Ritman's Roughest Rumble: A BPH Update...

Wegens bijzondere omstandigheden is de bibliotheek tot nader order gesloten. Due to special circumstances the library is closed until further notice...

"Ik ben zelf een fervent bezoeker van cultuur." - Halbe Zijlstra

Die Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica hat eine weltweite Bedeutung und ist ein Aushängeschild für das Interesse der Niederlande an der Geschichte religiöser Toleranz und religiöser Vielfalt. Es wäre für die philosophie-religions geschichtliche Forschung eine Katastrophe, wenn sie auseinandergerissen und verkauft würde. - Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Schmidt-Biggemann

To me, the founder of the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica, the Brotherhood of the Rosycross remains a lasting inspiration, captured in the symbol which is the emblem of the library. - Joost Ritman

The BPH has a value that transcends utterly the world-concept of those who may permit either actively or passively its dissolution. All mankind is involved in the life of the freed mind. Those who oppose the BPH for financial reasons oppose the Spirit of Humankind.
If you know the meaning of the word shame; act accordingly.
Tobias Churton

If the Ritman library would go down, this would mean an enormous blow to international scholarship in hermetic studies. The damage would be irreversible. By signing this petition you express your concern, and ask the Dutch government and the Friesland bank to do their utmost to ensure that the collection will be saved and will remain available for the international scholarly community.
Wouter Hanegraaff

I have used the Ritman library on several occassions and it so happens that a valuable collection of hermetica bound in a volume dated 1616 and stemming from Sweden is now part of the collection. Its origin is the library of Säfstaholm castle where count Gustaf Bonde resided over a great hermetic library thus became evident. Bonde's collection was dispersed in 1932 at a public auction and without BPH and its open access it would have been impossible to reconstruct the 18th century hermetic concerns among the highest nobility in Sweden. The news that BPH is undret threat of closing is therefore most disconcerting and I join those who now petition for its survival. - Susanna Åkerman


The renowned Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica , founded by Dutch businessman & rosicrucian J.R. Ritman is disintegrating...

The State Secretary of the Ministry of Culture of the Netherlands (Halbe zijlstra) probably out of sheer frustration, transferred the core collection of the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica to the National Library in The Hague. (contrary to his predecessors in the Ministry and their continuing support for the BHP and Ritman, Zijlstra unfortunately, didn't get on very well with Ritman). The state owned books were really not in any danger and there was nu seizure. In order to at least keep the collection in Amsterdam , the University of Amsterdam who do have the right facilities for these treasures, offered to temporarily house the books, an offer which was rejected by the Ministry.

And so the famous esoteric library where Umberto Eco wrote his Foucault's Pendulum and where Dutch author Harry Mulisch found inspiration for the Discovery of Heaven is now, due to special circumstances, closed until further notice...

A petition started by Professor Wouter Hanegraaff (University of Amsterdam, Fac. Of Humanities, Geschiedenis van de Hermetische Filosofie en verwante stromingen; gHF) in order to keep the library intact, did not have the desired results. The State of the Netherlands have moved its share (which they bought in 2005 in order to preserve our cultural heritage for an amount of € 18.700.000,--) from the Ritman Library at the Bloemstraat and taken (i.e. one third of the collection) to the National library of the Netherlands in The Hague. It concerns unique historical manuscripts and books about spirituality and Western esoterism. There is no comparable collection worldwide…

Joost Ritman, in 2010 still on the Quote 500 list of wealthiest Dutchmen with an estimated fortune of 80 million Euros, encountered periods with severe financial problems, read shortage of liquid assets. The first period of which began in 1993…

Ritman always financed his art through his corporation 'De Ster' (The Star), that produced plastic tableware. Between 1976 and 1992 Ritman spent some 95 million guilders on art objects. The ING Bank allowed this until the first Gulf war in 1993. The bank intervened and the entire book collection was about to be sold by Christie's in London. The Netherlands government however did not want the collection to be dismantled and gave it the status of "protected National heritage". In 1999 Ritman sold his company “De Ster” to the Swedish Duni Corp. (in the hands of the Wallenberg family empire) for a very substantial amount of guilders. With these revenues he obtained his entire collection back from ING.

On the advice of the Dutch Council for Culture, the State of The Netherlands in 2005 acquired a cross section of the rare books and manuscripts of the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica. The State paid almost 19 million euro for the works. Till 8 December 2010 these works acquired by the State remained in the BPH and thus continued to be available for scholarly research as part of the Ritman collection. Ritman claims the state had agreed to buy even another share of the collection which led him to borrow money to expand it further. Now that sale is not going ahead, the bank is demanding repayment

Menwhile btw, Joost Ritman had started a new business called Helios and again with considerable success. In 2007 the Wallenberg’s offered him 50 miljoen euros to also purchase “Helios”. Ritman refused the offer because he wanted to remain independent.

Businessman Joost Ritman, who owns the rest of the BHP collection, is now embroiled in a dispute with the Friesland bank and his library has been closed in November 2010. The whole affair escalated when Ritman, early December 2010, sold one of the key pieces – a 14th century illuminated manuscript known as the Rochefoucauld Grail for €2.8m at auction in London despite the Bank’s seizure.

Joost Ritman is a key member of the Lectorium Rosicrucianum’s International Spiritual Directorate of 13.

(P.S. rumours will it that a yet unknown, mysterious and very wealthy third party will come to the rescue of the BPH; well hopefully so and I will keep you posted if such miracle arises)

16 March 2011 update:
Since they don't have the guts to auction the books (because of their reputation) the Friesland bank is now planning to auction Ritman’s real estate on Friday, April 15, 2011 with an estimated value (in 2006) of € 6.000.000,-
Ritman owns several buildings on the Amsterdam Bloemgracht. His private residence, “Helios” offices and the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica.
Ritman avers though that he’s not bankrupt, but needs some time to generate the necessary cashflow. If a new agreement with Friesland Bank fails, he will try to prevent the auction through a lawsuit.
The auction will take place on April 15th, 2011 at Dorint Hotel Amsterdam Airport and consists of three authentic Amsterdam canal houses (Bloemgracht), three mansions (Bloemstraat) and two detached houses on the Dorpsweg in Schellinkhout, West-Friesland.

"Geld moet niet rollen, geld moet klimmen!" - Motto Friesland Bank
F*** you FRIESLAND BANK: A bank is a place where they lend you an umbrella in fair weather and ask for it back when it begins to rain!

The End of the Beginning or The beginning of the End:
So does the dissolution of the BHP look like a Faerie Queene story about the good Redcrosse Knight and the wicked magician Archimago? Things tend to look black and white. But we all know that some people are a little bit guilty, while other people are guilty as hell. Ritman is a man, putting it mildly, known for his complex personality. He is also known for taking big financial risks and this time he's been overplaying his hand… (IMHO).

For an in-depth reconstruction of the BHP affair to date,
please read Stefan Vermeulen’s excellent article in (Dutch)
Vrij Nederland magazine # 14 of 9 April 2011.
The Grail of Amsterdam: or how debt, clumsy guards and
an overzealous state secretary ruined a top library.

