An International Confederation of independent Temples and Fraternities

IN THE ENDING of the Declamatio Fraternitatis it was said thus: “With our Declamatio we also want to announce that our Order has taken the initiative, together with other kindred fraternities around the world, to found an international Confederation of independent and autonomous Temples and Fraternities. All members of this Rosicrucian Confederation are working along the lines of the Golden Dawn tradition specifically and in Hermetic, Qabalistic and Rosicrucian traditions in general, from a traditionalist ethos. Thus, only because we have formally severed all ties with our former international parent organization and renounced the counter-tradition, this does not entail that the H∴O∴N∴A∴ has isolated itself from the rest of the community; let it be known that our Order constitutes a link in a fraternal chain of several traditional Orders which extends far beyond our domestic Hyperborea.”

Let us now elucidate on this subject somewhat further. The Hermetic Order of the Nascent Aurora takes part of a vast network of Temples and Fraternities across the world which has gathered together and organised themselves under one common Confederation. It is only known to the outer world for its acronym S. et R+C. F. T. and its true name in full is only a matter for its members and initiates. H∴O∴N∴A∴ is a key member as one of the original founders and instigators of the Confederation and its Mother Temple represents the oldest and original initiatory school. However, we wish to proclaim the seal of the Confederation which conceals many mysteries summarized in its symbolism (see header above).

This Confederation constitutes an league of independent and autonomous Fraternities and Temples of the Hermetic and Rosicrucian Tradition that share a Traditionalist perspective on culture and history, particularly concerning the Western Esoteric Tradition itself. All members of the Confederation are working in the Golden Dawn tradition specifically and in other Hermetic, Rosicrucian and Qabalistic traditions in general. The Confederation has set as its primary objective to maintain the hallmarks of Tradition offering suitable candidates Traditional initiation and teaching in the ancient and classical mysteries as constituting a vital alternative to the prevailing materialist and reductionist paradigm of modern and postmodern society.

The S. et R+C. F. T. intends to create a common quality standard for the initiatic system, training and teaching of the Outer or First Order. Apart from this lowest common denominator every confederated Outer Order works independently and under full autonomy using its own name. The Confederation is divided into regional jurisdictions which are defined and united by a common geographical, linguistic, ethnic, cultural and / or historical denominator. As an example, the H∴O∴N∴A∴ makes up the Scandinavian or Hyperborean jurisdiction of the S. et R+C. F. T. which currently includes all Scandinavian countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Åland Islands, Faroe Islands and Greenland) and the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania).

All confederated Orders in the Outer are governed by and share a common Inner or Second Order. This Inner Order is in turn generally divided into various Colleges which in most cases coincide with the regional jurisdictions. Each of the confederated Orders in the Outer are authorized by the Greatly Honoured Chiefs of the Second Order and answer to them in all of their workings. In this way the S. et R+C. F. T. maintains the traditional hierarchy and veil between the Outer and Inner Mysteries. The chief steward of the Confederation is the Archon Basileus or Basilinna which authorizes the Inner Order by virtue of the Grade Adeptus Exemptus 7°= 4°. Each of the confederated Orders in the Outer select their candidates for admission and are independently responsible for the individual initiatory process and teaching of their initiates within its geographical jurisdiction, under standing dispensation from the Inner Order. 

The Greatly Honoured Chiefs of the Second Order may in exceptional cases take special consideration and issue a special dispensation, following a formal application to S. et R+C. F. T., to admit and charter an authorization of a already established autonomous and independent Temple, with no current connection to any existing fraternity, under the premise that prior to its admission it should follow the hallmarks of the Tradition and maintain high quality in its operation, at least according to the following:

• Faithfully work initiatory according to the general reformation of 1888 with the Grades and curriculum as traditionally promulgated by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (1888–1903), the Rosicrucian Order of Alpha Omega (1901–1939) or the Stella Matutina (1903–1972), from Neophyte 0°= 0° up to Adeptus minor 5°= 6°, guided by published literature and official manuscripts, as well as practicing abstinence from any reconstruction of the Grades beyond that of the lesser adept.

• Emphasizing quality over quantity in the selection of its candidates and maintaining a high standard of teaching and training of its initiates, subjecting them to stringent criteria and rigorous requirements for advancement to a higher Grade with demanding written and practical examinations.

• Administering and overseeing the operation using a traditional tripartite leadership under a Imperator (leader), Praemonstrator (teacher) and Cancellarius (archivist), ruling together with a temporarily installed Hierophant (initiator) who leads a team of officers consisting of a Hegemon (psychopomp), Hiereus (sacrificial priest), Kerux (herald), Stolistes (waterbearer), Dadouchos (torchbearer) and Sentinel (guardian). 

• Requiring active participation in Temple activities and mandatory attendance from its initiated members at regular meetings on a monthly basis, obliging them to take collective responsibility for the management of the operation, not limited to the payment of dues, and to officiate as officers in initiations and advancements or in any other form of ceremonial group work. 

• As initiates uphold the sanctity of the traditional pledges, particularly exemplified by the obligations of the Neophyte and Adept, and in particular to uphold the sacred principles of silence, provision being taken to maintain a semi-public profile where the existence of the Temple may be generally known, either locally or online, but where its activities, places of meeting, documentation and membership roll is kept completely confidential. 

• Refrain from counter-traditional and dubious neospiritual activities such as aggressive marketing, commercialism, profanation, sectarianism, self-initiation, serial initiation, astral initiation, channeling and spiritism or blending traditional hermetic and qabalistic teaching with modern innovations such as neopaganism, neoshamanism, thelema, chaos magic, dark magic, satanism, atheism, theosophism, anthroposophy, new age, reiki, neoyoga, neotantra, etc., to retain the purity of the traditional teachings.

• Following a traditionalist viewpoint on culture and history, especially on spirituality and religion, on one hand according to the perennial or traditional school as promulgated by René Guénon, Ananda Coomaraswamy, Julius Evola, Frithjof Schuon and Mircea Eliade, amongst others, and on the other nurturing the belief in the possible existence of an original hermetic tradition that has been transmitted since antiquity to modernity through an ancient brotherhood officially known as the Third Order, which through envoys, assuming the roles as Secret Chiefs, historically have transferred esoteric instruction and authorization to the Second Order. 

Following the approval of submitted application for membership and admission into the Confederation the Gretly Honoured Chiefs of the Second Order will regulate the operation of the Temple, according to a individual conversion plan, to adapt it accordingly to the Reformatio Fraternitatas Ad Rosae Crucis Anno 1999 and Reformatio Minore Anno 2010 (the general and lesser reformations). All members of this newly authorised and confederated Temple will have their Grades collectively recognized and its previous Chiefs likewise maintain their standing within the Confederation. The Temple will in turn either become integrated with an existing jurisdiction or constitute the Mother Temple of a totally newly founded confederated jurisdiction. 

This text has been translated and extracted from a Swedish version of the Aurora Nascente in Hyperborea site, reblogged in English to serve my non-Swedish readers.

S∴R∴