Among the myriad differences, one of the most salient is the Orthodox doctrine that at each birth, a soul, newly crafted by the divine hand of God, enters into the realm of material existence. This soul resides within a corporeal form for a duration, whether brief or extended, before it departs through death into the unseen realms. There, it is destined to dwell for eternity, experiencing either bliss or torment, contingent upon its actions during its earthly sojourn.

A major tenet of Rosicrucian Teachings is that each Soul is an integral part of God which garners experience through repeated existences. Each lifetime gradually improves the material bodies, such that each rebirth gathers more experience than it previously possessed—from nescience to omniscience–from impotence to omnipotence.

Our innate sense of justice is deeply offended by a doctrine that assigns one soul to a cradle of culture and nobility, endowed with the privileges of wealth, where moral values are instilled from an early age. Conversely, another soul is cast into the squalor of the slums, born to a father who thieved and a mother perhaps lacking in virtue, where its education is in deceit, theft, and vice. If life were but a single journey, equity would demand that all souls start with equal opportunities, especially if they are to be judged by identical standards. Yet, we observe that no two individuals navigate the same path through life. Some face a barrage of temptations, while others glide through existence relatively unscathed by life’s tempests. Thus, it seems profoundly unjust to elevate one to a paradise of eternal joy for merely following the moral path that was almost inescapable, or to condemn another to perdition for succumbing to the corrupting influences of an environment they had no power to change.

Therefore, the Rosicrucian Teaching holds that we come into whatever place is best fitted for us by our previous experiences in former lives, and that we get just what we deserve in all cases; that all experiences which come to us are just what we need to give us the appropriate impetus for our next step in unfoldment.

The core principal of Rosicrucian Teaching is the gospel of service. For our sakes Deity manifested the universe. The great creative Hierarchies have all been and some of them still are our servants. The luminous star angels, whose fiery bodies we see whirling through space, have worked with us for ages, and in due time Christ came to bring us the spiritual impetus needed at that time. It is also significant in the extreme that in the parable of the last judgment, Christ does not say, “Well done, thou great and erudite philosopher, who knoweth the Bible, the Kabala, the “Cosmo” and all the other mysterious literature which reveals the intricate workings of nature.” But rather, Matthew 25:31-46 tells us:

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. ³⁴ Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ ³⁷ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? ³⁸ And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? ³⁹ And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ ⁴⁰ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ ⁴⁴ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ ⁴⁵ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ ⁴⁶ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Not one single word about knowledge; the whole emphasis was laid upon faithfulness and service.

There is a deep occult reason for this: service builds the soul body, the glorious wedding garment without which no man can enter into the kingdom of the heavens -“The New Galilee.” It does not matter whether we are aware of what is going on, so long as we accomplish the work. Moreover, as the luminous soul body grows in and around a person, this light will teach him or her about the Mysteries without the need of books, and one who is thus God-taught knows more than all the books in the world contain. In due time the inner vision will be opened and the way to the Temple shown. If you want to teach your friends, no matter how skeptical they may be, they will believe you if you preach the gospel of service.

But you must preach by practice. You must become a servant of men yourself if you would have them believe in you. If you want them to follow, you must lead, or they will have the right to question your sincerity. Remember, “ye are a city upon a hill,” and when you make professions they have a right to judge you by your fruits; therefore, say little serve much.

Christ told us that it is possible to take the kingdom of God by storm and attain to the consciousness and conditions there prevailing. But Paul informs us that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; he states that we have a soul body (soma psuchicon- 1 Cor. 15:44), and that we shall meet the Lord in the air when He comes. This soul body is therefore as necessary to entrance into the new age of the kingdom of God as a body equipped with lungs was to the Atlanteans who desired to enter into the age in which we are now living. Therefore it is necessary that we make our calling and election sure by preparing the Golden Wedding Garment, the soul body, which alone can secure our admission to the mystic marriage.