18 April 2011: Ritman real estate saved by the bell!
A yet unknown benevolent benefactor saved the 8 Ritman houses from last Friday's foreclosure auction by at the last minute buying the lot for the current market value! So he does exist after all our masked mystery guest...

9/6/2011 UPDATE: JOOST RITMAN’s AMAZING HOUDINI ACT
After months of negotiations Ritman (1941) now has got his books back! Well at least part of the collection. Some very precious books have been sold through Sotheby’s. The seizure of his possessions has been revoked. How the cunning old fox got rid of all his creditors at Sotheby’s and the Friesland Bank still remains an enigma!
Allegedly one of the most precious books the unique Corpus Hermeticum from 1471 has been auctioned, but through Sotheby’s no trace of it can be found. Anyhow Ritman managed to pay off his debt to Sotheby’s and paid c.q. re-financed his Friesland Bank debt for which he sold real estate in the Amsterdam Jordaan area. Overall, those actions are 13 million euros. Consequently he now holds all works not sold or claimed by State Secretary Halbe Zijlstra (Now in the National library of The Netherlands in The Hague). So theoretically he could re-open the BHP. However, has he sill got the staff and can he afford the operationg costs??
Ritman is now considering about what the steps are to be taken...

PER ASPERA AD FONTES!

16 December 2011: The Ritman Library or what's left of it re-opens and celebrates that event with a new exhibition, Infinite Fire.' I just had to save my life’s work’ - Joost Ritman
‘The library has risen from its ashes like a phoenix’, says a content Ritman. ‘It’s a victory of mind over matter.’

www.ritmanlibrary.nl

It is true without lies, certain and most true;
That which is below is as that which is above,
and that which is above is as that which is below,
to accomplish the miracle of the one thing.
It is true without lies, certain and most true;
That which is below is as that which is above,
and that which is above is as that which is below,
to accomplish the miracle of the one thing.
Tabula Smaragdina

BINGO DAY: So where the great author our Spear-Shaker (a.k.a. Sir Francis Bacon) once said: All's Well That Ends Well; this fairy-story ends relatively well for rosicrucian Joost Ritman. However the future for the Friesland Bank is NOW far less fortunate: the Friesland Bank's been sold to the RABO Bank on 02-12-2012 after a nearly fatal loss.

Well maybe it's just true that 'what goes around comes around or 'that after all the head of the snake will turn around and bite you in the butt... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTNMyzZ9hl0

LE PARANORMAL EST PARMI NOUS! Les miracles de Maître Philippe de Lyon.

De ziel is het leven van de geest, het brood van de geest, en ze is een goddelijke vonk; we moeten ze laten groeien. Ze moet een zon worden in ons. Onze ziel groeit wanneer we vooruitgang maken in het goede. - Meester Philippe

“Vergeet niet gelukkig te zijn” - Maurice Warnon

“Het is verboden om wonderen te doen.”

"Les bons écrits sont ceux qui apprennent la patience."

"Hou van een ander als van jezelf." - Mijnheer Philippe

Le Martiniste est ouvert au ciel, à la Terre, aux hommes, à lui-même.

"Il faut lire les Evangiles.Plus vous avancerez, plus ils vous donneront."

“Het is niet zozeer van belang dat we volmaakt zijn, maar dat we steeds aan onszelf blijven werken!”

"We kennen onze vorige levens niet, omdat we dan zouden weten welk obstakel, welke ziekte of ongeval ons zou moeten overkomen; we zouden alles doen om dit te vermijden, wat tenkoste van onszelf zou zijn"

Lors d'une tenue martiniste, un nouveau Supérieur Inconnu » (troisième degré de l'initiation martiniste), s'enorgueillissait de son nouveau titre, Philippe ENCAUSSE, le fils de PAPUS, lui dit d'une voix très douce : mon frère, si je peux me permettre, le SI de ton nouveau sautoir ne veut pas dire « Supérieur Inconnu » mais «Serviteur Inconnu».

“We hebben beproevingen nodig om te groeien en aangezien niemand om beproevingen vraagt, moeten ze ons wel opgedrongen worden.”


I don’t usually recommend books with the sole exception of my two all time favorites: H. Spencer Lewis’ Mystical life and Secret Doctrines of Jesus and here we go again the best children’s book ever: The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

However, there is an exception to every rule. And so recently I’ve come across a little treasury which every Martinist, Rosicrucian and/or Theosophist should read. The Paranormal is among us. The Miracles of Master Philippe. Written by Christian Vandekerkhove. ISBN: 9789077135198

Unfortunately the book is been written in Dutch and not (yet) available in English or French to my best knowledge.

Nizier Anthelme Philippe, or M.Philippe for short, was a spiritual Master living in Europe at the end of the 19th century. He was known by the french masses for healing all kind of ailments, and by the french intelligentia for his original teachings, which were founded on christian apostles and mystical practicae, yet based on common prayers. He had a number of disciples, such as Chapas and Sedir, and some of physicians interested in the spiritual and physical aspects of healing sessions.

He claimed nothing of or for himself, and people knew him as humble yet strong in persona. His healing faculties manifested naturally when he was young. In the middle of his life, He started to be more known in some circles, for his unusual methods of teaching, and the not-so-occasional events that seemed to accompany him anywhere he went, and under his command. It is said he befriended closely with angels of the greater order, and above all, into Christ's Power.

He conducted healing and teaching sessions, where prayer held an important part, in Lyon, France, open to both participants and witnesses. which is why is often refered to as "Le Maitre Philippe de Lyon" (Master Philippe). He also enjoyed close relation with the Russian Tsar family, and certain figures in Europe of that time. Being friendly to everybody, from lower, middle to higher classes of the society, he had good humor and it felt good enjoying life while being with him. His generosity was abundant and examplary, with an exhalted sense of charity. and did not make difference of social status, mingled with leaders and working classes with equal ease. Some of His life however, remains a great mystery.

It’s perhaps not quite correct to state that the lives of Master Philippe and Papus (Dr. Gérard Encausse)were inextricably linked but to know one, makes it easier to understand the other.

Papus the renovator of Martinism and promotor of the Supreme Council of 1881 and consequently founder of the Ordre Martiniste, considered Maître Philippe to be his "spiritual Master" as he would always refer to Saint Yves d’Alveydre as his "Intellectual teacher".

For a more in depth description of the lives of the two please refer to an article of his website: The Master: Philippe de Lyon by Philippe Coppens.

http://www.philipcoppens.com/philippedelyon.html

Issues deserving further research and investigation are:
a) Philippe's remarkable unfavorable attitude toward cremation,
b) his Martinist affiliation and
c) his relationship with the Tsar his family and finally Rasputin.

La philosophie de l’Ordre Martiniste fut aussi très influencée par l’enseignement du Maître Philippe de Lyon et par celui de Saint-Yves d’Alveydre, respectivement “maître spirituel” et “maître intellectuel” de Papus. – Gerard Galtier

Papus’ meeting with “Philippe de Lyon” was a decisive moment in the life of this initiate. Philippe de Lyon, the pseudonym of Nizier Anthelme Philippe, did not openly belong to any secret organisation. However, he seems to have been unquestionably a vital element for the expansion of the Lyon Martinists. He designed a pentacle specifically for the Order and a medal worn by the Martinist dignitaries. Another rather remarkable coincidence is that the group of Philippe de Lyon would later settle in the vicinity of Rennes-les-Bains… of all places.

"A small legacy of two letters and a few points".

Soon after Nicholas II inherited the imperial crown from Alexander III, Papus wrote him an open letter, advising him to reject absolutism and recommending that he read the works of Fabre d'Olivet and Saint-Yves d'Alveydre.

Both Master Philippe and Papus played an important role at the Russian court. Papus had brought Master Philippe into contact with the Russian Imperial family (1900-1902) and Maître Philippe for a while moved to St. Petersburg.

The Martinist Order was introduced into the Russian court by Papus where Tsar Nicholas II, was the Heptad Master of a lodge (Cross & Star). Meetings were held within his Palace.

They not only advised the Tsar on political affairs but also maintained contact with many other influential Russian initiates of the Martinist Order among them two of the Tsar’s uncles and numerous other relatives.

Papus visited Russia three times, in 1901, 1905 and 1906, thus serving the Tsar and Tsarina Alexandra both as physician and occult consultant. In 1905 Papus allegedly conjured up the spirit of Alexander III, Tsar Nicholas’ father, who prophesied that the Tsar would meet his downfall at the hands of revolutionaries. Papus told the Tsar that he would be able to magically avert his prophecy as long as he was alive. Nicholas kept his position on the throne until 141 days after Papus’death! (Rasputin predicted the same!). During their later correspondence, Papus warned the Romanovs several times against the influence of Rasputin.

The original text on which the published version of the The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion was based fell into the hands of Sergei Nilus, who confused the Martinist Pentacle with the Star of David. Nilus did not at first intend it to discredit Judaism. On the contrary, he brought it to the tsar with the intention of discrediting the esoteric enclave at the imperial court - the enclave of Papus, Monsieur Philippe and others who were members of the secret society in question. Before doing so, he almost certainly doctored the language, rendering it far more venomous and inflammatory than it initially was. When the tsar spurned him, Nilus then released the Protocols in their doctored form for publication. They had failed in their primary objective of compromising Papus and Monsieur Philippe. But they might still serve a secondary purpose - that of fostering anti-Semitism. Although Nilus's chief targets had been Papus and Monsieur Philipe, he was hostile to Judaism as well.

When the news of Papus’ death reached Alexandra in 1916, she sent a note to her husband (who was then commanding the Russian army at the front in WW I) containing the words:
Papus is dead, we are doomed!

From the website Artigos Martinistas: The Master Philippe de Lyon

Philippe Anthelme Nizier was born in 1849. From a very young age, he was known for his “strange powers” and some even pondered whether he might not be the returned Jesus. After his death in 1905, he would be seen as a master – “Maître Philippe”. Mastering his powers came naturally, and from a young age; there is no evidence that he ever studied with or under anyone to refine or control them: “I was not even six years old and already the village priest was worried about certain manifestations, about which I was not yet aware. At the age of thirteen, I acquired the powers to heal, even though I was still incapable of taking account of the strange things that went on inside of me.” But despite no total understanding of what he was, it meant that “Master Philippe” had begun his life as a healer.
Though “blessed” with this gift, no-one in his vicinity pushed him into becoming a healer. In fact, fourteen years old, he became an apprentice butcher with his uncle in Lyon. It was there that he would, for the first time, publically show his healing abilities. When he cut the tendons of his thumb and index of the left hand while gutting an animal, he repositioned the thumb that was partially severed, bleeding profusely, and began to pray. He asked God to reconnect the thumb back to the hand; a few moments later, the blood coagulated, and the miracle occurred. When a doctor inspected the wound in hospital shortly afterwards, he merely applied a protective bandage, noting the wound was not likely to infect. But despite such miraculous healing, when he enlisted for war in 1870, it is known that he did not remain an active soldier for long, because of this injury.

The miraculous healing of this injury soon spread throughout the quarter, and the young butcher was solicited for the smallest of accidents. It meant that he had to choose in which direction to take his life forward, and after a series of “séances”, in which he healed the sick, in 1872, he decided to open a cabinet, in his adopted town of Lyon, where people could come to consult him on an individual basis. The career from butcher to healer had a further advantage: he had wanted to study, but had not been allowed; now, he wanted to recommence his studies, and train in medicine.
Medicine, then as now, was modern medicine, focusing on diagnosis and the prescription of a cocktail of pharmaceuticals to help the patient. Nizier was closer to the “primitive shamans”, who conformed to an “old vision” of healing, in which the task of the doctor was to literally restore health, rather than diagnose and prescribe. As such, Nizier was able to heal better than most doctors, but through unconventional methods. Unsurprisingly, this caused jealousy with fellow students and assistants, if only because their “science” – their methodology – was clearly not present in such miraculous healings.
Still, his formal education added a new dimension to his healing skill: Nizier would become an even better analyst. When a young woman complained that she was short of breath, suffered violent pains on her side and could hardly stand, everyone in his class was unable to diagnose her. But Nizier stated she suffered from a double pulmonary embolism – a very scientific proclamation – followed by the almost biblical “Stand up, now you are healed”. The patient stood up, and immediately no longer felt any pain.
The sceptical mind will argue that her illness itself was imaginary and Nizier was solely able to convince her she was now healed – but Nizier was able to perform this feat time and again. One day, he saw a sick man crying in his bed, because his leg was to be amputated the following day. He assured him that would not be the case. Indeed, the following day, the surgeon saw that the leg was healing, no longer requiring the amputation, and asked how this could be, whereupon the sick man replied “it was this small monsieur there who attended to me.”

If all imaginary or a stroke of luck, at best, his colleagues should have asked him how they too could acquire such a convincing tone that their patients too would think they were healed purely by the words uttered by the doctor. Alas, rather than praise Nizier for his diagnostic and healing capabilities, which in this case were performed in the presence of his superiors and fellow students, all focused on the fact that he had treated someone without having the proper degree; his licence to work at the hospital was soon revoked, noting as reason that “he performs occult medicine and is a veritable charlatan”. It would be part of a series of problems Master Philippe had with the French medical hierarchy.
As these things go, his harsh treatment by the corridors of power strengthened public belief on the streets; to some extent, it was confirmation that Nizier worked outside the bounds of normal science – with the specific distinction that he was able to perform more than normal science had so far accomplished. And as his reputation grew, so did the stories; some even claimed he had been able to resurrect a person from the dead, thus definitely putting him on par with at least one biblical character!
Even though he had his licence revoked for treating someone without having the proper degree, it was about all the authorities could do. “Master Philippe” seldom touched his patients, so they could not go for more outlandish claims of malpractice, if not worse. In his rapport with the patient, he merely asked that person to morally engage himself, to reform himself, and call upon the help of God in the healing process. It was very “clean”, and hence difficult to sanction further than they already had.

Meanwhile, in his personal life, he had married Jeanne Landar, in 1877. They had met in 1875, when his future mother-in-law brought her daughter, who was sick, to see him. He healed her and she began to attend his séances. Once married, they had two children. The eldest, Jeanne Victoire, was born in 1878 and herself married a doctor in 1897. In 1881, a son, Albert, was born, but he died three months old.
By that year, his fame had spread far outside the Lyon region; he treated the Bey of Tunis in 1881 and though at home he was not even given the title of doctor, in 1884, he was granted a doctorate in Medicine by the University of Cincinnati; in 1885, the city of Acri in Italy made him an Honorary Citizen, for his “scientific and humanitarian merits” and in 1886, the Royal Academy of Rome gave him the honorary title of Doctor of Medicine. However, back at home, on November 3, 1887, he was condemned for illegally practicing medicine; a second condemnation followed in 1890.
The latter year was the start of a decade in which he would make powerful friends. One of these was Gérard Encausse, better known as Papus, best known as an occultist, but first and foremost a qualified doctor. Many scholars of occult history have written about Papus, noting how he lead several influential secret societies in France, but few have underlined how Papus and Master Philippe were very close friends, having met under exceptional circumstances.
There is more than one version about how the two met. The standard account is that Papus was practicing in his home for an occult ritual, and was about to enter the magical circle, armed with a ceremonial sword, not knowing that the ritual would lead to his imminent death. Master Philippe was casually passing through the street and was inspired to open Papus’ front door, enter without permission, to find its resident about to perform the ritual. Master Philippe told him to stop, thus saving his life, to become his guide and close friend. Another version says that Papus had previously seen Master Philippe in a dream and instantly recognised him as his “saviour”.
The extent of their friendship is best illustrated by noting that Philippe became godfather to Encausse’s son, who was named Philippe, and who later wrote a book called “Le Maître Philippe, de Lyon”.

Despite becoming best friends, they did not share all values together. Papus was very much an adept of secret societies, whereas Nizier argued that “secret societies have no value. They have never done any good except to themselves. They all practice despotism, and it should not be like that. We are all brothers, we need to help each other and not have any secrets, everything needs to be in the light. There should not be preferences.”
Their friendship did direct Papus away from magic, towards “true magic”. Rather than a series of robotic actions that were designed to bring about an end result (very much like a doctor prescribing his pharmaceutical cocktail), Papus wanted to know real magic and for this, he became a student of a “real shaman”, Master Philippe.
Thus, Encausse himself went on to assist in several of Nizier’s healings and wanted to comprehend “true healing”, rather than “qualified doctorship”. He also provided testimony to what Nizier performed, stating it was genuine, and not some magic trick. Encausse wrote how with one healing, he and two other doctors were present when a young mother brought in her five year old child; the doctors diagnosed the boy suffering from a far advanced form of tuberculose meningitis. Encausse noted that Nizier, when trying to heal people, often worked in the presence of 80 to 100 people, and that he usually tried to get the group in a positive mindset. He did so in the case of this child, telling the group that for a period of two hours, they should not speak anything bad about those not present. Two hours later, the small child was healed, as testified by the doctors present. The presence of a positive group mind-set thus seems to have played a role in Philippe’s healings, though was obviously not a requirement, as he was able to heal in one-on-one situations too.
In 1893, Hector Durville founded a School of Magnetism in Paris, with the help of Papus, who wanted Master Philippe to open a similar school in Lyon, which he did in October 1895. However, all are in agreement that this “school” had little to do with magnetism and that it was largely Philippe doing what he did before: his own specific way of healing. Indeed, it is unclear why Papus would have insisted that Philippe practiced something that might help some with no native abilities, but which would obviously have limited Nizier in using his own abilities. Alternatively, perhaps Papus was hoping that with Master Philippe’s help, magnetism might become a more powerful method of healing than it was, thus bringing about “medicine that would heal”.

A lot has been written about Papus’ connection to the Russian court, but what is less-known, is the prominent role of Master Philippe in this. In September 1900, grand-duke Vladimir was one of several Russian nobles that visited Philippe in Lyon. When he had returned to Russia, he called upon the Master, who left on December 29, 1900 and would stay in Russia for two months. Another Russian noble’s notes reveal how he met Nizier during mass in Fourvière, the “high town” of Lyon. The priest’s sermon had tackled the notion that the miracles reported in the bible should not be taken literally. After the end of mass, Philippe wanted to speak to the priest and told him he was wrong. “May thunder strike this church if I can believe these things”, he said. Nizier apparently looked the priest in the eyes, made a gesture and immediately, lightning appeared inside the cathedral, with it striking at their feet, followed by a loud thunder. The display left the Russian noble visibly impressed. In further documentation about his Russian exploits, it was even reported that in Russia, Nizier was seen as a magus, and had even been able to calm a storm! “And I was told many other marvels.”
From then on, when members of the Russian royal household came to France, some would visit him in Lyon. It is how Nizier got to see the emperor and his wife in 1901. They too would invite him back to Russia, an invitation he accepted; his daughter and her husband accompanied him on this trip.

Alle religies zullen samensmelten in één enkele: die van de naastenliefde. — Meester Philippe

In the footsteps of Harvey Spencer Lewis...

Do not dwell in the past,
do not dream of the future,
concentrate the mind on the present moment. - Buddha

IT IS MORE THAN SOME PEOPLE UNDERSTAND AND DIFFERENT THAN SOME BELIEVE - HSL

"The press has the idea that we're a strange, weird cult," said Lewis, the president and imperator of the group, in an interview several years ago. "We're not. We're a study group that takes the position that human consciousness is a stream, a flow. We believe that man generally functions on only one level, but that he can function on levels higher than the objective and the subjective. - RML

The finest emotion of which we are capable is the mystic emotion. Herein lies the germ of all art and all true science. Anyone to whom this feeling is alien, who is no longer capable of wonderment and lives in a state of fear is a dead man. To know that what is impenetrable for us really exists and manifests itself as the highest wisdom and the most radiant beauty, whose gross forms alone are intelligible to our poor faculties - this knowledge, this feeling ... that is the core of the true religious sentiment. - Albert Einstein


In the Footsteps of Harvey Spencer Lewis by Paul DuPont, F.R.C.

In the 1980s, when I was doing research regarding the Rosicrucian Order’s history, and more specifically regarding Harvey Spencer Lewis coming to Toulouse, former Imperator Ralph M. Lewis allowed me to go to the chateau near the old town of Vieille Toulouse (Old Tolosa, some miles from Toulouse) where H. Spencer Lewis was initiated into the Rosicrucian Order.

We knew the name of the place where this chateau is situated, for Frater Lewis had described it precisely. I was of course somewhat impatient to go there, but I knew neither when nor how I could visit. An occasion presented itself to me soon, for I was asked to go not far from there for professional reasons.

It was a beautiful summer evening. The sun, still high in the sky, gave the hillsides a pink color well known in our region. I arrived near the little village, in sight of the hill where the chateau was located. From afar I could see a glimpse of the long outer wall of which Frater Lewis spoke. This wall was made of baked clay and of stones from the Garonne river. It surrounded the chateau and his property.

I walked along the wall to one of the entrances of the chateau, but it was closed by a great wooden door, which was high enough that I could not see inside. I could just barely see the façade of the chateau because of two square towers blocked my view, so I went back to the village to see if I could find another entrance.

