© 2018 Frater L.V.

- SRC&SSA

The Oath, Signs, Grip and Word of the 8th Degree of the Order of the
Golden and Rosy Cross

Translated into English by Frater L.V.

Abstract: The following text is an English translation of a transcript made by Bernhard Beyer of an 18th
Century document from the German Gold- und Rosenkreuz Order, or the Order of the Golden and Rosy
Cross, entitled “Instructiones speciales et specialissimae octavi gradus fratrum rosae crucis”, then
belonging to the German Masonic Museum in Bayeruth (Das Deutsche Freimaurer-Museum in Bayreuth).
It was published in Beyer’s book “Das Lehrsystem des Ordens der Gold- und Rosenkreuzer” in 1925. The
current whereabouts of the original manuscript are unknown, but as with many Masonic organizations in
Germany, the museum was unfortunately plundered by the NSDAP during World War II and none of the
manuscripts have returned since then.

THE OATH
I, N.N., confess to my everlasting body, mind and soul and repeat all seven of my previous oaths today in the
infallible presence of the Eternal and Almighty God. I pledge and promise to conceal the Stone and all the great
secrets I have previously acquired as well as those who shall be further revealed to me. Additionally, I pledge to
never reveal the names of my Imperator or brothers whether orally or in writing. I promise before God to keep my
silence until the day I die forever and ever. Truthful this is as my faith in Christ, the Son of God, and his most
sacred Word and Aid. Amen!

THE SIGNS, GRIP AND WORD

1. The ancient Signs of this Degree, which will never change, are as follows: first, place the index finger
straight over the mouth; secondly, lower it to the left side of the chest; and finally, touch the forehead to
bring loyal attention to silence and secrecy.

2. The true and ancient Greeting of this Degree, which will never change is as follows: first we place our left hands
on each other’s left shoulder, secondly we place them on the left side of the breast and thirdly we reach to each
other as is taught in the first grade, and tighten the grip which represents our
endurance, brotherly love and friendship.

3. The ancient, true and highly sacred Word of this Degree, which cannot ever be changed at any time, is
the divine name of Zebaoth, its significance being so important, holy and magnificent that it can neither
be pronounced nor comprehended by human intellect alone. It represents the infinite one and is
presented under the figure of a Circle; an infinite, incomprehensible force whose beauty is unmatched in
itself. The syllables are often recited with reverence to indicate that we fear God in Spirit and Truth; that
we love Him and worship.
(See image 1 on next page)

THE SEAL
The seal or insignia of the Magistri is a Cross of Gold enamelled, blue with diamonds, representing the
Shamajim, the firmament, and the starry-sky.
The words of the seal are as follows: "Frates Aurea vel Roseæ Crucis Deus sit tecum cum perpétue silentio, Deo
promisse et nostra santa congregationae“.
(See image 2 on next page)

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Image 1
The symbolic word of the 8th Degree.
As illustrated in the Main Plan (Haupt-Plan) of
1777. Beyer (1925). Reproduced here by Frater L.V.

Image 2
The Seal of the Magistri.
Original illustration by Frater L.V.
based on an illustration from Beyer (1925), page 165,
and the Main-Plan (Haupt-Plan) of 1777.

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Remarks on the Alchemical Work of the 8th Degree of the

Order of the Golden and Rosy Cross
By Phoebron (Bernhard Joseph Schleiß von Löwenfeld)
Translated into English by Frater L.V.

Abstract: The following text is an English translation of a transcript made by Bernhard Beyer of an 18th
Century document from the German Gold- und Rosenkreuz Order, or the Order of the Golden and Rosy
Cross, entitled “Instructiones speciales et specialissimae octavi gradus fratrum rosae crucis”, then belonging
to the German Masonic Museum in Bayeruth (Das Deutsche Freimaurer-Museum in Bayreuth). It was
published in Beyer’s book “Das Lehrsystem des Ordens der Gold- und Rosenkreuzer” in 1925.
The current whereabouts of the original manuscript are unknown, but as with many Masonic organizations
in Germany, the museum was unfortunately plundered by the NSDAP during World War II and none of the
manuscripts have returned since then.

