Rosicrucians – A Very Esoteric Organization
A society that springs from the same time period and the same religious background as the Freemasons is the Rosicrucians, a similarly secretive organization. Indeed, Rosicrucianism is seen as one of the major influencers on the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, one of the various ways by which Masonry is organized around the world. While this may seem like they would want to be secretive, Rosicrucians are also very open about their organization. Rosicrucians were believed to originate in Europe during the early 17th century after the publication of several texts. These texts were purported to announce the existence of a hitherto unknown esoteric order to the world and made seeking its knowledge attractive to many.
Christian Rosenkreutz, a doctor and supposed traveler ventured to the Middle East in the 14th century and returned with knowledge of Eastern esotericism, drawing on Islamic, Jewish, Kabbalistic and Zoroastrian traditions was the ideological catalyst for Rosicrucians. He then founded the Fraternity of the Rosy Cross to spread his message of newfound wisdom. Original members had to be doctors, single and willing to help the sick for no pay. In the 1600s, the Rosicrucian manifestos claimed the existence of a secret society descended from Rosenkreutz – members consisted of sages and alchemists. The manifesto’s mentions of a “universal reformation of mankind” to come from a knowledge of science that would only be released when society was intellectually ready to cope with it may not have yet happened, but perhaps the Rosicrucians are still sitting on the information and waiting for their moment.