I walked past another large door, formerly used as the main entrance. Walking outside the long outer wall running alongside the village itself, I eventually found a little door and decided to try to open it. Who knows? Maybe it was open.

Indeed it was easy to open. I stepped inside and found myself in the large park near the chateau, behind the old barns, and I was soon inside he main grounds. I thought to myself, since no one lived there, the worst I risked was to be taken back to the door. The shutters and the doors, everything was closed. With no one around I wavered between two thoughts: go back as I had come or go farther. Was I not after all completing a mission for the Grand Master and the Imperator!?

While I was there I thought while I was at it, I should take some photographs. (I learned later that Frater Ralph Lewis had hoped that I would take photographs of the interior of the building.) Therefore I proceeded further, taking some photographs here and there, in the park, and then after crossing a large carriage entrance, in the courtyard within.

And so, eventually, one step after another, I found myself in the courtyard, facing the façade of the chateau. The owners had built a swimming pool in the middle of the courtyard where the fountain had been located in H. Spencer Lewis’s drawing. I found such a thing somewhat preposterous, knowing what the chateau had sheltered. I tried to imagine that large courtyard in the state which it was in then, in the days of its mystical purpose.

I stopped taking photos and was about to leave when a fortuitous event occured. A I was retracing my steps, I saw an elderly woman hurriedly coming toward me. I prepared myself for the worst and tried to think of an explanation for my intrusion. After the usual salutations she simply asked me, “You have come for a visit?” The owners had entrusted the key and the safekeeping of the building to her because they expected visiting to purchase the estate.

Indeed, she had a huge key in her hand. The chateau was for sale. She explained to me that the owners, being in another country, had entrusted her to show visitors the property.

It was now a litttle late and perhaps the hour had arrived for her to prepare her meal. In any case, she let me visit the chateau alone. She opned the door for me, left it open halfway, and left me in the entrance hall.

Those who knew the history of the place will understand the emotions which overwhelmed me in that moment. There I stood in front of the large staircase leading the place where H. Spencer Lewis was interviewed by his initiator before the initiation itself. I was in the meeting room of the Grand Lodge of France.

Before going upstairs I pushed open the door of a room on the ground floor. It opened onto a huge room with may chairs scattered here and there in small groups. It was a vast living room for the meetings, which they held over the past centuries. The people met there and talked and exchanged their ideas about philosophical subjects.

As they were arranged, these chairs seemed to still be inhabited by their former owners. For a moment I even felt as if they were still present and I nearly excused myself for having disturbed them. I did not stay there long for I knew I knew the old Grand Lodge was one the second floor. I no longer had a lot of time. Passing by the chairs, I saw one of the ancient sculpted chairs which H. Spencer Lewis wrote, and I took a photograph of it.

I then proceeded to climb one step after another with deep veneration. I learned later from one of the owners, whom I would subsequently come to know in a friendly manner, that one of the wings of the chateau had been condemned since the beginning of the twentieth century. The owners, in order to save on heating, did not use it any longer and it had therefore stayed in its original condition. I will point out here that these rooms were in an advanced state of decay, especially the floors. This was precisely where H. Spencer Lewis had spent his initiation night!

It was a great privilege for me to be in this area, and I deeply valued this experience, however I had no flash with me and everything was in semi-darkness, therefore I do not have a photograph of this area. So I will endeavor to describe the place of the initiation itself from memory.

There was a large and high wooden door, which opened easily. Once inside the door, there was a small hall opening in front onto a room with an alcove, and on the right there was a larger room that reminded me of the reception room of our lodges. In the smaller room in front of me there was an old sofa and a huge stack of papers on a table.

I then made my way toward what I considered to be the reception room. The parquet floot was disintegrating so I cautiously put my pit my feet on the wooden boards that creaked under my weight. The room was at least ten meters (30 feet) long, stretching from one façade of the chateau to the other. There was an old fireplace, which the present owners had restored in the style of Louis XVI. Although the room was large, I crossed it quickly because I wanted to see what was next.

At the end of the room, to the left there was a twenty-meter-long (60 feet) corridor, which ran along the windows of the rear of the building. These windows had been bricked up from within, yet some cracks allowed just enough light to see that this corridor had three small doors, giving access to three small contiguous rooms and at the far end, to a square room and another small room situated on the right, in a tower of the chateau.

There was absolutely no decoration except a little picture nailed down on the edge of the door to the first room. From memory, it seemed to me that it was Gabriel, the Archangel, striking down the Dragon.

Was this the threshold chamber? I could not go into that room for it was too dark, so instead I went into the other room. It had no decoration and measured only a few meters. I went through it, not without some apprehension for it was dark, and then I pushed open the next door, which opened into a beautiful room. The walls were covered with ancient tapestries with small floral patterns in green and brown.

All this seemed to be very old. The patterned material probably dated from the 18th century, however I could not see it easily in the Darkness. Rather I tried to feel the mood of the place, and my thought was that it was quite small for a place of such importance. Here I was in the Grand Temple!

Certainly this place had not been used for a long time. H. Spencer Lewis had written that Count Bellcastle-Ligne, his initiator, told him in 1909 that the Lodge had not been active since the middle of the 1800s.

I looked for the door in the far end through which the master of this house could come and go. Indeed the rooms were linked to one another through doors in a row, which made it possible, as Frater Lewis had described, for the master of the house to leave a room and then find him again, as if by a miracle, in another place in the same room. For example, there is door that leads onto the little balcony near the grand staircase, which by a hidden passage, gives access to the room where I was.

I meditated for a while in this area before moving to the windows in the back of the building. Near one of them, through a half-open door, one could see another room situated in of the four towers of the chateau. The size of that room was that of a large sanctum, where three or four people could be accommodated without disturbing one another. I cannot describe this room from memory; again, all this was very dark.

The whole of this area that I just described is about one hundred square meters (300 sqaure fees) and as I saw it, was made up of a square roon, of three antechambers, of a small corridor for access, of a room to receive people, and of a room with an alvoce, a divan and some chairs. This is all that remained.

Of course I wish I had been able to take photographs of this area for since then the owners have remodelled it, from floor to ceiling, lowering the floor because they needed to redo the main beams.

During the months and years that followed, I visited again on several occasions, meeting the former and the new owners, as well as some neighbors. One of the eminent members of the Societé Archéologique du midi de la France lived near the chateau. He had been, at the beginning of the twentieth century, the authorized representative of one of the former owners.

We have photograph of this man, in uniform. He may have been the man in partial military dress who greeted H. Spencer Lewis in 1909 and asked him for his letter of introduction before he came before the Archivist of the Order. Within the famous Sociéte Archéologique du Midi de la France, there were personalities of whom it has been said were Rosicrucians, noticeably the Viscount de Lapasse, about whom we have some old documents, but chiefly and more directly concerning H. Spencer Lewis’s journal, “A Pilgrim’s Journey to the East”, was Clovis Lassalle.

Once he presented his letter of introduction, H. Spencer Lewis was greeted again, with some ceremony, by an elderly woman who led him to the one who would some hours later initiate him into the Order of the Rose Cross.

