One of the more controversial facets of Rosicrucianism are the Secret Chiefs. Who are these Unknown Superiors who preside over us from their invisible circle?
The status of Secret Chiefs is a contentious issue, in part, due to the strange ideas Rudolf Steiner and H.S. Lewis applied to the concept. While Steiner claimed to have his own master, Lewis established an entire pantheon of disincarnate guides. Because of the exaggerated nature of the claims, it is an arduous task to determine whether Elder Brothers live among us or on a higher plane. It is the strange nature of the claims surrounding these clandestine figures that continues to fuel both fascination and skepticism within the tradition. After all, anyone wishing to add status to their own concocted teachings can claim to have received transmissions from the Secret Chiefs.
When investigating Elder Brothers, we should examine the tradition from a place BEFORE Madame Blavatsky arrived on the scene. There is a pre-Blavatsky and post-Blavatsky understanding on the issue of our discussion. Post-Blavatsky, things get muddled.
We should start with Homer and Hesiod, who wrote epic poems about heroes celebrated for their noble qualities and significant deeds.[1] In addition, the philosophical writings of Iamblichus (c. 245-325 CE) describe a hierarchical structure of divinities that includes gods, angels, daemons, and, more important to our current topic, heroes.[2] It is through the exploration of these antiquated sources that we gain insights into the true nature of the Elder Brothers.
Heroes were exceptional men and women accorded superhuman status. In essence, heroes were a genus of deified humans in the Hellenistic world. Some heroes were depicted as demigods to the extent that the two terms became synonymous. Other heroes, such as Apollonius of Tyana, were perceived as gods inhabiting human bodies.[3] Empedocles claimed he was a daemon exiled from the celestial world as penance for misdeeds.[4] These figures had their own cults of worship, and as such, could be perceived as both revered individuals and divine manifestations.
Some heroes, like Achilles, were warriors who embodied the virtue of courage,[5] while others, such as Alcestis, embodied unconditional love.[6] Although not recognized in this fashion, Jesus Christ, among the Hellenized Jewish Gnostics, would be classified as a hero – a redeemer of the world who embodied the virtues of philanthropia (love of mankind) and dikaiosyne (righteousness). In addition to possessing virtuous natures, heroes often possessed miraculous powers. Melampus, for example, could speak with animals,[7] while Asclepius, like Christ, could resurrect the dead.[8]
According to Proclus, heroes are “human souls on high”[9] who descend and assist us in returning to the celestial world. Iamblichus states, “it is requisite to attribute to heroes vivific powers, which are the leaders of men, and are liberated from generation.”[10] In other words, heroes have been liberated from reincarnation, but can choose to incarnate and serve as guides. Heroes inspire us to perform deeds that elevate our souls toward a state of photisma (illumination).
Iamblichus claimed that heroes possess divine light “mingled with many things”[11] and divine fire that is “rapidly moved.”[12] He also claimed that “certain parts of the earth are moved, and sounds are heard around them.”[13] In other words, theophanies associated with heroes can be dynamic, active presences that can impact the world. This phenomenon can be seen during the transfiguration of Christ when “his face did shine as the sun”[14] and again upon his death when “the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; and the graves were opened.”[15]
While some heroes were historical figures, others were mythical characters. In the ancient world, the difference between historical and mythical was of little consequence. Epic poems were said to emanate from the Muses and thus possess some degree of existence. Skilled in areas such as healing or magical prowess, heroes served as ideals for human excellence. Some heroes, such as Perseus, were associated with constellations. In the case of historical figures, cults often appeared in the decades following their deaths, in a process known as heroization.[16] An example of heroization can be seen in the centuries it took for the Christian religion to develop.
In Rosicrucianism, Elder Brothers are depicted in various forms.
