Editing Rosicrucianism (section)

=== Rose-Cross Degrees in Freemasonry ===
[[File:Bijou fm 18eme.jpg|thumb|170px|right|18° ''Knight of the Rose Croix'' jewel (from the Masonic [[Scottish Rite]])]]

According to [[Jean Pierre Bayard]],<ref>Jean-Pierre Bayard, Les Rose-Croix, M. A. Éditions, Paris, 1986</ref> two Rosicrucian-inspired [[Freemasonry|Masonic]] rites emerged toward the end of 18th century,<!--reference to be added--> the [[Rectified Scottish Rite]], widespread in Central Europe where there was a strong presence of the "Golden and Rosy Cross", and the [[Scottish Rite|Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite]], first practiced in France, in which the 18th degree is called ''[[Scottish Rite#The Rose Croix|Knight of the Rose Croix]]''.

The change from "operative" to "speculative" Masonry occurred between the end of the 16th and the beginning of the 18th century. Two of the earliest speculative Masons for whom a record of initiation exists were Sir [[Robert Moray]] and [[Elias Ashmole]]. [[Robert Vanloo]] states that earlier 17th century Rosicrucianism had a considerable influence on Anglo-Saxon Masonry. [[Hans Schick]] sees in the works of [[Jan Amos Komenský|Comenius]] (1592–1670) the ideal of the newly born English Masonry before the foundation of the [[Grand Lodge]] in 1717. Comenius was in England during 1641.

The [[Gold und Rosenkreuzer]] (Golden and Rosy Cross) was founded by the alchemist [[Samuel Richter]] who in 1710 published ''Die warhhaffte und vollkommene Bereitung des Philosophischen Steins der Brüderschaft aus dem Orden des Gülden-und Rosen-Creutzes'' (''The True and Complete Preparation of the [[Philosopher's Stone]] by the Brotherhood from the Order of the Golden and Rosy Cross'') in [[Breslau]] under the pseudonym Sincerus Renatus<ref>Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, [[The Occult Roots of Nazism]], p. 59</ref> in [[Prague]] in the early 18th century as a hierarchical [[secret society]] composed of internal circles, recognition signs and alchemy treatises. Under the leadership of [[Hermann Fictuld]] the group reformed itself extensively in 1767 and again in 1777 because of political pressure. Its members claimed that the leaders of the Rosicrucian Order had invented Freemasonry and only they knew the secret meaning of Masonic symbols. The Rosicrucian Order had been founded by Egyptian "[[Ormusse]]" or "[[Licht-Weise]]" who had emigrated to Scotland with the name "Builders from the East". In 1785 and 1788 the Golden and Rosy Cross group published the ''Geheime Figuren'' or "The Secret Symbols of the 16th and 17th century Rosicrucians".

Led by [[Johann Christoph von Wöllner]] and General Johann Rudolf von Bischoffwerder, the Masonic lodge (later: ''Grand Lodge'') ''Zu den drei Weltkugeln'' (''The Three Globes'') was infiltrated and came under the influence of the Golden and Rosy Cross. Many Freemasons became Rosicrucianists and Rosicrucianism was established in many lodges. In 1782 at the Convent of Wilhelmsbad the ''Alte schottische Loge Friedrich zum goldenen Löwen'' (''Old Scottish Lodge Friedrich at the Golden Lion'') in Berlin strongly requested [[Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg]] and all other Freemasons to submit to the Golden and Rosy Cross, without success.

After 1782, this highly secretive society added Egyptian, Greek, and Druidic mysteries to its alchemy system.<ref>Bayard, Jean-Pierre, ''Les Rose-Croix'', M.A.Édition, Paris 1986</ref> A comparative study of what is known about the Gold and Rosenkreuzer appears to reveal, on the one hand, that it has influenced the creation of some modern initiatory groups and, on the other hand, that the Nazis (see ''[[The Occult Roots of Nazism]]'') may have been inspired by this German group.

