Introduction to the Memphis Misraïm Review

You are now reading a review of the Egyptian Rite of Memphis Misraim.

My name is Samuel Robinson, and this is part four of my Reviews of the Rosicrucian Orders.

In this review you’ll find out about the Rite of Egyptian Masonry, what they teach and where it is positioned within the greater league of occult Rosicrucian organizations.

As with all these Rosicrucian Reviews you’ll also see the pros and cons of membership. If you are a new student, deciding which Order is right for you, you have reached the right site. I’ve also reviewed the other major Orders so make sure you read all of my Reviews of the Rosicrucian Orders.

If you are a member already, this article will help expand your understanding of your organization.

The review you are reading covers the Traditional Score of this the Memphis Misraim in particular. All Orders examined on this website are rated using the same system of analysis. This review therefore describes how closely the Memphis Misraim adheres to the original tradition set out by the Rosicrucian manifestos.

The Egyptian Rite of Memphis Misraim is one of the most influential occult orders in history. Major names such as Blavatsky, Rudolf Steiner, Aleister Crowley, Harvey Spencer Lewis, Papus, to name just a few, are amongst those who worked with its rituals and leading figures. Today, very few modern occultists realize the extent as just how much influence this Rite has on their work.

We’ll cover those hidden influences for a full expose here.

Some readers might ask, “Why would you examine the Memphis Misraim under your Rosicrucian Reviews series?”

The reason for this is simple. Although masonic, the Rite of M.M is all but Rosicrucian in name. It has Rosicrucian roots dating back to its very beginnings and, in fact, its higher methodology has become a coveted inner Order method for several Rosicrucian Orders who position this teaching as the very crowning point of their entire occult learning system.

Therefore, unlike my other Reviews of the Rosicrucian Orders, here you’ll be exposed to several facts that many occult leaders are not telling you or are not willing to openly admit. This includes the massive influence the Rite of Memphis Misraim has had on both AMORC and the Golden Dawn.

Be warned that in this blog post we use the language that is typical for this tradition. Members of the Order refer to their tradition using several terms:

“The Rite of Memphis”

“The Rite of Misraim”

“The Egyptian Rite”

“Memphis Misraim”

“The Ancient and Primitive Rite”

“The Egyptian Rite of Memphis Misraim”

“The Cagliostro Rite”

“Misraim Service”

And many others.

Some of them have certain differences you must be aware of, one being more Templar based and more Christian, and the other being more Hermetic and Kabbalistic. Generally in this review I’ll use “M.M” or the “Egyptian Rite” to refer to the tradition as a whole..

Before we move ahead, it is rare for us to recommend any specific group. The following Memphis Misraim body is rated as outstanding by Pansophers.com:

If you are new to my blog series, then please ensure you read ALL of the below listed blog posts. These will give you a strong historic basis in our origins, informing you about your tradition, and they will take you far beyond the monograph lessons.

The documents you need to read are:

Make sure you especially read the last post in particular before going any further.

Onwards!

Briefly: How the Reviews are Done

As you may have read in our scoring system, these reviews all follow a standardized review model. Without such a model they wouldn’t be objective reviews. They’d be totally biased.

Most of all, these reviews must be both helpful for new students.

There are several issues at work in modern Rosicrucianism, one of them being that many Orders have lost track of their origins, and secondly many Orders are closed off from the greater community, which clearly exists in a network of joint fraternity that is beyond any single organization.

As well, instead of offering biased reviews I’d like to clarify:

Only the early traditional documents were referenced in the creation of the Scoring System. We were not interested in the personal takes of those later Rosicrucian founders who developed their own ideas in the window between 1880’s to the 1930’s. Secondly, the Rosicrucian Reviews were not written alone by me (Samuel Robinson). In each review I have involved members from each Order, in this case – members of the M.M were interviewed to find out the goings on and deeper workings of the Egyptian Rite.

Beyond following a standard structure for each Rosicrucian Review: there are also unique questions addressed regarding each Order. For example, a common question asked for one Order might be “do they practice black magic?” and to another “Is this Order a cult?” and still “Is this Order a money-making scam?”

After all, there are weird urban legends about each Rosicrucian Fraternity. We’ll address those.

Now, onto looking at the Egyptian Rite using our scoring system:

Trinosophia Score: worth a total of 30 points. Pansophia Score: worth a total of 30 points. Christosophia Score: worth a total of 20 points. Wild Card Core: worth a potential bonus of 20 points.

Again, refer to my Scoring System of the Rosicrucian Reviews to understand this system.

Now Let’s Review the Masonic Rosicrucians

The Egyptian Rite is a masonic Order that for all purposes is illuminist, Hermetic and tied to French occultism. The original Rite of Misraim was founded 1784 with high degrees going well beyond typical masonry. The Rite of Misraim had 90 degrees, the highest four being surrounded in mystery, which I’ll clear up here.

Its historic tradition stated the Misraim was not only the grandson of Noah, but also the first king of Egypt and it was he who had established the Rite. This was followed by the Rite of Memphis, which was a reformation of the Rite of Misraim. In fact, the Rite of Memphis was a Christianization of the Rite of Misraim, which was considered too Hermetic. The Rite of Memphis had 95 degrees with a stronger emphasis on Templarism. Their legend was that an Egyptian sage named Ormus, once a priest of Serapis, had been converted by the Apostle Mark in Alexandria 46AD. Ormus had reformed the mysteries according to the new revelations of Christ to found their Rite. Of the two, the Misraim Rite is more occult.

In 1881 the two rites, the Rite of Memphis and the Rite of Misraim, were united in Italy by a figure named Giuseppe Garibaldi to form the “Rite of Memphis Misraim.” In some branches of the M.M Rite today the degrees go all the way up to 96, 97 and even 99 degrees! Their crowning system is the Arcana Arcanorum degrees which are said to confer the highest sacred mysteries of Hermeticism.

One of the challenges of reviewing the Rite of Memphis Misraïm is that, like its counterpart Martinism, there are so many branches of the Egyptian Rite, each having its own approach. In the world of Masonry – the Egyptian Rite is considered spurious, irregular and a haven for misfits. This is where a word of caution should be given in the reading of this Rosicrucian Review.

Regular Masonry initiates are sworn not to recognize and participate in anything like the Egyptian Rite. For those who don’t know what “regularity” in Masonry means; it is a standard by which Masons are able to recognize each other across organizations and geographies. In most instances regularity is referred to in the context of UGLE-English masonry and its offshoot lodges. For these groups its forms identify the “validity” of other groups. Sometimes the notion is exaggerated and silly, sometimes it at least assures one that the quality of the lodge you are joining is high.

Regular masons typically frown upon the Egyptian Rite. And it’s no wonder. In many respects the rumors regarding Memphis Misraim are true. There are quite a few branches of the M.M that only exist with nothing more than a fake charter owned by some megalomaniac. You’ll find many are willing to grant you the authority to start your own group by sending you a certificate in the mail, conferring high degrees even without having ever met you. Suddenly on Facebook they will announce that their “grand” order has opened another branch under its jurisdiction. Many grand pontificating titles are then mentioned for this great event. You then realize that the other twenty branches of this body were probably started in a similar fashion. Thus, there are branches of the M.M to be avoided and regular masonry is mostly justified for avoiding these spurious brothers.

But, what about the good ones?

There are high quality operations going on. In certain countries like Italy the Rite of Misraim Memphis is regular, fully recognized by the country’s masonic authorities. In France the regular version is named “Grand Ordre Egyptien” and has been reduced to 33 degrees. It works a higher occult degree of the Arcana Arcanorum as well. Such regular Egyptian Rites work fine rituals indeed. In fact, I’d say these groups are superior to regular masonry. After all, they have the ritual work to match but carry a Hermetic tradition. Then there are branches that are either currently seeking recognition for regularity, and, although it’s not allowed, quite a few regular Masons work the Egyptian Rite as well. It is only natural that some regular masons would seek out the occult twin of their tradition.

A French Grand Lodge of the Memphis Misraim Rite.

Having joined three different M.M Orders myself I can attest to the variation of quality. One of the groups works such fine rituals that I would have to say it’s the best ritual work I’ve ever seen.

The Egyptian Rite and its Rosicrucian Connection

Why include the Memphis Misraim in my “Reviews of the Rosicrucian Orders” indeed? The answer is seen by digging into the breeding of the Egyptian Rite. At its earliest years several Rosicrucian transmissions entered it. I am talking here of the famous Arcana Arcanorum degrees amongst other things. What’s interesting here is that later authorities of the Egyptian Rite actually transmitted these same currents back to various Rosicrucian groups in the early 1900’s. Below I investigate all this.

This review is not intended to be a history book, so we’ll cover the essential the facts only. I refer you to Milko Bogaard’s excellent and extensive coverage of the full history in his “Of Memphis and of Misraim, the Oriental Silence of the Winged Sun” available on Amazon.

At the heart of the Rosicrucian connection is the figure of Cagliostro. This sage and ritual genius is the real founder of Egyptian Masonry. What he envisioned was a resurrection of the mysteries of Isis and Osiris, proclaiming that “All Initiation comes from Egypt, all Light from the East.” Though, Cagliostro did not suggest worship of Egyptian deities. By “Egyptian” he meant Hermetic, not Kemetic.

Cagliostro was famous for his wonderous alchemical medicines and working strange miracles, mesmerism and possibly stage trickery. He was a performing man after all. Everyone points at the research: he probably was the criminal Balsamo before he changed his name. Some therefore judge and dismiss him on these grounds (normally Christians) without considering the fact that – what a transformation Balsamo must have undergone indeed! If he was to become the almost saint-like figure of Cagliostro, who freely cured the sick, upsetting many doctors in Paris, all the better I’d say. If he truly was Balsamo before then we should feel proud the mysteries can so effectively offer such a transformation into the great man which he became. He is an example of redemption.

