Every brother should appear on day C. at the House of the Holy Spirit or state the cause of his absence.[1]
The mystery about the Rosicrucian day C begins with the fact that it is not explained anywhere within the Fama Fraternitatis. The lack of elucidation is intriguing, especially given that this day and the meeting to be held upon it were important enough to be listed among the agreements of the original brothers of the Order of the Rose Cross. That significance is further punctuated by the expectation of a brother’s excuse for being absent.
Was it taken for granted that the term day C would be commonly understood and therefore did not need explanation? Was more specific information not given simply because it was not known? Or was day C intentionally left enigmatic, whether to prevent non-members from knowing it, or to serve as an enticement for further investigation, or perhaps for both reasons?
With these questions left unanswered by the Fama, the true meaning of day C has remained a matter of speculation for over four centuries. However, that document may provide a clue about the nature of the meeting to be held. For that clue, we turn to the meeting’s location, the House of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps very tellingly, the Fama itself ends with this bold statement about the temple built under the direction Father CRC:
And our building, even if a hundred thousand people had seen it from close to, shall forever remain untouched, undestroyed, unseen, and completely hidden from the godless world.[2]
In other words, although it is possible for a great many people to find this temple, the structure nonetheless exists in a way that cannot be perceived through the physical senses. It must only be apparent to those making use of faculties either un-possessed or ignored by the “godless.” We may therefore reasonably conclude that the meeting itself was not a gathering at a physical location, but a spiritual communion that could be joined from wherever a brother might be. Soon after the Fama’s publication, both Theophilus Schweighardt (Daniel Mogling) and Joachim Frizius (Robert Fludd) had insisted on the same interpretation, and Frizius even alluded to the Rosicrucian House of the Holy Spirit as being identical with Christ.[3]
Might it then also be that day C is not a specific day, but rather anytime a member wishes to be in communio with the spirit of the Order and its members? Perhaps this is the case, but it seems unlikely given that the agreement applies to everyone taking action on the specified day, and furthermore, that anyone who misses the meeting should report the reason. Such reporting may have metaphorical meaning, like a personal accounting within one’s own conscience. Even so, it would be superfluous and unnecessarily misleading to use both a day and a location as separate symbols for the same spiritual communion that could be performed at any time.
In any case, the quandary remains unsolved, and so it is no surprise that numerous specific days have been posited for day C, some of them ritually employed by organizations identifying with the R+C movement. One commonality among the options appears to be that each has spiritual meaning apart from Rosicrucianism, whether of liturgical or astrological significance. This trend reveals a ubiquitous presumption that the day would not have been arbitrarily selected by the original brothers.
With all this in mind, we now proceed to review fourteen possible answers to the riddle of where on the calendar day C might be found, limiting our selection to those that have connections with the letter C, or that have been proposed elsewhere. Seasonal references are made for the Northern Hemisphere, because that is where the Fama places the original Order of the Rose Cross. Exhaustive considerations of all the historic and symbolic implications for each option are not provided; such a treatment would warrant a book. Rather, it is enough to offer some initial observations, leaving it to the motivated reader to conduct further investigations.
Winter Solstice
On or near December 21st, the sun reaches the Tropic of Capricorn. Here the sun appears to stand still (sol stasis), ceasing its southerly progression for a few days before again turning northward. This pause produces the longest nights of the year, and in some ancient cultures coincided with or marked the onset of a natural period of fasting as food stores ran low. It was also associated with the descent of solar deities into the underworld, and the beginning of their return, represented by the sun’s turn northward, which was often celebrated with the slaughter of livestock and a feast. Capricorn has thus been variously entitled the Gate of the Gods, the Gate of Death, and the Gate of Initiation.[4] To the extent that the early Rosicrucians appreciated the relevance of the solar god myth to their own spirituality, the day the sun enters Capricorn could have been especially revered by them.
Christmas
For many contemporary people, this may be the first day that comes to mind in association with the letter C. As the day of commemorating Christ’s birth into the world, December 25th certainly would appeal to a society with Jesus mihi omnia (Jesus all things to me) as one of its mottos.[5] In parallel with the solar myth mentioned above, many Renaissance Christians observed a month of fasting prior to the Feast of Christ Mass. These combined aspects make Christmas a reasonable candidate for day C.
