When I was a kid and visiting my aunt’s farm in Quakertown, I recall passing the strange stone pyramids located on a rural stretch of road and always being intrigued by them. As I grew up and became curious about occult topics, I learned that the site was connected to the Rosicrucians, which only deepened the mystery for me. Just last week, I visited the area and soon found myself drawn, once again, to Clymer Road. George Clymer was one of the three founding members of the brotherhood in the American colonies, whose good company also included Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Paine. The organization, which appears to comprise a good section of the road, is still active today. The website, soul.org, is worth a look, even if it obfuscates as much as it reveals about the mystical religion with ties to Free Masonry and Theosophy.
The Rose-Croix brotherhood was founded in the early 1600’s in Europe after the several “inflammatory tracts” were published proclaiming the existence of a secret society led by one Christian Rosenkreuz, by most accounts a fictitious creation. But according to some legends, the mystery school goes back much further, beginning in AD 46 with an Egyptian sage and mystic called Ormus (meaning light) who claimed possession of secret mysteries from Atlantis. This “underground stream” of arcane knowledge was passed through the secret brotherhood, including famous members the likes of Frances Bacon, Goethe, and even Abraham Lincoln. But what exactly is this path to illumination? Perhaps the symbol of the rose offers the best clue. The many petals indicate an ongoing process of initiation. To quote Manley P. Hall (The Secret Teachings of All Ages) on the subject: “Only to him who has found his life by losing it is the mystery comprehensible.”
This might exclaim why I’m still quite baffled by this unlikely shrine in the woods of Quakertown. You may view my recent visitation near the end of this video. If you have anything to add to help illuminate me and my readers on this topic, please drop a comment below.
R. Saint Claire 