Cagliostro had two teachers. The first was a strange Egyptian sage named Althotas. French occult writer Eliphas Levi stated the name Althotas is composed of the word “Thot” with the syllables “al” and “as” meaning “Thoth the Messenger of the Egyptians.” His other teacher was the Count Saint Germain himself and Cagliostro described being consecrated upon a throne by the Count. After this Cagliostro would name himself “Grand Copt” and “Grandmaster of the Rosicrucians.”

His initiation rituals were brilliant. Unlike today’s symbolic wordy rituals, Cagliostro’s Rite included the invocation of seven angels (Asael, Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, Uriel, Zobiachel, and Anachiel) over the candidate. A child seer, known as “the Dove,” was present in the Tabernacle to relay divine communications granted by the angelic presences. The Grand Cophta initiated males while his Queen of Sheba initiated females. Even in his first Egyptian Apprentice ritual the candidate is said to have witnessed the Grand Cophta himself perform a miracle and having learnt knowledge of the seven planets the initiate is told to recognize these planets within their own being. What’s more, the initiate is also promised instruction in the creation of seven planetary talismans, using materials corresponding to the seven planets and is told he or she will have the power to command the planetary spirits. Thus, unlike other forms of masonry, Cagliostro promised both immortality and communication with angels.

Important to his system, the rituals describe two magical retreats for the initiate to undertake. One was for a Morale Regeneration and the other a Physical Regeneration. The fact is, as you’ll see, Cagliostro based these two magical retreats upon the teachings of the German Golden Rosenkreuzer Order.

This wasn’t the only connection though. As I have shown on my AMORC Review, a conference was held for F.U.D.O.SI in 1934. Harvey Spencer Lewis was given the 86th to the 90th degrees and on this particular day those who convened agreed that the Rite of Memphis Misraim “had to be of a Rosicrucian source.” At this point H.S.L was charged with carrying out a “Rosicrucian Renewal” of the rituals. Rudolf Steiner too was operating the Egyptian Rite. His brand was called the “Misraim Service” and he named it “Rosicrucian Masonry” instead of “Egyptian Masonry.”

On the topic of its Rosicrucian ties, it should also be pointed out: several complex organizational structures were set up, by the likes of Ambelain, whereby initiation into the Rite of Memphis Misraim was required in order to pass into several Rosicrucian side Orders, including Martinism, Templarism, Kabbalistic Order of the Rose Croix and the R.C d’Orient. Still today, those operating the Egyptian Rite run several Rosicrucian side-orders alongside its ritual work. The two will always be tied.

From Paul Christian: Associate of Cagliostro.

The Arcana Arcanorum

One of the hot topics surrounding the Egyptian Rite is the subject of the mysterious Arcana Arcanorum degrees. Normally taught at the highest four degrees of the Misraim Rite, these degrees have been transferred to the Rite of Memphis and also of Memphis-Misraim. Furthermore, various branches of Rosicrucianism carry the Arcana Arcanorum as their highest instruction. Most attest that the Arcana Arcanorum is only taught through oral instruction, so sacred is their mysteries. They contain a series of instructions known as the “Regime of Naples.” Most reports state that it teaches: a system of operative theurgy, use of mystical seals, angelic contact and, in most lineages, there is an “internal alchemy” which is the crowning jewel of this system. By internal alchemy we do not mean generic “spiritual alchemy,” but an actual practice of energetic exercises to create the new Body of Light or solar Body of Glory.

Traditionally Memphis Misraim exponents attribute Cagliostro as the source of the A.A. There is something of a problem here, possibly a misunderstanding has occurred through years of oral tradition. Milko Bogaard shows in his research that before the 1988 publication of “Pour la Rose Rouge et la Croix d’Or: Alchimie-Hermétisme et Ordres Initiatiques,” by French author Jean-Pierre Giudicelli de Cressac Bachelerie there was never any mention of an occult system known of the Arcana Acanorum. Certainly the original top four Misraim degrees bore that title, but having seen them for myself, they are not very occult at all. The story is that Cagliostro transmitted his occult system in these degrees to the founders of the Misraim Rite. The only issue here is that Cagliostro’s system of practical alchemy and planetary magic looks nothing like today’s circulated versions of the Arcana Arcanorum. Most refer to Cagliostro’s system as the Secreto Secretorum instead.

When Giudicelli’s book on the Arcana Arcanorum came out over thirty years ago it caused a stir for all Egyptian Masonic groups. Apparently, up until that time the A.A was not of interest to anyone. Suddenly a wave of attention was focused on the A.A and Egyptian Rite bodies started to claim its possession. The claim suddenly was that it had always been taught, all along in secret, in their orders. Perhaps this is true, you just never know. What is important to know is that there are in fact at least eleven different versions of the Arcana Arcanorum magical systems which all of a sudden “appeared.” Each of them is different and some are just trash. One is simply a version of the Goetia repackaged. What appears to have happened is that due to the sudden surge of interest in the degrees it was necessary that each group had to start preparing their own Arcana Arcanorum so they too could claim to teach its mysteries. At the same time, I’ve also seen parts of the Mallinger Arcana Arcanorum dated to the 1930’s which obviously predates the 1988 publication. As well I’ve seen some other manuscripts dated to the 1950’s.

Witzhard claimed that the masonic “Arcana Arcanorum” was presented to the Grand Orient of France in 1816 in a document which summarized the different A.A “regimes.” It described three systems, a Coptic Egyptian system from Venice, the Naples system, and a Cabalistic system from the Bedarridde brothers who founded the Misraim Rite. The first mention of any A.A in connection to the Rosicrucians in fact comes from “Diagraphe Anonymi Rosece Crucis, Arbor Pansophia: Rosere Crucis Arcana Arcaniasima Mormii de,” dated 1617.[1] But, as Milko points out, all such claims related to the Arcana Arcanorum, including Witzhard’s statement, only occurred after the 1988 Guidicelli publication, and are derived from present day M.M advocates. However, as bro Mat Ravignat points out (see his comment below this post), quite a few of the Arcana Arcanorum systems are based upon the work of Jean Mallinger, who reformed the A.A Misraim degrees (initiation degrees) to contain an occult system called “Arcana Arcanorum” as well. The 1988 book that sparked the huge interest most likely was discussing a variation of this Belgian system which included the internal alchemy of Kremmerz added to it.

Does all of this invalidate the A.A systems being taught? Perhaps there is some truth to the matter. What is for certain is that several lineages of the Memphis Misraim have well developed systems today. Ambelain’s lineage at least seems to have gathered the cream of French occult exercises into its Arcana Arcanorum for example. Old or not, they teach effective forms of mysticism for generating the Body of Light. I’ve had the good fortune of testing some of the methods, interviewing those who live and breathe their form of the A.A and one of these I count as one of the few rare Adepts alive today.

It must also be said, such high praise of Ambelain’s lineage must be taken carefully. Ambelain’s line is not without its detractors, as Ambelain himself often took a revisionist approach to the Egyptian Rite, often taking upon himself to correct the rituals, issuing rectified versions of the Rite. There is also the issue that Ambelain gave out warrants and charters, only later to take them back, adding to the proliferation of Orders claiming authenticity as a direct line to Ambelain himself. What does all this mean though? It means that any and all of the Orders can present their “authentic lineage.” For some presenting such documents that is all they really have: just a bit of paper with no actual ritual work going on. One must look deeper therefore and judge a Memphis Misraim branch IMHO by its body of Arcana Arcanorum teachings coupled with quality of ritual work.

That being said, I should also point out that several branches of the Memphis Misraim actually have utilized the sexual alchemy of Kremmerz for their A.A. Their claim is that Kremmerz obtained this internal alchemy system from an “Osiris Order” which was the source also for the Rite of Cagliostro. They say that when Cagliostro discusses “white drops” and “red drops” he was alluding to sperm and menstrual fluids. Disgustingly, in some lineages of the Kremmerz Order (but not all) their practitioners ingest such substances. However, the white and red drops of Cagliostro were tinctures made from operative alchemical work. In fact, Cagliostro took his alchemical system from two sources. One of those was the treatise of the “Thesaurus Theasaurum” of the Golden Rosenkreuzer Order (also titled Testamentum Rosae Crucis), which contained the original 40 day operation of physical regeneration. It’s cover date is 1580, but it is undoubtedly much later. His operative alchemy secondly came from the Magia Divina, an operative alchemical text, upon which the Thesaurus was actually based. The Golden Rosenkreuzers essentially copied it, without giving credit, rebranded it as “Rosicrucian” and created a forty-day operation to ingest its alchemical contents. Operators of the sexual internal alchemy of Kremmerz and its A.A offshoots will claim that such text are to be read symbolically, as representing sexual fluids. Nothing could be further from the truth. Having carefully examined those treatises, they most certainly are laboratory works.

Be warned. The snake oil sexual alchemist will claim that “Sam does not understand the real meaning of the treatise. They are far deeper in meaning and one must unveil its symbolic keys.” But then, I was the first to point out the actual source for the Thesaurus Theasaurum in the volume of the Magia Davina, and none of them had bothered to find such a source and examine its contents. Interestingly, one page of the Magia Davina contains the title “Arcana Arcanorum.” Actually, the original material of the Testamentum and Arcana Davina did use human blood, sperm and even urine (none of it symbolically) mixed with gold. But, one has to understand, before these were ever consumed they went through laboratory processes (burning, distilling etc.). The final products of the white and red drops were not the original substances you started with. It is quite clear that at some point the treatises were interpreted differently and those too lazy to go through the rigorous laboratory operations took a giant shortcut. So, leave the sperm and menstrual fluid drinking to those who think they know better.

Arcana Divina featuring “Arcana Arcanorum.”

Fortunately, there are branches of the M.M Arcana Arcanorum which draw upon the Kremmerz lineages without this sort of weirdness. While they retain the teaching regarding the sex force, everything is done internally, conserving the sex force (chastity) for a form of redirecting it for awakening the Body of Light.

