Introductory Notes on the Formula of the Rose Cross

By Frater 493

2=9

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

Non-personal consciousness is the collective consciousness of the human race. By progressing in

Initiation and ascending the Tree of Life- theoretically building upon what may have been
accomplished in a previous incarnation in regards to one’s spiritual development- we are
contributing to the inertia of the development of this collective consciousness. The evolution of
personal consciousness, which is at the same time the evolution of Non- Personal consciousness,
is sexual by its very nature. It is a process of Love under Will. It is the primary function of the
very nature of the universe. It is the creative force and is the foundation of the universe. The
union of opposites that facilitates this progress is explicitly sexual.

The integration of our disparate selves and the full realization of our true, inner natures are
analogous to the flourishing of the collective aspirations of our race of people. These various
selves are the manifold ‘personalities’ within in, each with its own set of values, purposes,
desires, etc. Just as the Man (or Woman) through devotion to their Ideal learns to unify his
purposes and function as a harmonious unit, so too does that Adept work toward union with the
larger reality in which he works and of which he is a part. The metaphors abound for integration
of our body, mind and spirit and for the higher, non-personal union: The union of Shiva and
Shakti, Kundalini, uniting of Ha and Tha, Sun and Moon, positive and negative polarities, space
and time, matter and motion, etc.
The highest form of this sexual union is the Unio Mystica, the trans-material union with God.
One very exceptional symbol for this is what the Rosicrucians called the Cross of Gold fitted
with the Ruby Rose. The Rosicrucians are a philosophical secret society that seems to have begun
in late medieval Germany. The purpose of this movement is to provide members, or “Initiates,”
with esoteric knowledge of nature, the physical world, and the spiritual worlds. Their methods
were centered on Christian mysticism and Alchemy. The primary symbol of this invisible order
of Adepts is the Rose Cross; indeed, it is a symbol, which represents the entire universe.

Man is a Microcosm (a little universe unto himself). We have at our essential core a Point Event:
“the fundamental entity of observed physical reality represented by a point designated by three
coordinates of place and one of time in the space-time continuum postulated by the theory of
relativity, but without extension in these four dimensions.” It is a qabalistic zero. It cannot even
be considered to exist, as we generally use the term. It is the potential of us; it is what is left if we
were to subtract every quality of ourselves: our body, our khu, our mind, soul, etc. This is Hadit,
and we will soon see how this idea unfolds as we continue describing the Rose Cross.

We can consider this Point Event to be a regular cube, cf AL II; 7. “I am the Magician and the
Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. "Come unto me" is a foolish
word: for it is I that go.” A regular cube has 3 dimensions and 6 sides surrounding the center,
and 12 edges. This gives us the number of Tarot Trumps and the number of Hebrew letters- 22.
We know that the 22 paths contain the four elements, the seven planets, and the twelve
constellations, which comprise the girdle of Our Lady Nuit, and the path that our Sun takes
through our little corner of infinite space. This demonstrates that the entire universe is contained
within each of us. Now, this is not to assert some silly notion that one is the only God, or that
nothing has objective reality. Rather, this statement is to mean that we are the same as the
infinite universe. We contain within myself all of the forces and elements, and that our
consciousness is the same as the universal consciousness.

Obviously, this is a difficult subject to translate from mystical experience into rational discourse.
To realize in the mind these truths, we must expand our conception of the universe to include
every possible idea and not be limited by the mundane ego. This is related to the Night of Pan,
the so-called Ego Death, where our little ego falls away and the unified, exalted “I” (who is the
Adept and the Angel) then yields Itself up as “perfume… into the nostrils of the stars.” (Liber
VII, Prologue: v.6) See also:

Liber LXXI: 19. Saith the Great Law:—”In order to become the KNOWER of ALL-SELF,
thou hast first of SELF to be the knower.” To reach the knowledge of that SELF, thou hast to
give up Self to Non-Self, Being to Non-Being, and then thou canst repose between the wings
of the GREAT BIRD. Aye, sweet is rest between the wings of that which is not born, nor dies,
but is the AUM throughout eternal ages.
The words “give up” may be explained as “yield” in its subtler or quasi-masochistic erotic
sense, but on a higher plane. In the following quotation from the “Great Law” it explains that
the yielding is not the beginning but the end of the Path.

Then let the End awake. Long hast thou slept, O great God Terminus! Long ages hast thou
waited at the end of the city and the roads thereof.
Awake Thou! wait no more!

Nay, Lord! but I am come to Thee. It is I that wait at last.

The prophet cried against the mountain; come thou hither, that I may speak with thee!

The mountain stirred not. Therefore went the prophet unto the mountain, and spake unto it. But
the feet of the prophet were weary, and the mountain heard not his voice.

But I have called unto Thee, and I have journeyed unto Thee, and it availed me not.

I waited patiently, and Thou wast with me from the beginning.

This now I know, O my beloved, and we are stretched at our ease among the vines.

