[Das Rosenkreuzer Brevier]

 

Translation from the German by Robert Hütwohl[1]

 

The emblem of the Rosicrucians.

 

The Rosicrucian Breviary contains one hundred and twenty mystical symbols, with associated drawings, seventy of which are dedicated to the contemplation of the “Heavenly Mother,” i.e., the soul of the world in the macrocosm and microcosm, from which all inner manifestations and outer manifestations proceed, and fifty of the vision of the “divine child” (Jesus, Isis or Iśvara), i.e., are dedicated to the spiritual rebirth and formation of the radiant “sun body”; and they have the purpose of bringing symbolically to view the truths and inward spiritual processes relating to these religious things and thereby to make it easier for the observer to awaken the spiritual powers necessary for their realization.

          Just as a subject or the solution of a mathematical riddle can be illustrated and understood by a portrait or a geometric figure than could be done with many words and long-winded arguments, so too, the symbols of the Rosicrucians are much better than scientific theories, adapted to bring religious facts closer to the understanding of those who are ripe for them, serving them not only for their explanation but rather for their edification, and serving their intuition, without which a purely intellectual scientific explanation is of little value.

          The symbols described below should therefore serve to support daily meditation and inner contemplation in order to elevate the soul to the realm of the ideal. They are to be of help to the devout in training to hold his mind to them, that the conception of spiritual truths may become representations within him, and the light of truth within him the power of knowledge which nourishes him and the temple of wisdom is built.

 

I

Signs from the Heart of the Heavenly Mother.[2]

 

          It is tempting to add detailed explanations and considerations to the following symbols; we prefer, however, to content ourselves with a few preliminary remarks. Each of these images has different relationships and can be viewed in different ways, without wanting to prejudge the reader’s intuition.

          The “Heavenly Mother” is the higher soul region (Buddhi Manas); its light, which penetrates the earthly human mind (kāma manas), is the cognition of spiritual truths through intuition.

 

Introduction.

 

A ship on the open sea, with a flying anchor. A star shines above.

On the sea of existence the ship of human life sails; above him shines the Star of Faith, whose light guides him and gives man hope, the symbol of which is the anchor.

 

Emblems.

 

  1. An open book named MARY and a heart pierced with a sword.

          Nature is an open book in which everything is contained for those who know how to read it. “Mary” means the higher nature, i.e., that spiritual soul region in which the secrets of the higher soul life are hidden. Everything which is contained in the macrocosm can be found in the microcosm. Man’s nature suffers when it is penetrated by the spirit of higher knowledge and Christ is born in it.

  1. A seven-headed monster threatened with a club.

          The seven-headed monster is the animal man, with his passions, sensuality, and false concepts destroyed by the light of truth.

  1. A closed and sealed gate which an angel is trying to open.

          The knowledge of the highest is hidden and veiled in every human heart; but therefore not lost; the angel of love opens the gate.

  1. A landscape depicting an island. The sun rises and the stars shine.

          The island is the land of bliss, the sun is wisdom, the stars are thoughts. Joy follows tears as sunshine follows rain.

  1. A bitter orange tree with fruit which is sweet inside but bitter on the outside.

          What is bitter in the beginning (namely, renunciation) is sweet in the end. Passion is to the soul what a cancer is to the body. It is painful to eradicate them; but when it is dead, there comes the blissful feeling of freedom.

  1. An altar with a fire in which burns a human heart, giving off a sweet smell.

          The altar is in the heart of man; the fire the divine love, the sweet smell the holiness which pervades its aura.

  1. A white lily in a flowerpot located in a garden.

          The garden is mankind, the flowerpot is man, the lily is the purity of the soul which dwells in secret.

  1. An angel separating the chaff from the wheat by means of a sieve.

          The wheat are the virtues, the chaff are vices, errors, and sensual desires. The angel is the conscience or understanding that has come to discern good and evil, fit and unfit.

  1. A ring with a jewel displayed on a table.

          The virtue of a man who has transcended his lower self is like a diamond shining in the dark for all to see.

  1. A sphere lit by the full moon.

          When the soul is enlightened by the light of truth, all doubts disappear and the greatest mysteries become clear.

  1. Jacob’s ladder with seven steps, reaching from earth to heaven.

          The seven levels are the seven levels of existence or consciousness in the universe and in man. The spirit must descend into the material and embody itself there so that the soul can rise again and become spiritual.