It can now be seen that part of the issue though of writing the Memphis Misraim Review is that none of the Egyptian Rites of today operate the Cagliostro system of theurgy and alchemy as Cagliostro intended. Therefore, we must look at Cagliostro as an influence, seeing that several Arcana Arcanorum versions at least tried to emulate his planetary form of magic by invoking seven angels or spirits. What’s more, operating Cagliostro’s original Secret Secretorum isn’t exactly large-scale Order operations.

Cagliostro writes “You shall go up to Mount Sinai with Moses” and “at the summit of the mountain you shall build your Tabernacle. It shall consist of three wings or divisions, joined together in the center and that center shall have three stories.” “The middle floor shall have twelve beds and one in the center for sleep and dreams. The uppermost room shall be square, having four windows in each of the four quarters and this shall be a room of light. There alone you shall pray forty days and forty nights in the dormitory of the Twelve Masters. Then you shall receive the signatures of the seven spirits and the pentagram…. Etc.” This is the Morale Regeneration of Cagliostro, whereby the reception of the Pentagon seal is a sign of Reintegration and restoration of the lost powers of Adam.

Clearly there are elements of the Cohens at work here. Some who attended both the Rite of Cagliostro and the Rite of Pasqually stated that “the Rite of Cagliostro is that of Pasqually.” What’s more, the actual top floor is also that same four-sided room used for the famous Abramelin Operation. If you look at the Abramelin you can see that it was reduced to forty days by Cagliostro. The first six months is done over 30 days, then you have your three days of death just like in the Abramelin itself. On the 33rd day, for Cagliostro, the angels are invoked, seven angels over seven days. Likewise, the Abramelin text states that at this time you shall “converse” with angels, without actually naming which ones. Cagliostro filled in the blanks there. On the final 40th day the angels seal themselves to your pentagon and then after the 40th day they sign themselves upon seven separate pantacles. The original operation I found in a library in Rome. What is most interesting is that whole sections of Cagliostro’s Secreto Secretorum are actually copied sections directly from Agrippa’s “Three Books of Occult Philosophy.”

The second operation of 40 days is, as I said, a new version of the GuRC Thesaurus Theasaurum. The point is that if you understand Cagliostro, he distilled the very best of the available occult teachings at the time. He took the best part of the Golden Rosenkreuzers alchemical operation and joined it to a condensed version of the Abramelin operation, both over 40 days. It is that simple.

Over the course of this Memphis Misraim Review, we will examine aspects of the Arcana Arcanorum and Egyptian Rite rituals as they apply to my standard Scoring System for all the reviews. You may wish to visit gtlmm.fr for more information on the Arcana Arcanorum degrees and the occult system attached to it.

Again, I must stress, the branches of the M.M vary. You must find out the highest ideal of the obedience under question. Many of the Orders exist only to serve the egos of their founders. At least one Memphis-Misraim order is focused solely on the solar work of creating the “Body of Glory” for the purposes of reintegration back to the source by way of practical alchemical, theurgical operations, and internal spiritual practices. I’ll base this review broadly looking at the best groups.

But first,

Influences of the Memphis Misraim on the Golden Dawn

One of the overlooked factors of the Rite of Memphis Misraim is the influence it has had upon modern occult Orders.

Aside from the fact that branches of the Theosophical Society and Rudolf Steiner actually operated the Egyptian Rite in full, several common practices in today’s occult Orders actually derive from the Memphis Misraim, without due credit to their sources. The Golden Dawn for example owes much to the M.M and on some points I’d say the Egyptian Rite does it better.

There are many examples I could cover, but we’ll use the G.D for this Rosicrucian Review and leave others for later posts.

The Golden Dawn Neophyte ceremony of the 0=0 has a set of godforms to empower its first initiation ritual. The candidate is taken into the “Hall of Maat” by Anubis where ancient Egyptians believed the soul would be weighed and judged against various sins. Osiris greeted those who were just. Everyone knows that the energy system behind the G.D 0=0 is based on this theme and that the Hierophant conducting this ritual from his throne in the east is actually empowered by the godform of Osiris.

Ambelain published the Memphis Rite Apprentice ritual (first grade), which reads “Leaving the Chamber of Reflection and its funereal furniture, you are now crossing – as if in a dark dream – into somber Amenti, Hades, the Realm of the Dead, guided by the subterranean Hermes.” Any student of the Golden Dawn will see the connection to the Kerux officer and his godform of Anubis who wears the Caduceus of Hermes badge.

Furthermore, the Memphis Master ritual reads “Here in my palm is the heart which I had from my mother, and it is pure. Let it be weighed in the Scale of Truth, for it is pure. I have never (several confessions follow)… And so, in the Hall of Truth, before the Veracious Tribunal and supported by my Patron, the Mistress of Truth whose Star burns brightly before my eyes, may my heart which I had from my mother be light, light, for I am pure. I am pure.” In the Golden Dawn 0=0 the officer of the Hegemon stands east of the altar before the candidate and her godform is the goddess Maat.

At first, one could imagine that this connection can be dismissed. “So what?” some might ask. Well, we have already placed the Memphis degrees within the Hall of Maat, but, in fact Mathers and Westcott completely hijacked their G.D 0=0 Hall of Maat godforms from the Sublime Council degrees of the Rite of Memphis. These degrees, dated to 1838, run from the 21st to the 30th degrees of the Memphis Rite (Not Memphis-Misraim Rite, but before Misraim was joined to Memphis).

Officer Godform Sublime Council Sublime Dai Osiris First Mystagogue Serapis Second Mystagogue Horus Secretary Thoth Orator Hermes Grand Expert Anubis Messenger of Science Harpocrates Sentinel Hercules

I’ve removed a few for brevity. The rituals use two Egyptian pillars and the candidate is called the “Neophyte” who is led in darkness. The actual 30th Sublime Council degree has all of the Officers assume their godforms at the opening, much like the G.D 0=0 opening of its ritual. However, in the Memphis degree each officer actually names his godform. The Sublime Dai announces, “Seated in the Orient, beneath the Celestial Canopy, I proclaim myself Osiris…” and the First Mystagogue replies, “I represent Serapis, foster brother to thee Osiris, lesser in glory but not less beneficent in Light.” Now the next states, “I represent Horus, thy son Osiris…” and so on with Officers assuming Anubis and other godforms. They are not identical to godforms of the Golden Dawn but clearly Mathers and Westcott took the idea and adapted it into their English Rosicrucian Order of the G.D.

In fact, once you combine the Memphis Rite sublime degrees with the rituals of the Swedenborg Rite you actually have the entire 0=0 ceremony in full, along with its mystical formula of the Z1 which is used to empower magic. Thus, the G.D was not new on these two fronts. It was just using existing methods. Still, there was much that was new, such as working the Tarot paths for rituals.

Another interesting fact is that the G.D 0=0 its officers, each wear a lamen about their neck. Those badges about their neck then become not only the initiation badge for the following elemental grades of the G.D, but they are also the entire floor plans for the temple layout and set in position the arrangement of the godforms on the floor of the Outer Order grades. The Kerux for example wears a Caduceus of Hermes, which is the floor matrix of the 2=9 grade of the element of air. The whole 2=9 temple is an expansion and layout of that badge projected across the entire temple floor. Similarly, the Arcana Arcanorum degrees in the original Misraim work this way. In the 87th degree you encounter three symbols in three chambers. These then become the staging of the following 88th, 89th and 90th degrees, with the halls entirely arranged out in the manner of the badges and using the same colors.

Arcana Arcanorum seals from gltmm.fr (recommended).

I should also point out, that the Kabbalistic Cross ritual of the Golden Dawn also appears in the 57th “Sublime Magus” degree of Memphis Misraim, which reads “Sign: touch forehead, and say: “To Thee belongeth”; left shoulder, and say “Glory”; right shoulder, “Power”; stomach, “Wisdom”; heart, The “Kingdom.” What’s so interesting (as Mat Ravignat recently pointed out) is that Eliphas Levi used this ritual too in his “Dogme and Rituel de la Haute Magie” (Page 223) published in 1854, which is also long before the HOGD was ever established. It has long been speculated that Levi was an active member of the Egyptian Rite and several Arcana Arcanorum theurgic systems draw upon Levi. Actually, Levi goes so far to say that the pentagram and hexagram may be used to control and banish evil spirits as they are symbols of man’s spiritual sovereignty. Several version of the Arcana Arcanorum do use a pentagram ritual and are comparable to Levi. However, I have not been able to date all of these as yet. There is a high chance that at least two of these predate the Golden Dawn.

My copy of the 90th Memphis Rite degree reads (translated from French): “Grand Master, holds in his right hand the wand, and goes to the East corner where he draws the Pentagram and he says: “Adonai, Adonai, Adonai.” First Grand Supervisor, says: “Spirit Raphael, bless our labours with the Hierarchies who ascend by the door of the East. May these spirits assist us in a fair way and with a just voice to do what needs to be done. May the Initiates of the Venus Star, Great Master with You at the Eastern Angle, come to us with Love and Wisdom.” This process is then repeated at all four quarters with the other archangels.

There is one thing though I should point out. In the Golden Dawn many lodges have their officers formulate their godforms for the initiations, right before each ritual. Some officers as low as the 2=9 grade carry out the task and what they inject into such godforms can actually poison them with the egoic qualities of such a lesser initiate. I’ve seen this in action. Other temples have their Heirophant, who is at least the 5=6, formulate the godforms, which is more responsible. In the Rites of Misraim and Memphis I’ve seen Arcana Arcanorum degrees where the godforms are fully invoked during for those grades above the 86th degree. Each godform is invoked to bless the temple.

