1935 Rosicrucian Magazine Ad

One of the ways I try to understand the past is to read magazines and newspapers from days long gone by. I recently was perusing a May 1935 issue of LiteraryAmerica, a monthly pub which presented various short stories and excerpts of larger works. It also had numerous ads and the one I found interesting I took a pic and present it here for your enjoyment.



I know there is much suspicion surrounding this organization and after reading the ad, it had me wondering if the group had a big hand in causing the suspicion.

The wisdom is not lost.... it is WITHHELD from the mass.

suspicious?

There are quite a few threads on the topic and I am providing you a quick link to a search on threads on the Rosicrucians here at ATS.

Rosicruci an Thread Search Results

Originally posted by JacKatMtn
The wisdom is not lost.... it is WITHHELD from the mass.

suspicious?

Not lost, not withheld, just (re)packaged to make it seem a bit more 'special', a bit more exclusive and to thereby 'hook'em'.

Excellent find, most interesting.

Check Your U2Us - Click Here




[edit on 6-7-2008 by 12m8keall2c]

Thanks for posting this advertisement, very interesting.

It's a far cry from the Fama Fraternitatis, that's for sure. I'd certainly be suspicious of anyone offering me the hidden wisdom of the ages in a free booklet.

I don't suppose anyone knows what specific title this ad was promoting? I know AMORC has been a prolific publisher since its founding.

My grandfather was a rosecrucian. He joined with them back in the 70's. He died in 1996. He claimed to be able to levitate (but not with anyone watching.) he did make candles rise. I never understood what that was all about, but I am interested in learning more about that group. My parents said it was a cult, but they said the same about masonry. I know about masonry, but I have no idea about the rosecrucians. I look forward to reading more about them.

Next time you get the chance, check out some of the new age adds, or some other mystic claptrap and see what it says.
Mystic knowledge from the ancients that will _________ and make you feel great and awsome, better than your fellow man.
It's marketing, pure and simple.

Originally posted by articulus
I don't suppose anyone knows what specific title this ad was promoting? I know AMORC has been a prolific publisher since its founding.

Wisdom of the Sages appears to be the title offered in this ad.



definitely a marketing deal, back in 1935.. no computers, no tv, radio was fairly new, so I guess print ads were king.

Now why would such a secret organization, holding such mysterious and powerful knowledge, advertise themselves in a national publication?

recruitment, money?

I will keep my eye's open for some more ads on the Rosicrucians.

I will probably open a new thread in Education & media, to post up other examples of print ads from WAY back when, some of the ads back then can teach us alot about the social climate at the time, and a bunch of them are just very entertaining.

I was a Rosicrucian for 5 years.
That "free" book tells you nothing. It is a come on for you to join them at a few dollars a month.
Some of the knowledge is not well known simply because people would not believe it. Much of it was unknown to the masses at the time.

They start you with basic knowledge of physics, which for such a long time few people knew. They kept you coming back for more with promises of what you would learn next.
They teach you meditation.
They teach remote viewing, and other little understood psy phemoninon.

The most important thing I learned from them was to question everything.
The questioning became a quest that has led me for my lifetime on a long and interesting journey.

These days all the info they teach is readily available to any serious seeker. The only problem is that one must be a self-disciplinarion. The lesson format that they offer provides this in their weekly exercizes which you are encouraged to do so that you will be ready for the next set of exercizes.

First of all, I will say that there is nothing sinister about AMORC. It may not be for everyone, but for some, it is. I am so tired of everyone criticizing this organization, just because it doesn't float their boat, so to speak, but then again, there will always be someone complaining, no matter the subject.

Yes, they charge a membership fee and raise money to run their organization. So does every other company in the world, and no one balks at that...

The booklet they were referring to is today called "The Mastry of Life". All you have to do is go to their website and you can read an online version there.

I believe you get out of it, what you put in...just like anything else in life.

As far as the ads go, that one is sort of "tame' in what I have seen. Old ads are easy to find on ebay. These were just their way of advertising to get membership. I'm not saying they were the most appropriate marketing campaign, but it was a different time back then, and I'm sure they grabbed people's attention.

reply to post by JacKatMtn


Great post! I'd like to see a new thread on old ads like this one.

reply to post by philosopherrose


I don't believe that their has been complaining about the organization, I have seen plenty of threads which discuss those types of issues you bring up, I merely was wondering if some of these types of ads from days gone by, may have fueled some of the suspicions of the group.

