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IN 1876, Olcott writes to Stainton Moses that he is 'duly registered as a novice in the Brotherhood', that he has been 'for a long time in personal touch by mail' with its leaders, and that they have written to him regarding 'certain things that Mme Blavatsky does not even suspect he knows.' What kind of 'Brotherhood' is involved here? It is certainly not the H B of L, nor can it be the _Arya Samaj_ either, with which the final alliance was concluded only the following year; and there was as yet no question of the famous 'Great White Lodge' or 'Brotherhood of Tibet', but the terms used were vague enough to leave room for all the subsequent confusion, whether intentional or not. In another letter addressed a little later to the same correspondent—from which it seems to follow that Moses had agreed to enter the society to which Olcott belonged—one reads this:

In presenting my compliments I would like you to ask the _Imperator_ whether he could do something in the psychological way [sic] in order to prevent Mme Blavatsky from going to India. I am very anxious about this. I cannot do anything myself.... The slander circulating here and in Europe has disheartened her so profoundly... that I am afraid we might lose her. This may be a petty thing for the spiritualists, but it is an important thing for the three of us.... Ask the Imperator what I suggest.... He seems to be a wise spirit and maybe he is a powerful one. Ask him whether he is willing and able to help us.... We have here a Mrs Thompson, a rich widow worth seven million dollars, who is preparing the ground for Mme Blavatsky. This lady is offering her money and all the rest to go to India, thus giving her an opportunity to study and see for herself.... Do not forget the Imperator.^[1]

This time we have formal proof that Mme Blavatsky had never been to India prior to her stay in America. However it was her wish to go there because she felt the need 'to study and see for herself,' proof that she was not all that 'initiated' and had not yet reached the point of having a set of firm and fixed convictions. However, there was at that time an influence of which Olcott and Stainton Moses were the agents and which was opposed to Mme Blavatsky's departure for India, and it was thus neither the influence of the _Arya Samaj_ nor that of any other Eastern organization. Now why does Olcott say 'for the three of us'? He and his correspondent—that makes only two; the third might well be this Imperator for whose support he so insistently asks. Who was this mysterious being? Apparently, it was a 'spirit' that used to manifest itself in the circle run by Stainton Moses and his friend Dr Speer. But what is strange and may provide a key to many things is that this 'spirit' claims the name, or rather the title, of Imperator, that is, the title of the head of an English secret society, the _Order of the Golden Dawn in the Outer_.

This Order claims to be a 'society of occultists studying the highest practical magic,' which 'functions in parallel so to speak with the true _Rosicrucianism_.' Women are admitted on an equal footing with men and membership remains secret. There are three chief officers: the Imperator, the Praemonstrator, and the Cancellarius. This same Order is closely related to the _Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia_, founded in 1867 by Robert Wentworth Little; it has nine ranks divided in three orders; its leaders are three in number, like those of the _Golden Dawn_, and hold the title of Magus.^[2] The _Societas Rosicruciana_ accepts as members only Masons holding the grade of Master, and their number is limited to 144, apart from honorary members. It has four 'Colleges', established in London, York, Bristol, and Manchester. A similar organization has existed in Scotland since 1877 and another branch was formed in America in 1880; these are two branches of the English society, although they are administratively independent.

A letter addressed to the director of the Theosophical review _Lucifer_ in July 1889 by Count MacGregor Mathers, who was then secretary of the Metropolitan College of the _Societas Rosicruciana_ and a member of the High Council of England, says among other things that

this Society studies the Western tradition.... Knowledge regarding practice is the privilege of the highest initiates, who keep it secret; all the Brothers keep their grade secret. The Theosophical Society entertains friendly relations with them.... The Hermetic students of the Rosicrucian G.D. [Golden Dawn] are, so to speak, its representatives in the outer.

