“Every year in accordance with the instructions of the Imperator of our Order, all members of the affiliated bodies meet on a date as near as possible to the advent of spring—about March 21—to celebrate the Rosicrucian New Year. This is in effect the vernal equinox, the moment when the Sun enters the zodiacal sign of Aries and the time when Rosicrucians celebrate the advent of a new annual cycle for the activities of AMORC.

Regardless of the prevailing religion or geographic location, there are certain traditions that remain intact. Throughout European, Asian, South American, African and Pacific Island cultures you will  find evidence of rites that are performed to signify the changing of the seasons.

These practices are generally aligned with two major phases in the sun’s cycle when it moves across the celestial equator from the Northern Hemisphere to the Southern Hemisphere. With each crossing, the sun’s rays shift to shine more brightly upon one of these two regions. So even as inhabitants on one side of the Earth enjoy longer days, plentiful crop growth and pleasant weather; others are forced to deal with freezing temperatures and harsh natural environments bereft of animals and plantlife.  As mentioned in the monograph, these cyculiar phases occur roughly around March 21^st and September 21^st of every year. The first transition is the equinox and it marks the coming of Spring, the latter is known as the solstice and it marks the coming of Winter.

• Pre-megalithic British cultures (those who are said to have been responsible for Stonehenge) were thought to have afforded special respect to both of the equinox and solictice.

• Tombs found in bordering regions of North West Dublin are designed so that certain portions become illuminated when the rising sun penetrates underground passages during Spring and Winter. These alighted sections feature astronimcal symbols of great religious importance. Similar temples from Ancient Mayan civilizations can be found in Mexico.

• Germanic societies worshipped the deity Ostara during the Spring equinox. Ostara was the Goddess of fertility and was taught to have mated with the sun itself to birth a child Yule who was born during the Winter solstice.

• Roman Pagan religions developed similar beliefs around their fertility goddess Phyrgian, although they ascribed her conception to a virgin birth. According to the tradition the Goddess’s son, Attis was said to die and resurrect around the equinox every year. Of course, these beliefs are echoed in the narrative of the death and resurrection of Jesus in the Christian faith.

These rituals show how newer religious systems co-opted and integrated practices from older faiths. By paying respect to the same essential beliefs down to specific dates and observances, the new religion was able to create a smooth transition for newer converts who often came from societies that were conquered through warfare. Today, most people are unaware of the ancient roots of many of their modern relgius practices and beliefs. As they say, history is written by the victors.

“The following ritual is composed of the text which is read in the Lodges, Chapters, and Pronaoi of our Order on this special occasion. Only a few passages have been modified. Thus, you can participate in a traditional custom that brings together thousands of Rosicrucians each year. “

This brings us to the content of this mongraph. The Rosicrucian New Year is celebrated every year with a rite that may be familiar to many of you who have had experience with other mainstream religions. In the next analyses we will examine exactly how AMORC uses these similarities to transition new recruits towards their own belief system.