Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis
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The Rosicrucian Order, Ancient Mystical Order Rosæ Crucis (AMORC) is a worldwide mystical, Rosicrucian, educational, humanitarian and fraternal organization founded by Harvey Spencer Lewis in 1915.
Its actual name in Latin is Antiquus Mysticusque Ordo Rosæ Crucis. The traditional and authentic Latin name is: Antiquus Arcanus Ordo Rosæ Rubæa et Auræa Crucis (AAORRAC), which translates to English as Ancient and Mystical Order of the Red Rose and the Golden Cross, and in this article as the AMORC.
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Organization and structure
AMORC is organised as an educational charitable non-profit organisation. Students and members of AMORC pay dues and a number of them choose to donate more. According to AMORC: "After expenses are covered, all additional funds go back into the organization to further benefit its students, allowing us to expand our services, develop new programs and other projects that will help us accomplish our humanitarian goals."
Grand Lodges
AMORC is governed by The Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORC. The Supreme Grand Lodge is responsible for the worldwide coordination of AMORC, the establishment of new administrations. The Supreme Grand Lodge then appoints jurisdictions to Grand Lodges, usually based on language.
Lodges, Chapters, Pronaoi
AMORC is organised in each country in lodges, chapters, and Pronaoi. AMORC members have the privilege of attending an affiliated Lodge, Chapter or Pronaos and participate in organised convocations there. The attendance is optional, but the member may be asked to pay additional dues if he or she wishes to attend and become a member of a local Rosicrucian group. Many local groups offer Open Meetings where non-Rosicrucians may meet members of AMORC and attend a lecture.
The difference between the Lodges, Chapters and Pronaoi are in membership numbers and restriction of membership. The Lodges require 50 members and are the only ones who offer the Degree Initiation Rituals. Chapters have at least 30 members and the membership is restricted to members who have completed the First Temple Degree initiation. Pronaoi (the name come from the plural of Pronaos, from Ancient Greek, meaning antechamber) require 15 members.
AMORC Leadership
The highest chief of AMORC is called Imperator. In addition to the Imperator, each Grand Lodge has a Grand Master. In 1996 there was a dispute over the leadership of the AMORC, which was then under Imperator Gary L. Stewart. A lawsuit was filed and the subsequent out-of-court settlement prompted a split in the AMORC with Stewart leaving the order and founding his own Rosicrucian order called the Confraternity of the Rose Cross. Christian Bernard is the present Imperator of the AMORC.
History
AMORC was founded by Harvey Spencer Lewis in 1915 and was represented by him in FUDOSI, a federation of independent esoteric orders. The early headquarters were located in New York City, San Francisco and Tampa. The headquarters moved to San Jose, California in 1927. Francis Bacon is considered to be a past Imperator of the Rosicrucians.
Publications
The AMORC has many publications including a members only publications, the Rosicrucian Monographs and Rosicrucian Forum, and the public Rosicrucian Digest and an online Rose-Croix Journal. AMORC also publishes several books on topics like Metaphysics, Mysticism and Egyptology.
Rosicrucian Digest
The Rosicrucian Digest was first published in 1915 under the name Mystic Triangle. Now it is used as both a correspondence tool for members, and as an informational guide to the public.
In the United Kingdom it is named Rosicrucian Beacon and it is published quarterly by the "English speaking jurisdiction for Europe and Africa of the Rosicrucian Order AMORC".
Rosicrucian Forum
The Rosicrucian Forum is a private publication of Ancient Mystical Order Rosæ Crucis, available only to members, and sent to them via correspondence.
Mastery of Life
The Mastery of Life is a document of the Ancient Mystical Order Rosæ Crucis intended to give a basic outline of the group for people who are considering joining. It is given for free and without any obligations. (Mastery of Life will not be mailed to people in prison.) It deals with many of the basic philosophical questions such as Who am I and What's my purpose in life? The AMORC describe the Mastery of Life as incorporating the emotion, physical and intellectual aspects of human beings into one and says that the attainment of this ideal comes with being a Rosicrucian student.
The Positio Fraternitatis Rosæ Crucus
The Positio Fraternitatis Rosæ Crucis is a document revealed at an AMORC meeting in August, 2001. It describes what is wrong with the present world situation and the Rosicrucian Utopia:
- Politicians are humanistic and serve the society.
- Scientists are spiritualistic.
- Misery and poverty do not exist anymore.
- A World government exists works for the interest of the whole humanity.
- Spirituality is the way of life
- A Universal Religion exists which is based on the knowledge of God's laws and not on any beliefs.
