Why Join a Rosicrucian Order: Which Group to Join?

Understanding the Benefits & Knowing the Downsides Too!

If you are looking to seriously undertake studies in the Rosicrucian path you’ll undoubtedly come across various fraternities offering some form of home-study lessons, books, or lodge initiations.

Some offer free lessons. Others are expensive. Some offer no lessons at all and solely operate to confer degrees of ceremonial initiation. In such cases, the material you study is personal to you.

There are humble groups and noisy groups. Some require you to be a Freemason to join. At times having to jump through a few obstacles means something serious is being transmitted behind closed doors. As a network of free-thinkers, hailing from several Rosicrucian fraternities, we understand that choosing the right Rosicrucian Order for you takes time. It is a life choice.

Many will blatantly suggest their own school, raising their hands to say, “join us.”

Our message instead is: “Choose wisely.”

This means acting from an informed position with sound judgement.

Pansophers.com describes the landscape and range of lessons and fraternities on offer. By reading our series, “The Reviews of the Rosicrucian Orders,” you can act from an informed position.

There are Many Rosicrucian Orders

Despite what certain organisations may have you believe, there is more than just one Rosicrucian Order. Several groups claim to be the only TRUE Rosicrucian Order. Yet, experienced travellers unanimously agree that the true Rosicrucian Order is invisible, in its pure spiritual essence, and that it exists beyond the limitations of worldly organisations. The Invisible Rosicrucian Order acts as a guiding principle for all the organisations which are but earthly representations of this true inner current.

A Range of Lessons on Offer

Before deciding, you’ll need to know that some of those organisations are more mystical while others are occult in outlook. The range of lessons on offer therefore take the form of internal mystical exercises, encapsulating the Way of the Heart, while others direct students to develop occult abilities. Other Rosicrucian groups undertake ritualistic invocations, practicing angelic magic.

All of the lessons offer some form of esoteric healing methodology.

If they do not, they are not Rosicrucian.

We base this upon the fact that the Fama Fraternitatis of 1610, the first ever Rosicrucian document to appear in public, announcing the fraternity’s existence, declares that “Rosicrucians shall proclaim no thing but to cure the sick, and that freely.” There is always a spirit of charity and kindness in all Rosicrucian work.

You might wish to join a Rosicrucian fraternity that teaches more Kabbalah, or perhaps a different one that teaches more astrology. That depends on your own interest. Whichever esoteric methodologies the lessons offer, these are all routes to regeneration or enlightenment. The goal for all is the same.

Which Group is Right for You?

“When the student is ready, the teacher will appear” goes the saying. However, here is a deeper version presented by Carl Weinfurter, a Rosicrucian of the early 20^th century:

“It always happens that the student who has patient waited for long years for one Guide, or has commended the right practice without one, is called on by several at one time. It is of great importance to point out this circumstance, for in that moment the student has moved to the spiritual world and drawn near to himself leaders of all kinds. Now it is up to him to select. There comes a Guide of the pure mystical school, one of the occult, another of the magic and it may also happen of the black-magic. Whoever they may be, it is certain there always come at least two Guides offering the student their services. Usually one is from above, the other form below, and it is up to the student to decide on the right one.“

This quote is from his book “Man’s Highest Purpose.”

His books are not widely read by modern Rosicrucian groups, even though his initiator was considered the greatest Rosicrucian guide at the end of the 19^th century. His wisdom encourages you to look at the options objectively. Even if you’re potentially joining an online group, or a group which sends out weekly lessons, Weinfurter’s principle holds true.

He talks of mystical groups, occult groups, even black-magical groups.

At the time he wrote it the concept of “well-financed marketed Rosicrucian groups” did not exist.

Therefore, in addition we challenge you to ask yourself, “Do I want to be marketed to? Do I simply accept the claims made by these Rosicrucian groups at face value? Am I being sold to?”

Do some Rosicrucian groups engage in marketing tactics?

Some groups like to dazzle up their image by claiming the prestige of an ancient lineage.

If you want to be connected with something ancient, dating back to Egypt, then these stories might make such a group more appealing to you. Does that mean it’s the right choice though?

Historically, and despite the grand claims, all of the Rosicrucian groups available online were founded between the dates of 1880 to 1920. It was during this forty year period that many Rosicrucian leaders appeared claiming it was they who alone possessed the “ancient” lineage to the Rosicrucian Order.

Essentially what they did was backdate their founding stories to make themselves more attractive.

Unfortunately, we still see a few who are willing to be spellbound by such mysterious claims.

We trust that the majority of today’s students, such as yourself, are smarter.

Therefore, the selection of the right Rosicrucian Order should not be made on the basis of its mysterious claims, but rather we suggest new seekers look at three main things:

• The content of their lessons.
• The practicality of their exercises.
• The quality of their members.

In regard to the quality of lessons, they should have a solid historical basis in the tradition. The best Rosicrucian groups insist on this point and it’s a fair call as well. We want that you study a Rosicrucianism that is true to the tradition. Be warned; some of the groups making mysterious claims offer nothing other than new age teachings repackaged under the title of “Rosicrucian teachings.” Our series, the Reviews of the Rosicrucian Orders, challenges the seeker to evaluate this issue for themselves.

A few have suggested our reviews of the various fraternities were too negative, critical, even unfriendly. Actually, they come from a place of our deepest sincerity and care for others, as we have listened to the frustrations of those who dedicated themselves to studying the most accessible lessons only to find those lessons were lacking in solid content all along, and never delivered on their promise even after ten years of study.

In regard to examining the practicality of Rosicrucian lessons you’ll want to consider what methods suit you. Do you like meditation and more mystical work? Would you prefer to follow the ritual path of development whereby you would practice ritual work? Are you interested in studying the symbolism of the Tarot to unveil the Rosicrucian mysteries? These three questions will lead you to very different Rosicrucian Orders. In the finish, all of them awaken the inner fires and connect you with your Inner Guide.

Lastly, in selecting the right Rosicrucian Order for you, speak with members of each fraternity. “You shall know them by their fruits,” certainly rings true. It’s quite easy to see which groups dialogue and have a lot to share. Some members will be supportive in online forums or Facebook groups and answer questions.

You’ll most certainly want to ask them how they feel about other Rosicrucian groups and how they feel about you studying other Rosicrucian material. The answer will indicate if they are quite sectarian or open to the greater Rosicrucian movement.

Be warned, there are one or two groups where its members will instantly try to recruit you. This is a bad sign! We are not supposed to be “born again Rosicrucians” acting with hyped enthusiasm. The presence of banner waving members certainly is an unhealthy sign. This is not a political rally so in reality we should honestly state that such behaviour is sectarian. Freedom of thought cannot coexist within an environment of sectarian behaviour. Wouldn’t you agree?

Instead, a sign of a healthy fraternity sees its members reflecting kindness in balance with knowledge. They should be helpful and allow space for you to disagree and have your own opinion. You’re checking to see if they think “only we are right and have truth.”

Once you scale down your selection from those groups which engage in glamorous marketing activities you will then find the more interesting and humble Rosicrucian gatherings. Consider that it only makes sense that in an environment where the ego is to be dissolved in pursuit of spiritual regeneration that you would also expect the environment of the group itself to be humble. The practice of esoteric silence has a lot to do with silencing the lower self. We find the best groups are silent and have a holy atmosphere.

Therefore in our experience it is not those easily reachable groups that are always the best choice. In fact, many of the best Rosicrucian groups do not even have a website. It is a matter of getting to know the greater community itself to be invited.

The Benefits of Membership

The first benefit of joining a Rosicrucian group is that the lessons are organized. This is, initially, the main reason for joining. A good Rosicrucian group will have lessons on developing your spiritual sensitivity, your Body of Light and cover many topics which will stimulate you to look further.

Because the tradition is diverse and has its own heritage, you should make sure that the Rosicrucian Order you’d like to join covers the traditional topics as well. By this we mean that they deliver lessons on subjects like alchemy, Kabbalah, Jacob Boehme and Martinism. Actually, many of the best Rosicrucian fraternities have specialized “side-Orders” that you can join for specific subjects, or they have expert adepts, who specialize in their field and you can study directly under their guidance.

In this respect, another benefit of membership is you’ll get to meet nice friends! It’s great to have support and others to ask questions when needed. You’ll find that some of the elder members have been studying for over fifty years! All of us have found interesting mentors within the fraternities who have changed our lives. Part of continuing the tradition is to carry the flame of their kindness and extend this to others.

“I never belonged to his fraternity, but one of the best mentors I’ve ever had always sent me in the right direction whenever I had a difficult question about the Rosicrucian Tradition. He’s a real Adept. He doesn’t just help the members of his own fraternity. He helps anyone from any fraternity, and that’s how it should be.” Christine Eike, Pansophers Head of Research.

An important benefit of membership is access to initiations. Studying at home is one thing. But going through the dramatic experience of the mysteries within a temple setting is reviving. Each Rosicrucian Order has a different set of degree rituals. Some are more Hermetic, others more Christian etc. Each of them aim to bring you, the wanderer, out of the darkness and into the Light.

Now you’ve seen all the benefits. What about the negatives?

Pitfalls of Membership Monographs

Unfortunately, there are pitfalls to joining a Rosicrucian Order. Most of the fraternities will not be forthright in clarifying these issues but Pansopers.com is a non-denominational site. Based on our experience we would like to state: Yes, there are negatives to joining several Rosicrucian fraternities, and yes these can influence your own behaviour and create limitations in your thinking.

Here are the main things you want to watch out for: (Each can be counterbalanced, which we cover in the next section)

The first pitfall is that the majority of Rosicrucian monographs available offer you nothing that you will not find in readily accessible books on Amazon.com. This runs against the claims that Rosicrucian groups possess “secret wisdom.” The majority of these monographed lessons are, unfortunately, repackaged new-age materials rebranded as “Rosicrucian.” To be fair, they are repackaged in a wonderful format.

However, if you’re going to pay $120.00 for a year’s worth of monographs you might consider the value of the lessons vs. the value of what that can buy you in accessible books which contain the same material. Consider that $120.00 can buy you five solid books, which if you select carefully, actually will contain the same quality and amount of content as five years worth of lessons from mainstream Rosicrucian Orders.

Therefore, one of the pitfalls is that you’re slowly being spoon fed knowledge and that knowledge may be something you can access for as little as thirty dollars in a published book.

Choosing the right Rosicrucian Order will mean accessing quality unpublished material supported by an oral tradition.

The Pitfall of the Echo-Chamber

The second pitfall concerns the lack of contrasting beliefs. Monographs are packaged together all too nicely, so that students can glide through their lessons finding only agreeable material. As a result, they have not developed a strong sense of critical thinking and in our day and age of “fake news” each Rosicrucian student has a responsibility to society to exercise their critical thinking.

An echo chamber is “an environment in which a person encounters only beliefs or opinions that coincide with their own, so that their existing views are reinforced, and alternative ideas are not considered.”

When a person meets other Rosicrucians, who have studied the very same monographs they have, there is a lack of challenging ideas which, as a healthy stimulus, should bring the student to question what aligns to their Inner Truth.

The Rosicrucian path takes its mystical spirit from Pietist Theosopher mysticism, and its intellectual spirit from Hermeticism. Therefore, the Rosicrucian develops the HEAD and HEART towards Understanding. These two exchange, so that the heart learns to THINK and the head learns to FEEL. This is conscious alchemy.

One of the things to watch out for in some Rosicrucian groups is cult-like behaviour. Members might chant “church” type slogans together. You might see Facebook posts flooded with “peace profound” comments in reply. Beware. Such groups show that their students have entered into a weakened passive state.

You’ll want to choose a group that values real dialogue. Not drone and clone behaviour.

Three Strategies to Countermeasure the Disadvantages

The Elders of Pansophers is a small circle which discussed these issues in a panel to decide on what to advise readers. We’ve belonged to several Rosicrucian fraternities, such as AMORC, the Golden Dawn, BOTA, masonic Rosicrucian groups, Martinism, Memphis Misraim, etc. We’ve had good times, received guidance from our own Rosicrucian mentors, and at the same time we’ve also seen the worst come out in spiritual leaders, who in holding positions of spiritual authority have taken advantage of others.

Based on the above mentioned pitfalls we recommend:

Join two quite different Rosicrucian organisations and not one! By studying with two groups you will be exposed to ideas and exercises that you can contrast against each other. We recommend that one organization be a “monograph” type Rosicrucian group and that the second group you join should be something which demands more self study.

For example join a masonic fraternity, with the intention of also joining the inner Rosicrucian side-orders available to master masons. There you will encounter self disciplined learning. This will not only prevent the effect of the echo chamber, but your mind will not be lulled into a passive state. You’ll be able to rightly discern what aspects of each tradition have value or belong to the dustbins of the strange claims made by many Rosicrucian founders during the early 1900’s.

If you cannot afford to join two Rosicrucian fraternities, the next best thing would be to join one fraternity but to study the books of an alternative Rosicrucian author or source. The two fraternities approach, or monographs matched with an alternative book source, should not be too complimentary to each other. They should give very different perspectives indeed and its your job to reconcile them.

Furthermore, in our experience, the most admirable Rosicrucians living today have closely read at least one source inspirer, such as Jacob Boehme, Swedenborg, Jane Leade or Giordano Bruno. No matter which Rosicrucian group you join – you should commit yourself to thoroughly reading ALL the works of at least one key inspirer. For example, studying all the volumes of Jane Lead over a few years.

Our second important recommended strategy to undertake is that you should read ALL of the Top Ten Rosicrucian Books selected by Pansophers.com. Even if you do not like the historical items, you should read them as a matter of discipline. We did not write any of these books ourselves, but every Rosicrucian should read all ten.

The result of reading them is that you will be far more informed than those who merely rely on their own fraternity as their sole source of information regarding the nature of Rosicrucianism itself.

Consider that monographs are but interpretations based upon the original Rosicrucian documents. If your only source of information is monographs, then how do you know if the statements made therein are true, or accurately portray the message of the original Rosicrucian writings? One hundred years ago Rosicrucian fraternities could claim whatever they liked as their students did not have access to quality information. Today’s situation is quite different. After reading these top ten books for yourself, you will be mentally bulletproofed against any of the strange, even outlandish, claims we sometimes come across in the esoteric world.

Lastly, lovingly hold onto your friends who are complete disbelievers. It’s always good to have a few atheist or agnostic friends, especially those who are connected to scientific fields. Those friends who openly challenge your ideas, beliefs and practices are the most rewarding on the journey.

“People can get quite carried away with fantasy on the esoteric path. One of my greatest teachers is a complete disbeliever. She challenges my ideas. The irony she sees, and willingness to point out aspects of the teaching which are really quite ridiculous has proven to dispel the fantastic while humorously, and at the same time alchemically, leave behind that which is true.” Samuel Robinson. Pansophers, Founder.

See our Rosicrucian Groups list for a full directory of fraternities.

And best of luck in finding the right group for you!