Editing AMORC

{{Short description|Rosicrucian organization}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox organization
| name                     = AMORC
| formation                = {{start date and age|1915}}
| logo                     = AMORC Symbol.png
| formerly                 = Rosicrucian Research Society, Ancient Mystical Order of the Rosy Cross
| founder                  = [[Harvey Spencer Lewis]]
| founding_location        = United States
| type                     = [[Rosicrucian]] order
| headquarters             = [[San Jose, California]]
| leader_title             = Imperator
| leader_name              = Claudio Mazzucco
}}'''AMORC''' (standing for, among others, the Ancient Mystical Order of the Rosy Cross or the Ancient and Mystical Order Rosæ Crucis) is a [[Rosicrucian]] organization founded by [[Harvey Spencer Lewis]] in the United States in 1915. It has lodges, chapters and other affiliated bodies in several countries. It operates as a [[fraternal order]] in the [[mystical]] Western Esoteric Tradition.

== History ==
[[Harvey Spencer Lewis]] in 1904 founded the Rosicrucian Research Society. Lewis was an advertising agent from New York and the founder of another group called the New York Institution for Psychical Research.{{sfn|Chryssides|2006|pp=30–31}}{{sfn|Introvigne|2004|p=30}} He founded the organization after a trip to France, claiming that he had been initiated into [[Rosicrucianism]] there in what he called an "old tower" in [[Toulouse]].{{sfn|Introvigne|2004|p=30}} He presented this as a revival of the original, partially mythical and ancient Rosicrucian Order.{{sfn|Caillet|1997|p=29}} 

The Ancient Mystical Order of the Rosy Cross (AMORC) was founded in 1915.{{sfn|Introvigne|2004|p=30}}{{sfn|Melton|1987|p=593}} Lewis was the "imperator" of the group.{{sfn|Chryssides|2006|pp=30–31}} The group later moved to [[San Francisco]], [[Tampa]], and [[San Jose, California|San Jose]]; it would establish its world headquarters in the latter.{{sfn|Introvigne|2004|p=30}} Its headquarters there include [[Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum|a museum]], a [[planetarium]], and a temple. The group was successful in the USA, leading to the founding of several branches in Europe, which were mostly independent from the main branch of AMORC. Several of these groups would later schism into their own organizations, but Lewis kept the significant French branch of AMORC tied to the parent by collaborating with Jeanne Guesdon.{{sfn|Introvigne|2004|p=30}}

Lewis died in 1939. Following his death, Lewis was succeeded by his son, [[Ralph Maxwell Lewis]].{{sfn|Chryssides|2006|pp=30–31}}{{sfn|Introvigne|2004|p=30}} Ralph Lewis would die in 1987, succeeded by [[Gary L. Stewart]]; Stewart was young, at 34, but was able to be elected with the support of the leader of the powerful French branch, [[Raymond Bernard (esotericist)|Raymond Bernard]]. However, Stewart later fought with the AMORC Board of Directors, and was ousted from the organization in 1990; he would later found a splinter group, the Confraternity of the Rose Cross. Bernard also distanced himself from AMORC and himself founded many other groups. Stewart was replaced as imperator by Bernard's son [[Christian Bernard]].{{sfn|Introvigne|2004|p=30}} He was replaced as imperator by Claudio Mazzucco in 2019.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rioux |first=Philippe |date=2019-09-19 |title=Convention internationale pour l'ordre de la Rose-Croix |trans-title=International Convention for the Order of the Rosy-Cross |url=https://www.ladepeche.fr/2019/09/19/convention-internationale-pour-lordre-de-la-rose-croix,8424076.php |url-access=subscription |access-date=2024-10-23 |work=[[La Dépêche du Midi]] |location=Toulouse |language=fr-FR |issn=0181-7981}}</ref>

As of 1995, the group reported that it had 1,200 lodges in 86 countries, with 250,000 members being reported in 1990.{{sfn|Chryssides|2006|pp=30–31}}

== Teachings ==
[[File:AMORC_Rose_Cross.png|thumb|right|Cross of the Rosicrucian Order|upright=.8]]
Many aspects of its teachings and symbolism are taken from other occult groups that H. Lewis had frequented. Chief among these is the [[Ordo Templi Orientis]], led by [[Aleister Crowley]].{{sfn|Melton|1987|p=593}} Other symbols of AMORC were taken from other periodicals.{{sfn|Melton|1987|p=593}} While predominantly Rosicrucian, some later AMORC degrees also incorporate [[neo-Templar]] elements.{{sfn|Caillet|1997|p=29}} 