The multitude is slowly moving in the right direction as led by the different churches, but there is an ever growing class that, so to speak, feels the wings of the soul body sprouting, people who feel an inner urge to take the kingdom of God by storm. Though unaware of any definite ideal, they sense a greater truth and more certain light than those which the Church radiates; they are tired of parables and long to learn the underlying facts at the very feet of Christ.

The Rosicrucian Fellowship was started for the purpose of reaching this class, to show them the way to illumination, to help them build their soul body and evolve the soul powers which will enable them to enter consciously into the kingdom of God and obtain first-hand knowledge.

This is a large undertaking, none greater, and even under the most favorable existing conditions progress must be slow, but if the aspirant will continue with patient perseverance in well doing, it can be done.

The methods are definite, scientific, and religious; they have been originated by the Western School of the Rosicrucian Order, and are therefore specially suited to western people. Sometimes, but very rarely, they bring results in a short time; generally it requires years and even lives before the aspirant attains, but the Rosicrucian system will in the end bring all to their heart’s desire.

The Tabernacle in the Wilderness was a symbolic representation of the way to God, and, as Paul says, held a shadow of better things to come. Everything in it had its spiritual meaning. The table of shew-bread gives us an important lesson germane to our present consideration. Students will remember that the ancient Israelites were commanded to bring the shewbread to the tabernacle at stated intervals. The grain from which this was made was given them by God but they must prepare the soil in which it was to grow, they must plant and cultivate, they must weed and water, so as to secure the greatest possible increase; they must harvest and thresh, grind and bake, before they had the loaves which they brought to the tabernacle as bread to shew for their toil. Similarly, God gives to all the grain of opportunity to serve, but it is our duty to cultivate these opportunities and nurse and nourish them in the soil of loving kindness so that they may bring a great increase. We must always bear in mind the words of Christ that He came to minister and to serve. Therefore anyone aspiring to follow in His steps and to be great in the kingdom of God must ever be on the lookout for opportunities to serve his fellows. Each day must be filled as full as possible with kind and considerate deeds, for they are the warp and woof of which the golden wedding garment (soul body) is woven. Without these “works” no amount of prayer, fasting, or other religious exercise will avail. It is useless to repair to the temple without this bread to shew that we have really worked in the Master’s service.

The foregoing is also the teaching of the exoteric churches; but the following is the exclusively Rosicrucian scientific teaching and method, based upon the deepest knowledge of spiritual facts whereby the aspirant is enabled to gain the maximum soul growth in each life, so that his spiritual advancement is accelerated beyond his very wildest dreams. Therefore this is the most important spiritual teaching that has been given to man in modern times, and no one who tries honestly to follow this simple method can fail to be enormously benefited:

Ether is the medium of transmission of light, that which etches a picture on the photographic film. It permeates the air, and with every breath we draw from birth to death ether enters our system and etches a picture of our surroundings and actions on a little atom in the heart. Thus each carries with him a complete record of his life, which is assimilated after death. Expiation of the evil deeds causes pain and anguish in purgatory. These are thus transmuted to conscience to prevent repetition of the same mistakes in succeeding lives: the good deeds are transmuted to love and benevolence. Instead of waiting for this post-mortem transmutation of the shewbread of life, the aspirant who desires to take heaven by storm may assimilate the fruits of each day after retiring and before going to sleep by running over the deeds done. The events of the day are considered in reverse order so that that which happened in the evening is taken first, then the happenings of the afternoon, forenoon, and morning. This is important for it conforms to the way the life panorama acts after death, taking first the events just prior to death, last, the events of infancy. The object is to show the effects and then refer them to their antecedent causes.