According to the writings of the Masonic historian E.J. Marconis de Negre,<ref>de Negre, E.J. Marconis (1849), ''Brief History of Masonry''</ref> who together with his father Gabriel M. Marconis is held to be the founder of the "[[Rite of Memphis-Misraim]]" of Freemasonry, based on earlier conjectures (1784) by a Rosicrucian scholar Baron de Westerode<ref>Nesta Webster's, ''[http://ellhn.e-e-e.gr/books/assets/secret_societies.pdf Secret Societies and Subversive Movements] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080228205819/http://ellhn.e-e-e.gr/books/assets/secret_societies.pdf |date=28 February 2008 }}'', London, 1924, p. 87 and note 37</ref> and also promulgated by the 18th century secret society called the "[[Order of the Golden and Rosy Cross|Golden and Rosy Cross]]", the Rosicrucian Order was created in the year 46 when an [[Alexandria]]n [[Gnosticism|Gnostic]] sage named [[Ormus]] and his six followers were converted by one of Jesus' disciples, [[Mark the Evangelist|Mark]]. Their symbol was said to be a red cross surmounted by a rose, thus the designation of [[Rosy Cross]]. From this conversion, Rosicrucianism was supposedly born, by purifying [[Egyptian Mythology|Egyptian]] [[Greco-Roman mysteries|mysteries]] with the new higher teachings of early Christianity.<ref>Further research in ''[http://www.book-of-thoth.com/article1662.html Legend and Mythology: Ormus] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100113204045/http://book-of-thoth.com/article1662.html |date=13 January 2010 }}'' by Sol, The Book of THoTH, 2004</ref>

Another notable figure for both egyptian freemasonry and rosicrucianism in Italy was [[Giustiniano Lebano]]<ref>{{cite web|access-date=28 December 2018 |archive-date=28 December 2018 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20181228162447/http://corsodireligione.it/religioni/esoterismo/esoter_1e.htm |publisher=corsodireligione.it |title=L'ermetismo kremmerziano |url=http://corsodireligione.it/religioni/esoterismo/esoter_1e.htm}}<!-- auto-translated from Italian by Module:CS1 translator --></ref> who held high offices in the Memphis Misraim rite and was an influential figure in the later esoteric developments of the peninsula, including influencing [[Giuliano Kremmerz]] and the members of the [[UR Group]].<ref>[https://www.ritoegiziotradizionale.it/gran-hyerophanti-e-gran-maestri/giustiniano-lebano/ Giustiniano Lebano - Gran Hyerophanti e Gran Maestri].</ref>
The Neapolitan branch of the Memphis-Misraim rite, Grande Oriente Egizio, instructed [[Giuliano Kremmerz]] to create the Brotherhood of Myriam with the aim of practising therapeutic magic for those affected by disease, including non-initiates.<ref>Massimo Introvigne ''[http://www.corsodireligione.it/religioni/esoterismo/esoter_1e.htm Enciclopedia delle religioni in Italia]''. Cesnur. 3rd December at the {{cite web|url=http://www.corsodireligione.it/religioni/esoterismo/esoter_1e.htm|title=Corso di Religione |date= 3 December 2024}} </ref>

According to Maurice Magre (1877–1941) in his book ''Magicians, Seers, and Mystics'', Rosenkreutz was the last descendant of the Germelshausen, a German family from the 13th century. Their castle stood in the [[Thuringian Forest]] on the border of [[Hesse]], and they embraced [[Albigensian]] doctrines. The whole family was put to death by [[Konrad von Marburg|Landgrave Conrad]] of [[Thuringia]], except for the youngest son, who was then five years old. He was carried away secretly by a monk, an Albigensian adept from [[Languedoc]], and placed in a monastery under the influence of the Albigenses, where he was educated and met the four Brothers later to be associated with him in the founding of the Rosicrucian Brotherhood. Magre's account supposedly derives from oral tradition.

Around 1530, more than eighty years before the publication of the first manifesto, the association of cross and rose already existed in Portugal in the [[Convent of the Order of Christ]], home of the [[Knights Templar]], later renamed [[Order of Christ (Portugal)|Order of Christ]]. Three ''bocetes'' were, and still are, on the ''abóboda'' (vault) of the initiation room. The rose can clearly be seen at the center of the cross.<ref>[[:pt:António de Macedo|Macedo, António de]] (2000), ''Instruções Iniciáticas – Ensaios Espirituais'', 2nd edition, Hughin Editores, Lisbon, {{ISBN|972-8534-00-0}}, p.&nbsp;55</ref><ref>Gandra, J. Manuel (1998), ''Portugal Misterioso'' (''Os Templários''), Lisbon, pp. 348–349</ref> At the same time, a minor writing by [[Paracelsus]] called ''Prognosticatio Eximii Doctoris Paracelsi'' (1530), containing 32 [[prophecy|prophecies]] with [[allegory|allegorical]] pictures surrounded by enigmatic texts, makes reference to an image of a double cross over an open rose; this is one of the examples used to prove the "Fraternity of the Rose Cross" existed far earlier than 1614.<ref>[[Stanislas de Guaita]] (1886), ''Au seuil du Mystère''</ref>