Rosicrucian Orders - AMORC

[Steel Hawk]

It's not a religion per say, but what (in my opinion) a religion ought to be. It's truly the only place where I've ever felt at home.

http://www.amorc.org/

[AmbientSound]

Good stuff, thanks for sharing.

[Synergy]

Though I am not a paying member of AMORC (even though I have tried to register online many times - they hve an error on their site which wont allow my credit card info) but anyway, I still study Rosicrucian teachings through another avenue.  I study from the original texts: Fama Fraternatatis, Confessio Fraternatatis, Secret Symbols of the Rosicrucians of the 16th and 17 centuries, The Emerald Tablet of Hermes, The Chymical Wedding of C.R.C., and also more modern stuff like Heindel's works and other Rosicrucian writings. Rosicrucian philosophy fits most with my beliefs and experiences...

[Colden]

I have never studied anything from the Rosicrucian Orders but I have always been interested. There is also no Rosicrucian community where I live....bummer!

[AmbientSound]

<---- freemason

[Synergy]

<---- freemason

Freemasonry and Rosicrucianism are VERY close in teachings and ritual.... even though they are two separate entities. 

[Colden]

My friend is a Mason and has been trying very hard to recruit. I am interested but the reason I don't is because Freemasonry has become more of a social group and everybody that I talk to about it do not know its true meaning, roots or origin or practices and why they do them. I bet that if half its members knew that Albert Pike studied Kabbalah and Tarot that they might have different thoughts. Considering that the Freemason's from where I'm at are either Southern Baptist of Catholic (this doesn't make any sense to me). Why would a someone join the Freemasons's and still be Southern Baptist or Catholic? Neither religion recognizes Masonic teachings and they are on completely different ends of the spectrum.

[Synergy]

My friend is a Mason and has been trying very hard to recruit. I am interested but the reason I don't is because Freemasonry has become more of a social group and everybody that I talk to about it do not know its true meaning, roots or origin or practices and why they do them. I bet that if half its members knew that Albert Pike studied Kabbalah and Tarot that they might have different thoughts. Considering that the Freemason's from where I'm at are either Southern Baptist of Catholic (this doesn't make any sense to me). Why would a someone join the Freemasons's and still be Southern Baptist or Catholic? Neither religion recognizes Masonic teachings and they are on completely different ends of the spectrum.

Freemasonry is also shrouded in a lot more allegory.... using stories to illustrate the points, which are not always clear, even to the Mason undergoing that particular ritual. Rosicrucians seem to learn in a more direct approach... you know what it is you are actually learning and why.  I admit I am a bit biased as in Canada, there are no co-freemasonry lodges, as there are in England and other countries... none that I am aware of anyway, and for sure in my province (NS), so I can not become a Mason here. I can't even become a member of the Eastern Star, because you must have a family member who is a Mason.  However, I can be a Rosicrucian, and we do have a Pronaos here.  In fact, they use the same exact lodge for meetings as the Masons!  And Rosicrucians have never discriminated on gender. 

Either path though leads towards the same light in the end... so I guess it doesn't really matter which path you take.  I would actually recommend Rosocirucain for the more direct path, less allegory, and there is still a social component. If you become a member of AMORC, they have a BEAUTIFUL park in California that includes a really great Egyptian museum, temple and grounds.... I really want to visit there someday.  Link: AMORC

As an alternative, there is another Rosicrucian order that claims to teach the original teachings, and they are much more secretive about their order.  Also, I believe that there are no membership dues required for them, since they believe that anyone should be able to follow the path. They do have a very beautiful school and grounds that you can visit as a member.   Link: Original 1614 Rosicrucian Fraternity (mostly known as F.R.C.)  Just based on their extra secrecy, makes me think they may be more in tune to the original teachings... They don't openly advertise like AMORC.

edit: I ultimately chose FRC over AMORC. 
 

[AmbientSound]

I've been to Nova Scotia before, while in high school, and it's a great place. I got thrown in a pool on a hot June day. How are you liking it?

In France, women can become Freemasons. I hope that happens in the U.S. someday. I would like to see women accepted into it, and I think it will come to that, when the time is right for it to happen. Perhaps a skilled occultist could come up with a ritual that would allow for this to take place. A woman can still join an Eastern Star lodge in the U.S. I'm not entirely sure of the prerequisites for joining, though.

I would be careful about joining Freemasonry lodges in the Southern U.S. I have heard that racism still has a sufficient presence in many of them, which tells me they are missing the whole point of Freemasonry- it is supposed to unite people regardless of race, religion, culture, creed, etc. Generally speaking, Northern and Southern lodges do not get along so well because of this issue.

I am fortunate to be in a very good lodge, with people who do understand and read up on the rituals to know what they are all about. Freemasonry rewards a person as much as they contribute. Those rituals are packed with A LOT of information. Freemasons meet once a month, so the idea is to let the information of one ritual sink in before moving on to the next. I find that discussing the rituals with others in the Lodge is a great way to learn. An Occultist, like Uncle Al (Crowley), would certainly have an easier time recognizing the symbolic importance of the rituals than someone who was new to the idea. But I guess we all have to start somewhere. Tarot and Kabbalah are very helpful in understanding the ritual work.

As a side note, the rituals in Freemasonry have been so well preserved through disciplined and focused practice that they have hardly changed at all since George Washington went through them.

Anyway, my fridge called. There's a beer in need of drinking.