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History |
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J. van
Rijckenborgh
Catharose de
Petri
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The Lectorium Rosicrucianum,
or International School of the Golden Rosycross, began in Haarlem,
the Netherlands, where its headquarters are now situated. Its origins
can be traced to the year 1924, when the brothers Z W Leene (1892-1938)
and J Leene (1896-1968) joined the Dutch division of The Rosicrucian
Fellowship, a society founded in 1909 by Max Heindel in Oceanside,
California, USA. The two brothers quickly became highly active members
of the society and in 1929 were asked to lead the Dutch division.
In 1930 the Leene brothers were joined by Mrs H Stok-Huizer (1902-1990)
and together they undertook a spiritual quest as a result of which,
in 1935, they found it necessary to form an independent Rosicrucian
movement. Z W Leene passed away in 1938, but J Leene and H Stok-Huizer
continued the work that had been begun. They wrote a number of books
which are still in print, published under their pen-names, Jan van
Rijckenborgh and Catharose de
Petri.
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The
Second
World War
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The activities of the society were
forbidden by the occupying forces during the Second World War, but
afterwards, as soon as it was possible to resume activities openly,
the two spiritual leaders adopted a new approach in which, increasingly,
the central focus was the concept 'gnosis'. The word 'gnosis'
literally means 'knowledge', in the christocentric sense of direct
knowledge of the divine which is received as a result of a spiritual
development referred to in the Bible as the 'birth out of water and
spirit' (John 3:5). What happens in this process is symbolised by
the 'alchemical wedding of Christian Rosycross'.
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Christian
Rosycross |
The name Christian Rosycross is a term
used by the classical Rosicrucians of the 17th century to refer to
the prototype of the new human being, reborn in Christ, who devotes
himself heart and soul to the realization of genuine spiritual renewal
in all human beings.
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| The
Gnosis |
In a broad sense the term 'gnosis'
refers to the universal touch of the Christ and His Brotherhood and
its timeless work of salvation which has been going on throughout
history (including the pre-Christian era).
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Gnostic
Spiritual
School |
In 1945 the society adopted the name
Lectorium Rosicrucianum and emerged as a 'gnostic Spiritual
School'.
The activities of the society rapidly spread beyond the Dutch borders
and at present the Lectorium Rosicrucianum has pupils not only in
many European countries, but also in South America, North America,
Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Since the deaths of Jan van Rijckenborgh
and Catharose de Petri the Lectorium Rosicrucianum has been led by
an International Spiritual Directorate, supported by national directorates
and various working parties.
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