I had found the Light - and it had illumined me as I faced the Rosae Crucis - HSL



http://www.youtube.com/user/RosicrucianTV

IT, ER +, TORRENTIUS, Eques Rosae Crucis: a drama of tolerance & repression in the Dutch "Golden Age".

ER +
Wat buten maat bestaat,

Jesus of Nazareth; the City that Never Was!TruthAMORC: the Mystical Life of Jesus & his Secret Doctrines...

Jezus, gans en claer - Fama

Als je oog helder is, is je hele lichaam verlicht - Lucas 11:32

"Historia docuit quantum nos iuvasse illa de Cristo fabula".
Pope Leo X to Cardinal Bembo

Jesus, son of Mary (on whom be peace) said:
"The world is a bridge; pass over it, but build no houses upon it".

"Jezus is op aarde gekomen om te laten zien dat we allemaal zonen en dochters van God zijn." - Sir Isaac Newton

I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” - Mahatma Gandhi

"Jesus said to them, When you make the two one, and when you make the inside like the outside, and the outside like the inside, and the above like the below, and when you make the female one and the same, so that the male be not male, nor the female female... then you will enter the kingdom."

We are guilty of believing that Jesus Christ chose only those of His own race to be his 12 disciples, and that he did not go out and choose two Chinese, two blacks, two Indians, two Arabs, two women or two homosexuals, therefore he would be called a Supremacist, Racist and Bigot by today’s worldly standards.

All of the secret schools today which are classified as initiatic (because the students within them must first be prepared and made ready, and then spiritually and esoterically initiated before receiving the Truth) are associated in one secret organization or federation for the exchange of helpful suggestions and ideas relating to the ways and means not only of perpetuating the secret doctrines which Jesus taught but the manner of selecting the final Disciples and Apostles who shall go forth, not to destroy the faith and religions of the world, but to carry out the great mission for which Jesus was preordained and predestined to become a Son of God incarnate.
- H. Spencer Lewis, "The Secret Doctrines of Jesus", 1937

Tot al degenen die, in orthodoxe oprechtheid, veel van wat dit boek biedt zullen verwerpen, kan ik alleen maar zeggen: "Houd vast aan het goede". Als uw geloof, uw kenns en uw overtuiging omtrent christelijke zaken u voldoen en u hebt geen innerlijke drang om acher de sluier te kijken, doe het dan niet! Sta niets toe uw aanbidding en verering voor hem die uw redder en heer is te verzwakken of te verminderen! - H. Spencer Lewis

About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man, for he was a performer of wonderful deeds, a teacher of such men as are happy to accept the truth. He won over many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. When Pilate, at the suggestion of the leading men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those who had loved him at the first did not forsake him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct to this day. - Flavius Josephus: Antiquitates Judaicae


Jesus the Nazorean, rather than Jesus of Nazareth!?

The beginning of the Lie!
And it came to pass that in those days Jesus came from the Nazarenes of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. - Mark 1:9

Of all the books and numerous articles written by H. Spencer Lewis two are my all time favourites:

The Mystical life of Jesus (1929)
ISBN-10: 0912057467 ISBN-13: 978-0912057460
The Secret Doctrines of Jesus (1939)
ISBN-10: 0912057912 ISBN-13: 978-0912057910

It may be that you'll be quite surprised at what you'll read in these books, since it does not exactly reflect the doctrine propagated by the Christian church. You remain however, in line with the open and tolerant character of our Order, as always, completely free in your opinions in this area. In that respect our role will be limited to transferring the ancient knowledge which the Rosicrucian tradition has been passing on this subject.

They are a fascinating, non-sectarian treatment of the unknown life of Jesus, based on records preserved in the archives of ancient monasteries of the Essenes and the Rosicrucian Order.

Of all the books I’ve ever read about Jesus, and I’ve seen one or two in my life such as the weird but fascinating “Jésus ou le Mortel Secret des Templiers” by fellow martinist Robert Ambelain, these two are still by far the very best and will give you a credible insight in what really happened 2000 years ago.

Ever heard of the Essenes? Well, back in 1929 Lewis did.
He wrote at length of the Essene sect and in great detail.
And consider this: The Dead Sea Scrolls that mentioned the Essenes for the first time in modern history were not discovered until 1945! This is easily verified and cannot simply be summarily dismissed by even the most obstinately entrenched of scoffers or dogmatists.

These books will either thrill you or completely shock you!
(Dr. Lewis himself issued a warning to his orthodox readers,
NOT to read the books!), but when you do read them, and which I recommend, you will never think of Jesus the same way again!

So read the books, “THINK”, and then decide for yourself.

The evidence for a 1st century town of Nazareth does not exist – not literary, not archaeologically, and not historically.

Deze dingen verklaar Ik u, die deel uitmaakt van de innerlijke cirkel; maar tot hen van de voorhof spreek Ik in gelijkenissen. Dat zij horen, die oren hebben om te horen. – Het evangelie van de heilige twaalfen.

A tribute to Harvey Spencer Lewis by Frater E.D.C. (Eduard) van Drenthem Soesman, past Grand Master of the Netherlands Jurisdiction of AMORC.

Als het getij verloopt, moet men de bakens verzetten!

"Young man, some day you will be a member of this Order".

Met het hoofd in de wolken en de beide benen stevig op de grond.

De grootst mogelijke verdraagzaamheid binnen de meest strikte onafhankelijkheid

"Geloof, Hoop en Liefde, doch de meeste van deze is de Liefde".

"De boodschap van de Rozekruisers Orde A.M.O.R.C. is een boodschap die de wereld oproept tot meer humanisme en spiritualiteit".

Wij hebben het beste voor met allen, met onze geliefde fratres en sorores, of zij gefaald hebben of niet. “Alles sal rech kom”. Wij bouwen verder, wij bouwen beter en hechter dan ooit tevoren. Wij bouwen op goede fundamenten: Op het Leven, op het Licht en op de Liefde!

Onderstaande voordracht verscheen voor het eerst in 1982 in het boekje "Mijn Eerste Elftal".

Dr. Spencer Lewis was een gedreven mens. Uit persoonlijke ontmoetingen en vooral uit zijn correspondentie met ons, leden, bleek dit zonneklaar.
Er stond iets achter hem dat groter is dan de mens zelf kan zijn.
Dat iets was het kosmische, waarover hij ons geleerd heeft, waarover hij ons geleerd heeft hoe het te kontakten, waardoor wij Rozekruisers werden en leerlingen van deze grote Meester. Het is interessant om iets over zijn jeugd te weten in verband met the Methodistenkerk.

Zoals het vaak gaat met Rozekruisers brengt de prille jeugd de aanraking met de kerk, een kerk, terwijl het Licht doorbreekt nadat we voor het allereerst over de Orde vernomen hebben.
Dan komt er iets blijvends over ons. Zo was het ook met Dr. Spencer Lewis, de eerste Imperator van de nieuwe cyclus van de Rozekruisers Orde op het Noord Amerikaanse continent.
Hij was lid van de zondagsschool, die zoveel als een instituut is in de Verenigde Staten. Hij werd zeer toegewijd en hoe kan dat ook anders als men voor het eerst met de Christusfiguur in aanraking komt. Deze figuur heeft hem zijn leven lang vastgehouden, mede tot voldoening van alle leden die door hem een verdiepte kennis van Jezus mochten verkrijgen. Vele Rozekruisers zijn door het Kruis van Christus, door hun verering voor Jezus, tot de Orde gekomen. Het is immers deze toewijding die altijd leidt tot iets majestueus in ons leven.

