Greetings, Fratres, Sorores and Friends of AMORC!

The Affiliated Bodies of the Rocky Mountain Pacific Northwest Region are a wonderful way to meet with other Rosicrucians and experience the fraternal aspects of our Order. We are happy to now have an active Rosicrucian Discussion Group in the SeaTac area of Washington ("thank you!" to some very dedicated members), and hope to see it grow in 2025!

Sometimes we may discuss with friends or family about our philosophy as mystics, and what membership in AMORC means to us. Some will respond “But what do mystics and AMORC do for the world?” Let us consider what our Imperator has said about this.

"…we find Rosicrucians working at all levels of society, from the humblest jobs to the most qualified professions. We can recognize them by the light they have to offer, especially in the company of others. Each in their way contributes to the raising of consciousness of humanity as a whole by their interaction with others. So the Order does not take any specific action in society, but leaves each member free to act according to their own lights. With the passing of time spent in the Order, this participation becomes more in tune with our highest spiritual understanding, the true nature of humanity, and our role as a soul personality incarnated on this planet. The raising of individual consciousness always produces results in the wider community and this, above all, is what the Order brings to society. Paraphrasing Elizabeth Laser: When you lift a single soul, you lift the entire world." – Claudio Mazzucco

Many, if not all, Rosicrucians I have met place very high value on the development of a strong attunement with the Inner Master, with its pure expression of the divine mind within us. We also value the freedom to act on this expression of the divine to increase Light in the world, to contribute to the uplifting of humanity in general. In my own career as an engineer and director in a high technology company, it was rare to meet a coworker who understood and valued these principles. Usually, my passing comments about the mystical were met with skepticism or scorn. So I learned to work silently in the Service of Light, and to listen carefully to others so I might find those of like mind that we might work together. I can say with certainty that the mystical principles and ideals of the Rosicrucian student are effective everywhere we apply them, even when surrounded by skeptics (if we are humble and in harmony with natural law). It is not necessarily that mystical or alchemical principles can make projects or technologies thrive on the material plane (they can and do), but in humbly demonstrating the principles there is a sort of proof that what we claim to be true is, in fact, true. This, more than material results, is what others see and remember. Some few of my colleagues even expanded their interests more into the mystical. And they, too, did so silently, watching and waiting for those with whom they could share in this work that mystics value so highly.

I hope that your works bring you fulfillment, and that some of those you meet will be lifted by your quiet Service to humanity.

Sincerely and Fraternally,

Bill Hallett

Grand Councilor, Rocky Mountain Pacific Northwest Region AMORC

oregon@amorc.rosicrucian.org (Pacific Northwest area)

colorado@amorc.rosicrucian.org (Rocky Mountain area)

ColoGC777@gmail.com (Grand Councilor's email)

PS - If you have never attended an affiliated body, or it has been a long time, perhaps we can offer better programs and service to you. Please send me a personal email to share your thoughts on making AB’s more interesting for you to attend. Your responses are confidential, and will help make our affiliated bodies better. If you live too far away to attend an AB, please consider our members-only online meetings, advertised to members via email.

My Sisters and Brothers, Sorores and Fratres

Greetings on the dawn of a new season, the season typified by the renewal of life and the life force.  Enjoy and be inspired by this wonderful demonstration of Divine love.

The subject of spiritual evolution comes to my mind.  It is obvious that each of us, as demonstrated by our membership in AMORC and TMO, are seeking to advance ourselves spiritually, to understand the wonderous workings of the Divine in this world, and to attune and unite with the consciousness behind it all.  This is not an easy task as we have to “unlearn” much of what we thought we understood about our being.  And, even though we immerse ourselves in all the mystical philosophies of the world, the moments of “attunement” come in a flash and are independent of all our intellectual pursuits.

Yes, we are all seeking “perfection.”  And what happens when we achieve it – achieve permanent Cosmic Consciousness? Some philosophies say we just stop incarnating and directly merge with Divinity.  Others don’t even address this final state.  

I want to share a concept taught by Martinez de Pasqually and passed down through the Traditional Martinist Order.  In his philosophy, as in AMORC’s, the state of ultimate enlightenment is our goal and we need to work diligently to achieve it.  But there is a “catch.”  Even though we may reach this exalted state, we cannot immediately pass on to merge with Divinity.  We must wait until all humanity has reached that state and then we will all, together, pass into the infinite.  This philosophy makes some sense in that if we hold that all humanity is of the same soul, that we all are one and united, then it is this single, though currently fragmented, soul that is allowed to pass on.

What does this mean to our process of spiritual evolution?  It means that we can’t focus solely on our own work, but we must also be of aid to everyone else’s progress – we can’t selfishly be working only on ourselves, but must, at the same time, make an attempt to help anyone else who is in need of encouragement, or understanding of their lives, in whatever way we can.  We don’t want to lapse over into being dogmatic and “preaching” to others, but we can offer encouragement and suggested readings and practices.  At this point in our spiritual evolution, none of us has the final “truth” to offer, but we can offer help in whatever way we can. 

