AN INTRODUCTION TO THE SOCIETAS ROSICRUCIANA IN ANGLIA
The Societas Rosicruciana does not constitute another interesting degree in Freemasonry, to be acquired in the course of ordinary Masonic progress. It is something beyond and outside Freemasonry. More and more Freemasons are looking to the Christian degrees for answers to the questions confronted during their daily advancement in Masonic knowledge.
The membership of the S.R.I.A. is made up from brethren who have trod the same path within the structure of Masonry. The Society is the ideal forum for Masons who wish to extend their contemplation of the hidden mysteries of nature and science alluded to in the Degree of a Fellowcraft.
The S.R.I.A. can provide the thoughtful Mason with direction, structure and resources for his enlightenment and advancement in working out many of Life’s issues, in comprehending and appreciating his relations with his fellow man and to his Creator. The Society also provides an outlet for sharing insights, learning and experiences with others through presenting papers and by joining study groups.
“The aim of the Society is to afford mutual aid and encouragement in working out the great problems of life and in discovering the Secrets of Nature; to facilitate the study of the system of Philosophy founded upon the Kabbalah and the doctrines of Hermes Trismegistus, which was inculcated by the original Fratres Rosae Crucis of Germany, A.D. 1450; and to investigate the meaning and symbolism of all that remains of the wisdom, art and literature of the Ancient World
Admission is limited to Master Masons who are subscribing members of a Lodge under the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) or a jurisdiction in amity with UGLE and who accept and believe in the fundamental principles of the Trinitarian Christian faith.
History of the Rosicrucian Society of England 1867
Two of our members were admitted into the non-masonic Rosicrucian Society of Scotia, by their Magus Maximus, Anthony Oneal Haye IX in 1866. Having both progressed through the Scottish nine grades, it was proposed at the London Rosicrucians second meeting; “that the Scottish ritual be adopted, subject to certain verbal alterations and omissions at the discretion of the Celebrant.”
These changes not being forthcoming the London Rosicrucians reverted back to the four rituals found by Robert Wentworth Little in Freemasons Hall, probably in 1855 when he worked as cashier for the Grand Secretary William Henry White. Our Zelator and Theoricus rituals are quite different from the Scottish rituals and make up half the first order rituals today. The Adeptus Minor and Adeptus Major rituals of our second order were copied in R.W. Little’s own hand writing and also remain little changed to this day. It is interesting to note that both the Rosicrucian ‘Ne Plus Ultra’, based on the Rose Croix and the Red Cross of Rome and Constantine rituals found by R.W. Little both existed before 1825, when Richard Carlile used them in his expose published in the Republican Magazine.
The result was that it took eighteen months to advance the members through all the London nine grades, by R.W. Little as their Master General or Celebrant as he is known today. Finally on 14th January 1869 the Master General having previously declared the 9o being complete, installed his successor William James Hughan as Master General and he assumed the role of Supreme Magus for the first time.
The society founded four new colleges and then in 1874 split the managing of the society in general, from the running of the mother college, by forming the Metropolitan College and then the High Council of the ‘Rosicrucian Society of England or Brethren of the Rosy Cross.’ The name was not Latinised to ‘Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia’ until 1885 when William Wynn Westcott used it for the first time as secretary of Metropolitan College, the whole society did not using the term until 1889 when W.W. Westcott was Secretary General and Celebrant of Metropolitan College.
Objectives of the Society
The Society’s mission is to provide mutual support and encouragement in unraveling life’s profound mysteries and uncovering Nature’s secrets. We aim to facilitate the study of the philosophy rooted in the Kabbalah and the teachings of Hermes Trismegistus, as propagated by the original Fratres Rosae Crucis of Germany, A.D. 1450. We strive to explore the meaning and symbolism of the remnants of the wisdom, art, and literature of the Ancient World.
Society’s Regulations
The Society’s purpose is to unite Freemasons with a philosophical mindset to aid and inspire each other in their philosophical and scholarly pursuits. Ultimately, our goal is to bring our members closer to wisdom and a deeper understanding of reality.
