History

J. van Rijckenborgh

The Lectorium Rosicrucianum, or International School of the Golden Rosycross, began in Haarlem, the Netherlands, where its headquarters are now situated. Its origins can be traced to the year 1924, when the brothers Z !eene "1#92$19%#& and ' !eene "1#9($19(#& )oined the *utch Catharose de Petri di+ision o, The Rosicrucian Fellowship, a society ,ounded in 19-9 by .a/ Heindel in 0ceanside, 1ali,ornia, 234. The two brothers quic5ly became highly acti+e members o, the society and in 1929 were as5ed to lead the *utch di+ision. In 19%- the !eene brothers were )oined by .rs H 3to5$Hui6er "19-2$199-& and together they undertoo5 a s7iritual quest as a result o, which, in 19%8, they ,ound it necessary to ,orm an inde7endent 9osicrucian mo+ement. Z !eene 7assed away in 19%#, but ' !eene and H 3to5$Hui6er continued the wor5 that had been begun. They wrote a number o, boo5s which are still in 7rint, 7ublished under their 7en$names, 'an +an 9i)c5enborgh and 1atharose de :etri.
The Second World War

The acti+ities o, the society were ,orbidden by the occu7ying ,orces during the 3econd orld ar, but a,terwards, as soon as it was 7ossible to resume acti+ities o7enly, the two s7iritual leaders ado7ted a new a77roach in which, increasingly, the central ,ocus was the conce7t ;gnosis;. The word ;gnosis; literally means ;5nowledge;, in the christocentric sense o, direct 5nowledge o, the di+ine which is recei+ed as a result o, a s7iritual de+elo7ment re,erred to in the <ible as the ;birth out o, water and s7irit; "'ohn %=8&. hat ha77ens in this 7rocess is symbolised by the ;alchemical wedding o, 1hristian 9osycross;.

Christian Rosycross

The name 1hristian 9osycross is a term used by the classical 9osicrucians o, the 1>th century to re,er to the 7rototy7e o, the new human being, reborn in 1hrist, who de+otes himsel, heart and soul to the reali6ation o, genuine s7iritual renewal in all human beings. In a broad sense the term ;gnosis; re,ers to the uni+ersal touch o, the 1hrist and His <rotherhood and its timeless wor5 o, sal+ation which has been going on throughout history "including the 7re$1hristian era&. In 1948 the society ado7ted the name Lectorium Rosicrucianum and emerged as a ;gnostic 37iritual 3chool;. The acti+ities o, the society ra7idly s7read beyond the *utch borders and at 7resent the !ectorium 9osicrucianum has 7u7ils not only in many ?uro7ean countries, but also

The Gnosis

Gnostic Spiritual School

in 3outh 4merica, North 4merica, 4,rica, 4ustralia and New Zealand. 3ince the deaths o, 'an +an 9i)c5enborgh and 1atharose de :etri the !ectorium 9osicrucianum has been led by an International 37iritual *irectorate, su77orted by national directorates and +arious wor5ing 7arties.
Two ature !rders Spirit"Spark #to$

The teachings o, the !ectorium 9osicrucianum are ,ounded on the conce7t o, the ;two nature orders;. @irst there is the nature order 5nown to us, which includes the dead as well as the li+ing. ?+erything in this nature order is sub)ect to the cycle o, being born, li+ing, dying and being born again. 3econdly there is the original, di+ine order. The ,irst domain o, e/istence is the world o, 7erishability, o, rising, shining and ,ading, or ;dialectics;A the second is the world o, im7erishability, or ;statics;, which in the <ible is called ;the Bingdom o, Hea+en;. 4 last remnant, a di+ine s7ar5 or ;s7irit$s7ar5 atom; o, the latter is latent in the heart. In many see5ing 7eo7le this 7rinci7le arouses an inde,inable sense o, yearning, a 5ind o, homesic5ness ,or a long lost original state, the state o, being one with the @ather, with Cod, in the realm o, immortality. 0ne o, the aims o, the !ectorium 9osicrucianum is to in,orm 7eo7le about the real source o, this sense o, yearning, and to e/7lain the need ,or a return to the di+ine nature order by the 7rocess o, ;rebirth ,rom the s7irit; "'ohn %=#&, which was taught, ,or instance, by 'esus to Nicodemus. This 7rocess o, rebirth, or ;trans,iguration;, is made 7ossible through our ;daily dying;, as :aul calls it "1 1or. 18=%1&. hat dies is the old nature, the I$ consciousness, and what must awa5en is the di+ine nature, the inner 1hrist. The !ectorium 9osicrucianum not only teaches this 7rocess, but also hel7s and su77orts its 7u7ils in their e,,orts to reali6e it in their li+es. The trans,iguristic 7rece7ts taught by the !ectorium 9osicrucianum are embedded in the teachings o, all great religions. @or instance, in the <ible, the conce7ts o, the two nature orders, the di+ine 7rinci7le in the human heart, and the 7ath o, trans,iguration, can be traced in the ,ollowing quotations= ;.y Bingdom is not o, this world; "'ohn 1#=%(&, ;the Bingdom o, Cod is within you; "!u5e 1>=21& and ;He must increase, I must decrease; "'ohn %=%-&. 4nother ,undamental 9osicrucian conce7t is the idea o, the human being as a microcosm or world in miniature $ a system o, +isible and in+isible +ehicles surrounded by a magnetic ,ield and bounded by a ;microcosmic ,irmament;, or ;li7i5a.; This idea is in accordance with the hermetic a/iom, ;as abo+e, so below.; The 7ath o, trans,iguration com7rises ,i+e main stages= 1. Insight into the real nature o, this earthly domain o, e/istence and e/7erience o, the inner call to return to the di+ine nature order. 2. Cenuine yearning ,or sal+ation. %. The surrender o, the I$central sel, to the inner di+ine s7ar5, so that the 7rocess o, sal+ation can be reali6ed. 4. 4 new a77roach to li,e, ado7ted and carried out s7ontaneously under the guidance o, the inner di+ine s7ar5. The chie, characteristics o, this new a77roach to li,e are described, ,or

#wakening o% the inner Christ

Trans" %iguristic Precepts

The &u$an 'eing as a (icrocos$

)ive $ain stages on the path o% trans%igu" ration

instance, in the 3ermon on the .ount. 8. @ul,ilment= the awa5ening "or resurrection& in the original li,e$ ,ield.