Here is an example from the A.A 90th degree of Memphis:

Grand Master says: “O Goddess Isis. It’s You I’m invoking. You are the second Arcanum. You are also Wisdom and Mystery. Whoever understands you, understands the mystery. You are the Crystalline Sea in which are born, live and die all things, because it is You who presides over transmutations. You regulate the Rhythms of Life, you raise them, maintain them, modify them or stop them according to Your immutable Laws. Give us a piece of Thy Wisdom. Open for us the Book of Nature and have us seize the symphony of Rhythms. Because we are born in the image of the Sublime Architect of the Worlds of which you are one of the aspects and one of the reflections and we have with our Adepts, the Sisters and Brothers of Pythagoras, all the possibilities latent in us… (cut)… We aim to work according to the Order of Memphis and the Egyptian Rites, to the building of the Great Astral and Magical Pyramid and to deposit there, according to the Will of the Sublime Architect of the Worlds, Him, the Great Seal of Closure, the Stone Angular which is also the Seal of opening of a New Era… (cut)… Isis, You took us in your radiance. We feel Your Wisdom penetrating us. In front of us the Arcana are revealed. We are penetrated with Your Rhythms, Your Vibrations, Your Radiance, Your Strengths. Now, we operate, through you.”

This ritual continues invoking the various deities one after another with such beautiful invocations, calling the deities into the Egyptian Rite.

Only the highest sages of the Egyptian Rite perform such ceremonies. Then, when the lower Sublime Council degrees are operated, the officers present do not need do anything in those lesser grades. The grades far below the Arcana Arcanorum are then worked under the influence of these forces and the godforms simply work their magic through the rituals. The feeling and buzz are wonderful. No interference comes from lesser officers who can meddle with things as I’ve seen happen in the Golden Dawn. Thus, I find the Egyptian Rite practice far superior. If this practice was done in the Golden Dawn, then only those members of the higher Third Order would formulate godforms. It appears that when Mathers and Westcott formulated their new Order some of the oral transmission was lost. You only need consider which system makes more sense.

All of this though only relates to those M.M and Memphis Rite branches using the Sublime Degrees. Not all branches of the Egyptian Rite practice these degrees at all. In other branches there is no imagination-generated astral type teachings. Such branches are full extensions of the A.A degrees, the basis of which is found in the Latin phrase “Hic et Nunc” meaning “Here and Now.” These branches do not go anywhere other than using the corporeal body to build up an awareness of all the higher bodies.

Even so, the G.D clearly gets its godforms from the Egyptian Rite. In the process of transforming the French godforms into an English occult setting something else was changed in the process, which I should point out, even if it deviates from the Rosicrucian Review just for a moment.

From the German Egyptian Rite: Magi of Memphis.

In the A.A grades of the Egyptian Rite the godforms invoked are addressed as the actual deities. Thus, the Arcana Arcanorum degrees consecrated the entire Egyptian Rite under their guidance. One has to understand, “Because Moses was an Egyptian Initiate, the Cabala must contain a complete explanation of the mysteries of Misraïm (of Egypt)”[2] This particular flavor sees Moses as one of the Unknown Superiors of the Egyptian Rite who dispenses Hermetic wisdom and that the Egyptian gods stand as the invisible guides of the entire masonic rite, due to the sacred covenant established through the Arcana Arcanorum invocation ceremonies. We know that Mathers drew upon the Egyptian Rite in the formulation of the Golden Dawn, but did he miss something important in transmitting the godform presences to his new rituals?

Absolutely, and I believe the M.M holds those keys.

I am referring to the use of certain words to describe the godforms in the Golden Dawn. Where the Egyptian Rite sees a tradition of living deities, the G.D alternatively names the godforms “Astral Shells.” The thing is, this really is a damaging term to pass onto new students. Astral (mental creations) + shells (empty of life).

The first issue is that it suggests that all is within the “power” of the student’s mental ability to formulate such presences. Thus, the godforms were reduced to limited mental creations. This attitude is encouraged by popular G.D authors who did not know of its source in the Egyptian Rite. In fact, the connection has never been pointed out until the publication of this very Rosicrucian Review. It drastically changes things, seeing that in the Egyptian Rite the system of godforms is entirely theurgic, whereas the G.D method belongs to that era which saw the “astralizing of all occultism.”

To formulate the godforms in a G.D fashion the Heirophant or some officers should carry godform cards, to help with the visualisations. They now formulate the astral image, project it outwards, use Coptic godform names to empower it and add the right colours to it etc. and it should be quite clear that everything is done via mental creations. Something funny happens though. In one breath HOGD teachers assure us that the godforms are “Astral Shells” created before the ritual and then in the next breath they declare “And now the godforms of the 42 Assessors come down the middle of the temple to the altar to judge the candidate.” But, where did the 42 Assessors come from? They were certainly never formulated before the ritual.

How odd indeed.

Interestingly, Alan Bennet’s G.D talisman ritual has a hint of the authentic Hermetic stream from its older sources where he actually invokes the “Lords of Truth” as Hermetic guardians to preside over the consecration, fully conducted within the 0=0 Neophyte temple. That the 42 Assessors suddenly appear and this clue from Bennet should tell us that the G.D “Astral Shells” term is an awful one.

I would say that Mathers and Wescott created an orphaned child in the Golden Dawn, without knowing the complete authentic oral tradition of its parent. Interestingly, one of the main arguments of today’s G.D is that its offshoots are missing its “original teachings.” If this argument holds true, then the G.D must turn to the M.M in order to fully understand godforms. After all, the Egyptian Rite has an oral tradition spanning some 200 years carrying important lessons, so one has to ask “who has the original teachings?”

There are still many more lessons to be gained from the M.M that are not covered here. Also, there are several influences the Egyptian Rite has had on other groups worth going into, one of those being its influence on AMORC which is quite important to understand. This review only covers the Golden Dawn as an example. I simply cannot cover them all here, and there are MANY.

Now, we are ready to examine the Egyptian Rite against our Rosicrucian review scoring system.

Memphis Misraim Trinosophia Score

The first score examined is the Trinosophia Score. The word means “Three Arts of Wisdom.” The manifestos specify the paths of Alchemy, Cabala and Magic as being the true arts of the Rosicrucians.

In terms of Trinosophia, Khunrath was a big influence here seeing that before the publication of the Rosicrucian manifestos, in the 1600’s, his work describes them as the true agencies towards regeneration. His symbols were also the Rose and Cross and he drew geometric talismans for seven sided cities which would later become symbolized in the tomb of Christian Rosenkreuz.

For Cabala, Alchemy and Magic, the M.M could get ten points each for a potential total of thirty.

For this M.M review I’ve decided to cover all three scores under this chapter instead of dealing with them individually. There are two reasons for this. The first being that the entire M.M structure aims to deliver lessons on Trinosophia across its 99 degrees and also because the Arcana Arcanorum methods is a packaging of the three arts of alchemy, Kabbalah and magic into one system.

I’ll elaborate on these two points now:

In all branches of the Egyptian Rite an occult framework is delivered across its 90 degrees. There are 33 degree versions of the Egyptian Rite, such as John Yarker’s “Ancient and Primitive Rite” and the “Grand Ordre Egyptien du GODF,” which is operated in full regularity in France. Yarker’s version for example ends with these degrees:

27° – Patriarch of Isis 28° – Patriarch of Memphis 29° – Pontiff of the Mystic City 30° – Perfect Pontiff, Sublime Master of the Great Work

This is followed by two more degrees for positions of authority. The traditional Arcana Arcanorum is given in the final 30th degree of instruction in three levels. The claim of these condensed versions of the Egyptian Rite is that the most important grades of the 90 degree versions were selected.

However, in reality most higher 90 degree versions only work the most essential degrees anyway. As well, there are several versions of the Misraim, and Memphis-Misraim that only operate 9 or 10 degrees in total. This includes Steiner’s Misraim Dienst lodges in Europe.

Then, there are Memphis Misraim Rites that operate up to 90, 96 or 99 degrees, depending on which lineage you join. In most of the high grade versions the 30th grade to the 90th grade, is an entire series that culminates in Arcana Arcanorum. In fact, in some lineages the A.A are drip fed to members from the 1st Apprentice degree onwards in preparation for the higher internal alchemy. The series from the 30° to the 90° are so called Sublime Masters of the Great Work.

Most systems teach a series of classes like this:

Series, Symbolical – 6 Classes 1º – 33º Series, Philosophic – 4 Classes 34º – 66º Series, Mystical – 3 Classes 67º – 77º Series, Cabalistic – 3 Classes 78º – 90º

There are alternate versions of course, some more Hermetic or Martinist. In such a system your journey spans across these degrees so that from the 8° to the 11° where “you attempt the passage of water that unites two banks, or you fall into the waters without hope.”[3] In the grades of the 12 ° to the 17 ° “once past waters you can face the alchemical way, and at grade 18° -30° the astrological and cabalistic way.” Then from the 30° to the 90 ° you begin to operate with the forces of the elements, and later with the higher forces. Here you embark upon a work that mirrors the Emerald Tablet of Hermes, which says it “ascends from the earth to the heavens and descends again, gathering the strength of the higher to the lower substance.” Thus, the M.M initiate learns to deal with cosmic forces and realize the astral light upon the earth, within his body and through embodying the stellar forces.

This system does not apply to all M.M bodies, and they are all different. For the most though several M.M bodies are full blown occult universities, taking you to many Templar, Hermetic, Martinist etc. side Orders, including the Sanctuary of Hermes, and the Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor.

(I mean here the actual operative groups rather than the rabble, which I’ll cover later).

The point of demonstrating the above series of classes though is to demonstrate their link to the Trinosophia Score of the Rosicrucian Review. Already, we can see how the high degree systems teach alchemy, Cabala and magic, and that in fact the M.M does very well by Rosicrucian standards.

Now, to uncover how deeply Trinosophia is embedded into the Egyptian Rite we must look in detail at the famous Arcana Arcanorum degrees and their occult contents. The Arcana Arcanorum comprises three disciplines: Theurgy, Alchemy, Kabbalah. Bear in mind, it is difficult to score these seeing that there are several versions of the A.A. Generally though, they all cover Trinsophic arts. Most branches of the M.M are using the “Naples Regime” or the “Cabalistic A.A” from the Bedarridde brothers. There are a few others, such as Mallinger’s A.A, which he also transmitted to the Pythagorean order of the O.H.T.M. All of these strengthen the Trinosophia Score for the Memphis Misraim.

