Rosicrucian Initiatic Journeys to Egypt

Published: July 1, 2015, 12:01 a.m.

Rosicrucian initiatic journeys to Egypt began in 1929 with Imperator H. Spencer Lewis leading the first group. These extraordinary pilgrimages continue until today. Seventy-five Rosicrucians from throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Europe accompanied H. Spencer Lewis on that first initiatic journey. The principal destination was Egypt, however on the way to and from that mystic land, the travelers visited mystical sites in the Madeira Islands, the Mediterranean, North Africa, the Holy Land, and Europe. As this was in the days before regular transatlantic air service, the journey lasted seventy days. It concluded on the Spring Equinox. This trip was especially tailored for Rosicrucians. As is the case today, the travelers were treated to unique experiences and unusual sites normally passed over by the casual tourist of the day. At every site, in every city, members learned about cultural and mystical aspects related to the site generally unknown to the ordinary traveler. Of course the most special features of this trip were the unique initiations conducted by Imperator Lewis. This tradition continues today with Imperator Christian Bernard conferring the initiatic rituals in Egypt. The entire 1929 tour was chronicled in eleven consecutive issues of The Mystic Triangle magazine (the predecessor to today’s Rosicrucian Digest), from February through December 1929. We present below an excerpt from the original series.