Frater Rosae Crucis

The Ancient and Mystical Order Rosæ Crucis (AMORC), also calling itself the Rosicrucian Order, is currently the largest Rosicrucian organization in the world. It has various lodges, chapters and other affiliated bodies throughout the globe, operating in 19 different languages.

AMORC claims to be the oldest existing Traditional Fraternity and the modern-day manifestation of the ancient 'Rose-Croix' Order, which is said to have originated in the Ancient Egyptian Mystery schools. The ancient Mysteries are said to have been preserved through the millennia by closed secret societies until the early years of 17th Century Europe. At that point, according to AMORC internal mythology, the time was right for the existence of this body of secret knowledge to become open, i.e. revealed, to the world, in the form of the Rosicrucian manifestos.

In his book, Silentium Post Clamores (1617)[1], famous seventeenth century Rosicrucian Michael Maier described the origins of Rosicrucianism as "Egyptian, Brahmanic, derived from the Mysteries of Eleusis and Samothrace, the Magi of Persia, the Pythagoreans, and the Arabs." Several of his other works also allude to the mysterious origins of the Rosicrucians.

Today, AMORC sees itself as representing an "open cycle" of the ancient Rosicrucian tradition, claiming that its existence is a "reactivation" of Rosicrucian teaching in the United States, with previous Rosicrucian colonies in the United States having become dormant.

AMORC presents itself as a worldwide philosophical and humanistic, fraternal order devoted to "the study of the elusive mysteries of life and the universe." The organization claims to be non-sectarian and apolitical. It is also open to both men and women of legal adult age (18 years old in most countries) regardless of their various religious persuasions.

The name AMORC is an abbreviation for the Latin title Antiquus Mysticusque Ordo Rosæ Crucis ("Ancient and Mystic Order of the Rosy Cross" – "Antiquus Arcanus Ordo Rosae Rubeae et Aureae Crucis"). Harvey Spencer Lewis, author and mystic who re-activated AMORC in the United States of America, wrote that "from the very start, and with the issuance of the first public manifesto, the correct name of the international Rosicrucian organization was used, namely, the Ancient and Mystical Order Rosae Crucis. This is a slightly abbreviated form of the original Latin name, Antiquus Arcanus Ordo Rosae Rubeae et Aureae Crucis, and the initials AMORC were immediately used as well as the true and original symbol of the Rosicrucian Order – the golden cross with but one red rose in the center". AMORC holds legal rights to the above-mentioned titles including the title "Rosicrucian Order".

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