A Brief History of The Rose✠Croix Martinist Order®
The Founding of The Rose✠Croix Martinist Order®
The Founders of The Rose✠Croix Martinist Order® (commonly known as The R✠CMO) received completely, freely, and fully The Initiation and Line of Filiation through a European Martinist Grand Master whose see was in Amsterdam. In 1991, the Founders called together more than thirty other Martinists, and established The Rose✠Croix Martinist Order®. Since that time, The Rose✠Croix Martinist Order® has become the largest Martinist organization in the United States with an unbroken Chaboseau Line of Filiation and traditional Martinist practice. Since its inception, The R✠CMO has gathered annually in a General Assembly in various Eastern, mid-Western, and Western parts of the United States.
To avoid confusion with other groups, the name and emblem of The Rose✠Croix Martinist Order® have been registered as trademarks and are fully and legally protected.
The Line of Filiation of The R✠CMO
Initiates of The Rose✠Croix Martinist Order® are directly in the Chaboseau line, not the Papus line. Rose✠Croix Martinists receive through that Line of Filiation the original Initiation as it was first transmitted by Louis Claude de Saint-Martin himself. The Rose✠Croix Martinist Order® confers the complete Initiation upon its members by granting all four Degrees to all qualified members. The Order uses ceremonies derived from the original 1895 and 1916 Order Rituals, which ceremonies require direct person-to-person Initiation. The R✠CMO does not offer correspondence courses in Martinism or mail-order "Martinist initiation."
The R✠CMO and Theurgy
The Rose✠Croix Martinist Order® offers genuine, world-affecting Theurgy as found in the tradition from Saint-Martin who wrote as a Theurgist when he said...
:...There were precious things in our first school. I am even inclined to think that [Martinez] Pasqualis...had the active key to all that our dear Boehme exposes in his theories.... From all this, it follows that an excellent match may be made by marrying our first school to friend Boehme. This is what I work at; and I confess to you candidly that I find the two spouses so well suited to each other that I know nothing more perfect in its way....
--Letter XCII, 11 July,1796 in Theosophic Correspondence
The R✠CMO and the Christian Church
The Rose✠Croix Martinist Order® is not a religion, is not a substitute religion, has no "official" (or unofficial) church, does not sponsor a church, and is not affiliated with any church. While The Rose✠Croix Martinist Order® strongly supports and encourages Church activity by its Initiates, all R✠CMO Martinists are completely free to select the Christian denomination of their preference. The R✠CMO membership consists of persons from a wide variety of Christian denominations. Following the practice established by Louis-Claude de Saint-Martin, The Rose✠Croix Martinist Order® is a Christian Initiatic Order and requires that its members be Christians.
The R✠CMO and Freemasonry
Many R✠CMO Initiates are Freemasons. Freemasons can join The Rose✠Croix Martinist Order® because it is an independent esoteric Order, is not Masonic, and is not in any way connected with the ancient and honorable fraternity of Freemasonry, nor does it use any Masonic Rituals of any kind whatever. Thus, Freemasons are free to enter this Order and fully and actively participate in R✠CMO Rites, Ceremonies, and activities.
The Governance of The R✠CMO
The R✠CMO functions under a national council system as originally planned by Chaboseau and Papus. Thus, The Rose✠Croix Martinist Order® has a President of its Premier National Council, not a Grand Master. The activities of The R✠CMO are governed by its Premier National Council.
The R✠CMO and Secrecy
The Order is not a secret society, although it is a private one. Generally, the Order operates quietly, although a group is free to hold public programs under its designation as The R✠CMO. Names of members are not divulged by the Order or its members or officers, although an individual is free to identify himself or herself as a member of the Order.
Seeking The Initiation
To the Seeker: If you wish to seek Initiation into Martinism through The R✠CMO, click the "Contact Us" tab, under the "More" tab, above.