- Human relations are characterised by love, friendship and fraternity.
Conferences and Councils
AMORC often organises various conferences around the world, usually restricted only to members, and several councils of experts on various topics.
Rosicrucian World Convention
In August 2001 the world convention took place in Göteborg, Sweden. The main theme of the convention was world peace and harmony. The convention was of significant importance to the Rosicrucian history because Imperator Bernard presented the "Positio Fraternitatis Rosæ Crucis" to inform the public about AMORC's position on the current world situation. The latest world convention was held in July 2004 in San Jose, CA.
International Research Council
The International Research Council is a group of AMORC members who have expertise in several areas, including physics, biology, philosophy and music. According to the AMORC, the members of the International Research Council dedicate themselves to the advancement of their profession for the benefit of humanity.
Council of Solace
The Council of Solace is a group of Rosicrucians who meditate and pray daily in behalf of others. They offer free 24-hour metaphysical aid to people in need regardless of membership.
Radio programmes
Harvey Spencer Lewis had a radio station broadcasting from his office at Rosicrucian Park. The broadcasting began on February 15 1928 and was powered by two 30 metre radio towers inside the park.
The radio towers have since been removed, but the AMORC continues to broadcast through the KEEN radio station.
Ancient Egypt
The AMORC believes that they trace their past to Ancient Egypt because their beliefs, wisdom, practices and methods are consistent to the ones taught by the Ancient Egyptian Mystery Schools.
The Egyptian Mystery Schools, aimed to educating mystics and passing esoteric and mystical knowledge across the generations, were founded in around the 15th century BC and may be related with Tuthmosis III.
Pharaoh Akhenaten, a figure often respected by many mystics, popularized the concept of one divine force behind everything (monotheism).
Criticism
AMORC has become the target of some criticisms.
Other Rosicrucian organisations, such as FUDOFSI and Fraternitas Rosæ Crucis have criticised AMORC's authenticity.
Gary L. Stewart of the Confraternity of the Rose Cross believes that the modern AMORC is very different from its past and its nature is now different than Harvey Spencer Lewis's legacy. The same view is held by other organisations which started as "forks" from AMORC after its 1990s corporate reorganization.
AMORC, like many other similar organisations, has been criticised by some Christian groups. The PanHellenic Parents Union has included the AMORC in a list of 422 organizations which considered as incompatible with the Eastern Orthodox tradition by the "7th Panorthodox Conference" of 1995 and its president Metropolite Hieronymus of Theba and Levadia.
Some theologians have tried to classify it as a secret society. For an example, see the ECWA case below.
ECWA
In 1984, the Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA) sought to outlaw AMORC in Nigeria. ECWA claimed that AMORC is a secret society and published relevant claims on its publications. AMORC filed a libel suit against ECWA and the Lower Court decided against ECWA and ordered the church to pay one million naira to AMORC in 1988. Then, the ECWA appealed against the court's decision. AMORC appealed to the Supreme Court and ECWA counter-appealed. The Supreme Court dismissed both appeals. In 1999 ECWA filed a new suit against AMORC, requesting from the Registrar General of CAC and the IG of Police to withdraw AMORC's registration certificate and seal its offices in Nigeria. ECWA also requested AMORC to be declared a secret society. The new ECWA's lawsuit was dismissed by the Supreme Court in June 2000.
Related topics
- Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum
- FUDOSI, federation of esoteric orders
- Traditional Martinist Order, Martinist order cooperating with AMORC
- Rosicrucian
- Esotericism
- Mysticism
- Occultism
- Freemasonry
- Martinism
- Secret society
- Spirituality
Other Rosicrucian Groups
- Confraternity of the Rose Cross, founded by Gary L. Stewart
- Fraternitas Rosae Crucis
- Societas Rosicruciana
External links
- Official AMORC Web Site Directory (http://www.amorc.org/)
- Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum (http://www.egyptianmuseum.org/)
- Council of Solace (http://www.rosicrucian.org/about/council.html)
- Read Mastery of Life in English (http://www.rosicrucian.org/about/mastery/index.html)
- Positio Fraternitatis Rosae Crucis (http://home01.wxs.nl/~amorc.nl/enpositio.html) (in English)
- Rosicrucians (http://www.rickross.com/groups/rosicrucians.html) from the Ross Institute (http://www.rickross.com/)
- Information from Occultopedia (http://www.occultopedia.com/o/order_of_the_rosy_cross.htm)
- Criticism by religion-cults.com (http://religion-cults.com/Secret/Rosicrucianism/Rosicrucianism.htm)pt:Ordem Rosacruz, AMORC