The symbol of the group is a red rose on a gold cross, with the cross representing the concepts of death and resurrection and the rose representing love as well as secrecy. Together, they represent the usage of reincarnation progressing towards perfection.{{sfn|Chryssides|2006|pp=30–31}} The emblem of the group, the Rose Cross, was taken from a periodical run by Crowley (''Equinox'' III).{{sfn|Melton|1987|p=593}} The group maintains it is not a religion, instead saying it has members (who it calls "students") from many different religious origins.{{sfn|Introvigne|2004|p=30}}

== See also ==
* [[FUDOSI]]
* [[FUDOFSI]]
* [[Martinism]] 
* [[Hermeticism]]
* [[New religious movement]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

=== Works cited ===
*{{Cite book |last1=Caillet |first1=Serge |title=L'Ordre rénové du Temple: Aux racines du Temple solaire |publisher=Dervy |year=1997 |isbn=978-2-85076-924-5 |location=Paris |language=fr}}
*{{Cite book |last=Chryssides |first=George D. |author-link=George D. Chryssides |chapter=Ancient Mystical Order of the Rosy Cross (AMORC) |title=The A to Z of New Religious Movements |publisher=[[Scarecrow Press]] |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-8108-5588-5 |series=The A to Z guide series |location=Lanham |language=en}}
*{{Cite encyclopedia |year=2004 |title=AMORC |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of New Religious Movements |publisher=[[Routledge]] |location=New York |last=Introvigne |first=Massimo |author-link=Massimo Introvigne |editor-last=Clarke |editor-first=Peter |language=en |isbn=978-1-134-49970-0}}
*{{Cite encyclopedia |editor-last1=Melton |editor-first1=J. Gordon |editor-link=J. Gordon Melton |encyclopedia=The Encyclopedia of American Religions |publisher=[[Gale Research]] |location=Detroit |year=1987 |isbn=978-0-8103-2133-5 |edition=2nd |language=en |title=Ancient and Mystical Order of the Rosae Crucis}}

== Further reading ==
* {{Cite book |title=Western Esotericism in Scandinavia |publisher=[[BRILL]] |year=2016 |isbn=978-90-04-30241-9 |editor-last=Bogdan |editor-first=Henrik |series=Brill Esotericism Reference Library |location=Boston |language=en |issn=2468-3566 |editor-last2=Hammer |editor-first2=Olav}}
* {{Cite book |title=Les Marges du christianisme: "Sectes", dissidences, ésotérisme |title-link=Les Marges du christianisme |publisher=Éditions Beauchesne |year=2001 |isbn=978-2-7010-1418-0 |editor-last=Chantin |editor-first=Jean-Pierre |editor-link=Jean-Pierre Chantin |series=[[Dictionnaire du monde religieux dans la France contemporaine]] |location=Paris |language=fr-FR}}
* {{Cite encyclopedia |year=2005 |title=Rosicrucianism III: 19th-20th Century |encyclopedia=Dictionary of Gnosis & Western Esotericism |publisher=[[BRILL]] |location=Leiden; Boston |last=Introvigne |first=Massimo |author-link=Massimo Introvigne |editor-last=Hanegraaff |editor-first=Wouter J. |language=en |isbn=978-90-04-14371-5 |editor-last2=Faivre |editor-first2=Antoine |editor-last3=Broek |editor-first3=R. van den |editor-last4=Brach |editor-first4=Jean-Pierre}}
* {{Cite book |title=The Order of the Solar Temple: The Temple of Death |title-link=The Order of the Solar Temple: The Temple of Death |publisher=[[Ashgate Publishing|Ashgate]] |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-7546-5285-4 |editor-last=Lewis |editor-first=James R. |editor-link=James R. Lewis (scholar) |series=Controversial New Religions |location=Aldershot |language=en}}

== External links ==
* {{Official website}}

{{New Religious Movements}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:AMORC| ]]
[[Category:Rosicrucian organizations]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1915]]
[[Category:Religious belief systems founded in the United States]]
[[Category:Organizations based in San Jose, California]]
[[Category:Charities based in California]]
[[Category:Religious charities based in the United States]]
[[Category:Secret societies in the United States]]
[[Category:Neo-Templarism]]
[[Category:New religious movements established in the 1910s]]