Christian Rosenkreutz

In 1610, the words”Rosae Crucis” appeared in Cassel  Frankfurt, Germany when a certain individual named Christian Rosenkreutz, popularly known among mystics as C.R.C., published such works as the “Fama Fraternitatis,” “Confecio Fraternitatis” and the “Chemical Marriage of Christian Rosenkreutz.”  In these works were written the organizational structure and rules of the Brotherhood.  It was stated that C.R.C. was the founder of the Brotherhood, and that it was composed of powerful men who have attained mastership in the esoteric arts, healing, science, and culture.  Most of them were known to be transcendental philosophers.  It is stated that their mission was the rehabilitation of Europe as well as all of humanity by freeing men from the enslavement of fear, false beliefs, bigotry and superstition.  These lofty principles electrified all of Europe, and for seven years from 1610 to 1617 , many had sought to enter the portals of the ROSICRUCIANS.

Modern science says C.R.C. was no other than Sir Francis Bacon.  In his time, he was publicly well-known as a lawyer, speaker in Parliament, philosopher, thinker , and writer.  He had written more than 30 philosophical works and many legal, popular, scientific, historical, and other books and essays.  The “Novum  Organum” (New Method), written in Latin, was his famous work on inductive reasoning where he laid out a plan for the reorganization of knowledge into categories. He was knighted and became Lord Chancellor in 1603, Baron Verulam in 1618, and Viscount St. Albans in 1621.

But unknown to the masses, Bacon also led a secret life as the head of the Rosicrucian movement of the Seventeenth century.  He served as Imperator, or secret Spiritual chief, of the Rosicrucian Brotherhood.

Bacon became the target of much political intrigue and machination. Finally, Bacon orchestrated his own death so that he could continue being the Imperator of the secret Rosicrucian Order.  After his mock death in 1626, he completely disappeared from the English scene and emigrated to Germany.

Even the great Theosophist Geoffrey Hodson was convinced that it was Francis Bacon who authored the pamphlets in Germany, and served as the head of the Rosicrucian movement in the 17th century.  Hodson knew of this fact metaphysically, retrieving the knowledge from the Akashic  Records.

 

The Rosicrucians in Germany and Europe

The Rosicrucians  then continued to blaze in Germany.  The following persons were among those who contributed to its sudden growth:

*Heinrich Khunrath(1560-1605), who established the first Rosicrucian      library  in Germany

*Simon Studion(1543-1605), Imperator of Germany

*Michael Maier (1568-1622), who became Sovereign Grand Master,       the author of  “Themis  Aurea.”

*Jacob Boehme (1575-1624), theosophist, mystic, and author of such     works as the      “Aurora” and The”Mysterium Magnum.”

*Johann Valentin Andrea(1568-1654).

Simon Studion was noted for organizing in 1586 an international convention to defend the cross against abuse and misapplication.  At that time, certain misuses of the cross were common, such as in the Crusades in which thousands of men were killed under the so-called flagship of the cross.  Studion’s convention, called the Cruce Signatorum Conventus, was well attended by Rosicrucians from different parts of the world.  It was also sponsored by no less than Henry IV, king of France and Navarre.

A period of silence ensued during the closed cycle of the Brotherhood in the 18th century.  But a silent revival occurred in the early 19th century in Germany as well as in other parts of Europe.  Prominent initiates that led the revival were:

         * Carl Kellner(1850-1905), a Rosicrucian and a Tantric adept, the founder              of the “Ordo Templi Orientis” (OTO).

          * Franz Hartmann (1838-1912),co-founder of OTO

         * Albert Karl Theodor Reuss (1855-1923), also an occultis, responsible for             spreading OTO throughout the world.

          * Arnoldo Krumm-Heller (1879-1049), founder of “Fraternitas                                    Rosicruciana Antiqua.”