German Rosicrucian Karl von Eckhartshausen described Elder Brothers as living adepts who, though unknown to each other, share a mission to guide mankind.[17] English mystic Jane Leade believed that those who achieve spiritual regeneration obtain the status of Enoch (the apocryphal figure who walked with God and was taken up to heaven).[18] These adepts live in close communion with God, endowed with wisdom and power, in perfect alignment with the will of the divine. These advanced saints – those who have achieved the highest level of ‘saint-ship’ – are granted the freedom to assist others, who have not yet reached their level in the love-chain.[19]
This aligns with the perspective of Joséphin Péladan, who described Elder Brothers as fallen angels that incarnate and serve mankind as “mages, saints, artists, poets, aristes, mystagogues.”[20] Rather than the Übermenschen of Nietzsche, who were secular, heroes were rooted in the celestial. In his book on the archetypes of the collective unconscious, Jung stated, “the hero’s nature is human but raised to the limit of the supernatural – the semi-divine.”[21]
Christian Rosenkreutz could be seen as a hero since the manifestos are imbued with alchemical and cabbalistic content that animates him as a telesmatic image. His tomb is a magical vehicle that leads up through the sublunar world to the radiant sphere of Tiphareth. While most consider Rosenkreutz to be a fictional character, Steiner claimed he had been a historical figure who reincarnated as a who’s-who list of people such as the Count of St. Germain[22] and John the Evangelist.[23] Franz Hartmann believed that Alois Mailänder, the Rosicrucian adept known as ‘Johannes’ to his Theosophist students, was also a reincarnation of John.[24] Although Hartmann never referred to Mailänder as Christian Rosenkreutz, it was simple for Theosophists to make the connection.
In the post-Blavatsky world, characters such as Moria and Koot-Hoomi are less potent due to the lack of enlivening content in their stories. The so-called masters of Blavatsky and the Theosophical world are, at most, images within the astral light, inferior to incarnated Elder Brothers. The mind is capable of creating complex and vivid images. The notion of astral masters as fanciful mental constructs is more feasible than their actual existence. While there are real astral masters, to be sure, one must ask where the line is drawn between ‘real’ and imagination.
Like Melampus and Asclepius, Elder Brothers were said to possess miraculous powers such as healing or being able to speak with animals. Karel Weinfurter stated that Jacob Böhme understood the magical names of animals that allowed them to communicate.[25] Mailänder was also said to have learned from Kerning exercises the magical language of the animals.[26]
The French scholar Gabriel Naudé (1600-1653), who derided the Rosicrucians, claimed that there were a total of 36 invisible Elder Brothers.[27] It might be ascertained that the number 36 was a reference to the Jewish concept of Tzadikim Nistarim (hidden righteous ones). Some sources believe the number of guides is much higher than 36. For example, this writer knows of a Gnostic church that claims there are 2,500 Elder Brothers scattered throughout the physical world.
New research on the masters of Blavatsky and Steiner has identified real historical figures behind the names, leading us in a healthier direction. In viewing masters as historical identities (alive or deceased), Rosicrucian students need not get carried away with wild fantasies. Elder Brothers, like heroes, could be said to be semi-divine, but as real human personalities, it is essential to maintain independence and critical thinking rather than worshipping such figures. In fact, Steiner stated, “the temptation for people to fanatically idealize a person bearing such authority is too great, which is the worst thing that can happen – it would be too much like idolatry.”[28]
J.B. Kerning stated that worshipping gurus could interfere with spiritual progress, “the sad consequence of such relationships with authority can be seen in religious practices where people think they must always have the teachers and the founder of the religions in their mouths in order to follow their teachings correctly … such reliance on authority is harmful, because one can easily conclude that it’s the personhood that should be the primary focus, forgetting the real matter above it.”[29]
Unlike heroes in the classical world who were venerated with libations poured on the ground, the Elder Brothers often remain unknown despite their miraculous powers.
Elder Brothers often operate behind the scenes and draw no attention to themselves. During those times when Elder Brothers lead groups, it is done in a subtle fashion. As humanitarians, their power becomes focused on acts of service, often at the cost of their own comfort. Based on the charitable and selfless acts of the Elder Brothers, it would seem these individuals do not wish to be in the limelight. One must then wonder how this reflects on people like Steiner or Lewis. Since these two teachers sought to build empires with themselves at the forefront, rather than teach students in silence, does this invalidate them from being counted among the Elder Brothers?
In fact, Mailänder seemed to shun the spotlight. According to his written correspondences, the guests who would visit him at his home made it quite hectic.[30] He was unknown to the public until this blog revealed him as one of the Elder Brothers.
Based on this information, we can reach the following conclusions:
- Elder Brothers are a continuation of the Hellenistic tradition of heroes.
- Elder Brothers can be perceived as semi-divine, but unlike the Hellenistic world, that had cults dedicated to heroes, we should not worship them.
- Unlike heroes, some of whom were mythical characters, Elder Brothers are NOT astral masters created in the imagination.
- Like the historical figures of Apollonius and Empedocles, Elder Brothers are ‘human souls on high’ incarnated in physical bodies.
- Elder Brothers possess virtuous natures and miraculous powers, such as healing and the power to speak with animals.
- Elder Brothers work behind the scenes as initiators. While their students might be famous, their own names are often lost to time.