To summarize these A.A systems, they teach:

Metallic Alchemy: Not all branches undertake this, but several French and Italian bodies carry out full laboratory operations. Some provide a red powder for members of lower degrees to induce. They follow the path of antimony or cinnabar route. Branches that utilize these methods are closest to the Egyptian Masonry prescribed by the divine Cagliostro. Internal Alchemy: The practical ways differ, from relating to “presence” practices not dissimilar to Gurdjieff’s method or Greek Orthodox mysticism using alchemical language. The Naples Regime teaches a lunar and solar internal alchemy, named the Isiacal and Osirian paths. These paths are very similar to Qigong in a western form. Some routes take the sexual alchemy too far. Presently the Misraim Dienst follow letter mysticism for this path. Theurgy: Most branches include an invocation of angels or such “aeon guides” which serve to help provide illumination for the completion of the Great Work. Mallinger’s system invokes the seven Olympic Sprits using a pentagram ritual and a kind of Tree of Life ritual on the body for illumination. The Scala de Napoli of the GSA (regular Italian Rite) invokes first the Holy Guardian Angel, and then theurgic operations invite four, seven and nine angelic “eon guides.” It includes the “Grand execution of the 72” angels of the Shemhamephoresch. These operations are named “Chaldean-Egyptian” magic and an “Angelic Kabbalah.”

Clearly, the Trinosophia arts of magic, alchemy and the Cabala are stronger than many Orders. The sheer fact that metallic alchemy is being worked could potentially place its Alchemy Score well above the rating given to both the G.D and Martinist Order. Yet, not all Egyptian Rites do this…

One also has to bear in mind, that in several branches of the M.M the A.A were entirely invented either as a reaction to the sudden increased interest in these degrees or otherwise the system was patched in from other occult Orders. This goes for those who used Kremmerz for the A.A and even in the G.S.A it is similarly taught that the A.A degrees of the Rite never had any teaching unto themselves, but rather they claim – the 87th to the 90th were actually recruiting grounds for the Scala de Naples system. Some say that the original Arcana Arcanorum of the Bedarride brothers (Misraim) who taught a “Philosophic-Cabalistic Regime” was replaced with the Regime of Naples. Thus, the issue of the A.A can be blurry. It is also speculated that the version in Ambelain’s line was entirely his own creation. Whatever the case, clearly the Egyptian Rite has much more to offer than regular Masonry for Rosicrucians, and clearly the A.A systems of today, old or not, stand out as beautiful crowning systems for any Rosicrucian Order.

But, how strong is its Rosicrucian compatibility really? The manifestos outline 1) Magic, 2) Alchemy, and 3) Kabbalah. I must point out that there are some limitations for the M.M as to how far the Adepts develop along these lines in several lineages. In some branches of the M.M alchemy is entirely ignored. In others, the A.A is reduced to just angel magic. Also, going against the Trinosophia score is the fact that in most Egyptian Rite obediences the Kabbalah is not taught very strongly. There are some strong Cabalistic lines in certain bodies of the Egyptian Rite, but only a few. Operatively speaking though, the Egyptian Rite generally has all the right practices in all the right places.

Theurgy is emphasized more in some branches. In Ambelain’s system the higher orders of the Elu Cohens, OKR+C and R.C d’Orient play an extremely important role. These are all operative orders and their mastery comes hand in hand with leading to the 87th to the 90th degrees. In fact, the only person I know living and breathing Cohens theurgy, for hours per day, is a Memphis Misraim person of this line. Clearly, Martinism is strongly tied to branches of the Egyptian Rite, so much so that a Latin American branch criticized the Italian G.S.A for being “too Martinist.” The mystery classes in the G.S.A are like those above, however for their 67th to the 77th “Mystic” degrees are entirely Martinist in outlook. The Grand Master of the GSA from 1966 to 1977 declared that the 88th degree (belonging to the Arcana Arcanorum degrees) even contained a Martinist Initiation. Either way, despite such criticism, the G.S.A is one of the top two Egyptian Rite lineages I would recommend. What is important to understand is that in Ambelain’s and the G.S.A versions of the M.M these Rites are extremely theurgic, if not through its Egyptian degrees then certainly through its Cohens. For Ambelain the Egyptian Rite was entirely an antechamber for initiation into the Cohens. In this lineage it is taught that there is some continuity, theurgically speaking, from Cagliostro to the modern Egyptian Rite.

In Ambelain’s lineage, too, practical laboratory alchemy is taught as from the 18th degree, titled “Knight of the Rose Croix,” onwards. More is given along this line at the 28th degree, “Knight of the Sun,” and lastly the 90th degree, “Sublime Master of the Great Work” completing the alchemical journey. So strong is alchemy in this line that the candidate must not only know practical alchemy but a few must demonstrate their ability create the Philosophers Stone, or at least this goal should be partly obtained.

All of this points to individual theurgic or alchemical work. One must also consider that in the actual rituals of the Egyptian Rite there are several demonstrations of magic. For example, in the 24th degree of the Rite of Memphis (those Sublime Council degrees again) the Sublime Dai (Hierophant) commands the Grand Expert to look into a “mystic mirror” for the candidate during initiation. Two visions ensue. The first of a ship being drawn forth across the sea with a chariot wheel. The mirror darkens and the first vision is replaced by a “Living monster clad in green and gold, with eyes of flame, breathing fire and vapor. With strength incredible and lightning speed, he draws after him scores of chariots…” etc. Clearly such elements provide a framework or inspiration for operative group magical undertakings. Most likely these show a continuation from Cagliostro’s Rite who invoked angels into a seeing stone for the Dove to commune with on behalf of the new initiate into his “Egyptian Masonry.”

All of this shows solid evidence of a strong Trinosophia tradition in the M.M.

It’s got alchemy, it’s got magic, it’s got some cabala. Therefore:

The Memphis Misraim is awarded 7/10 for its magic score.

The Memphis Misraim is awarded 7/10 for its alchemy score.

The Memphis Misraim is awarded 2/10 for its cabala score.

And in total:

The Memphis Misraim gets 16/30 for its Trinosophia score.

Its magic is extremely Rosicrucian and is often the inner art of several Rosicrucian Orders. It would have done better if it had focused more of its magic towards worldly regeneration and healing. Obviously, its alchemical practice is stronger than many other Orders. Its French jurisdictions practice real laboratory work and nearly all of its branches practice internal alchemy, fully utilizing alchemical language and symbolism for generating an internal life-force regeneration or Body of Light. It’s Kabbalah activity is a weakness. It wasn’t so in the original Misraim, but most M.M groups to teach it only lightly.

Memphis Misraim Pansophy Score

The second section under examination is the Pansophy Score.

This section examines elements of the Rosicrucian manifestos most Orders entirely ignore.

Pansophy has three scores: The Utopian Score, Social Reformation Quest and a Universal Schemata Score. Each is worth a potential 10 for a maximum of 30 points.

All of these aspects are found in the early manifestos and writings of the Rosicrucians. So far we have seen AMORC scored badly here. It did make a weak attempt at a social vision. The Golden Dawn scored practically zero. It just doesn’t talk about reformation or utopia. They do magic. Martinism did very well in fact. Its reformation ideas are very close to the Fama, it even has the Synarchy system. But, what can the Memphis Misraim offer for social reformation that other Orders do not?

In fully getting to the bottom of this, we must split the Memphis Misraim into its two original separate Orders. The Rite of Misraim and the Rite of Memphis had entirely different social ideas.

Milko writes in his book “It’s clear that the Rite of Misraïm was considered a political and social threat to the French Government at the time.” So political was the movement that it was cause for the Rite to be forbidden following unease in 1820. But what was all the fuss about? Essentially, the political Carbonari and the Rite of Misraim were one and the same, and it is here that the Egyptian Rite obtains social vision unlike any of the other Orders we’ve seen.

The Carbonari, or “Charcoal-Burners,” were a secret political society aiming for the liberation of Italy. A figure named Pierre-Joseph Briot was responsible for introducing the Arcana Arcanorum degrees into the French Rite of Misraim, which he apparently received directly from Cagliostro. By A.A we mean the grades of the 87th to the 90th degrees rather than the occult teachings of the A.A. Now, this Briot was also one of the strongest agents of the Carbonari’s political agenda. At this point the Rite of Misraim and the “Maconnerie Noire,” meaning “Black Masonry” of the Carbonari, become inseparable. Their Black Masonry was led by those members who held the Arcana Arcanorum degrees. A police report of 1824 stated the “Rite of Misraim conceals in the last three superior degrees the core of true Carbonarism.” Henceforth it all led to a form of Hermetic Socialism.

Misraim A.A document, credit: gltmm.fr

But, one must understand that unlike many Rosicrucian fraternities today that merely preach social equality, liberty and justice, members of the Misraim were outright working on revolt. It was an “Italian secret society with revolutionary intentions.” The Misraim was recruiting the most important masons to their agenda and their goals had a patriotic and liberal flavor that was developing into a new form of Italian nationalism. This of course spread to France where it was called the “Charbonnerie” that established lodges of the “Ordre Maçonnique de Misraïm.” There in Paris its leader Buanarroti was imprisoned where he met Gracchus Babeuf in 1795. This figure was the author of the first ever Communist Manifesto, the “Manifesto of Equals,” and Buanarroti was apparently its co-author. It stated the “Equality is the first wish of Nature and the first need of Man.”

How many Rosicrucian bodies issued such a declaration? Not many. This bodes extremely well for its Pansophy Score, and in some degrees it even goes into city of the sun models, such as the 19th degree which has a Holy City descend from the sky, the light of God shining upon it. The “Manifesto of Equals” came to life in the Misraim as a kind of Pansophic “Utopian Communism” that further paved the way for the likes of Charles Fourier and later Jollivet-Castelot, who develop his “Spiritual Communism,” in which Christ is the first Revolutionary.