Candlemas
On February 2nd, Christians traditionally celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus Christ, commemorating the presentation of Jesus at the Temple, and the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This celebration gets its common name from the blessing of candles and their light as representative of Christ, the Light of the World, symbolism that is certainly relevant to the R+C movement.
Vernal Equinox
The day C has been claimed as referring to the Latin crux (meaning “cross”), used by the Romans to denote the sun crossing the equinoxes. At the beginning of the astrological year, on or about March 21st, the sun transits the equator on its movement toward the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere. The vernal equinox in particular is thus regarded by some as the supposed day C, “on which the Rosicrucian Order celebrates the New Year.”[6]
Maundy Thursday
This traditional Christian holy day, also known as Holy Thursday, is observed on the Thursday before Easter. Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper, the first Eucharist or Holy Communion, including Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. Connection for this day with the letter C includes not only communion, but also chrism (from the Greek khriein, meaning “to anoint”).[7] This is the day on which the anointing oil for the rite of chrismation is traditionally consecrated in the Chrism Mass, when bishops breathe on the oil as Jesus did the apostles, saying “Receive the Holy Spirit.” For all these reasons, Maundy Thursday stands as an exceptional candidate for day C.
Interestingly, Scottish Rite Freemasons in the Chapter of the Rose Croix formally observe Maundy Thursday in their own way. Maundy means “mandatory,” and attendance was once obligatory for Knights of the Rose Croix, harkening to the expectation stated in the Fama. It is a ceremony of fellowship, remembrance, and renewal, in which honor is given to members who have died in the past year, and to commemorate all souls who have worked for the betterment of humanity. Roses are typically involved to symbolically represent departed members, and are presented to the widowed spouses in attendance. Rose Croix Freemasons of all faiths regard Jesus as a great teacher and exemplar of illumination, and so on this occasion they also renew their promise to abide by his New Law of Love. The symbolism and character of the Rose Croix Maundy Thursday demonstrates noteworthy resonance with the spirit of day C, yet no connection between them is officially claimed.[8]
Good Friday
Crucifixion is the obvious connection with the letter C in this case. This Friday before Easter is called “good” in the old sense of it being holy. This is the day when the execution of Jesus is memorialized by Christians, most of whom regard his death as his own sacrificial atonement for all the sins of humanity, and the key to salvation and reception of Divine Grace. As he hung upon the cross, his final companions were his closest family members and disciples. Mystically speaking, the crucifixion may be taken as the epitome of the death of the lesser, worldly, or personal self, which makes way for gnosis of the Divine Self, or Christ Consciousness. Thus, in both its exoteric and esoteric meanings, Good Friday stands as a worthy possibility for day C.
Easter Eve
This day gets attention because it is the day on which begins the story of CRC’s adventure, The Chemical Wedding.[9] He narrates himself as having been in prayer and meditating on “the many great mysteries which the Father of Light, in his majesty, had allowed me to glimpse.” He says that this was his “habit,” and that it included performing an internal preparation of pure unleavened bread “to accompany my blessed Paschal Lamb.” Despite the sudden blowing of a great wind, he remained in meditation until an angelic figure tapped him on the shoulder and delivered an invitation to the wedding of the King. It was to be held on a mount on which there are three temples, but those who would ascend it would be tested to prove themselves worthy. Soon thereafter, he prayed and reclined for the purpose of entering into a dream that might help him better discern whether or not to accept the invitation. The dream came, and it led him to believe it was God’s will for him to join in the wedding festivities. All of the emphasis on prayer, meditation, angelic visitations, and dreamwork suggests the possibility that CRC and his disciples were in the habit of thus entering into spiritual communion on this day, and so it may have been their day C.