In the opinion of this writer, a few individuals who might be considered Elder Brothers include: Johann Joseph Gassner (1727-1779), a spiritual healer whom the GuRC perceived as the human pinnacle of the alchemical work; Józef Maria Hoene-Wroński (1776-1853), the initiator of Eliphas Levi, who claimed to have discovered mathematical formulae that granted him the secrets of nature; the Vicomte Edouard de Lapasse (1792-1867), who was the initiator behind the Rosicrucians in Toulouse; and Franz Joseph Prestel (1797-1872), the initiator of Mailänder, who, like the children of Helios, could project phantom images from his mind, perceivable to others.[31]
In the purest sense, the Elder Brothers are those who live in accordance with the will of God, written in their hearts, and who demonstrate to mankind how to nurture the golden stone. Elder Brothers are those who have chosen to follow the Rosicrucian path to its end and, without seeking fame or fortune, have placed their stones upon the foundation of the Sanctus Spiritus. When we place the will of God above our own and remain sincere in our work, without pursuing the honors of the physical world, we too might be recognized as Elder Brothers of the tradition.
Footnotes:
[1] For insights into heroes, reference Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey alongside Hesiod’s Theogony.
[2] Iamblichus. Iamblichus on the Mysteries. Translated by Thomas Taylor, Bertram Dobell, 1821.
[3] Philostratus. The Life of Apollonius of Tyana. Vol. 2, Translated by F. C. Conybeare, Harvard University Press, 1950, pp. 3-4. Similar to Christ, it is said that the god Proteus appeared to a pregnant woman and declared that she would give birth to him in human form.
[4] O’Brien, Denis. “Empedocles: The Wandering Daimon and the Two Poems.” Aevum Antiquum, vol. NS 1, 2001, pp. 79.
[5] For detailed information about Achilles, see Homer’s Iliad.
[6] Euripides. Alcestis. Oxford University Press, 2007.
[7] Morford, Mark P. O. Classical Mythology. Oxford University Press, 2003, p. 606.
[8] Morford 242.
[9] Proclus. Commentary on Plato’s Timaeus: Volume 4, Book 3. Cambridge University Press, 2008, p. 138.
[10] Iamblichus 83.
[11] Iamblichus 91.
[12] Iamblichus 93.
[13] Iamblichus 100.
[14] The Bible. King James Version, Matthew 17:2.
[15] The Bible. King James Version, Matthew 27:51-52.
[16] Price, Theodora H. “Hero-Cult and Homer.” Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte Geschichte, vol. 22, no. 2, 1973, pp. 129-144. Accessed 2 July 2024.
[17] Eckartshausen, Karl von. The Cloud Upon the Sanctuary. Azafran Books, 2016.
[18] Leade, Jane. The Enochian Walks with God. Edited by Diane Guerrero, Jane Lead: Writings & Research, 1693, p. 22, www.janelead.org/files/66044978.pdf.
[19] Leade 23.
[20] Péladan, Joséphin. Arcanum of Lucifer, or of Birth. Chamuel, 1894, p. 41.
[21] Jung, C. G. Collected Works of C. G. Jung, Volume 9 (Part 1): Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious. Princeton University Press, 1969, p. 166.
[22] One source where Steiner discusses this is in his lecture series titled “The Mission of Christian Rosenkreutz,” given between 1912 and 1913. In these lectures, Steiner elaborates on the spiritual missions of Christian Rosenkreutz and the Count of St. Germain, suggesting that the Count of St. Germain was a reincarnation of Christian Rosenkreutz.
[23] Steiner discusses this in his lecture series titled “The Fifth Gospel,” given between 1913 and 1914. In these lectures, Steiner explores the connection between Christian Rosenkreutz and John the Evangelist (whom he also identifies with Lazarus).
[24] Robinson, Samuel. Alois Mailänder: A Rosicrucian Remembered. Pansophic Press, 2021, p. 60.
[25] Weinfurter, Karel. Man’s Highest Purpose. Translated by Arnold Capleton and Charles Unger, Mayflower Press, 1931, p. 168.
[26] Schrodter, Willy. A Rosicrucian Notebook. Weiser Books, 1992, p. 132.
[27] Rebisse, Christian. Rosicrucian History and Mysteries. AMORC, p. 213.
[28] Steiner, Rudolf. The Secret Stream. SteinerBooks, 2000, p. 135.
[29] Kerning, J. B. Letters on the Royal Art. Translated by Ian H. Gladwin, Pansophic Press, 2022, p. 61.
[30] Dilloo-Heidger, Erik. 44 Letters to Gustav Meyrink. Books on Demand, 2020.
[31] Schrodter 132.