I should add Eliphas Levi comes into play here, a Utopian Socialist himself, who advanced the thinking of Charles Fourier. Lévi (Constant) wrote “La Bible de la Liberte” and “Le Testament de la Liberte,” both which espouse Christian Socialist ideals from a spiritual and esoteric perspective. This seems to support the rumour that Levi was a member of the Egyptian Rite. Certainly in his “History of Magic” of 1860 Levi gave a commentary on the occult retreats taught by Cagliostro saying, “The three chambers in the house “Sion” represent the alliance of physical life, religious aspirations, and the philosophical light. The twelve Masters are the Great revealers whose symbols must be understood, the signatures of the seven spirits, the knowledge of the Great Arcanum. “To attain moral regeneration the transcendent Kabbalah must be studied, understood and realised.” Later Levi explains preparing the mystical Pentagon of Cagliostro and how to receive the signs of the seven spirits.

Back to Pansophy, where today’s Memphis Misraim lodges operate Martinism as its main side-order, the Carbonari had their own side degrees to amerce its initiates into its political vision: Apprentice, Master and Grand Master. The first degree taught humanitarian principles and ethics with insight into traditional religion. The master-degree taught a constitution based on the principles of the first degree, which were largely the principles for the French Revolution, “Independence and Freedom.” In the third degree one learnt of the aspiration to install a republican government, the proclamation of social equality and presented the equal partition of the assets of the community. The ideas of the third degree were essentially based on the “Manifesto of Equals” of Babeuf.

This is also something we no longer see today, a Rosicrucian Order teaching its political doctrine. I think there is something positive to take away here for reforming today’s Orders without getting caught up in the identity politics of today, Rosicrucians ought to stand for something.

Now, interestingly, sources claim the final third degree belonged to the “Sublime Perfect Master” degree of Rite of Misraim. This was apparently “divided in three categories, each of which had its own goals without knowing the goals of the next superior category and in particular the goals of the third category, which was extra-secret and composed of a very small number of people. The first category wanted a democratic monarchy, the second wanted the republic, and the third communism. Buonarroti thought that it was only possible to reach the ultimate goal, communism, through gradual reformations (and hence the organizations in three degrees). The first category should have freed northern Italy from Austrian occupation, the second should have organized the republic, and only after that should the third category have introduced communism.” Thus, we see that the Misraim was actively working for real Reformation, which mirrors to the Fama.

(Caboranari and communism Misraim information drawn from Milko Bogaard’s excellent book “Of Memphis and of Misraim,” a must read on the M.M Rite!)

Between France and Italy you therefore see that the Egyptian Rite was communist in its outlook. Meanwhile in England the new Rite of Memphis arrived and was designed to attract the “Misraimites” to its banner. Though it was not very successful in France it was French refugees who had fled the country after the rise of the Second Republic in 1848 who would join the English the Rite of Memphis lodges. Many of the English Misraimites now switched over to Memphis. In total it now attracted many socialist and freethinkers. Socialists-freethinkers are not your typical Christian-Templar order, but that is what the Memphis Rite in England was. In 1839 members attempted to spark an armed revolt against the monarchy. This led to some persecution against the Memphis Rite, but ultimately, and unlike the Misraim in Italy, the Rite still was not banned.

In the finish, we see Misraim more aligned to communism and Memphis more to socialism. Marx thought that socialism was a stepping-stone between capitalism and communism though.

Actually the Rosicrucians aimed for a Theocracy, whereby the “enlightened” initiates would rule. Martinism and Synarchy is far closer to this. However, considering that the religious enlightened normally are the most ignorant I find the Theocracy vision dangerous, even if it has a “duty to the poor.” I’m not advocating communism either. Pansophy instead embraces science and real-world data rather than starting out with “opinions” of what should be. Pansophy aims for informed decisions and is still very much and evolving tradition here in German Rosicrucian circles.

Unfortunately, today most Memphis Misraim lodges have abandoned their utopian vision. But, even so, with such a rich history the documents and rituals are there to draw upon for those interested, whereas as orders like the G.D or AMORC you’re left wanting. Not all Egyptian Rite bodies have abandoned their agenda. Some have also taken up new ones. Rudolf Steiner’s version of the Egyptian Rite, also called the “Misraim Service,” naturally embraces Steiner’s organic threefold social structure. (This is reviewed in full under the Steiner-Anthroposophy Review). Personally, having joined several branches of Misraim, or Memphis and Memphis-Misraim you can see the spirit of its previous generations still lives on. Current groups are living examples of equality and social fairness. There is no racism or right-wing thinking as I have personally witnessed in some Martinist circles. In the M.M there is an underlying understanding and “free-flow” that I have witnessed that most groups could learn from. An Order should be a microcosm of the macrocosm it hopes to manifest in reality, as an example of worldly reformation ideas. That is true Rosicrucianism.

In total, the Memphis-Misraim Pansophy Score ranks as follows:

Utopian Vision Score: 6/10

Reformation Score: 8/10

Universal Schemata Score: 3/10

Total Pansophy Score for the Egyptian Rite: 17/30

The total ranks equal with the Martinist Order score, but for different reasons. Its Universal Schemata Score is much lower. Martinism has the Universal Table of Pasqually and the G.D has the Tree of Life. However, the 90 degrees of the M.M make for an impressive pyramid structure leading to the A.A. Its utopian vision is clearly Hermetic-Socialism and, well, how many Rosicrucian Orders today actually tried to actively overthrow their government or monarchy? The M.M scores a Reformation Score higher than any other group for this and also for actually issuing the first ever communist manifesto out of its leadership. This is admirable work.

Memphis Misraim Christosophia Score

For new readers the Christosophia score examines the presence of Christian mysticism within any given Order. Certainly the Rosicrucians WERE Christians, and yet they practiced a Hermetic-Christianity. Here we review how Christian the M.M really is.

If you need to first get clear on the subject see my earlier posts:

Are the Rosicrucians Really Christian?

Ancient Gods Above the Rosicrucian Tomb

For now, just consider how the Fama was a response to the “Reformation of the Whole Wide World by Order of Apollo” and how Venus appears in the Chemical Wedding of C.R.C. These ideas are Hermetic, not Catholic, not Protestant, but create “Hermetic-Christianity” for the early R+C.

The Christosophia score is divided into three sections. The first two sections are worth ten points each for a total of twenty. The final part of this section is worth a potential minus ten points. These are the Christ Symbol Score, the Hermetic-Christianity Score and Against Gnosticism Score.

Things get interesting when looking of JC in an “Egyptian Rite.”

What needs to be understood is that the Memphis Misraim was largely an occult Order for “comparative religion” studies long before it was ever academic. It has masonic degrees that don’t only cover Templarism and Rosicrucianism as you might expect, but various degrees step into the Mysteries of Eleusis, Mithras and take us to visit Isis and Osiris in Egypt. All safe, well in good in the realm of Hermeticism! However, some degrees take a strange detour into the mysteries of Hinduism and even ancient Japan! Perhaps it should be called a “Rite of comparative mysteries.” When meeting Jesus Christ one might expect therefore that, as with the Golden Dawn, the Christ savior figure is strongly assigned to the solar spirit.

The Rosy Cross is also given a more universal outlook as in this M.M lecture: “The cross in the present day among Christian nations has become indissolubly associated with the Christian religion as a most sacred symbol, and many would, doubtless, question the historical accuracy of connecting this symbol with a Rite that claims to have had its principal seat amid the magnificent temples of Memphis, near the great pyramids of Egypt. But as a matter of fact the Cross was known in ancient times as a symbol of eternal life, and ” is to be found in use even among the Egyptians with that signification long before the days of Moses. While the Rose in ancient mythology was consecrated to Harpocrates, the God of Silence, and in the Egyptian mysteries the Hierophant wore a crown of roses.”

The history of the Egyptian Rite and its relationship to Christ is quite a mixed bag. Some branches are absolutely Christian. These are mostly the branches of the Rite of Memphis, or M.M, while the Misraim is Hermetic, and actually in history some Misraim branches harboured anti-Christian elements. All historians of the Egyptian Rites state that the Rite of Misraim was the superior version of the two. In either case, if you go back early enough though, you find that Christ was an Unknown Superior of the Egyptian Rite. The leaders of the Egyptian Rite were the subordinates of Moses, Elijah and Christ, all acting as “Unknown Superiors” as stated in a lecture given Cagliostro to the Three Crowned Hearts Lodge. That certainly is a cut above the rest of the “Astral Masters” today.

Today this relationship at least lives on, especially seeing many branches of the M.M are also vehicles for preparing initiates to work with the Elu Cohens which has the same notion.

Let’s look at some of the degrees themselves:

In the Rite of Misraim you find in the 46th degree “Sovereign Prince Rose Croix of Kilwinning and of Heredom.” It has strong Rosicrucian echoes in this ritual. Namely the degree takes place within a symbolic castle that has many interior chambers, one containing an ever burning lamp. Such lamps are quite important in Rosicrucianism! In the 6th chamber the candidate also comes across a hollow sphere, mirroring that in the Fama Fraternitatis. Its lecture reads ““There is another middle chamber which Masons ought to desire a seat: it is the Angelic Body of the Temple of Jesus Christ into which it is only possible to be admitted by Faith, Hope and Charity.”

The M.M and Rite of Memphis exclude that degree unfortunately but the Kilwinning link ties Egyptian Freemasonry closely with the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite on many levels.

In the Memphis-Misraim you learn in the 62nd Sublime Sage of Eleusis that “The Ceremonies are twofold, the first founded on the Eleusinian Mysteries. The second part, the Christian version of the same.”[4] This reflects much of the thinking regarding Christ, who is seen as Osiris or Dionysus. Bear in mind, this was long before Theosophy or the New-Age and its solar-Christ concepts.