  1. A sundial mounted on the wall of a tower.

          Self-conceit is the shadow which stands in the way of the light of true self-knowledge.

  1. The twelve signs of the zodiac. The sun passes through the sign of Virgo.

          This has deep occult meaning. The sign of Virgo rules the “solar plexus.” When the sun of wisdom rises in man, the power of the sensual diminishes.

  1. A hen in a coop broods over the eggs.

          “Christ is born in a stable.” Spiritual rebirth prepares itself amidst the animal elements in man.

  1. Two palm trees leaning towards each other.

          The palm tree is the symbol of peace, the palm tree the symbol of man gaining victory over himself. The two palms represent the love of God for man, i.e., the relation of the natural man to his higher self, the God-man.

  1. A vine branch separated from the stem and shedding tears.

          Christ (the true self) is the vine, mortal man is the branch. (John XV, 1.) As a result of its incarnation, the human spirit seems to be separated from its tribe, the “Father in heaven.”

  1. A plant representing a myrrh.

          Existence on earth is bitter and painful, but healing because of the experiences it brings with it.

  1. An easel with a canvas ready for painting.

          Man has his reason and the choice between good and evil. He can make of himself what he wants.

  1. A heart pierced by a sword.

          Evil and impurity must be separated, even if this separation tears the soul apart.

  1. Two pigeons pecking each other.

          When God loves man, he sends suffering to the one who loves him in return to strengthen his faith.

  1. A passion flower.

          The passion flower is the symbol of the crucifixion of the spirit in matter, but also of the resurrection of the soul caused by this crucifixion.

  1. Wolves and sheep, eagles and bats, warm each other in the sunshine.

          The sun shines on the unjust as well as on the just. The light of truth is available to everyone and everyone can absorb it according to the condition of their nature.

  1. A bird perched among thorns and thistles.

          The bird is the embodied soul in its captivity; thistles and thorns the sensuality.

  1. Ivy twining around a withered tree.

          The immortal love which survives the death of form.

  1. Two hearts in a wine press.

          The union of the idea of God with human thought. The spiritual life and the strength of the soul arise from the union of spiritual knowledge and will.

  1. A crocodile crying while eating a human.

          Pretense and hypocrisy. The man who desires the good, but cannot or will not resist evil.

  1. A wolf strangling sheep.

          Heresy, false prophets, clericalism, superstition, orthodoxy.

  1. Tulips leaning toward the rising sun.

          The soul wears out in the darkness of ignorance and strives for the light.

  1. Two stringed musical instruments; a hand plays on one.

          Harmony. Direct your thinking to the highest. The vibrations of the higher soul region share with the lower.

  1. A white lily growing between domes.

          Purity is proven in suffering.

  1. The prophet Jonah is thrown into the sea.

          Here Jonas represents the external church, which does not know the light of truth and is lost in the sea of the worldly.

  1. The setting sun and the evening star.

          When the sun of knowledge disappears from people’s spiritual horizon for a while, the light of faith still shows them the way.

  1. A cross with a snake coiled around it.

          The snake is the symbol of health, the cross the sign of suffering. Through suffering man gains knowledge and the sick soul is healed.

  1. An eagle flying toward the sun.

          The soul striving to the light of truth.

  1. A squirrel standing and rowing on a log floating in the water.

          So man on the river of life should hold tight to the higher and steer his ship so that he doesn’t go under.

  1. A lighthouse whose light illuminates the surging sea.

          The light of spiritual faith shows the way to those who err.

  1. A rock in a stormy sea.

          Just as the waves of the sea cannot move the rock, so should man stand firmly on his feet in the storm of passion and not be shaken by anything.

  1. A diamond on a table.

          The value of the diamond depends on its size and clarity. Only in a great and pure soul can the light of divinity be fully revealed.

  1. A scion is attached to a tree.

          Everyone only accepts what corresponds to their nature.

  1. A human hanging from a dead tree.

          He who seeks his salvation in the sensual is like a man who thinks he can find shade under a leafless tree.

  1. A flock of sheep, each bearing the letter T on its forehead.

          Through his being, the enlightened bears the infallible sign of light.

  1. A candlestick with seven lights.

          The seven consciousnesses or “lights” which are not to be extinguished.

  1. A solar eclipse.

          The inclination to the material obscures true knowledge.

  1. The setting sun and a rainbow.

          The rainbow is the symbol of the connection between the heavenly and the earthly.

  1. A cypress moved by storms from all four directions.

          When the soul is moved by storms but not uprooted, it gains firmness from the resistance it offers.

  1. Two hearts surrounded by thorns, with nails and a dagger.

          The wounded heart will receive more wounds because it has become susceptible to wounding.

  1. A heart pierced by a sword and instruments of torture.

          A pure heart is above all suffering.

  1. A beehive. Bees fly around flowers.

          As the smell of flowers attracts bees, so the sacred attracts the pure hearts of men.

  1. An alchemical furnace with retorts from which drops fall.

          The fire of God’s love produces good thoughts in people, which become deeds.

  1. A man scattering seeds in furrows.

          The spirit of truth which enters the heart to awaken there divine forces that are fruitful.

  1. A cloth spread out in a field and moistened with water.

          Through tears the soul attains its splendor.

  1. Ozeanwogen und ein Vogel, der durch die Wellentäler fliegt.

          Die von irdischen Begierden freie Seele wird von Leidenschaften, die sie umgeben, nicht berührt.

  1. Ocean waves and a bird flying through the troughs.

          The soul, free from earthly desires, is untouched by the passions which surround it.

  1. Noah’s dove carries an olive branch in its beak.

          The dove is the spirit of self-knowledge, which brings peace and puts an end to all inner quarrels, opinions, conceits, delusions and doubts.

  1. A flying eagle abducting a lamb.

          The elevation of the soul makes it free from the power of evil.

  1. A flower bed on which the rain falls.

          Good thoughts promote the growth of virtues.

  1. Plummet and balance.

          The plumb line is the symbol of man’s ability to explore his inner being, the scales the symbol of justice on which he weighs his actions.

  1. A hot iron on an anvil.

          Only the soul permeated by divine love can be fashioned into the image of God.

  1. A lonely bird in a cave.

          The soul waiting for its Redeemer.

  1. An elephant drinking blood flowing from a vine.

          The elephant is the symbol of wisdom and strength, the blood the spiritual life.

  1. A bird flying away from the nest.

          The liberated (realized) soul.

  1. Sunrise. The sun’s rays penetrate a diamond heart.

          Wisdom penetrates to the core.

  1. A flying bird tied to a thread.

          The soul that longs for salvation.

  1. Two birds of paradise flying aloft, after the constellation of Hercules.

          The soul levitates up to the stars and thereby becomes strong.

  1. A triple crown made of silver, gold and iron.

          The perfect victory achieved in the three realms.

  1. An idol lies shattered on the ground.

          To each what is due.

  1. The Red Sea parts for the passage of the Israelites.

          This is the right way.

  1. A maze. A human figure inside is being given a thread by a hand coming down from above.

          Intuition is the guide and the way.

  1. A field camp. Under the tents a standard with the image of a man.

          All of nature aspires to become human.

  1. A clock with the hand pointing to the twelfth hour.

          The high time.

  1. A ship on the sea that has a light. Fish and birds are attracted to its glow.

          You come to the light.

Epilogue.

 

Noah’s Ark floating in calm waters.

          It does not sink, but is increased.

 

Note: [3]

 

Signs relating to the divine child.

 

Introduction.

 

A hen with chickens under her wings. Above, a hawk hovers in the air.

          The soul threatened by the sensual, finds protection in devotion (meditation).

 

Emblems.

 

  1. A kneeling human figure holding a book in which is depicted a heart of fire.

          Rise and read

  1. An altar on which a fire is kindled by a ray of sunshine.

          Through the power of knowledge (grace) the fire of love is ignited in the heart.

  1. A ray of sunlight sets a ship on fire through a magnifying glass.

          The sacred fire (spiritual “electricity of will”) pervades the body.

  1. The sun shines on a sheepskin spread out on the earth.

          The grace of God descends from heaven.

  1. A chrysalis on a leaf.

          “Behold, I come.” The hour of freedom draws near.

  1. Calm sea and rising sun.

          The light of knowledge brings peace to the soul.

  1. The rising sun is still partially obscured by the moon.

          The sun of truth emerges and removes the doubts.

  1. A chicken and an eagle flying in the air. The chicken protects itself against the attacks of the eagle with a shield.

          The hen is the soul, the eagle is sensuality, the shield is the power of faith.

  1. A rose in the middle of a garden.

          The bliss of a pure heart.

  1. A lamb on an altar.

          God will not despise the sacrifice of a pure heart.

  1. Hunting dogs.

          Flee evil thoughts.

