As the Librarian General of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia (SRIA), I have long had access to the earliest editions of magazine of the society called the Rosicrucian.
First published in July 1868, soon after the formation of the Society, The Rosicrucian aimed to be “A quarterly record of the Society’s Transactions with occasional notes on Freemasonry and other kindred subjects” in which “Tales, sketches, essays, poetry, reviews and other notices will all be welcomed”. Importantly, it would also act as a way to inform members of “the usual Notices to attend the Quarterly or Special Meetings of the Society, and that the printed circulars formerly sent to each member will now be discontinued”.
This magazine ran up until 1879.
I always thought it was a pity that this had ended and that our our society didn’t have its own magazine, so when I heard there were plans to restore it and reinvent it, I was very positive—though I didn’t know what form it was going to take!
If you are unfamiliar with the SRIA, you may not be able to visualize the level of enthusiasm and excitement our members possess. Often, at conferences or after meetings, everyone is so full of ideas and insights to share that it is hard to go home or if you are staying to even get to sleep.
In retrospect, I should have realized that what began as a small magazine project was destined to become a book—and what a book it has turned out to be!
The design of the book, produced by Nitesh—our order’s beautifully creative designer—initially surprised me; it was, and is, something different. I was expecting something more traditional, along the lines of the original magazines published by the Order many years ago. However, after a few moments of reflection, I realized that I was thinking in terms of the Victorian era, and the society has evolved well beyond that.
Our aim, of course, is the evolution of the self, and a society based on that principle should continue to evolve as a group.
So, here we have it: the work has been published and consists of a beautiful collection of articles on Hermeticism. I think it is a wonderful piece of work, and I hope it will lead those who read it to deeper insights and encourage them to explore these subjects further.