T he Highly Great and Venerable Brethren had once

considered our Opus Astrale Universalissimum to
be the sole true Work and Art of Nature. Several Broth-
§3 All bodies are, according to their nature, made up of
Mercury, Sulphur and Salt. If their active principles
are to be in natural harmony they must consist of just
ers, who were not too satisfied after rising past our 7th these parts, i.e. — Mercury, Sulphur and Salt make up
Degree, have pointed out, however, and rightly so, that a spiritual being.
the light of the 8th Degree has not dispersed a faint mist,
and so it must be weighed against this ancient presump- §4 Every spiritual being consisting of Mercury, Sulphur
tion. and Salt, after the weighing of Nature, we call
The practical instructions for our magici operis maximi are mercurium triplicatum.
by themselves revealing without any theory and by just
mere speculations of intangible truths, among other §5 There is no natural harmony as that between natural
things, they unveil the Spirit hovering above the Waters, things of the same essential origin. This applies to the
thus making the full nature of the Universal Astral Spirit receiving, sustaining and the nourishing of all three
comprehensible in the context of the Great Work as a Kingdoms of Nature. Thus there must be a lesser body
result of its impact. for each active principle of the same essential origin.
Our Highly Venerable Brethren, through the Special
Instructions of the 8th Degree, as well as their subordi- §6 The spiritual principia activa, though unable to spring
nates with provision thereof, have followed through with from the bodies in which they operate; nemo dat quod non
the practical work and thus, by the grace of God, habet; they do maintain a certain impression of the nature
managed to prepare the Tincture in their old age. In spite of their bodies.
of this, and although we put our fullest trust in God’s
boundless goodness, we shall nonetheless shed a theo- §7 No mere physical being is capable of producing,
retical light on the matter, as demanded, through the neither by combination or by itself, anything useful or
following general statements: otherwise distinguishable from itself; for things of the
same nature are incapable of synergy.
§1 Each and every physical being is in a passive state and
nothing can, in and of itself, be considered active §8 The eternal Grand Architect of the Universe initially
without it being moved by a spiritual being activating it. made everything bright, clear, pure, spiritual and tinctur-
Omne corpus natura sua iners. al. It was good, as his created word was brought into
being. Only after the fall of creation the color turned to
§2 Each spiritual active being must have a natural harmo- darkness, as expressed by the evil Curse that spread,
nious relationship with the passive subject on which it devoured and covered all that was good with a shell or a
acts upon, and it can never be the same without it. husk. Indeed! With its impenetrable strength and impris-
oning power it would have kept everything confined for

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eternity so that no rain or shift of any kind could ever be §12 through all of Nature's forces the attraction of all
felt again within the fallen Nature and Creation. The natural things to the corresponding essential origin, just
Kingdom of Death would have been made fixed forever as adverse forces, is practically proven.
if not for the eternal and merciful love of God which
subsided in the center, opening up for the natural and §13 All adversities have been brought into the things of
automatic influence of the heavenly Airy-Waters, sinking Nature by the Curse. Separate the Curse from the things
the fragments of Nature which already had fallen into of Nature in a pure manner and unite the pure separated
dreadful disarray. Once again ruled by their creator and, constituents with the Weight of Nature through a subtle
after the initial purification, they desired their initial unity natural Fire of Love. Thus, by the magical power of its
and freedom; to dissolve the Curse in order to destroy all own nature, the Universal Astral Spirit, by means of the
its perpetuating intents as seen on a daily basis. If the subtle fiery Ether, the purely separated constituents will
nature of the Curse was not harmonious with that of the gradually draw as much as it takes to completely and
inward-flowing and perpetually-moving heavenly Waters, effectively abolish the Curse, viz. § 6, to return to the
but of the same essential origin, then they would have original transfiguration of its own essence, and so forth
had no effect, viz. §3 and 5, and all visible Nature and according to the purpose of its own nature, viz. § 9,
Creation would have remained cursed, without rain or advancing towards the state of tinctural perfection as its
motion, through an eternity of silence and darkness. natural resting point.

