The Rosicrucian Order, AMORC has its roots in the sacred legacy received from the mystery schools of ancient Egypt. This legacy is an integral part of archives which, from century to century, have come to enrich the cultural and spiritual heritage of AMORC.
To the knowledge perpetuated by the sages of ancient Egypt was added the philosophical concepts expressed by great thinkers of ancient Greece. A few centuries later, the mystical precepts of Rosicrucian alchemists of the Middle Ages were formulated.
Thence, the teachings of the Rosy Cross spread centuries later to France, Germany, England and the Netherlands.
Some prominent persons living in more recent times have developed certain precise aspects of the ancient bequest left to them by their illustrious predecessors.
To cite only a few names, such personalities as Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Paracelsus (1493-1541), Francis Bacon (1561-1626), Renes Descartes (1596-1650), Isaac Newton (1642-1727), and Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) came to add their learning to Rosicrucian knowledge.
The Rosicrucian Order, AMORC as it is currently known has gone through several cycles of activity and evolution. However, the current cycle of the Order commenced in the United States of America 1915 with Dr. H. Spencer Lewis as the first Imperator.
The Order was first located in New York and then moved to San Francisco, California, and Florida before being permanently situated in San Jose, California. H. Spencer Lewis, passed through transition (the Rosicrucian term for ‘death’) in 1939 and was succeeded by his son, Ralph Maxwell Lewis.
The current Imperator and President of the Supreme Board of AMORC, Christian Bernard assumed office in 1990.
Thus it is easy to understand that the Rosicrucian does not depend solely on the teachings of some master or guru and that the mystical knowledge to which he has is not frozen in time.
On the contrary, the Rosicrucian system bears upon laws and principles which have been tested and which are the reflection of all that human genius has received in the name of and for the glory of God.
The Rosicrucian Order, AMORC is known internationally by its traditional and authentic title, the Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis, from which is derived the acronym “AMORC.”
The Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis is the Latin form of the organization’s name, which literally translates into the Ancient Mystical Order of the Rose Cross.
The Rosicrucian Order, AMORC is a global school; an educational, cultural and philosophical organization that offers time tested education on several important subjects that are essential for the attainment of health, happiness and peace.
The Order is not a religion; our members belong to the various religions of the World. We are a non-political, non-governmental mystical organization made up of men and women that are devoted to the study, investigation and practical application of natural and spiritual laws for their personal wellbeing and advancement of humanity.
There is no religious connotation associated with this symbol; the Rose Cross symbol predates Christianity.
The cross symbolically represents the human body and the rose represents the individual’s unfolding consciousness.
The Rosicrucian movement, of which the Rosicrucian Order, AMORC, is the most prominent modern representative, has its roots in the mystery traditions, philosophy, and myths of ancient Egypt dating back to approximately 1500 BCE. In antiquity the word “mystery” referred to a special gnosis, a secret wisdom.
Thousands of years ago in ancient Egypt, select bodies or schools were formed to explore the mysteries of life and learn the secrets of this hidden wisdom.
Only sincere students, displaying a desire for knowledge and meeting certain tests were considered worthy of being inducted into these mysteries. Over the course of centuries these mystery schools added an initiatory dimension to the knowledge they transmitted.
The Order was officially established in Nigeria in October 1933. The Rosicrucian Park which is situated in Calabar, serves as the Regional Administration for English speaking countries West Africa under the English Grand Lodge for West Africa.
Because the Rosicrucian Order concerns itself primarily with Inner development, it will probably not attract much outer attention.
Although Rosicrucians have been advertising in national magazines worldwide for over 75 years, they have traditionally kept a low profile for they do not believe in forcing their views on others.