Rosicrucians

A subgroup of the Order of Hermes

By Anders Sandberg

Copyright 1994 by Anders Sandberg. Version 2.0. This text mentions lots of things White Wolf has trademarked.

The Rosicrucians are not a tradition, but a camp inside the Order of Hermes. After the failure during the middle ages of the false order, the Order was shaken to its foundations. Many mages simply left to other traditions or founded their own small groups. Many claimed that the failure was due to excessive contact with the mundane world, and retreated into pure study.

The Rosicrucians were a more radical camp of the order. They claimed the failure was not due to the contact with mundanes, but due to the fact that they had initiated almost anybody into the false order. This led to the appearance of diabolists, power-hungry or destructive mages. The Rosicrucians wanted to continue to spread the hermetic ideas among the sleepers, but now only to the "worthy", who could handle them. During the period of 1500-1600 the Rosicrucians organized themselves, slowly preparing for their grand plan. They allied themselves with some Ahl-I-Batin sects, and exchanged information with them.

To avoid the Technomancers they had invented a trick: to hide in the open. Their idea was to create as many false orders as possible, to confuse and annoy the Technomancers. In 1615 they publicised "Fama Fraternitatis" and "Confessio fraternitatis Roseae Crucis, ad eruditos Europae", two manifestos revealing their existence and some of their powers. They also contained a request to all the learned men in Europe to join them in their quest. Of course this lead to a lot of noise. The Traditions were furious. The technomancers were furious. The learned and not-so-learned men was curious, and wanted to join. Exactly what the Rosicrucians had planned.

Soon a lot of people was searching for the elusive Rosicrucians. Learned men was writing their own books about them, subtly pointing out that the author was a very wise man and certainly a prospective member. Some people mistook these books for secret messages from the Rosicrucians themselves, and began to believe that the author was one of them. Others were writing texts condemning rosicrucianism, and after a while there was hundreds of manifestos, books and texts about the Rosicrucians. The Rosicrucians were quiet. Soon there began to start rosicrucian orders all around Europe. Secret societies began to flourish, and the Rosicrucians (the real ones) silently took control over some groups, using them as bases of operations. The Technomancers simply couldn't stop them, because for every genuine order there was hundreds of copycats, and most of them was secret.

The Rosicrucian movement evolved. Today they are the secret masters of several Masonic groups and a lot of different secret societies. And they continually start new groups and movements. Using these as a front, they initiate the "worthy" into the secrets. Often they do not make them into full mages, preferring to diffuse their enlightenment into society. The orders are a very useful place to find new candidates for membership. They also try to contact as many powerful and wealthy patrons as possible, to protect themselves and expand the orders even more.

The Technomancers are powerless against all these secret groups. They can't eradicate them, since that would be very suspicious, and they contain too many influential people. They instead try to infiltrate them or subverting them in order to stop the Rosicrucians. The Rosicrucians counter by creating even more new groups, and luring the technomancers into traps. Whole groups are faked, just to fool them into doing something stupid. The technomancers try to discredit the groups, hoping to erode their enemies power base. They also start new groups themselves, hoping to lure the Rosicrucians to try to take them over, and then catching the infiltrators. This secret war have been raging among the secret societies for several centuries, and there are no indications of an end. Everyone is tangled up in a web of intrigue, and paranoia is rampant among all involved.

The Hermetic Order of The Golden Dawn was one of their most successful fronts. It initiated people in plain sight. Unfortunately it split up because of internal strife (and possible technomancer infiltration). This created a lot of new orders, some which evolved away from the Rosicrucians. Aleister Crowley used methods both from the Rosicrucians and the Cult of Ecstasy (to the Rosicrucians dismay). The splinter groups have influenced a lot of other groups, like wicca, chaos magic and lots and lots of "real" Golden Dawn orders. This has both helped the Rosicrucians, as there are now even more groups to hide in, but the unorthodox hermetics that have evolved are an source for embarrassment.

The Rosicrucians have amassed more mundane power and wealth than any other group in the Order of Hermes. Through the charity trusts they control through different Masonic groups, they can put pressure on banks and invest money as they wish. Many powerful and important persons are members in their far flung new of lodges and orders. Some of their groups function as traps, where the Rosicrucians collect people they gather incriminating evidence against for use as blackmail. By financial manipulations, political pressure and lots of contacts, the Rosicrucians are a force to be reconed with.