§9 All of Nature’s intentions reflect her defiance of the §14 The Sun is the father and the Moon is the mother of
Curse and aim towards the restoration of her original this Universal Spirit. The Earth is its nurturer and all
clarity and perfection, which she would have inevitably the other planets and heavenly bodies attend its noble
acheived without the hindrances placed in her path, and birth. As such it is able to embrace all of Nature in its
by God’s eternal and merciful love has she been given eager pursuit of ascending toward its natural and essen-
this precise purpose. tial perfection, passing any obstacles placed in its path by
the curse, viz. § 9. Its 3 essential components are of a
§10 In order to acheive this, God separated the Light
from the Waters and divided the Waters into Watery §15 bright, clear, and heavenly nature, whether emanat-
fields with barriers that none may cross. Thereby came ing from the Above or Below. The Sun produces its
the globe we inhabit, the Waters and Air of different heavenly Sulphur by its eternal radiance, and the other
regions, the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars into existence, heavenly lights contribute to its formation; the Sulphur
as well as the subtle Ether which penetrates everything in of all three Kingdoms of Nature owe their existence to
an imaginary extension of all Creation and always fulfills this heavenly Sulphur. The Moon in itself receives the
the general carrier of the World Spirit, or the so-called rays emanating from the Sun, namely as much as they
Universal Astral Spirit who resides in everything, and all pour into it, continuously acting upon its Watery quali-
birth and destruction acting upon all natural things, and ties, whereby it produces and simultaneously exhausts a
the emanations, dampings and outpourings constantly highly volatile or spiritual Nitre which we call the mercuri-
breathed out by the Sun, Moon, Stars and our Earth, um universal naturae. And in the upper regions, by means
along with all the upper and lower Elements, which in of the salis centralis naturae, it always arises from the mois-
the various regions of the Air always descend from the tening of the Earth and other planets. And of those
Above, and through their harmonious and refreshed various radiations and vapors, with the heavenly Sulphur
upper and lower Elemental qualities incessantly of the Sun in accordance with the subtle Waters above,
intermingle, and are no less supplied to the Above than the increasingly subtle Watery qualities ascending from
to our Earth, and all of the Elements supplied with their beneath are enclosed, brought to the Earth through the
natural medica so that no thing should be diminished by Air and eagerly attracted to the various forces, acting
the everlasting emanations but be preserved by just as upon all things. Sulphur, Salt and Nitre are thus found in
many influences, not only in their essence but also the all natural things, even when visibly separated from
perpetual movement of life, that it may please the Grand them, but Nitre is known as the witnessing father of all
Architect, reconstructing everything anew. Hence Salts that are born out of all Kingdoms of Nature since
time immemorial.
§11 everything Above and Below Nature and Creation
of the same essential origin obeys the corresponding §16 The Sun and the Moon, along with the other planets
essence—the Universal Spirit of Mercury, Sulphur and and stars, act variously upon our globe by means of the
Salt—and eagerly desires all things under the Moon, in Ether and the Universal Spirit according to their mani-
which everything operates, because fold aspects, conjunctions and intervals. Each of these
rules is specially assigned to act according to its constel-
lation. They affect the Earth on and above its surface,

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and moreso within the Earth’s bowels, between other the Curse itself, but we finally begin the work itself
things, through various kinds of motions and reactions, during the reworking by means of the Funnel of Nature.
either imperceivably or violently. Sometimes beautiful So too does the preparatory work differ from all others,
and at others terrifying; these include phenomena such and so is the magnetic force, by which this way of sepa-
as earthquakes, storms, thunder, and other meteora ration we received our pure principia, incomparably
among other things, but intentions affect everything, as stronger and measurably attracting the Universal Astral
noted in §9. Spirit.

§17 All these principles are firmly and truthfully estab- §23 If we consider now, that which cannot be praised
lished within the daily operations of Nature. They are enough and far surpasses all human wisdom, what our
universally accepted as truth by all true philosophers, as Instructions for the 1st Degree, Ch. 6 and 7, teach of
taught in their writings, and the various practical secrets which effective qualities of the four Elements and of
of the Art of Nature always remain true and accurate in Creation we must recognize in our offerings, the Fall of
accordance with their practical instructions. As of now, Lucifer and the new Creation throughout the progress
all true teachers of the Art of Nature are in perfect and of the Work, but to recognize the Microcosm like the old
equal agreement that these same doctrines and writings Patriarchs, Egyptians, and our King and Brother Solo-
present the understanding which they tirelessly recom- mon, and all their successors until this day, realized by
mend to all beginners. Therefore our Father Hermes Trismegistus and recorded onto his
Emerald Tablet thereafter.
§18 we seek to depart from evil and obtain the good
through our Royal Art, which can be found in all visible
Creation and not just within one subject alone as many Sources: * Beyer, Bernhard. Das Lehrsystem des
sophists erroneously believe, along with a few true Ordens der Gold- und Rosenkreuzer. Leipzig-Berlin
adepts who discovered the Secret only within a single (1925)
subject and worked purposelessly with other subjects.

§19 The diversity of the Kingdoms of Nature and their

products behave according to the variety of the Curse
and its stages of disposition.

§20 Since every productum differs from every other

producto and, above all, since the Curse must be
separated from the good and the pure, which we call our
preparatory work, it follows that every subject that is not
in via regia, in this case, separated according to the
Instructions of our 8th Degree, requires a special
preliminary work distinguished from everything else
according to the nature of the Curse and its
characteristics.

§21 All reworking (when the good is separated in a pure

manner, and the same pure constituents arranged again
according to the Natural Way) comes to an end, because
this pure compound of Nature and Art no longer
obstructs the Curse, making it substantially equal to the
Universal Spirit, as it is necessary for the two original
magnetic forces, viz. §11, 12, 13, to attract one another in
order to be effective, and to pass through natural
progression to their original clarity and tinctural perfec-
tion.

§22 As we are in the opere maximo of the 8th Degree we

separate the crude subject precisely by the use of the
magical Fire, that which Nature both nourishes and
destroys all things, until only the purely spiritual
constituents separate themselves from all coarseness and

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