In this retrospection it will do the aspirant no good to run over the events of the day and mildly blame himself where he did wrong—he is usually sure enough to praise himself sufficiently for his good deeds. But he must remember the altar of burnt offerings where the sacrifices for sin were offered. They were first rubbed with salt and then placed on the altar to be consumed by a divinely enkindled fire. Anyone knows what an intense pain is caused when salt is rubbed into a wound, and this rubbing with salt is symbolic of the pain the aspirant must feel for his wrongdoing. Now mark that it was not permissible to place the sacrifice on the altar until it had thus rubbed with salt. God would not accept it before, but when it had been salted it was consumed by a fire kindled by God Himself.

This tells us that unless we have washed our evil deeds of the day in the salt of our tears and heartfelt contrition, God will not accept our sacrifice of repentance; but when we have really repented, our sins will be washed away and our recording seed atom will be clean as the driven snow. With respect to our good deeds we may remember that there were two little piles of frankincense on the top of the shew bread. These were offered upon the altar of incense, where the smoke ascended as a sweet savor to the Lord, so different from the nauseating stench that went up from the altar where the sin offerings were burned. Is it any wonder that God took no delight in the sacrifice of bulls and calves, but delighted in a contrite heart and repentant spirit?

It is this spiritual aromatic extract of our good deeds that builds our soul body. By the ordinary natural process it takes about one-third as many years in our post-mortem existence as we lived in the body, to reap what we have sowed. But when an aspirant has assimilated the fruits of life by faithful retrospection at the end of each day, he is free as soon as he leaves the body and may use the years spent by others in purgatory and the first heaven as he pleases. Furthermore, as he needs neither food, shelter, nor sleep, he may spend twenty-four hours a day doing good. Thus he has practically as many years of service and soul growth after death as the number of his earth life; and being trained and schooled in this work, his attainments are probably greater than could be made in a number of lives in the ordinary way.

The ancient Rosicrucian Brotherhood comprised highly evolved spiritual beings who had surpassed ordinary humans in purity and spiritual insight. They were accomplished alchemists, doctors, and mathematicians—twelve extraordinary individuals of the fourteenth century, guided by and collaborating with a thirteenth known as Christian Rosenkreuz (Christian Rose Cross). This secretive group formed the Rosicrucian Order or Order of the Rose Cross. Their teachings were shared exclusively with a select group of wise individuals; nothing was published until 1614 when a small German pamphlet was circulated among those prepared to receive these teachings.

The secret brotherhood of the Rosicrucians continues to operate, dedicated to the advancement of humanity. Only individuals who have reached a high level of spiritual evolution are accepted into this inner circle of the Rosicrucian movement. These “Soul Physicians” can be found among the leaders of significant movements or countries, actively contributing to the world’s progress. They remain anonymous and work selflessly for the betterment of humanity.

In 1908, Max Heindel, originally from Denmark, was selected by the Rosicrucian Brothers to bring their teachings to the western world. After receiving direct instruction from them, he was sent back to America to publicly share what had previously been kept secret. At that point in history, humanity was ready to receive a more elevated form of Christianity, and the mysteries that Jesus referred to in Matthew 13:11 and Luke 8:10 were to be revealed to the masses rather than just a select few.

Yes, Christ Jesus was the most remarkable being to ever inhabit a physical body on Earth. However, the Rosicrucian teachings clarify that Jesus was a human being, and during his Baptism, he relinquished his lower vehicles to the Christ Spirit to use in His ministry on the physical plane. At the Crucifixion, the Christ Spirit was released from Jesus’ body and entered into the Earth. This magnificent Archangel remains the indwelling Spirit of the Earth and continues to be the Savior of humanity. After a thorough study of the teachings provided by the Rosicrucian Fellowship, the Christ becomes a vibrant presence in the lives of students, who not only acknowledge the divinity of Christ but also strive to emulate His path.

In each of the four gospels, Christ preached the gospel of healing. He healed all who approached him and instructed his disciples to do the same, commanding them to “Preach the Gospel and Heal the Sick.” The Rosicrucians, as physicians of the Soul, also follow these two commands, as they understand that illness first manifests in the Vital Body, which is the Soul’s vehicle, and healing can be most effectively achieved through this invisible body. Healing is more easily accomplished during sleep when individuals are free from their physical bodies and functioning in the spiritual realm. Esoteric students are trained specifically for this type of work.

