For someone seeking to understand both the concepts and the transmission of symbolism, this is an excellent primer. For those with black and white mirrors, it's a bit of tough sledding at times but Yates ties things together quite nicely to give a well-reasoned explanation for so many things that we don't understand today. For the symbolically uninitiated, there will be a lot of "Aha!" moments. ( )

Interesting and straightforward look at an oddity of European History. ( )

It's difficult to find a trustworthy, scholarly work on Rosicrucianism, but here it is for those who are interested. Frances Yates spent her career studying occult philosophy with the aim of improving our understanding of the intellectual climate of the Renaissance. She was ahead of her time in seeing the Rosicrucian craze as an intellectual movement of a sort, instead of simply a weird conspiracy theory.

Incidentally, anyone interested in fiction that is heavily influenced by Yates' work should find John Crowley's AEgypt series very interesting. ( )

The Rosicrucian mix of practical jokery, spiritual sincerity and willing secrecy reminds me a little of the KLF.

My copy found a place on the shelves of Hounslow Library in January of 1973. 25 years later its plastic cover was covered with rings of chocolately vomit when I bought it from one of our contemporary magic dealers, the charity shop volunteer. She was obese, couldn't stand up properly and slightly off-orbit, mentally.

"What's that about," she asked, shifting her weight on her high stool.

I told her, as best I could.

"You don't want to read that," she said, "I'm not selling you that, my brother" - I think it was her brother - "he got obsessed with that stuff. It overtook him, he couldn't think of anything else."

"I still want it, I think."

"Be careful," warned a regular customer, browsing the jigsaws.

They sold this dangerous drug to me, and I left that dark, overfilled shop feeling that I'd found something worthwhile and powerful. But whenever I tried to read it I was put-off by the chocolatety vomit, and when I finally cleaned that off I somehow felt I'd moved on from the book. Now and again I might read a sentence or two, and toy with the idea of setting up some secret and most noble order of my own.

I cannot recommend a better, more balanced look at the historical origins of the legendary Rosicrucian Brotherhood. While I'm a big fan of conspiracy theories and folklore, this book presents what is probably a fairly accurate history of the movement, as well as fascinating hints as to the continuation of the tradition in Francis Bacon and Freemasonry. Further, the writing style is easy going and entertaining. ( )