The Essence of The Rosicrucian

A very bright student sent me a ritual earlier this week that she had been working on for me to review. As I was reading through it I came across something I had not thought about in awhile, but which has always been very profound to me. It is often known at "The Confession" or "Negative Confession" which is taken from the "Papyrus if Ani". If you are familiar with Egyptian mythology and especially if you are a student of the Golden Dawn you should be well familiar with The Egyptian Book of The Dead aka the Pert-Em-Hru, which roughly translates to "The Book of Coming Forth By Day".

In it the soul of the deceased, guided by Anubis is brought through the underworld to re-unite with Osiris. Some of you may know of this as an analogy for The Great Work, or Alchemia. As the soul (candidate) is taken through the Duat (underworld) he is brought before Maat, who weighs the heart against the weight of her feather. Should the soul be lighter than the feather than it would be granted eternal life in the Duat and unification with Osiris. If it weigh heavier the soul would be consumed by Ammit a creature depicted with the head of a crocodile, the hind-legs of a hippopotums, and the forequarters of a lion.

The beauty of "The Confession" is that it really expressed the true essence of what it means to be a Rosicrucian. And in return it affirms the connection that Rosicrucianism has with Egypt both alchemically and in spiritual teachings. I believe "The Confession" is one of those rare pieces of human history that represents the true essence of "The Rosicrucian Way" It is by standards such as these that an Adept of the Rose and Cross should seek to live in his life by...by the highest of standards. Presented below is "The Confession".

I hope you will enjoy this, and should you have any suggestions for other texts in this vein please feel free to leave them in the comments section so that myself and others may explore them. I highly recommend "The Ladder of Divine Ascent" by John Climacus and "Rosicrucian Symbols" by Franz Hartmann. The latter has a wonderful chapter on living the Rosicrucian Way.

Nosce te Ipsum

-FSO

"I have destroyed wickedness. I have not done evil to mankind. I have not oppressed the members of my family. I have not wrought evil in place of right and truth. I have no intimacy with worthless men. I have not demanded first consideration. I have not decreed that excessive labor be performed for me. I have not brought forward my name for exaltation or honors. I have not defrauded the oppressed of their property. I have made no man suffer hunger. I have made no one to weep. I have caused no pain to be inflicted upon man or animal. I have not defrauded the temple of their oblations. I have not diminished from the bushel. I have not filched away land. I have not encroached upon the fields of others. I have not added to the weights of the scales to cheat the seller and I have not misread the pointer of the scales to cheat the buyer. I have not kept milk from the mouths of children. I have not turned back the water at the time it should flow. I have not extinguished the fire when it should burn. I have not repulsed God in His Manifestation."

and following this confession we often say...

For I am Osiris triumphant, Even Osiris Onnophris, the Justified One. I am He who is clothed with the body of flesh, yet in whom is the spirit of the Great Unknowable One. I am the Lord of Life, triumphant over death. He who partaketh with me shall rise with me. I am the Manifestor in matter of those whose abode is in the invisible. I am purified; I stand upon the universe, I am the reconciler with the eternal gods, I am the perfector of matter and without me the universe is naught.