But these thy prophets; they must cry aloud and scourge themselves; they must cross trackless
wastes and unfathomed oceans; to await Thee is the end, not the beginning. [LXV, II, 55-62]

But the above quoted material is all still a potentiality. In the context of the Point Event and the
cube, all is still contained within. The unfolding of this cube, which is representative of Hadit,
the Point Event, we produce a cross of six squares. 6 is the Hexagram, which is representative of
the planets and the Zodiac. The visual appearance of the Hexagram furthers the idea that we are
the reflection of the infinite universe itself. The interlaced Red and Blue triangles of the
Hexagram of Ra Hoor Khuit signify the merging of the passion and com-passion into an ultra-
violet shade that is beyond the material perception.

The cross thus represents a universe that is the Alpha and Omega of all manifestations. It is our
Divine Mother, our Mistress, and our Queen. It is our essential divinity unfolded into creation,
and as such, gives rise to the Microcosm, symbolized in our Rose Cross by the rose of five
petals, which is fixed in the center of the cross. The number five has been the number of man- 5
limbs, 5 senses, 5 holes in our head, etc. This rose affixed to the cross is the glyph of the Adeptus
Minor grade of the A.’.A.’.. But as of now, the I, Hadit, the Point Event, has extended into the
universe. It has established itself as a 5, separate from the 6 (Our number is 11) and now it binds
itself to the cross via the four dimensions of position and time. This is what was mentioned
above, and is now symbolized by the four green barbs that fix the rose to the cross.

Now we can investigate how all the potentialities we spoke of come into manifestation through
my Being. The true formula of the Rose and Cross is to unite oneself, the masculine Hadit point
with Nuit, the very absolute idea of all-encompassing femininity, which is reflected through the
lower planes of existence in one’s relationships, and yet, to counter-balance this, the soul of the
aspirant takes on a definite feminine quality, as it is the Heh Final of the Tetragrammaton
wedded to the Holy Guardian Angel- the Vav of the Tetragrammaton. This Soul has been
perfected through the inner work of the lower A.’.A.’. grades, and is Asar Un Nefer, the
Magickal Childe of all previous operations, and awaits the communion with the Holy Guardian
Angel. A new consciousness has transcended the old consciousness, the old worldview. The
Aspirant is the gilded Cross that we mentioned earlier, the result of the transmutation of base
metals into gold. All base instincts are transmuted into a golden illumination. This is not the
seeking of attainment, but the preparation for it. A further analogy is the Isis/Osiris myth. Osiris,
though masculine and erect, takes on a passive role as Isis takes on the active role in their coitus.

In terms of the A.’.A.’., grade of Zelator, one understands that one must not be lead astray by
one’s relationships. We must learn from them, but ultimately we must try to include the widest
possible variety of experiences into our conception of God. We begin with the people and
experiences around us, ever spiraling outward to include our teachers, students, elementals,
planetary intelligences, the Secret Chiefs, etc., until we can formulate the Universe in one
thought.

To depict this, the Rosicrucians began expanding this symbol outward from the rosy cross we
have just outlined. First formed around this rose cross are the Mother Letters of the Qabalah
corresponding with the Elements, then the seven planetary letters, and finally the twelve zodiacal
letters. These are the functions, powers, and qualities that we manifest in our Being. This full
realization of our Self would constitute us an Adept, a Brother of the Rosy Cross.

This fully expanded rose is now placed in the midst of a larger side-cubed cross. This larger
Cross constitutes the manifested world. The four extremities of this cross represent the Four
Philosophic Elements: Horizontally we have Fire (Red) and Water (Blue). Vertically we have
Air (Yellow) and Earth (c.o.r.b.) These elemental arms of the cross are colored in the King Scale
of our Holy Qabalah and have as their correspondences the Paths of ShYN, MYM, ALPh and
ThV. Pentagrams and Alchemical sigils finish the emblems of the arms of this Cross. Behind the
entire structure are 4 majors rays and 8 minors rays, white, with the initials I.N.R.I., L.V.X. and
I.A.O. printed thereon. These rays of light, the LVX in particular is transmitted from Master to
Disciple and is the true transmission of spiritual wisdom.

All of this represents our universal uniqueness. Every aspect of the Godhead (each Individual)
operates under the same laws and rules, but how we go about coloring within those lines,
manifesting our particular section of the 5th dimensional ENTITY into a 4 dimensional world is
up to us.

We have had a tendency to mold our interests to conform to what others expect of us. We must
recognize this and girding up ourselves against outside influences. The Star Ruby, particularly,
helps us fortify our ego against what someone else may expect us to do, say, think, feel, etc. Yet
moreso, we slowly killing off those parts of us that are so easily influenced by the desires of
others.

We discover our own tastes and interests, and so much the better that they are unique! We learn
to do things our own way, and that is what makes every man and every woman a Star. This is the
reflection into the Ruach of the nature of our khu. Our tastes in food and music, my certain
affinities and interest, my skills and talents, our unique way of viewing this wonderful creation
of ours- these are the Letters of the Paths; these are the Rays of Spiritual Light that we shine into
the universe. (Yet, beyond this is the N.O.X.)

While this all seems concise and logical, we am confronted with the knowledge that the Rose is
Nuit, and the Cross is Hadit. The cross is very suggestive of coordinates, of "x marks the spot"
and of cross-hairs. Hadit is everywhere the center, and this position is demarcated by y=n x=n
where n is any number soever, thus every number is infinite and there is no difference.