In Matthew 10, Christ instructs his disciples to go to the lost sheep of Israel, preaching the gospel and healing the sick. However, he also tells them not to carry gold, silver, brass, or money for their journey. In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul also emphasizes this principle of preaching the gospel without charge. The Rosicrucians have adhered to this practice since their inception and have never set a price on their teachings. No genuine believer of this elevated teaching will charge for lessons or demand a monthly membership fee. This immediately identifies them as impostors. If we have faith and work selflessly, God will always provide for His followers, and the love offerings will be sufficient to meet the needs of the aspirant

Yes, many people attend church services, lectures, and classes without contributing to the collection baskets, feeling it is unnecessary unless they are directly asked for donations. However, they fail to consider the silent operation of God’s laws, which work through the laws of Cause and Effect. At some point, these unpaid debts will return to the Ego who believes they are escaping life’s responsibilities by taking all and giving nothing.

The trance state, regardless of how it is induced, is never a sign of spiritual enlightenment. It is a morbid and abnormal condition that should not be imitated by anyone seeking spiritual enlightenment. There is only one true path to firsthand knowledge, and only one correct way to attain spiritual enlightenment, which is by cultivating your own soul powers. Build your soul body through persistent good deeds, enlighten others who know less than you and who seek the knowledge you currently possess, look for opportunities to serve others in both small and significant ways, according to your abilities and opportunities. Then, one day, you will no longer see through a glass darkly, and you will know for yourself without relying on others.

Christ told us that it is possible to take the kingdom of God by storm and attain to the consciousness and conditions there prevailing. But Paul informs us that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; he states that we have a soul body (soma psuchicon- 1 Cor. 15:44), and that we shall meet the Lord in the air when He comes. This soul body is therefore as necessary to entrance into the new age of the kingdom of God as a body equipped with lungs was to the Atlanteans who desired to enter into the age in which we are now living. Therefore it is necessary that we make our calling and election sure by preparing the Golden Wedding Garment, the soul body, which alone can secure our admission to the mystic marriage.

The multitude is slowly moving in the right direction as led by the different churches, but there is an ever growing class that, so to speak, feels the wings of the soul body sprouting, people who feel an inner urge to take the kingdom of God by storm. Though unaware of any definite ideal, they sense a greater truth and more certain light than those which the Church radiates; they are tired of parables and long to learn the underlying facts at the very feet of Christ.

The Rosicrucian Fellowship was started for the purpose of reaching this class, to show them the way to illumination, to help them build their soul body and evolve the soul powers which will enable them to enter consciously into the kingdom of God and obtain first-hand knowledge.

This is a large undertaking, none greater, and even under the most favorable existing conditions progress must be slow, but if the aspirant will continue with patient perseverance in well doing, it can be done.

The methods are definite, scientific, and religious; they have been originated by the Western School of the Rosicrucian Order, and are therefore specially suited to western people. Sometimes, but very rarely, they bring results in a short time; generally it requires years and even lives before the aspirant attains, but the Rosicrucian system will in the end bring all to their heart’s desire.

