height of eight foot. Although the sun never shined in this vault, nevertheless it was enlightened with another sun, which had learned this from the sun, and was situated in the upper part in the center of the ceiling. In the midst, instead of a tombstone, was a round altar covered over with a plate of brass, and thereon this engraven: “This is all clear and bright, as also the seven sides and the two Heptagoni: so we kneeled altogether down and gave thanks to the sole wise, sole mighty and sole eternal God, who hath taught us more than all men’s wits could have found out, praised be his holy name. This vault we parted in three parts, the upper part or ceiling, the wall or side, the ground or floor. Of the upper part you shall understand no more of it at this time, but that it was divided according to the seven sides in the triangle, which was in the bright center; but what therein is contained, you shall God willing (that are desirous of our society) behold the same with your own eyes; but every side or wall is parted into ten figures, every one with their several figures and sentences, as they are truly shown and set forth concentratum here in our book.”

      —from Fama Fraternitatis

      Rumors had it that the Emerald Tablet itself was amongst these texts in the tomb. It is theoretically possible that somehow C.R.C. could have come across it, or that the book copied someone else’s interpretation of the Emerald Tablet. It was also speculated that some of the texts belonged to other Alchemists such as John Dee:

      Inside the tomb there were said to have been alchemical books with a quasi-political overtone, definitely favoring the court of Frederick V, the Elector Palatine. All this was disseminated as gospel in a kind of alchemical Protestant revival. Curiously, these texts, The Fama and The Confessio, had many doctrinal similarities to Dee’s Hieroglyphic Monad, so that it appears that Dee’s earlier work was used as the model for the Rosicrucian broadsheets by their authors.³⁴

      It is most likely that Rosenkreutz came upon Hermetic writings as a young boy living at a monastery. According to legend, Rosenkreutz was rescued by a monk from a fire that burned his family’s castle. The monk happened to be an Albigensian adept from Languedoc, and a specialist in Hermeticism. Rosenkreutz was brought up and educated in the monastery, and, with four other monks in the community, he formed a fraternal group determined to devote themselves to the search for truth.³⁵ Later in his life, C.R.C. traveled to Arabia where he apparently studied with some Arabic alchemists, learning their deepest secrets.

      From the Arabians C.R.C. also learned of the elemental peoples and how, with their aid, it was possible to gain admission to the ethereal world where dwelt the genii and Nature spirits. C.R.C. thus discovered that the magical creatures of the Arabian Nights Entertainment actually existed, though invisible to the ordinary mortal. C.R.C. became an adept n the gathering of medicinal herbs, the transmutation of metals, and the manufacture of precious gems by artificial means. Even the secret of the Elixir of Life and the Universal Panacea were communicated to him. Enriched thus beyond the dreams of Croesus, the Holy Master returned to Europe and there established a House of Wisdom which he called Domus Sancti Spiritus. This house he enveloped in clouds, it is said, so that men could not discover it. What are these “clouds,” however, but the rituals and symbols under which is concealed the Great Arcanum?³⁶

      The publications of these three works caused a huge stir in Europe. Alchemy was both popular and taboo during this time period, so people were looking for any information they could get their hands on. The third and last book in the Rosicrucian trilogy, The Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz, was infused with the srongest type of alchemical material which focused more on the soul’s evolution than the production of gold:

      [It was] replete with rich allegorical details, as well as cosmological, alchemical, astrological, magical and chivalric symbols. As the allegory began, Rosenkreutz was preparing for the celebration. All manner of trials, ordeals, and strange initiation rites were put before him, but he triumphed over them in what can be seen as a spiritual progression . . . . He was invested with the chivalric Order of the Golden Stone, an apparent reference to the legendary philosophers’