Our History
The Rosicrucian Order, AMORC has its roots in the sacred legacy received from the mystery schools of ancient Egypt. Over centuries, several knowledge streams enriched the cultural and spiritual heritage of AMORC and form an integral part of its present-day archives.
Ancient Egyptian Heritage
The Rosicrucian tradition, of which the Rosicrucian Order, also known as AMORC is its modern representative, has its roots in the sacred legacy received from the mystery schools of ancient Egypt dating back to approximately 1500BCE. Several thousands of years ago, in ancient Egypt, select bodies or special schools were formed to explore the mysteries of life and learn the secrets of this hidden wisdom. The word “mystery” referred to a special gnosis, a secret wisdom imparted only to sincere and worthy students who demonstrated a fervent desire for knowledge and passed certain tests that qualified them for induction into the mysteries. Over the centuries, these mystery schools added an initiatory dimension to the knowledge they transmitted.
Our European Lineage
The knowledge perpetuated by the sages of ancient Egypt was enriched by great thinkers of ancient Greece. A few centuries later, the mystical precepts of Rosicrucian alchemists of the Middle Ages were formulated. Thence, the teachings of the Rosy Cross spread centuries later to France, Germany, England and the Netherlands. Certain precise aspects of our ancient Egyptian bequest were further enriched by eminent personalities such as Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Paracelsus (1493-1541), Francis Bacon (1561-1626), Renes Descartes (1596-1650), Isaac Newton (1642-1727), and Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790).
Rebirth in America
The current cycle of the Rosicrucian Order began in the United States of America in 1915 with Dr. Harvey Spencer Lewis as the first leader or Imperator. The Order was first located in New York; then relocated to San Francisco, California, and then Florida before being permanently situated today in San Jose, California. Harvey Spencer Lewis passed through transition (the Rosicrucian term for ‘death’) in 1939 and was succeeded by his son, Ralph Maxwell Lewis. Christian Bernard served as Imperator till 2019. The current Imperator and President of the Supreme Board of AMORC is Claudio Mazzucco, who assumed office in 2019.
English West Africa Administration
The Rosicrucian Order was officially established in Nigeria in October 1933. The Rosicrucian Park, situated in Calabar, serves as the Regional Administration (headquarters) for English speaking West Africa, under the English Grand Lodge for Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
The Rosicrucian system and wisdom does not depend solely on the teachings of one personality but has evolved over numerous ages and become time-tested.
Its teachings remain the subject of continued reflection by present-day students, all for the glory of God. Over the centuries, some of the most brilliant minds in various knowledge areas have enriched the teachings of the Rosicrucian Order which now form the philosophical and spiritual heritage of AMORC. Rosicrucian wisdom is a beautiful blend of several important knowledge streams over the ages; it is all-encompassing and unique, and much of the lessons content cannot be easily obtained elsewhere.