The Tabernacle in the Wilderness was a symbolic representation of the way to God, and, as Paul says, held a shadow of better things to come. Everything in it had its spiritual meaning. The table of shew-bread gives us an important lesson germane to our present consideration. Students will remember that the ancient Israelites were commanded to bring the shewbread to the tabernacle at stated intervals. The grain from which this was made was given them by God but they must prepare the soil in which it was to grow, they must plant and cultivate, they must weed and water, so as to secure the greatest possible increase; they must harvest and thresh, grind and bake, before they had the loaves which they brought to the tabernacle as bread to shew for their toil. Similarly, God gives to all the grain of opportunity to serve, but it is our duty to cultivate these opportunities and nurse and nourish them in the soil of loving kindness so that they may bring a great increase. We must always bear in mind the words of Christ that He came to minister and to serve. Therefore anyone aspiring to follow in His steps and to be great in the kingdom of God must ever be on the lookout for opportunities to serve his fellows. Each day must be filled as full as possible with kind and considerate deeds, for they are the warp and woof of which the golden wedding garment (soul body) is woven. Without these “works” no amount of prayer, fasting, or other religious exercise will avail. It is useless to repair to the temple without this bread to shew that we have really worked in the Master’s service.

The foregoing is also the teaching of the exoteric churches; but the following is the exclusively Rosicrucian scientific teaching and method, based upon the deepest knowledge of spiritual facts whereby the aspirant is enabled to gain the maximum soul growth in each life, so that his spiritual advancement is accelerated beyond his very wildest dreams. Therefore this is the most important spiritual teaching that has been given to man in modern times, and no one who tries honestly to follow this simple method can fail to be enormously benefited:

Ether is the medium of transmission of light, that which etches a picture on the photographic film. It permeates the air, and with every breath we draw from birth to death ether enters our system and etches a picture of our surroundings and actions on a little atom in the heart. Thus each carries with him a complete record of his life, which is assimilated after death. Expiation of the evil deeds causes pain and anguish in purgatory. These are thus transmuted to conscience to prevent repetition of the same mistakes in succeeding lives: the good deeds are transmuted to love and benevolence. Instead of waiting for this post-mortem transmutation of the shewbread of life, the aspirant who desires to take heaven by storm may assimilate the fruits of each day after retiring and before going to sleep by running over the deeds done. The events of the day are considered in reverse order so that that which happened in the evening is taken first, then the happenings of the afternoon, forenoon, and morning. This is important for it conforms to the way the life panorama acts after death, taking first the events just prior to death, last, the events of infancy. The object is to show the effects and then refer them to their antecedent causes.

In this retrospection it will do the aspirant no good to run over the events of the day and mildly blame himself where he did wrong—he is usually sure enough to praise himself sufficiently for his good deeds. But he must remember the altar of burnt offerings where the sacrifices for sin were offered. They were first rubbed with salt and then placed on the altar to be consumed by a divinely enkindled fire. Anyone knows what an intense pain is caused when salt is rubbed into a wound, and this rubbing with salt is symbolic of the pain the aspirant must feel for his wrongdoing. Now mark that it was not permissible to place the sacrifice on the altar until it had thus rubbed with salt. God would not accept it before, but when it had been salted it was consumed by a fire kindled by God Himself.

This tells us that unless we have washed our evil deeds of the day in the salt of our tears and heartfelt contrition, God will not accept our sacrifice of repentance; but when we have really repented, our sins will be washed away and our recording seed atom will be clean as the driven snow. With respect to our good deeds we may remember that there were two little piles of frankincense on the top of the shew bread. These were offered upon the altar of incense, where the smoke ascended as a sweet savor to the Lord, so different from the nauseating stench that went up from the altar where the sin offerings were burned. Is it any wonder that God took no delight in the sacrifice of bulls and calves, but delighted in a contrite heart and repentant spirit?

It is this spiritual aromatic extract of our good deeds that builds our soul body. By the ordinary natural process it takes about one-third as many years in our post-mortem existence as we lived in the body, to reap what we have sowed. But when an aspirant has assimilated the fruits of life by faithful retrospection at the end of each day, he is free as soon as he leaves the body and may use the years spent by others in purgatory and the first heaven as he pleases. Furthermore, as he needs neither food, shelter, nor sleep, he may spend twenty-four hours a day doing good. Thus he has practically as many years of service and soul growth after death as the number of his earth life; and being trained and schooled in this work, his attainments are probably greater than could be made in a number of lives in the ordinary way.