Founded in 2013, the Rosa Solis is a fully contacted initiatory Order dedicated to continuing and fostering the Ogdoadic Tradition of the Western Mysteries, and thus providing a vehicle for the advancement of its members in an ambience of living alchemy.  It is a private esoteric society and is not affiliated to any other organization, whether esoteric, religious or political.

The Order is committed to the ideal of the magical family and its unwavering devotion to raise its initiates to true Adepthood within the regenerative mysteries of the Ogdoadic Tradition.  It is a Hermetic and magical Order, based on 19th-20th century Aurum Solis materials and on evolving esoteric thought.

Ordo Rosa Solis derives its Charter of Succession from Astrum Sophiae and its initiatory lineage from the Aurum Solis, Order of the Sacred Word, founded in London in 1897 by George Stanton and Charles Kingold. As a chartered and contacted Order, by authority of the Grand Master, it is empowered to transmit the First, Second and Third Hall initiations and to revise or authorize new rites that function within the contexts of our Tradition. Membership in the Order, without exception, must proceed through the traditional grade structure.

Governing Bodies

The governing body of the Rosa Solis is the Collegium Cathedrarum, or College of Thrones.  This triad is composed of the Grand Master, the Prior and the Administrator-General. These officers are servants of the Order and work for and on behalf of the spiritual ideals of the Order and its Companions. They operate as members of the Grand Commandery of Albion.

Affiliated bodies within the Rosa Solis include Commanderies and Citadels. A Commandery has the autonomy to administer its own affairs, select its own members, elect officers, establish Citadels and set its own curriculum, although it must operate within the principles of the Rosa Solis and the Ogdoadic Tradition.  It is empowered to transmit the first two grades of the Order; initiation to the Third Hall requires permission from the College of Thrones. The College of Thrones must have a current list of all members and their grades and will, as much as possible, maintain communication with all members.

The Master of a Commandery must have attained to the Third Hall, that is, must be a member of the Stella Gloriosa.  As well as a Master, every Commandery should have (whenever possible) a Preceptor and an Administrator, thus being governed by a triad corresponding to the College of Thrones. A Commandery requires its own Temenos in order to perform initiations.

A Citadel is a working group established by a Commandery, operating under the authority of that Commandery and its Master. Members of a Citadel are also members of the sponsoring Commandery. A Citadel must have at least one First Hall initiate. It is not authorized to perform initiations or to have a consecrated Temenos. It is, however, encouraged and supported in the process of attracting new members, meeting as a group, and working towards becoming a Commandery. A Citadel must have permission of the College of Thrones before becoming a Commandery.

The term “House” refers to the initiatory structure and function of a Rosa Solis group. Every Commandery is also a House, because it has authorization to consecrate a Temenos and perform initiations. On occasion, the College of Thrones will give a Citadel the status of a House, although it still remains under the direction of the Grand Commandery.

Ordo Rosa Solis also has a consultative governing body, called the Star Council.  All Masters of Commanderies and Third Hall initiates are members of the Star Council.

 

FINANCES

The Rosa Solis is a non-commercial magical Order.

No individual shall make any profit by virtue of  being a member or leader of Rosa Solis.

The Order does not charge dues or fees for membership. Commanderies or Citadels may exact modest dues on a local level if deemed appropriate. Since initiations and advancements are spiritual gifts of the Order, no fees shall be charged for performing these rites.

Members of a Commandery shall have access to all financial records

 

MEMBERSHIP

Membership in Ordo Rosa Solis is by invitation only, either spontaneously extended or arising from an application.  Upon acceptance, an applicant becomes a Probationer, and begins a process of qualifying for initiation.  A Probationer becomes a Member upon receiving the Rite of Induction, the First Hall initiation.

Applications for membership may be refused without explanation, though considerations of race, creed or sexual orientation will not constitute a barrier. No person under the age of 21 years is eligible for initiation into the Order.

The title of Associate Member can be given to any friend of the Order without initiation at the discretion of the Master of a Commandery. This title carries no rights: it is simply an acknowledgement of a fraternal bond.

Although all working within the same Order and tradition, different Commanderies will have different personalities and approaches. Anyone unsuited to one Commandery is welcome to apply to another. However, initiation into one Commandery does not necessitate automatic acceptance into any other Commandery.

Initiates, probationers and associate members are all addressed as Companions.

Inquiries can be made at citadel@ordorosasolis.de

GRADE STRUCTURE

Initiatory Structure

Before becoming a member and receiving the Rite of Induction, every applicant shall pass through a probationary period: admission to this probationary period, as well as its duration and occupation, shall be at the discretion of the Master of the Commandery. The Order has three operative foundation grades:

  1. First Hall: Neophytos (Neophyte), Apprentice of the Great Work;
  2. Second Hall: Servitor (Server) of the Secret Flame;
  3. Third Hall: Adeptus Minor (Adept), Priest of the Gnosis.

Progress in Rosa Solis shall always adhere strictly to the sequence of Halls and Initiations, and no brevet grades shall be conferred or recognized by the Order.

The Outer Order 

The First and Second Halls constitute the Outer Order, or Lesser Mysteries. The name Ordo Rosa Solis is generally applied to the entire Order, but properly refers only to the Outer Order.

Within the standards set by the College of Thrones and the Star Council, the Master of a Commandery has the right to authorize initiations and advancements within the Outer Order in his or her particular Commandery without the specific approval of the College of Thrones.

The Inner Order

The Third Hall (which also incorporates the higher mystical degrees of the Order) constitutes the Inner Order, or Greater Mysteries. The name of the Inner Order is Stella Gloriosa.

Unlike the first two grades, that of Adeptus Minor is not fully achieved by initiation, but by subsequent personal endeavor and reception of the Rite of Ratification, whereby the initiate becomes Adeptus Plenus (Full Adeptus Minor). However, the term Adeptus Minor is often used to denote simply the initiatory status of the Third Hall. The Order retains an operative rite for conferring the Adeptus Plenus: the Rite of Ratification within the Rosa Solis/Stella Gloriosa. Additionally, Rosa Solis retains two Mystical degrees beyond that of Adeptus Plenus.

Advancements to Third Hall must be approved by the College of Thrones.