Societas Rosicruciana

The
Societas
Rosicruciana (or Rosicrucian Society) has
traditionally been a Rosicrucian order which limits its
membership to Christian Master Masons. The order was founded in
Scotland, but which now exists in England, Scotland, Canada,
France, Portugal, Romania, Ireland and the United States. While
a prospective member must be a Trinitarian Christian Master
Mason in good standing with a Grand Lodge that is recognized by
the Grand Lodge of the jurisdiction in which the Society meets,
the various Societies have no other Masonic links, ties, or
official recognition. Additionally, in a few jurisdictions
membership is by invitation only. As the Society offers
assistance to all its members in working out the great problems
of nature and science, it functions in some respects as a
research society.
History of Rosicrucian
Societies
The
Societas Rosicruciana claims a link to the
original
Rosicrucian Brotherhood
and bases its teachings on those found in the
Fama and Confessio
Fraternitas texts published in Germany in the
early 1600s, along with other similar publications from
the same time.
There are a
number of Societas Rosicrucianas throughout the
world:
- SocietasRosicruciana.com - Societas
Rosicruciana ARO ⊕ 1764 in New Orleans - ARO Loge de
Parfait of 1764 - Which was imported
by a patent from the Bordeaux Germanic
Lodges.
- Societas Rosicruciana in Scotia (SRIS;
Scotland)
- Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia (SRIA;
England)
- Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus
Foederatis (SRICF; United States)
- Societas Rosicruciana in America (SRIAm;
United States)
- Societas Rosicruciana in Canada (SRIC;
Canada)
- Societas Rosicruciana in Gallia (SRIG;
France)
- Societas Rosicruciana in Lusitania (SRIL;
Portugal)
- Societas Rosicruciana in Romania (SRIR;
Romania)
- Societas Rosicruciana in Hibernia (SRIH;
Ireland)
Societas Rosicruciana
⊕ - ARO⊕
Neuland
The first Haut Degree Societas
Rosicruciana was that of Louisiana, known as
the Ledge de
Parfait de Escosse (LPE ). The Magus Incognito
is the Leader of This Mystical Organization from the
1700s.
Societas Rosicruciana in Scotia
(SRIS)
One of
the first Societas Rosicruciana was that of Scotland,
known as the Societas
Rosicruciana in Scotia (SRIS).
Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia
(SRIA)
The
Societas Rosicruciana in
Anglia was
founded in 1867 and derived from the SRIS following the
admission of William James Hughan and Robert Wentworth Little
into that order. The two of them were advanced quickly in
Scotland and granted a warrant to form a Society in England.
The formation meeting took place on June 1, 1867 in
Aldermanbury, London, with Frater Little elected Supreme
Magus.
Australian
colleges belong to provinces within the Societas Rosicruciana
in Anglia (SRIA).
Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus
Foederatis (SRICF)
The Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis
(Rosicrucian Society of the United States) was formed on
September 21, 1880, through Colleges founded again through
Scotland. The Pennsylvania College received a charter from SRIS
on December 27, 1879. This was followed by charters issued to
New York on April 9, 1880; Massachusetts, May 4, 1880;
Maryland, May 10, 1880; and Vermont on September 22, 1880. Of
all the Colleges in the United States, only the one located in
Massachusetts maintains continuity from its origins and was
never reorganized.
[1]
Societas Rosicruciana in America
(SRIAm)
In 1909, Dr.
George Winslow
Plummer (1876-1944) founded the
Societas Rosicruciana in
America, apparently
seceding from the SRICF; this group dropped the requirement
that members be Christian Master Masons and admits women. It
was never formally recognized by the SRIA, as they (the
Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia) have formal relations in the
USA with the SRICF.
Societas Rosicruciana in Canada
(SRIC)
The
Societas Rosicruciana in
Canadiensis was
first mentioned in a declaration dated May 31, 1876, but it was
not formally constituted (by a Col. McLeod Moore, through his
acquaintance with
John Yarker) until September
19 of that year. Most of the membership came from the
town of
Maitland,
Ontario. The society constituted a High Council
exactly one year later, but the Society went into abeyance at
some point after 1889.
[2]
In 1936,
Ontario College was created via a charter from
SRICF.
Manly Palmer
Hall's father, E.H.D. Hall, a member of Canada's
first Rosicrucian Society, was voted a charter member of the
Ontario College. Due to possible jurisdictional issues, rather
than procure a charter from SRIA or SRIS, a Canadian High
Council was formed on June 29, 1997, and the SRIC is now an
independent body.
[3]
Societas Rosicruciana in Hibernia
(SRIH)
The Societas
Rosicruciana in Hibernia, (SRIH) was brought about
through the efforts of two Irish Masons, namely, Frater
Rev. Sean P. McCabe and Frater John Phelan, both of whom
previously held membership of an SRIA College in England.
It was formally Declared on 1st August, 2008 and is the
official regular Societas for the Island of Ireland,
(Hibernia) and exists independently of any other
organisation.The SRIH is recognised by the Body of
Christ.
Degrees and
governance
The Order
is subdivided into three smaller orders, each with its own
governance. The various orders confer a total of nine degrees,
here called grades .
[4]
First Order
Members of
the 1st Order (Frater (singular) Fratres (plural)) meet in a
College, which is equivalent to a Lodge. A College is empowered
to confer the first four degrees of the Society, also called
the Learning Grades.
- Grade
I - Zelator
- Grade
II - Theoricus
- Grade
III - Practicus
- Grade
IV - Philosophus
A minimum of six
months must elapse between the receipt of each grade.
However, the emphasis on the work of the society is
learning; therefore every member is encouraged to deliver
a paper of their own work on some topic of interest in
open college.
Second Order
This is
equivalent to a Masonic Provincial Grand Lodge, and is headed
by a Chief Adept and his deputy (Suffragan) who have
jurisdiction over all of the first order Colleges within the
Province.
The Chief
Adept is empowered to confer three further Grades at this level
to deserving Fratres of Grade IV who have been members of
the Society for a minimum of four years.
- Grade
V - Adeptus Minor
- Grade
VI - Adeptus Major
- Grade
VII - Adeptus Exemptus
A minimum of one
year must elapse between the receipt of grades at this
level. A member can only serve as the Celebrant (Master)
of a College of the First Order after receiving the Grade
of Adeptus Exemptus.
Third Order
This is
equivalent to a
Grand
Lodge, and is headed by
a Supreme Magus, Senior Substitute Magus and Junior
Substitute Magus.
Members of the
second order who have given service to the society and
been selected by the Supreme Magus for such advancement
may be awarded a further two
Grades.
- Grade
VIII - Magister
- Grade
IX - Magus
Influences
In 1888, three
members of SRIA (
William
Robert Woodman,
William Wynn
Westcott,
and
Samuel Liddell
MacGregor Mathers
[5]) formed
the
Hermetic Order of
the Golden Dawn, which removed the restriction on
membership, allowing non-Christians, non-Freemasons, and
women to join. A great deal of the SRIA structure
survived in the new order, which went on to greatly
influence (some might say cause) the modern occult
revival in the 20th century.
Due to the
fragmentary nature of Rosicrucian orders, there are a number of
historical Rosicrucian societies with similar names that either
no longer have a Masonic connection, or have gone dormant: The
SRIA (A for "America") was chartered by the SRIA (in England)
in Philadelphia in 1878. It reformed in 1889 as Societas
Rosicruciana in the United States (SRIUS), and reformed again
as SRIA in 1912. In 1916 the order began admitting women, and
its charter was revoked. It is in existence today, but has no
Masonic connections whatsoever.
[6]
Known members
References
External
links
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