The Rosicrucians are the undisputed masters of subtle intrigue together with the Ahl-I-Batin (who taught them the basics). Their extremely complex plots have however an unfortunate tendency to unravel when confronted with reality, causing the participants to stumble in the confusing dark. Its not uncommon for their agents to believe they are working for the other side, or even that they are double agents. Some are double agents, turning the Rosicrucians ever more paranoid. The war against the Technocracy agents and lodges have become more and more absurd, with every participant desperately trying to stay on top while all the time trying to sort information from disinformation.

One area the Rosicrucians excel in is cryptography. The hermetic mindset, combined with their paranoia, have made them masters of secret communication. Beside obvious codes, they have developed hidden coded which are encoded into art, normal text or completely unexpected things like interior decoration or gardening. One common way hiding messages is to use symbols and references which are only meaningful for a Rosicrucian of high enough rank (this serves to hide important information from members of low rank).

Beside the more common conspiracy-oriented Rosicrucians there are more withdrawn members who spend their time helping Sleepers in need. These trace their origin back to a small group of survivors of the fall of the false Order, who wished to atone for their pride by helping people with their magick. They have continued their work, protected and aided by the conspirators. They sometimes use alchemical methods, but prefer to avoid suspicion by posing as physicians. However, one of their strict rules is to never accept any payment for their work, since true healing should be free for all in need. The healer Rosicrucians are supported by most of the Order of Hermes, especially the Alchemists and Cabalists. The conspiracy-oriented Rosicrucians support the healers with donations, protection and information, while they themselves use the healers as a kind of PR for the sub-tradition.

Philosophy

Mankind must Ascend, but is hindered by its ignorance, malice and greed. We must prepare the way in secrecy, initiating the worthy into the mysteries and spreading the enlightenment into the world. This must be done in secrecy, lest our enemies will find and destroy us. As long as we hide among our imitators we are safe. In order to guard our secrets, we must reveal them.

Organization

The Rosicrucian order are tightly organized into smaller orders, but the different orders have little contact. This have led to incidents where two orders have begun to fight each other, without realising who the enemy was. The orders are organized into grades of initiation. Each member have a grade, and is not allowed to learn the secrets of the higher grades until he is initiated into it. The initiations are complex rituals, wherein the candidate is instructed into the mysteries, the secret passwords and handshakes. The grades below are an example, based on the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, one of their most successful front orders.

Probationer A candidate for membership, but not a mage yet. Many are acolytes.
Neophyte The candidate is initiated and awakened. He is instructed and remain in this grade until he has mastered Forces 1.
Zelator, Theoricus, Practicus, Philosophus These four grades represent the elements Earth, Air, Water and Fire. The initiate learn to control the lesser forces. When the mage has mastered a force he may be initiated to the next grade.
Adeptus Minor, Adeptus Major and Adeptus Exemptus These grades are for those who have reached forces 3.
Magus and Magister Templii The mage now have power over the greater forces. Adepts of Forces. Many mages of these grades control different secret societies for the main order.
Ipissimus. Now the mage is a Master of the forces, and often allowed to create his own order.

Meetings

Mainly the four equinoxes and each full moon. Different orders have quite different schedules, often rather similar to lodge meetings of masonic orders. These meetings are rather ceremonial, but after the solemn part most groups have dinner and discuss less important or mundane matters.

Initiation

Varies among the orders. A typical initiation consists of an elaborate Masonic-looking ritual, wherein the initiate is led around the temple and presented with different symbols, guardians and must answer questions and swear oaths. After a long and tiring time, during which the suspense has been slowly built up, the initiate is unexpectedly shocked in some way, which will (hopefully) awaken his avatar. Often the initiate will have some sort of vision of the avatar.

Chantry

Vienna is the site of the oldest chantry, an old manor. This chantry is one of the most influential Hermetic chantries in Europe. It is officially owned by the fraternal order Ordo Rosae Crucis (to be secret, you have to obvious). Most Rosicrucians reside or have ties to Hermetic chantries, or run their own chantries disguised as secret societies or Masonic orders.

Acolytes

Freemasons, members of secret organizations, illuminati fans, nurses.