  1. A lamb dying at the foot of the cross.

          Loyal and obedient to the (mystical) death.

  1. The Ark of the Covenant. Lightning strikes.

          The uninitiated are not allowed to approach.

  1. Sun amid rain clouds.

          The light of knowledge banishes the images of the imagination.

  1. The sun shines on sheep and wolves.

          The grace of God pours out on all without distinction of person.

  1. A fountain and a pitcher.

          The source of wisdom is inexhaustible; everyone can draw from it.

  1. The animals enter the ark.

          Only in the One is salvation.

  1. A shepherd carrying a lamb in his arms.

          The incarnated heavenly soul bears the burden of existence on earth.

  1. Sheep drinking at a spring whose water is stirred up with a stick.

          The stick is the brooding that clouds the soul.

  1. A dove on a ball.

          Symbol of peace of mind.

  1. Light penetrating clouds.

          The shadows flee the light.

  1. A Vineyard and the Sunrise.

          The sun of truth awakens nature to spiritual life.

  1. Three hearts with a sieve hovering over them.

          Only the purified can ascend.

  1. A swan cleaning its feathers before eating.

          Spiritual nourishment is given only to the pure.

  1. A hungry dog howling at the moon.

          False zeal. The man who seeks true knowledge in the deceptive moonlight (of imagination).

  1. The Ark of the Covenant drawn by two oxen.

          The sanctuary is closed to the unholy and profane.

  1. A wine press.

          Suffering awakens the urge for freedom.

  1. An opening bud.

          The opening of the spiritual senses.

  1. Cupid shooting arrows at a heart.

          The love that finally achieves victory over evil.

  1. A Cross and the Crucifixion Instruments.

          Don’t be afraid to take up your “cross.”

  1. A sunflower leans toward the rising sun.

          The soul that constantly (from sunrise to sunset) delights in the light.

  1. Drops of sweat falling in a garden.

          No effort is in vain.

  1. A sword emerging from a cloud.

          The iron will, the firmness.

  1. Hammer and anvil, forge and embers.

          Symbols of the forces that are available to people for their spiritual development.

  1. A ram with a crown of thorns.

          The soul that attains the crown of victory through self-sacrifice.

  1. A sheep carrying animals.

          The animals are the human passions, the sheep the symbol of patience. (Have patience with yourself too.)

  1. A crucified man and a serpent on a tree.

          From (mystical) death springs (spiritual) life.

  1. A tree that sheds tears in three bowls.

          Overcoming the three lower principles.

  1. A source.

          The source of truth refreshes and uplifts the sick.

  1. A heart offered to an eagle.

          The eagle is the symbol of majesty and greatness of mind.

  1. A heart on a cross surrounded by thorns is crowned with laurel.

          Victory of spirit over matter.

  1. A bird pursued by a hawk seeks refuge in a crevice in the rock.

          The soul pursued by temptations seeks refuge in the sanctuary within itself.

  1. A disc with a burning heart in the middle. Cupid shoots arrows at him.

          Love attracts love.

  1. A pelican feeding its young with its blood.

          The God-man sacrifices himself in man and gives him spiritual life.

  1. A phoenix engulfed in flames.

          The mystical death that leads to resurrection in spirit (rebirth).

  1. The blood of a lamb flows into a bowl.

          The soul absorbs the spiritual life.

  1. Clouds from which lightning flashes.

          The awakening of magical powers in man.

  1. An eagle flying against the sun.

          The soul sees God face to face.

  1. A hedgehog rolled in fruit and covered in it.

          Perfection and the fulfillment of all desires.

 

          Anyone who grasps the deep meaning of these symbols through inner experience is the right seer.

 

Notes

[1] The Rosicrucian Breviary [Das Rosenkreuzer Brevier. Franz Hartmann, M.D. Neue Lotusblüten 4, no. 7-8 (July-August 1911), 231-243] {This article was reformatted from the original, but with the content unchanged other than fixing minor typos. Translation from the German by Robert Hutwohl, ©2025}

[2] Anton Günther. Augsburg 1741.

[3] The Rosicrucian Breviary. (Continuation.) [Das Rosenkreuzer Brevier. (Fortsetzung.) Franz Hartmann, M.D. Neue Lotusblüten 4, no. 9-10 (September-October 1911), 284-289] {This article was reformatted from the original, but with the content unchanged other than fixing minor typos. Translation from the German by Robert Hutwohl, ©2025}