In the M.M 19th degree of “Knight Grand Pontiff of Jerusalem, (Pontifex Maximus)” you learn that the “the Knight of the Pontifex Maximus of Jerusalem personifies Jesus.” Now, this does in fact echo the City of the Sun model of Campanella that inspired the early Rosicrucians.

In the M.M 28th degree “Knight of the Sun, or Prince Adept” you learn about the seven metals, the angels and their rulers and “The cross on the table depicts Jesus, who preferred death to life in the last degree of perfection. The two-headed eagle on the red square represents the Holy Spirit, or the Universal Mind, giving Life to all that exists.”

You can see all the masonic tracing boards for these degrees in the M.M tracing board tarot, which is a fine contribution to the tradition and shows the Egyptian Rite is going strong.

There are entirely Christian degrees, like the 7th M.M grade of “Grand Commander of the Temple” and in the Rite of Memphis you see a strong Christianisation of the Hermetic Misraim Rite. The Rite of Memphis praises the Egyptian mysteries, saying (like Cagliostro) that is the source of all initiation, and then states “Christianity came and enlarged the Circle of the Initiation. It extended to all men the moral side of the Mysteries.”[5] This comes hand in hand with the Rite of Memphis agenda which was seen in full in its legend of Ormus which was installed into the Egyptian Rite.

According to the new legend in the Rite of Memphis the apostle Mark had travelled with six of his companions to Egypt. He converted an Egyptian sage in Alexandria by the name of Ormus, and together they purified the doctrine of the Egyptians. Until his conversion Ormus was a sage of the god Serapis (Osiris). With Mark he founded the “Sages of Light” and gave to them a red cross. The legend was extended in another grade, saying the Essenes had founded a school of Solomonic wisdom, to which the disciples of Ormus attached themselves. This became the treasury of the secrets of Moses and of Hermetic Secrets.

If you missed the point: the entire legend was introduced into the Egyptian Rite (then Misraim) to convert it all to Christianity under the new Rite of Memphis. Later in the legend we learn that these mysteries were communicated to the Templars, who became known as the “Brethren of the Rosy Cross of the Orient” who founded the Rite of Memphis in full. Some readers will be interested to know that the Golden Rosenkreuzer described this Ormus first.

This struggle for Christianity to win over the Egyptian Rite is quite interesting. In fact in the Misraim Rite the Jewish tradition was more important. Its founder Marc Bedarride actually downplayed the role of Christ in his Rite. For example in his 1845 book he ignores Jesus Christ but mentions a “certain Jesus who was born in 122 B.C, a supposed translator of the Ecclesiastical book into Greek and a Great Initiate of Misraïm.” The Memphis Rite tried to “fix” this. In contrast, the Misraim also wanted to Egyptianize everything. The Rite of Misraim was cashing in on the Egyptomania of the time. One Misraim member, Hiedger, claimed the famous French occultist Antoine Fabre d’Olivet was himself a member of the Rite of Misraïm. And this might well be so when looking at his teachings. Fabre d’Olivet claimed the Hebrew letters were originally hieroglyphics which had a more profound meaning and that Moses taught Egyptian hieroglyphs in secret to his initiates.

Both the Rite of Memphis and the Rite of Misraim are still worked separately today. I was recently initiated into the Misraim rituals and can tell you from experience they are just brilliant. Once you get to the amalgamated Rite of Memphis-Misraim however you certainly are dealing with strong Martinist elements. As I have said, some branches of the M.M are simply masonic vehicles for Pasqually’s and LCM’s Martinist philosophy, meaning they are bodies purely teaching esoteric Christian occultism.

Steiner’s “Misraim Service” must be mentioned here as it is unlike any other Misraim body. It teaches his Christian occult science. Or, look at the “Ancient and Primitive Rite,” an M.M branch that works just 33 degrees of total 90 degrees system. It actually states that the “Rite is Christin in its nature due to the majority of the Rituals Degrees being based upon the Christian Tradition of the New Testament, the Rite reserves the Right to only admit those that have a firm belief in Jesus The Christ, such as any Christian Master Mason, Muslim Master Mason or Messianic Jew Master Mason.” This is not typical of M.M Rites, but certainly many of them are esoteric Christians. However, no matter the branch, once you get towards the Arcana Arcanorum method of internal alchemy and regeneration the new Body of Light is seen as the illumed Body of Christ.

In the finish, so many branches of the M.M see things differently. If we look at the majority of bodies about 70% are quite Christian and the majority accept non-Christians or are Hermetic.

Therefore:

The M.M gets 6/10 for its Christ Symbol Score.

The M.M gets 9/10 for its Hermetic-Christianity Score.

The M.M is penalised 2/10 for its Against Gnosticism Score.

In total the M.M is awarded 13/20 for its Christosophia Score!

This is based on the broad spectrum of Egyptian Rite bodies. Some could well score a solid 20/20 for their score! I kid you not. Others could actually score a zero and even dabble in “Gnostic voodoo,” which I’ll get to in a moment. Obviously the Christianity of the M.M is extremely Hermetic which compares well to the flavour of the Rosy Cross. What scores it down in some jurisdictions is the presence of the Gnostic Church, which is quite important to certain branches. These go hand in hand with the Martinist type Egyptian Rites. But, Gnosticism is a poor substitute for the Hermetic-Christianity of the Rosicrucians, and they are entirely different things. All in all though, you have to understand, the Memphis Misraim is not a school that teaches particular beliefs (like Steiner). For the most part the M.M is an esoteric masonic body that leaves faith up to its individual members.

Egyptian Rite 20 Points Wild Card Score

The 20 points wild card is where Orders have the chance to really win in terms of tradition.

Bear in mind that these points are given in relation to tradition, as opposed to spiritual value. I do intend to examine a Spiritual Score for the Orders someday. For now I hope you enjoy this series.

The 20 potential points is awarded in relation to how any Order under question relates to the six Rosicrucian manifestos of the early 1600’s. Several Orders do this in their own unique way and wildcard score is given in recognition for some special Rosicrucian attribution that is unique.

There is one thing the Memphis Misraim does better than any order: it’s the representation of the entire mysteries as a whole and all its sects and branches. You get a tour from Egypt to the rites of Mithras, to India, to Gnosticism, to Templarism and beyond. It is not just a living Order. It is a living encyclopedia of occult knowledge.

This encyclopaedic notion is extremely important in Rosicrucianism! The tomb of C.R.C was meant to comprise a representation of all knowledge. Each square on the tomb’s walls should have provided an overview of all things known, from the mineral to the heavenly realms. Evidence of this is seen not just in the Fama with its deposited books and universal representation of the tomb’s design, but in act the tomb is largely based on Campanella’s “City of the Sun.” The model of that city had seven sides to seven surrounding walls, each wall covered in various objects of wildlife, so that the entire city was an architectural encyclopedia. Here we arrive to Comenius’ original notion of Pansophy and how Rosicrucianism is not merely occultism but was intended to (originally) be a university type learning centre that records all knowledge.

The fact is, as Tobias Churton points out in his fine book “The Invisible History of the Rosicrucians,” Rosicrucianism has become a time-capsule for those latest scientific ideas given at the time (1600’s). What is modern esoteric R.C knowledge in many ways is an outdated mode of scientific thought. The world evolved beyond most forms of Rosicrucianism. I would say Pansophy is still the ongoing evolution here and solution to this dilemma. What the R.C envisioned with the help of Campanella’s city model was a grand indexing of knowledge within a sacred sanctuary. This in fact has never fully been realized. For the most part the current models that are in use as based upon the tomb of Christian Rosenkreuz are not encyclopaedic. I am referring to Rosicrucian temples, like the Golden Dawn or SRIA, which have their own representations of the tomb for initiatory use. The Rosicrucian bodies of today rarely index very much. The list of Kabbalistic attributions of plants and stones etc. for each of the paths and spheres is a good start.

What the Memphis Misraim does so well here is that it has started an index of the various mysteries of the world. One has to understand that its “high degrees” are not sequential degrees going from the 1st to the 90th degree, but many of them can be worked as side degrees at any time. For the M.M they did not merely “index” the world’s mysteries though. They actually sought to bring you into them as a physical visitor within that compendium’s index. You are not travelling there as an “astral visitor” but actually were intended to be awakened in those ancient mysteries, as if the M.M is some sort of time-machine that “boom-pow!” drops you that age and throws you in that temple!

In this respect we start to see that Doctor Who’s “Tardis” and the Vault of the Adepti have something in common. Well, more seriously, the M.M with its early 1800’s overview of all mysteries was well and truly ahead of its time, considering such ideas became mainstream much later. Here, the Theosophical Society, AMORC and the Golden Dawn owe much to the Egyptian Rite indeed. Although the M.M did not embody a full compendium of all knowledge, as the Rosicrucians intended, it certainly took a shot at indexing all the mystery religions into cone comprehensive system.

The M.M is awarded 14/20 for its Wild Card Score!

Part of this score was raised by the fact that there is a “Rosicrucianising” (making all things more R+C) going on within the Egyptian Rites. Some of this has never been pointed out until this review:

Firstly, we know that the M.M Ormus myth actually roots its masonic traditional history in the Rosicrucian. Its legend does not start with Hiram or King Solomon like regular Masonry but ties the Rite to this Ormus figure and his Order bearing the rose cross in Egypt. Secondly, something I have mentioned before. If you read Ambelain carefully you’ll notice that in the legend of Misraim something special appears. The deceased body of Misraim is actually buried in a tomb featuring an ever burning fire. Around his sarcophagus are seven planetary gems. Quite Rosicrucian right?

But, it doesn’t stop there.

In the Master Mason degree of the Memphis Rite the fellow builders go searching for the missing body of their master Hiram who has been slain. The search goes on in vain as they tour the temple. A mound is found, and seven masters tour the temple a fourth time and see a Sprig of Acacia upon the mound which is “more proof that we are standing before the hidden tomb of our lamented Master Hiram.” Clearly it relates to the nail that is pulled out to reveal the tomb of Christian Rosenkreuz. In the Fama, CRC himself also is surrounded by seven brothers he welcomes into the Order. There is something of what becomes the later RR et AC ritual where it is stated “Three Brothers of the required seven cooperated to raise you out of the Tomb, to make you reborn. This is to show you that, in the mass of Initiates, only some achieve the highest initiatic results.”[6] Later Rosicrucian fraternities seem to have utilised this with their use of Three Chief Adepts in the CRC tomb.

