The Secret Doctrine of the Rosicrucians: A Lost Classic by Magus Incognito

by Magus Incognito and William Walker Atkinson

Book Overview

The Rosicrucians are a truly "secret society" whose philosophy has come to light at different points in history. In the 1600s they issued a set of manifestos calling for an enlightened revolution that would reshape society into a more democratic ideal. Even the American Founding Fathers were influenced by these manifestos.

Writing as Magus Incognito, William Walker Atkinson reintroduces a new generation of readers to the Rosicrucian ideals,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1578635349
• ISBN13: 9781578635344
• Release Date: November 2012
• Publisher: Weiser Books
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.3" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Further information on 'Magus Incognito'

It appears that 'Magus Incognito' was in fact a pseudonym for William Walker Atkinson, known also as 'Yoga Ramacharaka', an early 20th century writer on Hinduism, Yoga and New Thought. HS Lewis, founder of a modern neo-Rosicrucian organisation, the AMORC, borrowed heavily from Ramacharaka's work without attribution for both the lessons of his AMORC group and the AMORC-controlled Traditional Martinist Order. Atkinson's executors obviously got their own back by publishing his 'secrets' and putting them in the public domain as 'Rosicrucian', presumably to stop AMORC profiting from his work. So, while one may say that this book is not about 'Rosicrucians or their doctrines' I would say that there are some differences between this book and the teachings of early Rosicrucian movements. Much of what is written here is a synthesis of East and West, influenced by Hindu and Yoga teachings. However the book has very definite similarities to the modern-era AMORC teachings, which after all, borrowed liberally from Ramacharaka in the first place ! So . . . maybe that means AMORC doctrines don't owe much to Rosicrucianism, at least to the extent that they borrow from Ramacharaka ? An interesting conundrum ! Given Ramacharaka published his work many years before the AMORC founder, it should be quite clear that it is not Ramacharaka who was the 'wantabe'. Ben

An interesting summary of basic Rosicrucian theories

I'm finding this little book to be be a useful synthesis of complex occult ideas. It appears to have been written in 1949 to set the record straight at a time when moneymaking Rosicrucian orders were warring amongst themselves. I'm acutely aware that this book raises hackles among some Rosicrucians of particular orders. When I asked for opinions about it on one order's mail list, members talked about suing the writer. This hostility probably stems from the fact that the unknown Magus who penned it, obviously annoyed at commercial exploitation of the Rosicrucian philosophy, wrote his own version of information they'd paid hundreds of dollars for, and maybe hoped to make money from, and released it into the world so anyone could access it for $10. [It needs to be noted that Rosicrucian theories are not the property of any one order.]On the other hand, other Rosicrucians have recommended this text to me. However, buying this book and understanding its ideas are different things- the doctrines still are 'secret' to the extent that realising what they mean is no easy thing and is a matter for the soul rather than just the intellect. The style of the writing is a tad dated, reflecting the time, but for all that it's pretty down-to-earth, and the better for it. A worthwhile book.

The key is there.

It's written in an earlier voice and with some rather outdated anthropological views but power is there none the less. Seeing behind the metaphors is the inherent key here. Pay particular attention to the diagrams and the books explanation. Integration is there if you're willing to let it come forward.

Importance of Informality

The other reviewer of the book states that this book is not valid because a former AMORC member dislikes it. Hopefully, those who read the top lines of publisher's review noticed the part about Rosicrucianism not having an official society. the AMORC used to come close, but this is not the case anymore.True Rosicrucianism is a philosophy, a state of mind, a way of living. It has nothing to do with who you are paying dues to, or if you are even paying dues. This book is an excellent introduction to a particular brand of Rosicrucian mysticism, and it shouldn't be left unread because it isn't endorsed by only one of three existing Rosicrucian fraternities.