The main aim behind publishing this kind of manifesto was to disavow a certain 'Order of the Dew and Light' (_Ordo Roris et Lucis_), another so-called English Rosicrucian society mentioned earlier in the same review. This society was in direct competition with the _Golden Dawn_ and the _Societas Rosicruciana_, and its members, who were mostly spiritists, were accused of practicing 'black magic', following a custom which is in fact widespread in Theosophical circles, as we shall see later on. Count MacGregor's letter carries the follow-ing mottoes _Sapiens dominabitur astris_—_Deo duce, comite ferro_—_Non omnis moriar_—_Vincit omnia veritas_; curiously, this last motto is also that of the 'H B of L', an avowed enemy of the Theosophical Society and the _Societas Rosicruciana_.^[4] The letter ends with these words which confer an official character: 'Published by order of the Superior Sapere Aude, Cancellarius in Londinense,' followed by this rather enigmatic postscript: 'Seven adepts who possess the _elixir_ of long life are currently alive and meet every year in a different town.' Was the Imperator of the G.D. one of these mysterious 'seven adepts'? This is quite possible, and we even have other indications that tend to confirm it; but the 'Superior Sapere Aude' might not have authorized more explicit revelations on this subject.^[5]

The author of the above letter, who died a few years ago, was the elder brother of another MacGregor, representative of the _Order of the Golden Dawn in the Outer_ in France and also a member of the Theosophical Society. In 1899 and 1903, there was some fuss in Paris about the attempts made by Mr and Mrs MacGregor Mathers to restore the cult of Isis under the patronage of the occultist writer Jules Bois,^[6] attempts which moreover were rather fanciful although in their time they had a certain success as a curiosity. We may add that Mrs MacGregor, the 'Great-Priestess Anari', is [Henri] Berg-son's sister. We point this out as secondary information without wishing to draw any conclusions, although in one respect there may unquestionably be more than a mere resemblance between the ten-dencies of Theosophism and those of Bergsonian philosophy.^[7] Some have gone even further. Thus, in an article relating to a con-troversy on Bergsonism, Georges Pécoul writes that

the theories of the Theosophical Society are so strangely similar to those of Bergson that one may wonder whether they do not both derive from a common source, and whether Bergson, Olcott, Leadbeater, Mme Blavatsky, and Annie Besant all went to the school of the same Mahātmā, Koot Hoomi or... someone Else. [And he adds] I am bringing this problem to the research-ers' attention; its solution could perhaps shed additional light on the very mysterious origin of certain movements of modern thought and on the nature of the 'influences' that they all come under—often unconsciously—and which are themselves agents of intellectual and spiritual influences.^[8]

We certainly agree with Pécoul as regards these 'influences', and even think that their role is as considerable as it is generally unsuspected. Besides, we never had any doubt as to the affinities of Bergsonism with the 'neo-spiritualist' movements, and we would not even be surprised to see Bergson, following the example of William James, finally end up in spiritism. In this connection, we have particularly striking evidence in a sentence from _Energie Spirituelle_, the latest book by Bergson, in which, while admitting that 'immortality itself cannot be proven experimentally,' he declares that 'this would already be something, it would even mean a lot to be able to estab-lish on the experimental level the probability of survival for a time x.' Is that not exactly what the spiritualists claim to do? A few years ago we even heard that Bergson took an active interest in 'experi-ments' of this kind, in the company of several renowned scientists among whom, we were told, were Professor d'Arsonval and Mme Curie. We would like to believe that his intention was to study these things as 'scientifically' as possible, but how many other men of science—like William Crookes and Lombroso—after having started in this manner, were 'converted' to the spiritist doctrine! It can never be said too often how dangerous these things are; certainly, it is neither science nor philosophy which can provide a sufficient guarantee to enable one to handle them with impunity.