Another Rosicrucian layer is given now to the Egyptian Rite, where Ambelain mentions in his Memphis Misraim regalia collection that “for around thirty years we have had in our possession two Master Mason sashes, plain blue, and very richly embroidered with gold. Among the very numerous symbols which gleam there, a little tarnished, there is a hive surrounded by seven bees!” This obviously relates to the “Dat Rosa Mel Apibus” engraving of 1598 that is seen as a Rosicrucian emblem and states “The Rose Gives the Bees Honey.”[7]

All of these layers served to Rosicrucianise masonry into what became Memphis Misraim. This is why for the most part several authorities have called it “Rosicrucian Masonry.”

Final Total Score for the Memphis Misraim Review

Here are the scores of the M.M Review totalled for the final total:

Christosophia Score: 13/20

Trinosophia Score: 16/30

Pansophia Score: 17/30

Wild Card Score: 14/20

Total M.M Rosicrucian Tradition Score: 59/100

In comparison both the Golden Dawn and Martinist Order scored 64/100 for different reasons. Now, some branches of the M.M, it must be said, actually score much higher. It all depends on the lineage you’re associated to. Some of them do get a bit weird and some of them exist only on the internet.

What About Voudon Memphis Misraim?

One current I should mention here is the idea of Voudon Gnosis in Memphis Misraim. What on earth does voodoo have to do with the Egyptian Rite? You would think not much. However there are branches that fully embrace voodoo as a means to empower its initiations. It’s a bit of a disgrace in the M.M world.

The two original groups under Michael Bertiaux were the Ordo Templi Orientis Antiqua (OTOA) and lodge La Couleuvre Noire (The Black Snake). Wikipedia states the Orders were founded in 1921 and 1922 by “gnostic patriarch and Voudon high priest Lucien-Francois Jean-Maine.” By “Gnostic Patriach” it is meant here the Bishop’s consecration communicated in Martinism alongside the Gnostic Church. Suddenly we are led to believe a blend between Martinism, Memphis Misraim and voodoo occurred in Haiti. Today its adherents claim an authentic Haitian lineage as its M.M flavour.

Peter Koenig and Milko Bogaard both point out though that before 1966 there was almost no evidence of the whole movement. Thus, it would appear its founding story was backdated. Even so, its practitioners take the movement quite seriously. But, what is its value?

Tau Allen Greenfield is one of the figures to inherit and evolve the system to include a series of “Chaud Points” into his Memphis Misraim system. The original concept derives from Haitian Voodoo and Beriaux developed a system of 16 points for use in his OTOA. Greenfield expanded this to include a total of 97 points. The “Points Chauds” are “hot points” located on the physical body and are activated during initiation. They are meant to be magical empowerments and for these groups are also tied to maping the Enochian Aethyrs over the body as well. Today they are activated by touch, by someone who has previously received the points. Greenfield himself activated all these points by scrying.

The first four points are activated in a formal lodge setting using M.M rituals. A voodoo deity is connected to each activation: Atibon Legma for the first degree, Papa Loko the second, Aron Samedi for the third, and Dambala Wedo for the fourth. After giving each point the group collectively does scrying in the point and it is developed in personal and group meditations.

For the most part the vast majority of lodges using the system are trashy and to be avoided. If you go online and ask to receive a charter to start your own Memphis Misraim group, the only time is given to you without having to go through any initiations is typically from one of these Voudon Gnosis groups. Thus, many of them only exist on paper. Still, that being said, there are a few genuine practitioners who seek the Light.

By now, you’re probably thinking I don’t like some M.M folks. No, that’s not true. You should read my other post “Why All the Nit Picking of Orders in your Reviews?”

On the plus side of the Voudon Gnosis issue. It goes to show that the M.M is one of the few orders that is adaptable and can become a vehicle for other currents. Steiner certainly did this.

There are however two other issues with the voodoo thing.

The first of these is that French M.M mystics divide the occult work into “Lunar and Solar” paths. This has a different meaning than is used in America or England. For the French, Lunar normally means astral magic, low magic, and egoic personal self-gain type magical arts. The Solar path in Memphis Misraim means higher theurgy, self-regeneration and building the Body of Light. Most M.M lodges emphasize the solar and in some M.M (including the one I am in) if you practice any of methods of the lunar path you are actually expelled from the Order. This particular M.M is therefore entirely Solar and about regeneration.

By and large Voudon Gnosis is classified under the lunar path.

The second issue though is more important. Simply put, if you need to add such things to your Egyptian Rite rituals to get results you must be doing something seriously wrong. The original rituals are brilliant of themselves and have a great system for regeneration. There was no need to add these weird pressure points into the degree rituals. Of course, if you are not getting the real results, such things are added for the sake of creating fireworks and getting a bigger “buzz” out of the initiations. Again, this is the wrong approach and is akin to astral tourism for the sake of seeing sparks and fun.

I have a theory as to how this evolved. To my mind such workings arose out of the OTO format because, at the outset, it lacked contact with its Italian and French lifeblood. The original OTO of Theodor Reuss was indeed a Memphis Misraim Order, that reduced the 90 degrees down to just nine grades. This was functional and Steiner did the same. In both the Steiner and Reuss OTO versions there is a clear break from its sources and nothing of the mystical culture of the original French and Italian Rites remains. Therefore, its safe to say that OTO offshoots, claiming to be M.M lodges, would not have the same genuine spirit and sacred approach to the mysteries its French counterparts possess.

Finally, I’d say the Voudon Gnosis branches is rife with mega egos. Enter at your own risk.

I didn’t want to include this section but felt this would help clarify things for new seekers who might go looking for the genuine mysteries of the real Memphis Misraim bodies that carry the authentic regeneration method of the Arcana Arcanorum.

What Kind of Adepts Does the Egyptian Rite Really Produce?

In the finish, it’s all about graduation. The final test of any Order is what type of Adepts does it turn out? It should be clear by now that different Orders produce different types of people. Some are producing Adepts, and some are not. Some are turning out new-age airheads or schizoids.

In the world of Memphis Misraim there are two groups we could rate as producing two very different types of “Adepts.” The first of these are the fake branches of M.M that only exist on a Facebook Fanpage or some such. We don’t need to really summarise what they are about. There are some M.M orders that exist solely for the purpose of inflating its leaders though. These groups still have some lovely students, but their leaders are just awful. All in all, when you enter the world of the Egyptian Rites you are not guaranteed any standard that is truly worldwide between obediences.

There are however a few good obediences where things are run extremely well.

They are the Italian GSA and the Grande Hierophanie, (see the links to visit the websites of their grand lodges) and you’ll see they have many international lodges across the world for you to join.

I will add more to this short list as I become better informed. These two are without doubt serious operations. They work in several countries and have created sacred environments for spiritual work. There really is a feeling of the Holy Spirit at work in them. If you can’t join these two groups in your own country, try fly to them if possible and establish branches for them wherever you are.

Looking at the more serious groups the adepts they are producing in my humble opinion are a cut above the rest. I have encountered genuine adepts here who are humble, do not announce their achievements publicly and are tirelessly working to serve others. In fact I would say they are extremely generous when it comes to helping others. In short, the Memphis Misraim has successfully achieved something of a cloister type sanctuary of illumination hidden in plain sight.

Very few realise what is really going on in the Egyptian Rite.

There are of course different systems, which for example do not have any Grand Hierophant. Instead they establish a Sovereign Sanctuary in each country, where its Sovereign Grand Lodge is entirely independent and answers to no one else above it. The thinking here is that whenever there are problems between M.M groups, it is largely due to the egos of the Grand Hierophants. Not all groups will agree, but I am quite supportive of these groups as well.

Cagliostro’s original Triangle of Art.

The adepts I describe above compared with their Martinist and Golden Dawn brethren to have different indicators adeptship. They have the Hermetic knowledge of occultism, but do not stray too far into the theoretical as so many Hermetic Orders do and being Martinist they have the benefit of the Way of the Heart as a primary focus, and this is coupled with the moral regeneration of masonic character growth. In total there is a strong feeling you have encountered a sacred space of silence, in the presence of humble souls who work away from the profane to raise each other. Some Orders might bring out the worst in its students, but this is not happening in the best M.M groups. There is a spiritual presence flowing through its Adepts that is extremely rare in any Western mystical Order.

In my humble opinion the Memphis Misraim has achieved the perfect balance of occult seeking while ensuring they are turning out very good people who radiate a presence of the Light.

The three different rites pack a different punch in terms of their Rosicrucian traditional score. The Christosophia score is stronger in both the Rite of Memphis-Misraim and in the Rite of Memphis compared with the particular Rite of Misraim, which is more Hermetic. On the other hand, the Pansophia score is strongest on the Misraim Rite side. In the finish, some Memphis-Misraim Rites will take the best of both worlds. When combined with the internal alchemy mysteries and theurgic practices of the Arcana Arcanorum, and when worked properly, the Memphis Misraim is a beautiful tradition.

Comments enabled below!

Samuel Robinson,

Founder of Pansophers

[1] “Catalogue Raisonne of works on the occult sciences.” Page 18.

[2] Quotation from Sédir (derived from Fabre d’Olivet) from Milko’s book.

[3] Milko’s book

[4] Yarker

[5] “Sanctuary of Memphis of Hermes” E.J de Marconis de Negre.

[6] “Ceremonies and Rites of the Memphis Misraim” page 115

[7] “Ceremonies and Rite of the Memphis Misraim” footnote 12 page 12, by Ambelain.

It is rare for us to recommend any group. The following Memphis Misraim groups is rated as outstanding by Pansophers.com: