Rosi

1. Rosi crucians By: Rachel Sleeman

2. Don’t Know the First Thing About Rosicrucians? Join Dan Brown’s Club. • Dan Brown mentions the Rosicrucians once: “The Rose. Entire armies and religions had been built on this symbol, as had secret societies. The Rosicrucians. The Knights of the Rosy Cross” (Brown 197).

3. Dan Brown’s Connections • Dan Brown connects all references of the Rose to the Rosicrucians. • “The Rose was a symbol that spoke of the Grail on many levels– secrecy, womanhood, and guidance– the feminine chalice and guiding star that led to secret truth” (Brown 202).

4. Mary Magdalene? • Brown’s implication that the Rosicrucians were a society centered around the protection of Mary Magdalene is misleading • Well, then who are the Rosicrucians?

5. Who are the Rosicrucians? • A secret society, existing in accordance with its manifestos • Spiritual enlightenment through personal means. • Alchemy as a representation of human regeneration and change

6. The Fama Fraternities • Christian Rosencreutz’s (Rose and Cross) • Discovery of the vault is an allegory for general reformation, spiritual illumination

7. The Confessio • A prophetic call, return to the state of Adamic innocence • Alchemy: The transmutation of base metals into Gold

8. The Chemical Wedding • Narrative, involving Rosencreutz, split into seven days • Alchemy: elementary fusion of the bride and groom

9. Who founded Rosicrucianism, if Rosencreutz and his activities are considered allegorical? • Johann Andreae wrote the three manifestos • Had a background in contemporary religion • Professed the manifestos to be products of his imagination

10. Andreae’s family crest was a St. Andrew’s cross with Roses, tying him to authorship of the manifestos. Andreae

11. What sources of influence did Andreae draw upon? • Andreae knew the Naometria • Evangelical league established in defense against the Catholic Church • Contained first example of Rosicrucian rose and cross symbolism

12. What sources of influence did Andreae draw upon? • Confessio published with Consideratio Brevis, based on John Dee’s Monas Hieroglyphia • Both contained references to dew, symbolized by the Monas figure

13. The Monas Symbol • Also found in the Chemical Wedding • Descending dew uniting heaven and earth • “Rosicrucians” was not derived from ‘Rose’ and ‘Cross’ but from ‘Ros’ (dew) and ‘Lux’ (light)

14. Alternate Origins of Rosicrucian Symbol: Martin Luther • Church professed Rosicrucian movement as production of Luther disciples • Luther’s Letters reference crosses, roses, and gold • The Rose Cross is modeled after Luther’s coat-of-arms

15. Luther’s Coat-of-Arms • Similar to the second of the Rosicrucian symbols

16. The Sole Rose • In Egyptian mythology and Christian symbolism

17. The Cross Alone

18. The Basic Rose Cross • Union of opposites and dualism in nature • Descent of spirit into matter • Axis of the solstice and equinox cycle

19. Rose cross: the Five-Petal Rose • Five senses of man • Four elements of nature with spirit to form man • Forms a pentagram

20. Divine Pentagram • Divine as evidenced by celestial movement of Venus • Five synodic periods represent a rose

21. The Second Rose Cross • Unfolding petals symbolizes spiritual unfolding and discovery • Golden heart • Ten petals corresponds to divine calculations

22. The Heart Amidst the Rose • One of five heart shapes woven by Venus

23. Hermetical Rose • Natural order of creation, Spirit over matter • Elemental Pentagram • Three elements of alchemy • Expansion from five to twenty-two petal rose

24. Who are the Rosicrucians? • A secret society, existing in accordance with its manifestos • Spiritual enlightenment through personal means. • Alchemy as a representation of human regeneration and change

25. Dan Brown’s Errors Tied to Venus, but not to the Sacred Feminine Pentagon not a symbol of the sacred feminine, but of divine perfection and calculations.