Members are encouraged to present original papers or excerpts from others’ works and participate in ensuing discussions. Members should be ready to engage in Grade ceremonies, listen, learn, and actively contribute to unraveling life’s mysteries and understanding the wisdom, art, and literature of the Ancient World through study and sharing. The Rosicrucian Fraternity primarily focuses on imparting spiritual, philosophical, and ethical truths of the highest caliber.
Members have researched and presented papers on a variety of subjects, including Number Symbolism, Alchemy, Artificial Intelligence, Shamanism, and more, as well as biographies of eminent philosophers of Science, Esotericism, and Mysticism. The Society’s High Council maintains a valuable library of approximately three thousand volumes held at United GRand Lodge in London, accessible to Society members. Members of Colleges outside London can borrow books from the library through their College High Council Representative.
Rosicrucian Philosophy
The philosophy of the Rosicrucian Fraternity is based on the aspirations of its legendary founder, Christian Rosencreutz, a German nobleman with monastic education who sought to bring the ancient knowledge he acquired in the East back to the West. After facing resistance and mockery across Europe, he retreated to Germany, where he established the Fraternity of the Rosy Cross.
Initially a secret Order, the Rosicrucians emerged 120 years after the Founder’s death as an established but ‘invisible’ Fraternity (around the same time as the rise of Speculative Freemasonry) at the turn of the 17th century. The publication of the two manifestos: the Fama Fraternitatis and the Confessio Fraternitatis in Germany in 1614/15 invited all of Europe’s learned to join them in an educational, moral, and scientific reformation of society. Rosicrucianism has always been focused on the individual and fraternal pursuit of divine enlightenment for the benefit of the individual and society.
Like Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism promotes the fellowship of Man and understanding of his place in Creation. The spiritual journey of understanding one’s relationship with the Creator is uniquely individual, but it doesn’t have to be solitary. Guidance or encouragement from an adept or someone who has traversed a similar path can be beneficial.
The original Brethren of the Rose and Cross invited Europe’s learned to join them in a general reformation of learning and society; the S.R.I.A. now invites all Master Masons seeking further enlightenment to join our Society and participate in our fraternal assembly’s objectives: THE DIFFUSION OF LIGHT AND THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE.
The intertwining of Rosicrucianism and Freemasonry traces back to the dawn of time. The earliest documented evidence of this connection is found in Henry Adamson’s ‘The Muses Threnodie,’ published in Edinburgh in 1638.
FOR WHAT WE PRESAGE IS NOT GROSS
FOR WE BE BRETHREN OF THE ROSIE CROSS;
WE HAVE THE MASON WORD AND SECOND SIGHT,
THINGS FOR TO COME WE CAN FORETELL ARIGHT.
Many Masonic historians propose that modern Speculative Freemasonry is deeply indebted to the Rosicrucian movement. Notably, the first recorded speculative Freemasons in England, Sir Robert Moray and Elias Ashmole, were either Rosicrucians themselves or had a profound interest in Rosicrucian philosophy and ideals. These ideals likely inspired the establishment of The Royal Society.
The Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia (S.R.I.A.) was established in 1867 by Freemason Robert Wentworth Little and six other brethren, following the discovery of specific manuscripts in the Grand Lodge archives. The Order has since been home to many distinguished and scholarly Masons.
The S.R.I.A. has served as a sanctuary for Masons seeking intellectual and spiritual enrichment since its inception. The requirement for S.R.I.A. membership to be a Master Mason is a legacy from the Society’s founders. This requirement serves as an endorsement of the candidate’s character, familiarity with ceremonial work, and commitment to the obligations of fidelity. In other words, having attained the rank of a Master Mason in a duly warranted lodge, the candidate has proven himself to be a person of integrity and discretion, eager to gain further knowledge of the surrounding mysteries.
The Masonic qualification is thus designed to ensure that its members uphold the principles of fidelity and privacy in their conduct.