Easter
Easter occurs on the Sunday immediately following the first full moon after the vernal equinox. It is the day of celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, his tomb having been found empty after he lay there for three days. He began to be seen and spoken with soon thereafter, confirming he had risen from death. Whether this is taken as a literal occurrence or as symbolic of some spiritual possibility, or both, we may see how the R+C brothers could have easily chosen this as their special day, which appears to be the view of Robert Ambelain.[10] Referring back to Rose Croix Freemasons, on Easter Sunday they complement their Maundy Thursday event with a ceremony of light, symbolizing the perennial return of truth, equality, freedom, knowledge, wisdom, charity, self-realization, and individual liberty.[11]
Pentecost
For this day, we must again turn to chrism for a connection with the letter C. Pentecost falls on the seventh Sunday after Easter, and commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit as “tongues of flame” upon Mary and the apostles.[12] This moment is often referred to as the instant the Christian Church was actually born, and is emulated by the rite of chrismation, anointing newly baptized Christians with oil that was consecrated on Maundy Thursday. There is also a very old tradition in Italy of scattering rose petals on this day, including thousands of red rose petals being poured down from the oculus of the Pantheon onto a crowd gathered for Mass. In light of this day’s focus on the Holy Spirit, it could have been day C for the original Order of the Rose Cross.
Trinity Sunday
On the Sunday following Pentecost, the eighth Sunday after Easter, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Trinity, in which the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are venerated together. According to John Michael Greer, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn regards Trinity Sunday as day C, reserving it for consecration of the Adeptus Minor grade’s ceremonial vault.[13] As prescribed by that Order’s ritual, the Adeptus Minor vault is constructed according to the design of CRC’s tomb described in the Fama.
Corpus Christi
Celebrated on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, the Feast of Corpus Christi, also called the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, especially focuses on the elements of the bread and wine of the Eucharist as being the body and blood of Christ. This appears to be one of the most popular options for day C among students of the R+C movement, and has been put forth as the correct interpretation by Chic and Tabatha Cicero.[14] However, because the Fama issued from a Lutheran context, the suitability of Corpus Christi is brought into question by the fact that Martin Luther strongly disliked this festival. He called it “shameful,” “play-acting,” and “idolatry,” and it was dropped from the Lutheran Church’s calendar around the year 1600.[15]
Day 100
Paul Foster Case was a proponent of the one-hundredth day after the vernal equinox, which falls on or about June 28th.[16] His claim is that the C in day C is literally the Roman numeral for 100, the number of days after the beginning of the astrological new year. As a counterpoint to Capricorn, this day is within the first decan of Cancer, anciently regarded as the Gate of Man, Gate of Birth, or Gate of Incarnation.
After arguing against the popularity of Corpus Christi, Case’s advocacy for the 100th day includes this:
In Qabalah the sign Cancer is attributed to the letter Cheth, which letter represents also “The Intelligence of the House of Influence.” This is exactly what is meant by the House of the Holy Spirit.
This day’s suitability for day C is strong enough that, according to Case, it is actually employed by some organizations.
Feast of Elijah
On July 20th, Christians traditionally celebrate the patriarch and prophet Elijah. Elijah has been included in numerous considerations of the R+C movement. Among them is his appearance under the name Elias Artista, a mysterious and even angelic figure regarded as a spiritual guide to alchemists and a patron of the Rosicrucians.[17] One notable connection with the letter C is in the idea that Father CRC is himself an incarnation or mythic form of Elias Artista/Elijah. If the first brothers of the R+C held this belief, then the Feast of Elijah would indeed make a fitting day for Rosicrucians to commune in celebration of CRC and the House of the Holy Spirit he built.
Culmination of Cygnus
Cygnus, the Swan, containing the asterism known as the Northern Cross, is one of two constellations mentioned in the Confessio Fraternitatis related to astronomical portents of the reformation of the Church. The specific events referenced were (a) the appearance of a star/comet in Cygnus, and then (b) a supernova in Serpens/Ophiuchus.[18] We give Cygnus special attention because it was the first of these signs.
The culmination of a constellation, or more properly its upper culmination, is the moment at which it is the highest above the horizon. For Cygnus, these times are at midnight on June 29th (note the proximity to Day 100), 9:00pm on September 13th, and 6:00pm on October 29th.[19] The best viewing of this constellation is in the days around the September 13th culmination, and for this reason that date is often the only date given in popular media for the culmination of Cygnus. [20] Another fascinating thing about September 13th is that it is the date on which the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem was consecrated in 335 A.D., and the Feast of the Holy Cross then occurs on the 14th to commemorate the finding and restoration of the True Cross.[21] A symbolic relationship between the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the House of the Holy Spirit might have been easily seen by the R+C founders.