Returning now to Rosicrucianism, which comes into the picture here for the first time and which was the reason for this digression, we will point out that on several occasions in the _Theosophist_ and in his books Olcott wrote that Mme Blavatsky always wore a Rose-Cross jewel 'that she had received from an adept.' Yet when he was under the influence of the 'H B of L', Olcott only had disdain for the modern Rosicrucians. He wrote to Stainton Moses in 1875 that

the The Brotherhood [of the Rose-Cross], considered as the active branch of the true Order, died away with Cagliostro, just as did [operative] Freemasonry with Wren.^[10] All that remains is merely the shell.

Here, the words 'active branch of the true Order' refer to a passage from the teachings of the 'H B of L' where it is said that

the term Rose-Cross does not indicate the whole Order, but only those who received the first teachings in its prodigious system; this is only a password with which the Brothers beguile and at the same time fool the world.

It is not our intention here to go into the controversies related to the origin and the history of the true and false Rose-Cross. These are veritable puzzles that have never been satisfactorily resolved, and about which writers who claim to be more or less Rosicrucian seem not to know much more than any others.

In writing these last words, we have especially in mind Dr Franz Hartmann, who played an important role in the Theosophical Soci-ety when its headquarters was transferred to India, and with whom Mme Blavatsky does not always seem to have been on the best of terms, as we shall see in connection with the affair of the Society for Psychical Research. This individual, born in 1838 at Donauwerth in Bavaria, claimed to be a Rosicrucian, but of another branch than the English societies mentioned above. If we are to believe him, he had 'discovered' a Brotherhood of the true Rose-Cross in Kempten, a town famous for its haunted houses, where he died in 1912. In truth, we think that this is only a legend he tried to substantiate in order to give the appearance of a serious foundation to a certain 'Order of the Esoteric Rose-Cross', which he promoted. This Dr Hartmann published quite a number of works^[11] which were not so well received by the leaders of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia, although they too were Theosophists. They were particularly hard on the book entitled _In the Pronaos of the Temple of Wisdom_, 'containing the history of the true and false Rosicrucians, with an introduction to the mysteries of Hermetic philosophy, and dedicated to the Duchess of Pomar. In 1887, in Boston, the center of the American branch of the Order of the G.D. in the Outer, Hartmann published a kind of novel entitled _An Adventure Among the Rosicrucians_, containing the description of an imaginary Theosophical monastery, supposedly located in the Alps. The author relates that this monastery is attached to the Order of the 'Brothers of the Golden Cross and the Rose-Cross, and that its head holds the title of Imperator. This calls to mind the old German 'Golden Rose-Cross' founded in 1714 by the Saxon priest Samuel Richter, better known under the pseudonym Sincerus Renatus, the head of which actually held the title of Imperator, as did the head of the Golden Dawn later on. This title was inherited from earlier Rosicrucian organizations, and if we are to believe certain legends, its origin would even date back to the origin of the world, for in the _Clypeus Veritatis_ dating back to 1618, we find a chronological list of Imperators since Adam! These exaggerations and fabulous genealogies are moreover common to most secret societies, including Masonry, in which the Misraïm Rite is also supposed to date back to Adam. More interesting is the fact that while speaking of the 1714 Rosicrucian organization, an occultist writer makes the following statement: A tradition says that this Imperator still exists; his action is believed to have become political.'^[12] Is this same person the head of the Golden Dawn? In fact, this 'Golden Rose-Cross', which some people had earlier suspected of having a political character, has not existed for a long time. It was replaced in 1780 by the 'Initiate Brothers of Asia, whose center was established in Vienna and whose superiors were called 'Fathers and Brothers of the Seven Unknown Churches of Asia', ^[13] in an allusion to the beginning of the Apocalypse. We cannot help but wonder whether the 'seven adepts' of Count MacGregor were their successors. Be that as it may, what is certain is that many of the associations claiming to be related to Rosicrucianism still make their members take an oath of allegiance to the Imperator. A consequence of Hartmann's romantic account shows that the author's goal was not entirely disinterested: in September 1889 a joint stock company was formed in Switzerland, bearing the name Fraternitas, for the purpose of creating and operating the theosophico-monastic establishment he had imagined. In this venture Hartmann had as associates Dr Thurmann, Dr A. Pioda, and Countess Wachtmeister; the latter, whom we mentioned earlier, was a Swede and a close friend of Mme Blavatsky. As for the 'Order of the Esoteric Rose-Cross', Hartmann's other creation, it seems to have had a close relation with the 'Renovated Order of the _Illuminati Germaniae_', founded and reorganized by Leopold Engel of Dresden, which played an extremely suspect political role. This latter Order obviously took its name from the Illuminism of Weishaupt, although there was no direct filiation between them. There was also some connection between this 'Esoteric Rose-Cross' and a certain 'Order of the Eastern Templars' founded in 1895 by Dr Karl Kellner and, after his death in 1905, spread especially by Theodor Reuss, a Theosophist whom we shall meet again later on; it even seems that the 'Esoteric Rose-Cross' finally became the 'inner circle' of the 'Eastern Templars'. These various associations should not be mistaken for another recently created Austro-German Rosicrucian organization, whose head is Rudolf Steiner. We shall speak about this later. Moreover, the truth is that Rosicrucianism no longer has any well-defined significance today. Many people call themselves 'Brothers of the Rose-Cross' or 'Rosicrucians', but have no connection between them, nor with the ancient organizations of the same name, and it is exactly the same with those who call themselves 'Templars'. Without even taking into account the Masonic grades in various rites called Rose-Cross, or some others derivative of it, we could give—were it not out of context here—a long list of more or less secret societies that have nothing much in common except for the same name, most often accompanied by one or more distinctive epithets.^[14] As in the case of Masonry, then, one must always be careful when dealing with Rosicrucianism not to attribute to one group what belongs to another group with which it may be completely unfamiliar.

