Rosicrucianism

Rosicrucianism declined in popularity during the 17th century due to the European intellectual movement, the Enlightenment

Europe in the early 17th century was not a happy place. It was a continent marked by religious divisions and political strife which would escalate into the bloody Thirty Years’ War that led to eight million lives being lost.

At the same time, it was a period of great change. During the century, modern philosophy and science emerged thanks to impressive thinkers such as Newton and Descartes. But were these men also members of the spiritual movement Rosicrucianism? Some have said so but, alas, we may never know.

There are a great many stories and myths about Rosicrucianism, not least those that surround its origins. What we know to be true, however, is that in 1614 in the Holy Roman Empire