With Cygnus being the locale for the first portent of the Rosicrucians, its noteworthy association with the cross, many other astrological, mythological, and alchemical significances for Cygnus and swans, and repetition of the letter C, the culmination for this constellation is a serious contender for day C.
Summary
While there must be other days yet unconsidered, we have reviewed the following as possibilities for day C:
- Winter Solstice
- Christmas
- Candlemas
- Vernal Equinox
- Maundy Thursday
- Good Friday
- Easter Eve
- Easter
- Pentecost
- Trinity Sunday
- Corpus Christi
- Day 100
- Feast of Elijah
- Culmination of Cygnus
Each option has its strengths, and some of them have been adopted for use by individuals and groups within the R+C stream. It would also be unsurprising to find persons claiming to be heirs to the “true” day C. Nonetheless, for those of us consulting the publicly available literature, the identity of that day continues to be a mystery. Even so, we may find the intent of day C so compelling that it is not enough to leave the matter as an academic curiosity. We can then rightfully make our own determinations, or come to agreement with others, about an annual day we most sincerely devote to joining with our companions in the House of the Holy Spirit. Indeed, some of us might even regard it as a duty.
Footnotes:
[1] Godwin, Joscelyn, McIntosh, Christopher, & McIntosh,Donate Pahnke, Rosicrucian Trilogy: Modern Translations of the Three Founding Documents, Weiser (2016), 22.
[2] Ibid, 32.
[3] See Speculum Sophicum Rhodostauroticum, The ‘Mirror of Wisdom’ of Theophilus Schweighardt (aka Daniel Mogling), 1618, and Summum Bonum, by Joachim Frizius (aka Robert Fludd), 1629.
[4] For example, see On the Cave of the Nymphs in the Thirteenth Book of the Odyssey, From the Greek of Porphyry, translated by Thomas Taylor, 1917.
[5] Godwin, et al., Rosicrucian Trilogy, 26.
[6] Anonymous, “Six Traditional Rosicrucian Laws,” The Rosicrucian Heritage, No. 1, AMORC, (2006) 4.
[7] https://www.etymonline.com/word/chrism, accessed September 20, 2020.
[8] de Hoyos, Arturo, The Scottish Rite Ritual Monitor and Guide, The Supreme Council, 33Õ, Southern Jurisdiction (2010) 478-482.
[9] Godwin, 62-72.
[10] Ameblain, Robert, Practical Kabbalah, translated by Piers A. Vaughan, at https://archive.org/stream/RobertAmbelain-CollectionDouvrages-Occultisme/RobertAmbelain-PracticaKabbalah1951uk_djvu.txt, accessed, Septmeber 20, 2020.
[11] de Hoyos, 483-484.
[12] Acts 2:3
[13] Greer, John Michael, “The Golden Dawn,” at https://khabs-am-pekht.livejournal.com/2876.html, accessed September 20, 2020.
[14] Cicero, Chic, Cicero, Tabatha,Secrets of a Golden Dawn Temple, Book I: Creating Magical Tools, Toth, (2004) 216.
[15] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feast_of_Corpus_Christi#Lutheranism, accessed September 20, 2020.
[16] Case, Paul Foster, True and Invisible Rosicrucian Order, (1985) 101.
[17] For example, see History & Doctrines of the Rose Croix, by Paul Sedir, translated by Piers Vaughan (2006), and “Elias the Artist,” by Peter Dawkins (2015) at https://www.fbrt.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Elias_the_Artist.pdf, accessed September 2020.
[18] Godwin, 47.
[19] http://www.southastrodel.com/Page20502.htm, accessed September 20, 2020.
[20] https://www.universetoday.com/20569/cygnus-constellation/, accessed September 20, 2020.
[21] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feast_of_the_Cross, accessed September20, 2020.