I appreciate yours and OhZone's posts relaying some personal experiences with the Rosicrucians, it helps to inform the uninformed, myself included.

I wish I could spend the enormous amount of time to become more knowledgeable about the wide varieties of topics presented here, but I honestly cannot dedicate that much time and it really helps when members can chime in with an experience or two

Thanks for you contribution.

I will try and get an "old ad" thread up in a few days, stay tuned

reply to post by JacKatMtn



I am sorry to have jumped the gun. I realize now that you were not criticizing. It is just that I have seen so much criticism of AMORC on ATS and normally I keep my mouth shut. It is just one of those days...

I believe it is more than a worthwhile organization that teaches peace, tolerance to all, and also many interesting subjects (science, history, philosophy, etc.) But one must be into those things, or at least open to the ideas.

Thank you for your response. I am definately still evolving and should practice "Patience" more in my responses

Originally posted by JacKatMtn

Originally posted by articulus
I don't suppose anyone knows what specific title this ad was promoting? I know AMORC has been a prolific publisher since its founding.

Wisdom of the Sages appears to be the title offered in this ad.

I saw that after posting, and felt silly - but thanks for humoring me. Googling the title led me to frustrated art teachers and people sharing recipes, until it occurred to me to throw in the word "rosicrucian" as well.

Originally posted by philosopherrose
The booklet they were referring to is today called "The Mastry of Life". All you have to do is go to their website and you can read an online version there.

Thanks for that information as well. I will be sure to check it out.

I noticed while on the website that AMORC has print ads prepared for various publication formats and in several styles and sizes. They're simple, but clean, and vaguely intriguing, likely as much so as the 1935 ad was. I've worked for and run several small community weeklies and have not seen one of these ads before, but then again, I suppose I haven't worked in places where AMORC is active.

reply to post by JacKatMtn


Got an E-mail today that said ALMOST the exact same thing.



Alas, didn't send in my $50 check for a "free" book.

Interesting! I look forward to learning more about this order.

The only experience I've had with Amorc Rosecrucians is a guy I dated once in 1967 - he was a Rosicrucian and advised me to buy a few hundred shares of Toyota stock which was selling for a dollar a share at the time...I was too young, no money and mom wouldn't go for it... He's probably a billionaire now........hindsight is twenty twenty....sigh....

The wisdom is not lost.... it is WITHHELD from the mass.

suspicious?

Not really. As far as I can tell so far, none of it is WITHHELD by any ruling body or elite. Rather, it "hides itself". All that's really needed is a desire and a readiness to receive it and it opens itself up to you. In due course, you're awash in it without handing out such membership fees.

reply to post by EnlightenUp


What I get from this is that I guess what was withheld, the supressed knowledge, was merely the general lack of education among the masses.

I could be wrong, but it just seems that it was a ploy to get money, to teach subjects which went beyond the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic.

Of course it probably isn't effective today, it's funny though the closest thing I saw around ATS with this type of secret knowledge was the Greer thread with this title:

"Hidden Truth - Forbidden Knowledge", by Dr Steven Greer

Is it me or does it appear to be the same marketing concept?

If the Rosicrucians ever had any secret, powerful knowledge, they certainly seem to have done a good job of not only keeping it a secret, but from actually using that knowledge (as far as I know) to do anything noteworthy.

Buncha punks is what they are.

Originally posted by JacKatMtn
reply to post by EnlightenUp

 

What I get from this is that I guess what was withheld, the supressed knowledge, was merely the general lack of education among the masses.

I could be wrong, but it just seems that it was a ploy to get money, to teach subjects which went beyond the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic.

Of course it probably isn't effective today, it's funny though the closest thing I saw around ATS with this type of secret knowledge was the Greer thread with this title:

"Hidden Truth - Forbidden Knowledge", by Dr Steven Greer

Is it me or does it appear to be the same marketing concept?

This ad does make them seem a bit commercial.

I can say with fair certainty it has nothing to do with the "Three 'R's". It has nothing to do with ET either. Using this stuff like a punk (as Nohup aluded to ) will get you punked in due course. Not everyone should be expected to be an adept as development takes considerable effort and each has their own path to walk.

Greer may cover some of the truths but there is a rather voluminous amount of material covering many details and aspects that would never fit into a single book like that. I can't say what he was found worthy to discover and so perhaps he just doesn't know much anyway. I'm not even clear from the abstract if the book really explicitly covers the knowledge in any way but the "nexus" mentioned therein hints in the right direction.