Sphere

Forces is the main sphere, having great symbolic importance. Different subgroups concentrate on Mind, Life or Prime depending on philosophy and need. Mind is popular among the conspirators, who use it both to manipulate people and to protect themselves. Life is common among the healers, who specialize in caring for the sick and needy. Prime is studied mainly by the more mystic members, who see it as the link to true Ascension.

Views of the Spheres:

Correspondence: Everything in the world is tied to everything else through symbolic links. By following these links (using the wisdom of Tradition), a mage can see the connections between superficially disparate things. He can also use this knowledge to manipulate the connections, bringing objects closer or farther, or even transporting himself along the network.
Entropy: Decay and dissolutions are a sad fact of our fallen world. A mage must fight these to purify the world again and bring it closer to Ascension. This sphere gives the necessary power, but is also a great temptation for the unwary.
Forces: The whole universe is created by the interplay between different forces. When two opposed forces meet, they create something new. When Light meet Darkness, shades appear. Fire and Water destroy each other, yet they transmute matter by their battle.
Life: The living world is filled with organization and beauty. By learning to see the secret order underlying everything alive, a mage can heal the sick and wounded by restoring the forces and structures to equilibrium. This is one of the most noble uses of magick, and to use this Sphere to disrupt or unduly transmute living beings is an affront to all sensibility.
Matter: Matter is composed of forces which have been woven into stable patterns. It is an inert sphere, forming the floor of the Temple of Ascension but lacking the power to rise upwards. Matter is easily controlled using the lower forces, and is a mighty servant if used properly, but a heavy burden if misused.
Mind: The forces of the Mind are subtle and powerful. Unenlightened minds are filled with chaos, stray thoughts and battling emotions. The Enlightened ones can control these forces, and hone them into mighty tools for Ascension.
Prime: This is the highest force, the force which ties the Universe together. It is the light from the Fiat of the Great Architect of the Universe. To understand it is necessary for all works of higher magick.
Spirit: The spiritual world represent a higher world, where the true symbols of reality exist. By learning to rise to higher planes, a mage can find deep truths and see the great Work clearer. But beware of the treacherous and capricious beings from the Abyss, they only seek to trick and do harm.
Time: Everything that happens are but a part in the great chains of destiny. By learning how these links work, a diligent mage can follow their paths backwards and divine their future ways. But Destiny is a most powerful force, and attempting to change it will bring down hideous danger.

Foci

Often the same as the Order of Hermes, but sometimes they use a wand, a sword, a cup and a pentacle instead of the Seal of Solomon. Which foci is used depend upon the type of magick they want to perform, as related to the four elements. A fireball would use the wand, while a invisibility spell would use the sword.

The Wand is used for fire and destructive magic. Most often used for higher forces. It is often red, with inscriptions in hebrew or Latin.

The Sword is for air, light and electricity. Sometimes used for Mind, lesser forces and Correspondence. Often an elaborate ceremonial sword, or perhaps a dagger.

The Cup for water, emotional and life magic. Often made of silver, with complex inscriptions.

The Pentacle (a disk with a pentagram on, or a shield or a coin) is used for earth, matter and stability.

Concepts

Mason, conspirator, ceremonial magician, physician.

Quote

"I, in the presence of the Lord of the Universe and of this Hall of Neophytes of the Order of The Golden Dawn in the Outer, regularly assembled under warrant from the Greatly Honoured Chiefs of the Second Order, do of my own free will and accord hereby and hereon most solemnly pledge myself to keep secret this Order, its name, the name of its members, and the proceedings which take place at its meetings, from all and every person in the whole world who is outside the pale of the Order, and not even to discuss these with initiates, unless he or they are in the possession of the password for the time being; nor yet with any member who has resigned, demoted or been expelled, and I undertake to maintain a kind and benevolent relation with all the Fratres and Sorores of the Order."

Stereotypes

Akashic Brotherhood

Our eastern allies. They have at last seen the need to spread the enlightenment. Unfortunately many are still locked up inside their old monasteries.

They are too tied up in their war of shadows to notice that the Truth is right among them.

Ahl-I-Batin

Our closest friends. They work in the same way as we do, and strive for generally the same goals. Unfortunately their secrecy has made them fractious, unlike us. However, we generally cooperate well and have done so for several centuries.

They have learned well, but unfortunately they tend to get involved in more worldly matters than bringing the Unity to the people.

Celestial Chorus

Beautiful philosophy, but what is behind their masks? Remember what the inquisition did, remember what the Jesuits did against the masons and the old Rosicrusian order. Be careful.

