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| History |
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J.
van |
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. |
| The
Second World War |
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. |
| 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). |
| 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. |
