About the author
Harvey Spencer Lewis (November 25, 1883 – August 2, 1939) was an American Rosicrucian writer, mystic and the founder of AMORC. He led AMORC as its first leader (imperator) from its creation in 1915 until his death. == Early life == Lewis was born November 25 1883 in Frenchtown, New Jersey. His parents were of Welsh and German ancestry. Lewis was an advertising agent. == Esotericism == He had founded a group called the New York Institution for Psychical Research. The Ancient Mystical Order of the Rosy Cross (AMORC) was founded in 1915. He founded the organization after a trip to France with his father, claiming that he had been initiated into Rosicrucianism and was given a mission to spread it there in what he called an "old tower" in Toulouse. He presented this as a revival of the original, partially mythical and ancient Rosicrucian Order. Lewis affiliated with many occult groups, especially Aleister Crowley's Ordo Templi Orientis. Following a 1916 split in the O.T.O., the schismatic German branch recognized AMORC, giving him a document to prove this.
💬 What our editors say about H. Spencer Lewis's books
“Lewis presents a compelling counter-narrative to the standard historical account of Rosicrucianism, arguing for a continuous esoteric current predating the German origins. While his dismantling of the Christian Rosenkreuz myth is…”
Esoterica Books editorial team, Occult literature desk · on Complete History of the Rosicrucian Order