Some people never learn. Now they are just as inefficient in helping people as the conservatives they split from. Most of them are far too interested in the forces of power and wealth to care about ordinary humans. However, we welcome those few of them who actually heal people.

Cult of Ecstasy

Not even worth mentioning.

Masonic Parties... need I say more?

Dreamspeakers

It is nice to dream, but one have to change something. They have no power anymore.

They have tangled up themselves in intrigue and learning, not listened to their inner voice. They have become a parody of those they sought to defeat.

Euthanatos

Their goals are questionable, but at least they are actively working for them.

Secrecy is a tool, not a goal. And do they remember their original goal?

Hollow Ones

Perhaps a sign that our work have begun to give fruit. Too bad they seem to lack any direction, and most of them are not worthy their powers. If we can find them before they get caught into their own weird beliefs, we can maybe turn them to the light.

Stuffy, pretentious and arrogant. They live in a eternal spy-novel just to avoid facing reality.

Orthodox Order of Hermes

They do not seek to spread the Ascension among the sleepers anymore. Instead they have retreated into pure research to avoid the dangers outside. Still, without them we would not have been able to get this far.

Overly political, but otherwise fine mages.

Unorthodox Order of Hermes (Chaos mages, Thelema etc.)

A tragic mistake. We cannot avoid responsibility for these perversions of the order. This clearly shows how important it is to be careful when initiating. Aleister Crowley should never have been initiated, and we are still paying the price.

They believe its their duty to run everything, including us. And they won't take 'no' for an answer.

Sons of Ether

Still left on the material plane. And they are even less outwardly active than our brethren in the old order.

Who?

Verbena

The allow the forces of nature and their flesh to rule their souls. They are lost.

They cling desperately to their precious organizations, their power and wealth. They do not realize that they are doomed along with the Technocracy, which they unknowingly (?) imitate.

Virtual Adepts

Interesting group, and very effective. We have much to learn from them. Unfortunately their philosophy is both ridiculous and limited.

These are the real Illuminati! They meet in secret societies, use their own secret codes and try to take over the world "For the best of Mankind". Where have we seen that before?

Rotes

The Middle Pillar Ritual (Prime 2)

This rote has been developed from a Cabalist exercise, and became very popular in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. It will strengthen the body, mind and soul of the mage. The mage stands and vizualises himself as the middle pillar of the Sephirothic Tree. Below him is the material world, and above his head Keter, the source of prime. He feels the energy flowing through him, into the world and from the world back to the source. The mage will feel filled with power, in perfect balance of mind and body.
[ The mage will pump quintessence into his own pattern for a while. This will temporary strengthen the mages own pattern and hopefully weaken intruding patterns. Each success will remove one success of magick (Both helpful and harmful), like a countermagick roll. The target number for the rote is the highest sphere involved in the effect + 3, or 5, whichever is highest. It will not heal any damage already done nor stop any flaws in the mages own pattern. Prolonged use of this rote have been shown to cause egocentricity, as the mage unconsciously begin to believe he is the centrum of the universe. ]

The Rose-Cross Ritual (Mind 2)

This rote consists of the mage drawing six celtic crosses with an incense-stick in to the East, South, West, North, Up and Down. The lines traced in the air will form a protective sphere, which will make people overlook the mage. People around the mage will ignore him and will not remember him very well, if at all. They will not think about the mage if he does not attract attention.
[ The rote will make people overlook the mage. Three successes are enough to be ignored by all people in the vicinity of the mage. Each success will subtract one die from every perception roll to spot the mage, as long as he does not attract attention. Since most people ignore each other anyway, the mage will in effect be almost invisible]

Detect Disinformation (Mind 1 Entropy 1, often Correspondence 3 and/or Time 2)

Many Rosicrucians are paranoid about information they receive, and seek to test it to see if it is disinformation or lies. This rote was developed by a group of especially worried mages, who were barraged by subtle disinformation from the Technocracy. They studied the information in the mental image of their showstones, invoking Mikael and other angels of truth to help them to find falsehoods and lies. By seeking internal inconsistencies, they managed to ascertain some of the validity. This method was later developed into a very efficient rote by adding Correspondence and Time. The mage not only studies the internal consistency of the information, he also compares it to the causal chains and actual state of the world. This might take a long time if it is complex information or relates to very specific matters, so the use is somewhat limited. However, even a brief check can reveal some types of disinformation.

