A Rosicrucian Notebook: The Secret Sciences Used by Members of the Order

by Willy Schrödter

This book is incredibly valuable to students of various esoteric traditions because the notes and excerpts are taken from private and previously unpublished sources, and from authors whose outofprint books are not readily accessible. Interesting information has been collected and annotated concerning such topics as blood telegraphy, everburning lamps, optics, spiritual skills in healing, transplantation, apparent death, isopathy, and magnetism. Includes a look into a Rosicrucian workshop.

Genres: Occult

312 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1992

Reviews

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

A COLLECTION OF RARE AND UNPUBLISHED SOURCES OF ROSICRUCIANISM

Willy Schrödter (1897-1971) was a councilor in German government. He wrote in the Preface to this 1954 book, “In this book I am going to inquire into the strangest alleged knowledge of the Rosicrucians. To avoid the imputation of making it all up, I have quoted with great care all my painstakingly located sources of information.”

He notes, “In their basic document, ‘The Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz, Anno 1459 (1616, c. ‘Sixth Day’), they described a ‘blast furnace heated by sunlight reflected from mirrors, for use in chemical experiments,’ or to put it more accurately for manufacturing the radioactive ‘Stone of the Wise.’” (Pg. xiv)

He explains, “The primary avowed objects of the Rosicrucian Brotherhood were---in imitation of Matthew 10:3---according to paragraph one of their manifesto (in the ‘Fama’ or 1614) to heal the sick without charge, and to serve their neighbor and thereby to serve God (Matther 25:40).” (Pg. 1)

He suggests, “What the old Hermeticists taught and practiced was not all superstitious nonsense. These people were ahead of their time and were therefore decried as sorcerers. Hence the wizardry of yesterday is often the science of tomorrow. Think, for instance, of hypnotism and suggestion, by means of which 90 percent of al ‘occult wonders’ can be explained.” (Pg. 3)

He notes, “we need hardly wonder at the scarcity of genuine Rosicrucian writings on the ‘transmutatio metallorum’ (transmutation of metals) when, generally speaking, no instructions have come down to us for summoning elemental spirits.” (Pg. 160)

He points out, “The Rosicrucians used to have dealings with beings from higher worlds. Their basic book, the ‘Confessio’ refers to ‘the service of the angels and spirits’ and says invitingly, ‘How pleasant were it that you could so sing, that instead of stony rocks you could draw to the pearls and precious stones, instead of wild beasts, spirits, and instead of hellish Pluto, move the mighty Princes of the world?’” (Pg. 186)

This book will be of great interest to those seriously studying Rosicrucianism.

[Sue Dounim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that is so specialized that you can only either give it 5 stars or no stars. It is a vast, exhaustively documented collection about stories and articles about and of the Rosicrucians.
It was originally published in Germany in 1954, and has been meticulously translated to English. Unfortunately, many of the references are German-language publications which, even if you can read the language, would be difficult or impossible to find at this time and place.
I should add that, except for a handful of drawings of signs and sigils, it is not illustrated.
Nonetheless, it makes fascinating reading. The contents page alone will give you some idea of the scope of the author's research: just to pick a few: "Blood telegraphy", "Rosicrucian Optics", "Returning to Life", "The Elixir of Life", "Making Gold", "The Great Work", "Elemental and Planetary Spirits" (including many accounts of the intimate commerce of spirits and humans), "The Perpetual Lamp", etc. (You can see the complete Contents page on the Amazon page for this book, which amazingly still seems to be available from Red Wheel/Weiser.) Highly recommended if you are in to this sort of thing. And if you've read to here you probably are.

[Seth King · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating and fairly bonkers.

[Sophía · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There are historical references, technology, and rituals in this book that I've not read anywhere else. It was so entertaining, I read through the whole book in one sitting.

[Christopher Heckman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not a how-to book (as I first thought), but rather a this-happened-when book. It contains references to experiments done by proto-scientists over the centuries.

[Harry M Sykes IV · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely an interesting read I just hope that the half of it is made up

[Anthony Cowan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Willy Schrodter researched Rosicrucianism and alchemy for many decades and this book is a fun read (if you don't get hung up on all the copious footnotes) in the form of a notebook featuring the connections and insights Schrodter had while investigating various figures such as Christian Rosenkreutz, Trithemius of Sponheim, Papus, Robert Fludd, and others.

The book is divided according to particular practices, devices, and instruments used by the Rosicrucians: the Life Light, Blood Telegraphy, Perpetual Lamps, Magnetic Dials, Optics, the Rotae Mundi (Wheel of Life), all of which are fascinating but elusive in terms of extant working models or detailed technical references. The veil of secrecy both invites and frustrates the serious inquirer.

This volume should be of interest both to those who entertain a casual curiosity about alchemy and Rosicrucian spiritual science and those who have a more scholarly and bibliographic interest. It may inspire you to look into some of the source material such as the Fama Fraternitatis, the Confessio, the Secret Symbols, and the Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz. These are the fundamental texts of Rosicrucianism.

[Ian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Doesn't really go into what Rosicrucianism is about, but goes on and on about various Rosicrucian groups in Europe. A difficult read.