So, Sisters and Brother, Fraters and Sorores, we must multi-task and concentrate on working toward the spiritual welfare of all humanity as well as our own.  Be a shining light in your community and circle of friends, encourage everyone to be the best person they can and help all of humanity to reach our final goal of merging with the Divine.

May you ever dwell in the Eternal Light of Divine Wisdom!
David Schloegel, S.I., F.R.C.
Provincial Master, Traditional Martinist Order

I am pleased to announce that the Grand Lodge recently appointed Fr Phil Goodwin as Regional Monitor for Colorado. Fr Phil will have a message to share in our next newsletter. If you see Phil at an Affiliated Body event, I am sure he would enjoy the chance to talk with you!

Bill Hallett

Grand Councilor, Rocky Mountain Pacific Northwest Region

Beloved Members of AMORC and Mountain Rose Pronaos,

At the recent celebration of the Rosicrucian New Year, I passed the mantle to a new Master.

I have been Master of Mountain Rose Pronaos off and on since 2015, and I have served as Regional Monitor of the Rocky Mountain Region in this period as well. During this time, Mountain Rose Pronaos has survived a pandemic, a shutdown, and a move back into the beautiful Highlands Masonic Temple. Over the last couple of years, we have rebuilt our membership into a dynamic group of dedicated, inspired, and more youthful membership, who will produce inspiring and committed members who will serve the pronaos as effective officers, supporting volunteers, and engaged members. I offer my thanks to those who stuck with us through the dark times, and those who have come to us since.

I know the operation of Mountain Rose is in good hands and has a bright future. There are still many tasks to be completed, as well as new ones that have become available to serve the membership and our community in different ways than we are used to. It gives me great hope for our affiliated body. My love to you all.

I am going to step back for a while and catch up on my studies, as well as work to complete a couple of personal projects that have been languishing. Again, I am so grateful for all of your love, help,  and support over the years, and I wish you all the best in the years to come.

From All Points of the Triangle,

Ed Hanson

(Retired) Master, Mountain Rose Pronaos

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Fratres and Sorores.

It’s been a few years since I've had the privilege, honor and responsibility of being Master of the Pronaos. During those years I have seen a lot of changes in the world, the community around me, in my family and within myself. But there is an Anchoring that has stayed with me all these years. It is the Master Within.

 In a message given By Kristy Knutson, who was Grand Master at the time of my joining the Order a profound lesson was given. I fondly remember it today.

In it she tells the story of young parents who were expecting their second child very soon. Their two-year old was asking, “when the baby comes, I want to be alone with her for a little while”. He repeated this request several times. The parents were a little nervous about their older child's request but ultimately decided to grant his wish. To be safe, they put an intercom at the new baby's crib so they could hear if there was a problem. When the older boy was alone with his baby sister, they heard him say to her in a voice that was edged with concern and fear: “you have to tell me about God, I'm starting to forget.”

Fratres and Sorores, I know that I, like just about everyone I know, has had their periods where they have “fallen of the wagon” so to speak. A time when they have lost their connection with the Master within, with God. That they somehow have slipped off the foundation and were losing that peace and confidence that they had found within the Order.

But stumbling is something that we all do, and for all of us I would like to give the encouragement that nowhere in our teachings does it say that a student, or seeker gets only one chance at Initiation. Or even only a few chances.  It should be perfectly clear to each and every one of us that Initiation is an ongoing process. A building project of expanding our consciousness and upon doing so, rediscovering that Master within. Therefore, we WILL have the opportunity, whenever it is needed, to experience Initiation. To pick up our tools and begin again with the Great Work in earnest.

Dear Members, I hope you will join us as we work together to strengthen our commitment to all that we hold dear.

Fraternally and within the Bonds of our Order

Bob Stanko, FRC

Master, Mountain Rose Pronaos

Beloved Fratres and Sorores,

"It does not matter what you believe; it is the actions you take based on those beliefs that matters." -- H. Spencer Lewis

"We know that the aim of all human beings is to perfect ourselves; to become better people. Therefore, constantly endeavor to awaken and express the virtues of the soul that animates you. In doing so, you will contribute to your own evolution while serving the cause of humanity." -- Rosicrucian Manuscript 

I hope everyone has goals for this year that ideally bring you closer and closer to illumination and that your ideals grow broader to help all humanity.

May peace and harmony abide with each of you in this new year,

Frater Nathan Klotz

Pikes Peak Atrium Group Leader

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As we are entering the new year 3378 (theosophical reduction of 3), I have frequently been pondering cycles and change that are unfolding and still to come.  As I described in my last newsletter, Numerology is a very powerful science I use to analyze the changes I experience in life.  Unfortunately, it is much easier to look in hindsight and recognize the experiences that I had and how they relate to my numerological journey, than to know which ways they will yet manifest for me.  As I noted before, starting my new 9-year cycle (a 1 pinnacle) has me feeling the pull of the need to chase new ideas, new roles, new opportunities in ways I haven't felt since my last 1 personal year.  It truly feels like a new chapter beginning in many ways, and not just for the numerological cycle changes I'm currently moving through.