If Hadit is the cross-hair then Nuit is the lens and the scope itself, but one that has no boundary,
as we are taught in AL. Nuit is also represented by the circle and the minus symbol, as a
complement to Hadit as the symbol of addition. The minus sign, while indicating the feminine
quality, furthermore, if extended in both directions, will eventually, according to Pythagoras,
come around to form the circle. It makes no difference should this take an infinitely long time to
complete.

What does the rose symbolize? The Ruby Rose is the perfect medicine of all imperfect bodies,
changing them into the best Gold and cures all diseased of men, easing them of all pains and
miseries. (Confessio Fraternitatis). The Ruby Rose is the Wisdom of God, the opening of all the
chakras, the prana entering the sushumna, union with God. It is the transformational experience
that takes our tattered and dry-rotted frame and fills it with the LVX, the spiritual Light, which
then, symbolically of course, becomes Gold, the perfect metal. Our Vegetable-nature evolves
into a Metallic one, to continue the alchemical analogy.

The ruby rose, qalabistically is Tiphareth, Netzach and the path of Venus. The Cross of the
elements is Malkuth, and form is symbolized of course, by the smaller cross at the center of the
larger Hermetic Rose Cross. The larger cross could be from Kether to Malkuth and from
Geburah to Chesed. Tiphareth still, is the Ruby Rose.

The Point Event, Hadit, the Cube, unfolded its divine heritage and manifested. This then sets up
a duality, a division. It is for this very reason that the N.O.X. signs as given in Liber V vel Reguli
correspond the way they do: Nuit/Puella, Hadit/Puer, Therion/Vir, Babalon/Mulier. We, as the
eternal and ineffable Godhead have chosen to create the (apparent) division. From this we
abstracted the ubiquitous dichotomies: Matter/Motion, Life/Death, Noun/Verb, Nuit/Hadit, etc.
To explain the symbolism of the Cross, I attach a chapter from Liber 333, The Book of Lies:

ΚΕΦΑΛΗ ΙΕ

THE GUN-BARREL

Mighty and erect is this Will of mine, this Pyramid of fire whose summit is lost in Heaven. Upon
it have I burned the corpse of my desires.

Mighty and erect is this Φαλλοσ of my Will. The seed thereof is That which I have borne within
me from Eternity; and it is lost within the Body of Our Lady of the Stars.

I am not I; I am but an hollow tube to bring down Fire from Heaven.

Mighty and marvellous is this Weakness, this Heaven which draweth me into Her Womb, this
Dome which hideth, which absorbeth, Me.

This is The Night wherein I am lost, the Love through which I am no longer I.

COMMENTARY (ΙΕ)

The card 15 in the Tarot is "The Devil", the mediaeval blind for Pan.

The title of the chapter refers to the Phallus, which is here identified with the will. The Greek
word Πυραμισ has the same number as Φαλλοσ.

This chapter is quite clear, but one my remark in the last paragraph a reference to the nature of
Samadhi.

As man loses his personality in physical love, so does the magician annihilate his divine
personality in that which is beyond.
The formula of Samadhi is the same, from the lowest to the highest. The Rosy-Cross is the
Universal Key. But, as one proceeds, the Cross becomes greater, until it is the Ace, the Rose,
until it is the Word.

The ending of Lilith, by Aleister Crowley, was both wonderful and terrible. If you remember
from the Wake World that some people become so enamored with the astral realms that they
dwell there forever. One finds oneself very saddened that Mr. Vane ‘awoke’ in his library, after
such the adventure that he had had, and that his Beloved was nowhere found. It was very
sorrowful indeed that it was all just a ‘vision’. It was quite easy to indulge in the desire to remain
in the astral forever, if one could be with their Love always.

One must not take the manifestations of the Goddess in life, the experiences of clarity and beauty
and love to be the final state. One must not be so obsessed with one’s physical world. For
instance, the objects that one loves are not the Beloved; it is but a representation of it, the Image
of an Image. If we can bring ourselves to consider everything that is Not I to be a symbol, a
glyph, an Image of Our Lady Nuit, we can approach Her in a way that is practical and revelatory.
The objects of our Love become a partial reflection of the Goddess, the Initiatrix, the Divine
Mother.

We can utilize all of this with the formula that unites opposites. The Rose Cross represents the
fulfillment of the search for the ultimate balance of soul union; it is the combination of the
phallus and the yoni. When we are internally balanced and harmonized, we have the capacity to
produce tremendous force and power of our Will. This seems to be stored up in our seminal
fluid, and perhaps is the reason why (some of) the Hatha Yogis have established very strict rules
for sexual intercourse. There is a current sect of Gnostic Christians who advocate sexual
intercourse but forbid the ejaculation of the male seed. I suspect that the formula of the Rose
Cross is very much tied in with the IX, X and XI degree of the O.T.O. and utilizes this stored
Prana to invoke gods, charge talismans, or fulfill many other types of high magick via the
physical manifestations of the sexual process.

Love is the law, love under will.