Krumm-Heller was at the forefront of the Rosicrucian movement in South America.  Although he was of German birth, he spread Rosicrucianism among the  Spanish, Portuguese and all over the Latino-speaking parts of the world.  He began his work as early as when he was only sixteen years old, at the time when he arrived in South America. He worked closely with Theodor Reuss, the Grand Master of OTO.  Together, they published a book in which they identified themselves as Rosicrucians.  This book was called Der Rosenkreutzer.

 

Sar  Peladan & Sar Hieronymus

During the same period, Sar Josephine Peladan(1858-1918), popularly known as Sar Marduk, led a revival in France and in Belgium.  He worked together with his Belgiandisciple Emille Dantinne (1884-1969), known as Sar Hieronymus.   Both later became Imperators, one in France and the other in Belgium.

Sar Peladan, an accomplished writer and Adept, was a person of a striking appearance and versatile character.  He had penetrating eyes, unruly hair and beard, and he had the habit of wearing a variety of outlandish costumes.  He wrote many remarkable novels on occultism and eroticism.  But despite his controversial ways, he continued to maintain a strong adherence to the Catholic faith.  In fact, it was his wish to reintroduce occultism into the folds of Catholicism.

Sar Peladan was initiated by his brother and his parents, who were also secret Rosicrucian initiates.  Later, he broke away from the “Order Kabbalistique de la Rose Croix” (Cabalistic Order fo the Rosy Cross), and established his own Rosicrucian movement called the Order of the Temple and the Grail and of the Catholic Rose Cross.

Sar Hieronymus(Emille Dantinne) became a member of this movement, which he later headed and reorganized to form the “Ordo Aureae and Rosae Crucis.”  Under Dantinne, the Rosicrucian movement was refashioned to conform to the original tradition.  It had three distinct divisions, namely:

                *Rose-Croix Universitaire (composed of nine degrees)

                *Rose-Croix Universelle (also composed of nine degrees)

                *Rose-Croix Interioure (the Inner Order, which had four degrees)

The first two divisions were parallel teachings that catered to different kinds of people, and which lead to the third dividion.  Thus, there were a total of thirteen degrees, or twelve degrees and one “Imperator’s Degree.”  An even higher degree existed, but it was reserved for only a few who are capable of the so-called “rare initiation.”

 

ROSICRUCIAN, OHGRC

After Sar Hieronymus came an Adept who was known as Saramen.  He got his lineage from the descendants of Master Johannes Kelpius, who was connected with the Jacob Boehme Lodge of Rosicrucians in Europe and with other officers from the Grand Lodge of the Rosicrucians in Heidelberg, Germany.  He is well-traveled individual who even penetrated into the deep recesses of the Himalayan regions such as Sikkim, Gangtori, Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan.  There he was known as a very powerful and wise Adept of the Tibetan Tantric Buddhism.

Rosicrucians who first came to the Philippines in 1600s settled in Cebu.  Some of these early settlers and later the descendants of those who remained in Cebu migrated to Samar, and Tolosa, Leyte.  Descended from this group of Rosicrucians were the great Filipino Adepts Ponciano Canonigo and Babai Ambrosio, from whom Saramen was a distinguished scion.

Master Saramen got the highest teachings of the Rosicrucian Brotherhood through his contact with the Great White Brotherhood and the invisible Masters by his regular communion at the   “Cathedral of the Soul.”

And so in September 26,2002, Saramen and his friends opened the Order of the HermeticGold and Rose+Cross (OHGRC) in the Philippines where it silently operated.  He became the Imperator or the secret Spiritual chief of our beloved Order.  Many lodges were established nationwide.  And today, it is expanding rapidly, creating more light for the upliftment and development of the lives of every Filipino people and humanity in general.

In 2006,  an Imperator for International   OHGRC operations was  chosen  and   formally installed on January 14, 2007.  Also, another  Imperator for the  Pearl  of the Orient- The Philippines  was selected   and installed on March 2007.

The International  Rosicrucian Order, Order of the Hermetic Gold and Rose+Cross  is  now based in Los Angeles, California, USA  which is responsible for the worldwide  expansion and operations .