The Real History of the Rosicrucians

THE REAL HISTORY OF THE ROSICRUCIANS

The Real History Of The Rosicrucians Arthur Edward Waite - This is Arthur Edward Waites study of the elusive Rosicrucians, a secret society of which the first public notice was in early 17th century Germany. Was this an actual organization, or just a fantasy? No actual Rosicrucians ever surfaced, but there was plenty of documentation about them. The problem is that these documents are, for the most part, obviously fictional. In time, a mythology grew up around the Rosicrucians. Today there are groups which claim the name. These date at the most to the late 19th century, although they usually claim pro forma to go back as far as Egypt or Atlantis. The Rosicrucians have also been woven by conspiracy show more theorists into their web alongside the Freemasons, Illuminati, Templars, and so on, even though there is not a shred of evidence for this. show less

REAL HISTORY OF THE ROSICRUCIANS

PREFACE.

BENEATH the broad tide of human history there flow
the stealthy undercurrents of the secret societies,
which frequently determine in the depths the changes that
take place upon the surface. These societies have existed
in all ages and among all nations, and tradition has invariably
ascribed to them the possession of important knowledge in
the religious scientific or political order according
to the various character of their pretensions. The mystery
which encompasses them has invested them with a magical
glamour and charm that to some extent will account for
the extravagant growth of legend about the Ancient
Mysteries, the Templars, the Freemasons, and the
Rosicrucians, above all, who were the most show more singular in the
nature of their ostensible claims and in the uncertainty
which envelopes them.

"A halo of poetic splendour," says Heckethorn,1 "surrounds
the Order of the Rosicrucians; the magic lights of
fancy play round their graceful day-dreams, while the
mystery in which they shrouded themselves lends additional
attraction to their history. But their brilliancy was that
of a meteor. It just flashed across the realms of imagination
and intellect, and vanished for ever; not, however,
without leaving behind some permanent and lovely traces
of its hasty passage.... Poetry and romance are deeply...

1 "Secret Societies of all Ages and Countries." show less