Een ieder van u zal enige verwantschap voelen met deze grote figuur, die Jezus, met wie het in ons leven waarschijnlijk óók begonnen is. Begonnen met de tocht naar het licht. Om tot de Rozekruisers Orde te kunnen komen moeten we psychische aanleg hebben, iets dat anderen, misschien zelfs onze ouders, vreemd vinden.
Wij zullen ons allemaal dingen uit onze jeugd of zelfs onze prille jeugd herinneren die steeds wijzen op een zoeken naar het Pad, onze taak op aarde, een gevoeligheid voor dingen des geestes, begrip voor onzienlijke dingen, een begin van universele liefde, die nooit slap en decadent maar in de meeste gevallen krachtig is, normaal en fris. Dàt is wat mij zo bijzonder in Dr. Spencer Lewis heeft aangetrokken: zijn frisheid als mysticus.
Ik ken ze ook die graag erg gevoelig doen, willen lijken op een mysticus, vergetend dat AMORC een ander bordje heeft buitenhangen, waardoor de leden meer voldoening hebben, want op dat bordje prijken de woorden “Weest duidelijk, weest fris in uw beschouwing en laat uw mystieke gevoelens en uitingen op gewone wijze tot uw leden doorklinken”.

Dr. Spencer Lewis, en wij mogen gerust zo nu en dan over Professor Lewis spreken want hij was tenslotte ook nog Rector Magnificus van de Rozekruisers Universiteit, kreeg langzamerhand meer belangstelling voor kunsten en wetenschappen, voor mystiek en filosofie. Hij interesseerde zich voor alles wat op deze aarde interessant kan zijn, de faculteiten van universiteiten in zijn woonoord, kunt, theater, muziek.
Totdat hij door zijn kontakten met vele gelijkgestemden in aanraking kwam met mannen en vrouwen die gelezen hadden over de Egyptische Rozekruisers. Deze aanraking met wat in het begin niet meer dan een woord was biologeerde hem en vanaf die tijd, in het begin van 1908, begon zijn zoeken naar de Orde.

Nu even een grote sprong vooruit en een eigen waardering van onze Imperator, die zo enorm veel goeds voor de wereld heeft gedaan. Persoonlijk geloof ik niet dat er in deze eeuw iemand is geweest die onze Imperator kan evenaren. We kennen de namen van grote figuren in deze wereld, zoals Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt, Albert Schweitzer en talloze anderen, maar ik geloof niet dat ze in de schaduw kunnen staan van wat deze man vrijwel alleen tot stand heeft gebracht in het domein van de opvoeding, waarin alle menselijke terreinen hun aanvang vinden. Wèl eclatanter, maar zeker niet van de diepte die Lewis ging in zijn kennis van de esoterie, van de eeuwigheidsvragen, de kosmische wensen, welke door het mensdom worden veronachtzaamd.
Immers, onze gehele wereld zucht onder de leugen, de destructie, de corruptie, de foutieve instelling van het mensdom juist t.o.v. deze eeuwigheidsvoorwaarden. Dr. Lewis heeft ons op het pad geplaatst dat onherroepelijk leidt tot verlichting, tot inzicht, ook in de verdorvenheid van deze wereld. In Canada noemden wij deze vaderlijke vriend “Papa Lewis”.

Het ogenblik breekt nu aan dat Dr. Lewis omstreeks 1909 in aanraking komt met de Rose Croix de France. Zijn benoeming tot gedelegeerde in Amerika volgt en enige jaren later mag hij zich Imperator noemen. Dan begint zijn ongelooflijke arbeid voor de toekomst der volkeren, middels de leden die zijn onderwijs volgen, een onderwijs dat weer is samengesteld uit de oudste archieven der Orde. Wat weinigen beseffen die vragen naar de oorsprong der Orde komt nu als een lichtstraal in de duisternis van het heden, namelijk dat Lewis en vele zijner medewerkers ditzelfde werk reeds hadden volbracht in vroeger eeuwen, zij het dan op veel kleinere schaal.

Onze hogeregraadsleden, die zijn ingewijd in onze Tempels of in het geheime Sanctum zullen dan ook nooit vragen naar de historische feiten onzer Ordo Rosae Crucis eenvoudig omdat zij deze historie zelf hebben meegemaakt, deze hebben gemaakt.
De profane wereld natuurlijk des te meer. Die begrijpt niet hoe het mogelijk is dat Dr. Lewis met zoveel overredingskracht kan spreken over bijvoorbeeld Francis Bacon, alsof hij in die tijd geleefd had, sterker nog, in een vorige incarnatie deze hoge Bewaarder van de Schatkist zelf geweest was! Alle Rozekruisers weten hoe wij steeds in het defensief staan t.o.v. de profane wereld, die altijd klaarstaat om te kritiseren. Dr. Lewis zei dan wel: “Och, wat hebben zij dan wel van deze wereld gemaakt? Kijk eens naar ons en de diepe vrede die er bij ons heerst”. Hij heeft zeer veel te lijden gehad van oppositionele krachten, zeer veel. Die machten der duisternis, die wij nooit mogen onderschatten want zij liggen altijd op de loer om ons te bespringen, hebben het bestaan om hem in Amerika verdacht te maken, met modder te smijten om zijn levenswerk te vernietigen. Natuurlijk heeft hij gewonnen maar tegen welke prijs? Tenslotte heeft hij de booswichten voor het gerecht in Californië gedaagd, waar de overwinning werd bevochten. Lewis, een duidelijk trekje van de Imperator, vroeg niet meer dan één dollar schadevergoeding, die hij dan ook kreeg. Voor hem was de strijd voorbij.
In de twintiger jaren dezer eeuw werd er veel van de Imperator gevergd. Hij liet gebouwen bouwen, ging wekelijks op tournee om “zijn” orde te verbreiden, redeneerde dat leden die zelfs maar drie maanden lid van de Orde waren geweest en hun lidmaatschap dan opzegden tòch onnoemelijk veel psychische hulp bij de Orde hadden verkregen. Op dat gezegde bouwde Ralp Lewis, zijn zoon, de orde uit tot in meer dan 80 landen. Ik weet wel dat de opbouw momenteel overal revolutionair is, maar wij weten ook dat niet alle nieuwe leden blijvertjes zijn, maar voor deze nieuwe leden is het van onschatbare waarde dat zij, al is het maar voor drie maanden, lid zijn. Incarnaties later werkt die tijd nog door. Spencer Lewis heeft ervoor gezorgd dat er altijd weer iets nieuws voor ons klaar ligt in onze monografieën. Wat een Auteur, wat een architect, wat een redenaar was hij, wat een cello-speler, wat een kenner van de muziek, natuurkunde, chemie en journalistiek!
Zo ooit gezegd mag worden dat iemand een universeel genie was, en met dat woord speelt de profane wereld nogal eens, dan was dat Dr. Harvey Spencer Lewis! Ik wil onze huidige Imperator Ralph Lewis op dit punt in één lijn met zijn vader noemen.

