Sub Rosa

This section of sacred-texts contains resources related to secret societies, conspiracies, and hidden knowledge.

Proofs of a Conspiracy
by John Robison [1912]
Did the Bavarian Illuminati start the French Revolution?

Code of the Illuminati
Part III of Memoirs Illustrating the History of Jacobinism
by Abbé Barreul, tr. by Robert Edward Clifford [1798]
What dark secrets did the Bavarian Illuminati hide, even from their rank and file?

The Comte de St. Germain
by Isabel Cooper-Oakley [1912]
The first biography of the mysterious, supposedly immortal Count St. Germain

Traces of a Hidden Tradition in Masonry and Medieval Mysticism
by Isabel Cooper-Oakley [1900]
The transmission of a secret mystic tradition through western history.

The Hidden Church of the Holy Graal
by Arthur Edward Waite [1909]
A hidden bloodline, mystical relics, and a secret which could shake the Church to its core if it was revealed.

Devil Worship in France
by A.E. Waite [1882]
Waite debunks the notorious Taxil hoax which falsely accused Freemasons of worshipping the Devil.

Zanoni
by Edward Bulwer Lytton [1842]
A tale of love and enlightenment among the immortal Rosicrucians.

Secret Societies of the Middle Ages
by Thomas Keightley [1837]
Assassins, Knight-Templars and more.

The History of the Knights Templars
by Charles G. Addison [1842]
Get the straight story about the Knights Templar and Temple Church.

In the Pronaos of the Temple of Wisdom
by Franz Hartmann [1890]
The history, secret powers, and doctrine of the 'true' Rosicrucians.

The Real History of the Rosicrucians
by Arthur Edward Waite [1887]
Complete text of all of the key Rosicrucian documents, including the Fama, Confessio, and the Chemical Wedding, and extensive historical background on the elusive group.

The Rosicrucians, Their Rites and Mysteries
by Hargrave Jennings [4th ed., 1907, orig. pub. 1870]
Was sacred sexuality at the core of the Rosicrucians' legendary powers to halt aging, transmute matter and attain spiritual perfection?

The Da Vinci Notebooks
tr. by Jean Paul Richter [1883]
First publication on the Internet of all of Da Vinci's notebooks with all of the images in context. Get an insight into the real Da Vinci.

Brother of the Third Degree
by Will L. Garver [1842]
An initiate's journey into the heart of the Illuminati.

The Gnostics and Their Remains
by Charles William King [1887]
King's pioneering summary of what was known about the Gnostics prior to the Nag Hammadi discoveries. Includes extensive discussion of Gnostic symbols and beliefs among the Masons, Templars, Rosicrucians and Illuminati.

With the Adepts: An Adventure Among the Rosicrucians
by Franz Hartmann [1910]
A seeker encounters a Rosicrucian enclave in the Alps and learns of Alchemy, Elementals and Reincarnation.

The Secret Doctrine of the Rosicrucians
by Magus Incognito (pseud. William Walker Atkinson) [1918]
Speculations on the inner teachings of the Rosicrucians.

Pistis Sophia
tr. by G.R.S. Mead [1921].
The best known Gnostic gospel.

Rosicrucian Texts
One of the first secret societies, revived in modern times.

Texts of Freemasonry
A modern fraternal group with deeply symbolic ritual and regalia.

The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha
The books omitted from the official Biblical canon.

Excerpts from the Gospel of Mary
This fragment, of disputed authenticity, puts the relationship between Mary Magdalen, Jesus and the Apostles in a radically different perspective than traditional beliefs.

The Secret Teachings of All Ages
by Manley Palmer Hall [1928]
A comprehensive introduction to the Esoteric, including the Qaballa, Tarot, Ceremonial Magic, Neo-Platonic Philosophy, Mystery Religions, Rosicrucianism and Freemasonry.

Women and Religion
Goddesses, heroines, and historical documents of feminism.