The Founders of The Rose✠Croix Martinist Order® (commonly known as The R✠CMO) received completely, freely, and fully The Initiation and Line of Filiation through a European Martinist Grand Master whose see was in Amsterdam. In 1991, the Founders called together more than thirty other Martinists, and established The Rose✠Croix Martinist Order®. Since that time, The Rose✠Croix Martinist Order® has become the largest Martinist organization in the United States with an unbroken Chaboseau Line of Filiation and traditional Martinist practice. Since its inception, The R✠CMO has gathered annually in a General Assembly in various Eastern, mid-Western, and Western parts of the United States.
To avoid confusion with other groups, the name and emblem of The Rose✠Croix Martinist Order® have been registered as trademarks and are fully and legally protected.
The Line of Filiation of The R✠CMO
Initiates of The Rose✠Croix Martinist Order® are directly in the Chaboseau line, not the Papus line. Rose✠Croix Martinists receive through that Line of Filiation the original Initiation as it was first transmitted by Louis Claude de Saint-Martin himself. The Rose✠Croix Martinist Order® confers the complete Initiation upon its members by granting all four Degrees to all qualified members. The Order uses ceremonies derived from the original 1895 and 1916 Order Rituals, which ceremonies require direct person-to-person Initiation. The R✠CMO does not offer correspondence courses in Martinism or mail-order "Martinist initiation."
The R✠CMO and Theurgy
The Rose✠Croix Martinist Order® offers genuine, world-affecting Theurgy as found in the tradition from Saint-Martin who wrote as a Theurgist when he said...
:...There were precious things in our first school. I am even inclined to think that [Martinez] Pasqualis...had the active key to all that our dear Boehme exposes in his theories.... From all this, it follows that an excellent match may be made by marrying our first school to friend Boehme. This is what I work at; and I confess to you candidly that I find the two spouses so well suited to each other that I know nothing more perfect in its way....
--Letter XCII, 11 July,1796 in Theosophic Correspondence
The R✠CMO and the Christian Church
The Rose✠Croix Martinist Order® is not a religion, is not a substitute religion, has no "official" (or unofficial) church, does not sponsor a church, and is not affiliated with any church. While The Rose✠Croix Martinist Order® strongly supports and encourages Church activity by its Initiates, all R✠CMO Martinists are completely free to select the Christian denomination of their preference. The R✠CMO membership consists of persons from a wide variety of Christian denominations. Following the practice established by Louis-Claude de Saint-Martin, The Rose✠Croix Martinist Order® is a Christian Initiatic Order and requires that its members be Christians.
The R✠CMO and Freemasonry
Many R✠CMO Initiates are Freemasons. Freemasons can join The Rose✠Croix Martinist Order® because it is an independent esoteric Order, is not Masonic, and is not in any way connected with the ancient and honorable fraternity of Freemasonry, nor does it use any Masonic Rituals of any kind whatever. Thus, Freemasons are free to enter this Order and fully and actively participate in R✠CMO Rites, Ceremonies, and activities.
The Governance of The R✠CMO
The R✠CMO functions under a national council system as originally planned by Chaboseau and Papus. Thus, The Rose✠Croix Martinist Order® has a President of its Premier National Council, not a Grand Master. The activities of The R✠CMO are governed by its Premier National Council.
The R✠CMO and Secrecy
The Order is not a secret society, although it is a private one. Generally, the Order operates quietly, although a group is free to hold public programs under its designation as The R✠CMO. Names of members are not divulged by the Order or its members or officers, although an individual is free to identify himself or herself as a member of the Order.
Seeking The Initiation
To the Seeker: If you wish to seek Initiation into Martinism through The R✠CMO, click the "Contact Us" tab, under the "More" tab, above.
©1995, 1996, 1997 by The Rose+Croix Martinist Order, Inc. All rights reserved. This article and report may not be reproduced or distributed in any manner without prior written permission of the copyright holder. You may downloand and make one printed copy of this article for your personal archives. The name and emblem of the Order are trademarks. Since its founding, the Order is commonly known as "The R+CMO," "R+CMO," or "RCMO."