Another science I often look to for clarity about my experiences in life is Astrology.  Just like numerology, there are many versions, but the ones I'm most familiar with are Western Astrology, Vedic Astrology, and Chinese Astrology.  I find it fascinating that they all have different ways of applying the relationship of heavenly bodies to ourselves to define cycles of change and specific area of influence we will feel.  For this newsletter, I'll restrict my focus to just western astrology as it is the one I spend more time reading and studying than the others.

My first memory of astrology (like most people) is hearing about what sun sign I am (Capricorn) and reading my daily horoscope in a newspaper, website, or phone app.  What started for me as a idle curiosity after learning about numerology has grown into a fascination with how complex, yet accurate it can truly be.  I think it is easy for most people to write it off as too generic or even not a real science since a lot of people will just say "each sign represents 1/12th of the population and is too generic to really be true or valuable information", or at least that is an opinion I had before I started studying it.

At this point, the more I read about it, the more I realize that there is a seemingly infinite array of specific details.  Analyzing the aspects, transits, progressions, comparisons, and many other layers of interpretation of data regarding the planets, their positions in the zodiac, their positions with respect to the other planets, to our place and time of birth can paint an enormous volume of information that can be overwhelming to interpret.  Just like numerology, the best way I have found to analyze the information is to learn some of the basics, apply it to my life, and regularly check in with hindsight to see what I can learn from my earlier assessments.

For example, one of the most important planets in my chart is Saturn.  It is the ruling planet of Capricorn, as well as the ruling planet for my life path number 8 in numerology, so I tend to study where it is, where it was, and where it is going next.  Saturn is considered the "great teacher" and brings about opportunities for us to learn who we are, and make choices about who we want to be.  Saturn typically is described as representing limitations or restrictions, hard work, discipline, long-term goals and structure.  While Jupiter tends to reflect expansion and growth, Saturn goes to the other polarity of limiting us in ways to help us learn.  While it can be described in many ways, it is clear that it is a planet that greatly influences our careers and livelihoods.

A few key observations that I have seen in my life regarding Saturn are its placement in my 5th house in Virgo for my birth chart, as well as the 30-year cycle it takes to transit the sun (and its direct influence in my career).  Starting with my birth chart, the 5th house represents creativity, self-expression, romance, children and joy.  I have certainly felt the influence of Saturn for me here, as I did not meet my wife until I was 31, and I didn't have my first child until I was 35.  I had grown up having parents who were over 40 when I was born, and I was determined to not do the same, but I missed that goal by having my daughter at 41.  Finding the right person for me was a huge challenge, but one much worth the wait.  It was a tough lesson to learn to be patient for the right person, but I am glad I did.

Next in my chart is where Saturn's influence is felt in Virgo by bringing growth through limitations with respect to Virgo's practical, analytical, detail-oriented personality.  I have found that who I am is well reflected in these notions - I have always considered myself a recovering perfectionist, and have chased leadership opportunities in engineering and executive positions within companies that build and launch rockets.  I've pivoted from being an engineer to finance, HR, supply chain, manufacturing, to software development, and I am always looking for that next great idea that I can sink my energy in to.

This then brings me to the 30-year cycle that Saturn plays in everyone's life.  In 2009 I was just ending an engineering leadership development program and got started working on a team to deploy a manufacturing execution system.  At the time, it was a huge project for just a few years, and I had plans to go elsewhere and do other things.  15 years later I am on the cusp of completing the next generation system where I led the team to develop and replace the original system I helped deploy 15 years ago.  I have now reached the Saturn opposition moment in my career where I'm faced with the decision of either continuing what I have been doing for the last 15 years, for the next 15, or going in a completely different direction.

I also felt the pull of Saturn's 7-1/2 year square in 2014 when I had left the MES efforts to pursue other leadership development opportunities for a couple years, but ultimately came back to that technology.  As I noted, I am well into the 15-year opposition (seeking new challenges to break away from the last 15 years of work I've accomplished).  It is to be seen how the next 15 years will shape up, but I do see Saturn's influence pushing me already to align in new and different ways as I move forward in my career, whether I want to or not.

From all this self-reflection I'm sharing, I hope that I convey the meaning that we can all take from looking deeper into these important sciences.  While I gave just a few surface level observations, there are much deeper things to learn and experience from studying our birth and transit charts.  Thankfully TMO provides a safe space to embrace and explore the influence of the planets and zodiac in our lives. 

In some of the earliest lessons in TMO we are introduced into the symbols of the zodiac and planets, and later we dive deep into each planet individually.  I know that Martinism has helped me grow my appreciation and understanding, not only the astrological meanings and interpretations of the planets, but also the ways that we all are pieces of a much larger cosmic clock that moves us in ways we might better understand if we take the time to observe. 

As a parting thought, one statement that I have held close since I heard it in a TMO lesson is thus: "The stars incline but do not compel".  Always remember that the universe has a map for us to follow if we choose to look, but our free will grants us the freedom to ignore it.  Sometimes it's hard to know if my choices are in alignment with or in opposition to that plan, but only time will tell.

May we all ever dwell in the Eternal Light of Divine Wisdom!

Paul Fuqua

Rocky Mountain Atelier Master