Eén van de meest indringende ervaring welke ik ooit met Dr. Spencer Lewis heb meegemaakt was niet in een persoonlijk gesprek of tijdens een korte ontmoeting, waarbij men dikwijls werd afgeleid door de telefoon, een secretaresse, doch in een projectie. Ik woonde omstreeks 1930 in Toronto en op een donderdagavond zat ik te studeren in mijn Sanctum. Ik las toen voor de afwisseling “Hamlet” van Shakespeare. Enige dagen tevoren had ik de Imperator geschreven en hem een paar vragen voorgelegd. Plotseling die avond had ik het gevoel dat ik niet alleen was in mijn Sanctum. En warempel, ik zag de Imperator die mij een kort berichtje doorgaf met zijn prettig in het gehoor liggende stem, dat ik duidelijk kon verstaan. Hij gaf het antwoord op mijn vragen! Toen zag ik een hand vlak bij mij. “Shake hands”, hoorde ik duidelijk. Ik maakte een manuaal van handdrukken, maar vond het toch een beetje vreemd. Maar het wàs een handdruk. Ik wees op het boek van Shakespeare dat ik aan het lezen was. Vluchtig zij hij toen nog: “Good literature” en toen was hij weer verdwenen. Later hoorde ik dat hij met leden van zijn klaas veelvuldig dergelijke kontakten had, die even indringend waren als die wij heden van hem mogen ontvangen.

De grootste uibreidingen van de Orde staan nu voor de deur. Hij begint met de bouw van het Egyptische Museum en reist om inspiratie op te doen naar Egypte, was in die tijd een wereldreis was. Hij leidde een inwijding in de grote Pyramide. In de dertiger jaren liet de orde veel van zich horen in de Verenigde Staten, Canada, Frankrijk, Duitsland en Nederland. Bij ons vond de oprichting plaats in januari 1934 in “Villa Elisabeth” in Den Haag.
Op last van de Imperator werd de Kommissie van Oprichting als volgt samengesteld: Frater Coops, Grootsecretaris en de leden Soror van Drenthem Soesman, geboren Middelaer, Frater van Drenthem Soesman, Soror Van Rijn van Alkemade en Frater Corbière. Sedert 1926 was de Imperator niet meer in Nederland geweest. Wèl in Brussel voor de vergaderingen der FUDOSI, waar ook mijn grote vriend Frans Wittemans uit Antwerpen aanwezig was.

Persoonsverheerlijking dat wilde Dr. Spencer Lewis niet. Maar als men hem beter leerde kennen, hetzij uit zijn boeken, leringen, gebouwen of persoonlijke gesprekken, dan kon men het niet helpen deze persoon ter vereren. Dat deden wij dan ook en dat was waarschijnlijk het enige waarin we ongehoorzaam aan hem waren.
Hij stond op een “pied de stalle”, een voetstuk. Gelukkig dat de mens hem heeft gekend voor wat hij was. Gelukkig!
Mijn moeder vertelde mij na haar bezoek aan hem:
“Ik heb iets van de grandeur van deze man mogen zien!”
Zo wàs het en zo is het! Hij is voor de meesten van ons niet gestorven.

Ikzelf tracht steeds weer waar te maken dat ene grote dat ik van de Imperator heb mogen leren: LIEFDE IS DE WET.
Dat is o zo moeilijk in deze verdorven maatschappij. Om alles wat op je afkomt te verwerken is dikwijls ontzettend moeilijk, maar ik geloof dat datzelfde Kosmische dat hem in zo grote mate heeft geholpen ons ook helpt, gezien de grote uitbreiding van de Orde en het succes dat wij hebben.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDEKx16W8ss&feature=related

Als je geen antwoord meer weet op de vragen,
die een knotsgekke wereld je dagelijks stelt,
Als je niet meer weet of je moet lachen of huilen,
Als je hoort wat de jeugd je vertelt…

Dan is het tijd dat je rustig gaat zitten,
je ogen sluit en een taf’reeltje ziet
van blauwe luchten, een enkele vogel
en spierwitte wolkjes in ’t verschiet.

Dan komt de rust voor wie haar kan grijpen,
een meditatieve, prettige rust.
En dat is in dit knotsgekke leven
HET medicijn, word je daarvan bewust!

Though the above article of past Grand Master E.D.C. van Drenthem Soesman, taken from his booklet “Mijn eerste Elftal” was posted just as the title implies, to honour Dr. H. Spencer Lewis, I later realized that it was also an interesting talk on AMORC's history in The Netherlands, which officially started in 1934. So next year we celebrate it’s 75th anniversary! On this occasion I'd like to share parts of a letter from former Grand Master I.L.M. (Irène) Beusekamp-Fabert about the genesis of the Netherlands Grand Lodge.

quote

Onze Nederlandstalige Jurisdictie is op 1 februari 1934 opgericht. Vóór die tijd had Frater Jan Coops jaren in Canada gewoond, waarheen hij was geëmigreerd en waar hij in aanraking kwam met Frater Spencer Lewis en de AMORC. Hij werd lid van de AMORC en Spencer Lewis vroeg hem terug te keren naar Nederland en aldaar de Nederlandse Jurisdictie op te bouwen, en dat deed Jan Coops in 1934, nadat hij het Charter voor de Nederlandstalige Jurisdictie van Spencer Lewis had ontvangen.

Jan Coops begon de monografiën te vertalen in het Nederlands en na verloop van tijd had hij drie leden in Nederland, één dame, die trouwens 104 jaar geworden is, en twee heren. Een van deze twee heren was Frater L. van Gastel, die toen student scheikunde was. Langzamerhand kon in Amsterdam in de woning van Jan Coops een Pronaos worden opgericht. De dame en heren brachten de monografiën ’s nachts per fiets naar de eerste leden. Dat was dus het begin van onze Jurisdictie, die helaas door de oorlog tijdelijk aan haar activiteiten een einde moest maken. Wel hadden in het verborgene nog enige ontmoetingen plaats, maar pas na de oorlog kon Jan Coops de activiteiten van de AMORC en van de TMO goed ontplooien. Onze Jurisdictie werd dan ook een Grootloge en Jan Coops werd tot Grootmeester benoemd.

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Van vrijdag 13 t/m 15 november 2009 zal t.g.v. het 75-jarig bestaan van de Grootloge van de Nederlandstalige Jurisdictie een Jubileumconvent worden gehouden. "De Rozekruiser nu", 75-jaar AMORC in de Nederlandstalige gebieden.
Dit nationale convent wordt gehouden in het conferentiecentrum "De Leeuwenhorst" in Noordwijkerhout.

On August 12, 2009 we’re also commemorating the 100th anniversary of H. Spencer Lewis’s initiation into the Rosicrucian Tradition in France!

Watch DVD: Dr. H. Spencer Lewis Restorer of Rosicrucianism

http://www.youtube.com/user/RosicrucianTV

Saunière & Martinism # 3: The Illuminati Protocols. Hiérarchie, Fraternité et Liberté! ou Liberté, Egalité et Charité?