Tritheimus Mental Meeting (Mind 3 Correspondence 2)

This rote was used in earlier times to keep the leaders of the Rosicrucians in touch. The participants gaze into the showstones at a specific time, and seek the minds of their fellow mages while naming the angels of communication (as described by Tritheimus). They will communicate semi-telepatically, making it very hard for outsiders to listen in on the conversation. Today this rote has fallen into disuse due to paradox and modern communications, but many traditionalists still use it. Another group have adopted a variant borrowed from the vampiric Tremere, which merges the minds of the participants over large distances. The result is said to be a form of brain-washing, where the participants become more loyal to the overall organization. Most Rosicrucians think this use is too dangerous.

The Lesser Pentagram Banishing (Spirit 2)

This is another adapted Cabalist rote. The mage performs the Cabalist Cross, draws protective pentagrams in the four directions and then stand with his arms straight out to the sides, so that his body forms a cross. He invokes the four Archangels: "Before me Raphael. Behind me Gabriel. On my right hand, Michael. On my left hand, Uriel. For around me flames the pentagram, and within me shines the six-rayed star." By using this rote, the mage will scare away most spirits, fearful for the powerful Archangels and the powerful mage.
[ The Archangels will normally not appear in person, but will (if the mage is lucky) send subordinates to the mage. They will not manifest physically, but their presence is often felt. The subordinate angels will scare away lesser beings from the vicinity. After they are done, they will report back to their superiors what happened. It is very unwise to misuse this rote.]

Test the Traitor (Mind 3 Entropy 1, sometimes Time 2)

This rote is used to test initiates of the Tradition to see if they are possible traitors. It is often used during the initiation ceremony just as the initiate is shocked or is busy concentrating on something else, since the psychological defenses will be weaker. The users (often several older Rosicrucians working together in secret) tries to find weak points in the devotion to the Rosicrucian ideals and possible treasonous thoughts. They watch the mind of the person with their showstones, comparing it to the purity of their seals. The mages also use Time if they can, to see if there is any chance the tested person will become susceptible to such ideas or have been subjected to them.

Sphere of Truth (Forces 3 Mind 2 Prime 2)

This rote is used by the Rosicrucians at tribunals and trials to test if someone tells the truth or speaks with true conviction about something. The user of the rote draw a symbol above the Showstone using the seal, while chanting the twelve secret names of Truth. From inside the showstone a small sphere of vibrating, dancing light emerges. It can be handled, and while held in the palm it will change color, size and shape depending on the bearers state of mind and what he says. If he lies, the sphere will become darker, stained and begin to vibrate with a eerie sound. If the bearer tells the truth it will become brighter. If the bearer talks with true conviction and tells the truth it will jump up and down, glittering with intense colors depending on mood.

Oath (Mind 3/4 Correspondence 2 Prime 3 Matter 2/3)

Another way of keeping their members loyal is the binding oaths used by the Rosicrucians. When a initiate swears his Neophyte Oath, this rote is used in some lodges. It creates a link between the oath, the mage and a material object (sometimes a drop of the initiates blood, or his signature or a symbol fashioned during the ceremony). If the initiate ever breaks the oath, the link will shatter causing some kind of change in the material object (the blood will burn, the signature fade or the symbol shatter). By using more powerful mental magick, the link can remind the mage of his duty if he ever thinks something contrary to the oath. Some groups have developed a more fearsome version, which will attack the oathbreaker (often using Forces, Life or Spirit, depending on the casters).

Deep Programming (Mind 4 Prime 2, sometimes Spirit 2)

The mage enters the mind of a person (often while the person is asleep or in trance) and reprograms it in secret. The most common use is to place suggestions or ideas into the subconscious, where they will trickle to the surface. Other possibilities are deep hypnotic suggestions giving the mage control over the actions or thoughts of the victim, mental blocks of certain memories, placing "trapdoors" which will give the mage a way around mental defenses or even the creation of full-fledged sub-personalities. The last use, often called Invocation of Thelemic Beings, is sometimes combined with Spirit too. Such sub-minds will be independent from the main mind, and may influence it, read its thoughs or do other things on a mental level, as programmed by the mage. This is a subtle way to sneak around enemy mental scanning.