Footnotes

[1]Regarding the letter from Olcott to Stainton Moses, we do not believe it necessary to dwell on the objection raised by Theosophists, who seem to find it especially troublesome, and who claim that 'Col. Olcott was reproducing Mrs Thompson's, and not Mme Blavatsky's idea'; this changes absolutely nothing about it, and we can only say that this letter would have no meaning if Mme Blavatsky had already been in India before this time; in any case, Olcott would not have failed to point out to his correspondent that Mrs Thompson's opinion did not conform to reality.

[2]In 1901 its leaders were: W. Wynn Westcott, Supreme Magus; J. Lewis Thomas, Senior Substitute Magus; S. L. MacGregor Mathers, Junior Substitute Magus (_Cosmopolitan Masonic Calendar_, p59).

[3]_Lucifer_, June 15, 1889.

[4]The 'H B of L' had a special understanding of Rosicrucianism, derived mainly from the theories of P.B. Randolph and the 'Brotherhood of Eulis'. A book entitled _The Temple of the Rosy-Cross_ was published in Philadelphia 1882; its author was F. B. Dowd, a member of the 'H B of L'.

[5]In 1894, under the name of 'Sapere Aude, Fra. R. R. and A. C.,' a book entitled _The Science of Spiritual and Material Alchemy_ was published, which contains a considerable number of historical errors and an annotated translation of the Kabbalistic treatise _Aesh Mezareph_, in which there is not even a mention of Éliphas Lévi's commentary, in attributing it, rather gratuitously moreover, to Abraham the Jew, the alleged initiator of Nicolas Flamel.

[6]Jules Bois was himself a member of the Golden Dawn; compromised during the war and accused of having received funds for German propaganda, he remained in America where he had given a series of lectures (see an article entitled _Qu'est devunu Jules Bois?_ which appeared in _Comoedia_, September 14, 1923), and he even founded a society for psychic studies in New York; he returned to France in 1927, however, many of the events although still quite recent having dropped into oblivion. — Another eminent member of the Golden Dawn was Countess Editha-Lolita de Landsfeldt-Rosenthal, illegitimate daughter of King Louis I of Bavaria and of Lola Montes, godchild of Pope Pius IX and a great friend of Mme Blavatsky; she spent quite a long time in Paris, where she lived with Mr and Mrs MacGregor. The latter, now a widow, has retired to London; she seems to be on rather bad terms with her brother, and we have been told that she affects to speak of his philosophical works in a somewhat contemptuous tone.

