Rosicrucian Order opens doors of mystery to public

by **emad** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 2:46 pm

Rosicrucian Order opens doors of mystery to public BY PATRICK MAY SAN JOSE, Calif. - Things don't look so hot from where Ian Niderost is sitting. From atop telephone poles, the SBC lineman ponders the fate of the world - and his own. "I think about worldly matters and politics and environmental degradation, all kinds of far-out things, trying to figure out the meaning of life all day long," Niderost, 28, said. "It feels like the human race has taken a wrong fork in the road and we need to start fixing things." And not just phone lines. So Niderost and 50 other meaning-of-lifers found themselves drawn one recent night to a shadowy temple on a dark street in San Jose, Calif. It was an informational "salon" sponsored by the Rosicrucian Order, "an organization surrounded in mystery since ancient times," according to its literature, that was launching a unique membership campaign, "marking a rare foray into the public eye for an organization that has been shrouded in secrecy for over 6,000 years." Seems the Rosicrucians - a metaphysically oriented group inspired by the esoteric teachings of the ancient mystery schools of Egypt - share many of the concerns of guys like Niderost. "The state of the world is pretty worrisome right now," said Julie Scott, grand master of the order and the woman at the lectern the other night, her face up-lit in an eerie glow. "So we're unveiling our existence, letting people know what we're about. It's not a doomsday thing, but it's time to let people know we need to get our priorities straight." In a nutshell: more tolerance, more inner peace, more spirituality Judging by the salon-goers' body language, that message touches a nerve these days, especially in an area of the country conflicted between a materialistic surfeit and the very real threat of losing it all at the next downsizing. "People in Silicon Valley are so insecure in their lives," said Carol Somer, sitting near Niderost in the dark. "You make a lot of money one week, your company gets acquired the next, and you're out of a job. We can't travel to Indonesia anymore or Paris with the riots or New Orleans with the hurricane. No place feels safe." But for an hour the other night, the temple felt pretty close. Somer and others learned a lot about the order - that it's supported by dues and donations; that it's not considered a religion, but a community where ancient mystical teachings are passed down, often in secrecy. They discovered that there are about a quarter-million Rosicrucians worldwide. And that through study courses and rituals, the members explore self-healing, consciousness-raising and the relationships among all living things. As Scott put it in her lecture, Rosicrucians strive "to awake the psychic sense through symbolism, ritual, sacred space and meditation." The salon, an unprecedented attempt by the order to spread its message to the general public, was part seminar, part encounter session. Midway through her talk, presented in the softly lit temple that lent an air of mystery to the event, Scott led the audience in a round of chanting and a meditative experiment to summon the collective energy in the room. Tapping into what Scott called "the magic that lies just below the surface of everyday experience," the Rosicrucians may be on to something, Somer said after the lecture. "I'm looking for a way to bring peace to the world, and politics doesn't seem to be the answer," said the marketing consultant. "Since the Rosicrucians are a worldwide group and seem to be well-funded, maybe they can lead us to world peace. Who knows?" Among those who want to know is Martha del Rio. The 60-year-old actress drove down from Berkeley, a mere 46-mile jaunt in a lifelong quest for spiritual growth that has filled several pages of her passport. Much of it, in retrospect, was wasteful rambling, she said. Now the clock is ticking, and reincarnation calls. "What I want now is to learn as much as I can before I die," she said. "I want to be in a place where I can choose: Do I come back to Earth? Or do I first evolve more, rather than just be in a fog and keep coming back and making the same mistakes?" David Goldfarb took a less rigorous path to reach the ancient order - his mom told him about it. The 18-year-old high school student is taking Kurt Kroesche's senior English ethics class and "I had a project about ways to rediscover and stimulate the soul. My mom said there was this Rosicrucian Museum and that the people there seemed to be in touch with the soul. I had no idea what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised." He liked the fact there were no dogma pitches that make some church meetings feel like used-car lots. "I'm not into any one religion," Goldfarb said, "and they had some really interesting ideas about universal truths, tolerance for others' beliefs, and how everything is tied together. They study how to live in harmony with nature, self-healing and the energy of the soul. It's a good way to live." And it sure beats complete nuclear annihilation, which Scott said "is a risk we're facing like never before." Salon-goers gave the order high marks on several fronts: Somer was intrigued by its long tradition of secrecy. "I'm always curious about anything that's a mystery. It's like a restaurant with no tables - you want to get in," he said. Nanny Susan Arnold found the lack of ego-tripping refreshing. "I'm disillusioned with guru politics. What's interesting to me is that there isn't anyone set up as a teacher; it's all thrown back on yourself," she said. Niderost loved the vibe. "I felt really at ease when I walked in," he said, which surprised him. "I'm a telephone repairman - I work with my hands a lot - and these people were considered scholars, so I expected to feel out of place." Instead, Niderost found himself drawn in by the energy force that Rosicrucians celebrate, connecting mankind in ways SBC can only dream of. He said he would consider a membership - annual dues are $350. But before he signs up, he wants to attend a few more seminars. And do more research in the library. And then mull it all over some more, up there at the top of the pole. <a href="http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/nation/13268736.htm">www.centredaily.com/mld/c...268736.htm</a>

by **heyjt** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 3:29 pm

Anybody get into their website yet? As I remember you have to have a password or take a "test"...

by **Gouda** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 6:43 pm

This is a pilot project and a set up. It's goal is to see how effective it will be to a) rope in people who may otherwise learn too much about the historic and present role of elite power secrecy serving corporate interests; b) which can pre-empt any anger or organization against elites: seduce the people with secrets and peace, sign them up, entangle them in the web, and neutralize them; c) for promotion of that global–mystic "new religion" we are supposed to turn to in desperation and rely on for protection & guidance & nourishment as the shithouse goes up in flames/plames/games. This says it all: <blockquote>Quote:<hr>"I'm looking for a way to bring peace to the world, and politics doesn't seem to be the answer," said the marketing consultant. "Since the Rosicrucians are a worldwide group and seem to be well-funded, maybe they can lead us to world peace. Who knows?" In a nutshell: more tolerance, more inner peace, more spirituality Judging by the salon-goers' body language, that message touches a nerve these days, especially in an area of the country conflicted between a materialistic surfeit and the very real threat of losing it all at the next downsizing. People in Silicon Valley are so insecure in their lives," said Carol Somer, sitting near Niderost in the dark. "You make a lot of money one week, your company gets acquired the next, and you're out of a job. We can't travel to Indonesia anymore or Paris with the riots or New Orleans with the hurricane. No place feels safe."<hr></blockquote> The Rosy Cross pilot project is telling us that the world is heading in the wrong direction, but not because of fascist transnational corporations, elites, or our lifestyles that support them. It is headed in the wrong direction because we might lose our fucking stuff and our privilege due to a foolish reliance on politics, which is a very deceiving and alluring infomercial. It is based on the twin narcotics of fear and desire: fear of the world, fear of people, fear of others - and the desire for stuff, comfort, control, predictability, insider protection, etc... There is nothing more refreshing to the Soul than hard-earned, sustainable victories over racism, elitism, misogyny, ignorance, exploitation, big capital, and military-corporate totalitarianism. And that is damn hard. Signing up for the drop-out "spiritual solution" is easy. That’s the secret wisdom we need to know.

Rosicrucian Order opens doors of mystery to public

Rosicrucian Order opens doors of mystery to public

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