[7]In an article published in the _Theosophical Bulletin_ of Jan-Feb-Mar 1918, G. Chevrier seems to be particularly concerned to bring out the affinities of Bergsonism with Theosophy.

[8]_Les Lettres_, December 1920, pp669-70.

[9]_The Vahan_, organ of the English section of the Theosophical Society, has carried and given high praise to lectures given by Bergson in England.

[10]Christopher Wren, the last Grand-Master of the old English Masonry, died in 1702. The fifteen years that elapsed between this date and the foundation of the new Grand Lodge of England (1717) were turned to good account by the Protestants who engaged in a labor of misrepresentation leading to the writing of these Constitutions, published in 1723. The Rev. Anderson and Desaguliers, authors of these Constitutions, disposed of all the old documents (Old Charges) on which they could lay their hands, so that the innovations that they introduced went unnoticed, and also because these documents contained phrases they considered very embar-rassing, such as the obligation of faithfulness 'to God, to the Holy Church, and to the King,' an incontestable sign of the Catholic origin of Masonry. This is why Joseph de Maistre wrote in his Report to the Duke of Brunswick (1782): 'Everything points to common Freemasonry being a detached and perhaps corrupted branch of an ancient and respectable stock'; and Olcott's phrase may indicate that he also had some knowledge of this deviation, but this is something of which the immense majority of 'modern' Masons, even in the Anglo-Saxon countries, are completely unaware.

[11]Here are the titles of some of his major works, besides those mentioned in the text: _Secret Symbols of the Rosicrucians_, re-edition of an old book with commen-taries, published in Boston; _The Life of Jehoshua the Prophet of Nazareth: An Occult Study and Key to the Bible, Containing the History of an Initiate_; _Magic, White and Black_; _Occult Science in Medicine_; \*The Principles of Astrological Geomancy: The Art of Divining by Punctuation According to Cornelius Agrippa and Others.

[12]Histoire des Rose-Croix, by Sédir, p103, note.

[13]In this connection, let us point out a remarkable mistake made by Papus. Having found a text by Wronski which mentions the 'Initiate Brothers of Asia, he thought that this title indicated a truly Eastern organization and that the 'Brothers' were the 'Mahātmās, a Mahatma being, according to him, 'a superior grade of the Brahmanic Church' (_Glossaire des principaux termes de la Science Occulte_, article entitled 'Mahātmā: _Traité méthodique de la Science Occulte_, p1,052).

[14]We shall mention only one of these societies, called the A.M.O.R.C. (Ancient Mystic Order of the Rosy-Cross), founded in 1916 'with the aim of saving Civilization [sic]. We have in our hands a circular announcing that a French branch is under formation, and that 'a special Envoy will be coming from the United States in May [1921] to give the Initiation and inaugurate the work' (since then we have been told that the latter could not make the journey). This organization is headed by an Imperator, but naturally he is not the same as the one from the Golden Dawn. It has no connection with Theosophism, although we know that its members already count quite a few Theosophists among them.

[*1]The A.M. O. R. C. does not seem to have had great success in France; however, its head came to Paris in 1927, and on July 12 was even received officially by the 'Grand Collège des Rites', that is, the Suprême Conseil du Grand-Orient de France. This is all the more unusual as the latter has no relation with the American Masonic organizations, which regard it as 'irregular. Perhaps the Rosicrucian Order in question has no more 'regularity' itself.

3 THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY AND ROSICRUCIANISM

Footnotes