THE ROSICRUCIAN LODGE THAT WAS IN INDIA ACCORDING TO SPENCER LEWIS

 

 

In his book Rosicrucian Manual, Harvey Spencer Lewis, the founder of AMORC, put the picture of this lady:

 

 

And about her, he wrote:

 

« This is Mrs. May Banks-Stacey, Co-founder and first Grand Matre of the United States. …placed in Spencer Lewis hands such papers as had been officially transmitted to her by the last of the first American Rosicrucians, with the Jewel and Key of authority received by her from the Grand Master of the Order in India, while an officer of the work in that country. »

(p.129)

 

 

 

In his Cromaat D magazine, Lewis gave more information:

 

« The Masters in Egypt a certain mystical Jewel of the Order and several sealed papers which she was requested to hold until such time as another [Spencer Lewis] came to her with a duplicate of one of the seals and requested her assistance in establishing the Order in America.

 

Mrs. Stacey then returned to India and after showing the recognition she had received at the hands of the Masters in Egypt she was duly initiated into our Order there and was given other papers signed by the Supreme Council of the World.

 

In writing of her part in the establishment of the Order in America, Mrs. Stacey has put upon official record in the Archives of the Supreme Grand Lodge in New York the following statement:

 

“I further state that the said Jewels and INCOMPLETE instructions were delivered into my hands by the R.C. Masters of India, representing the Supreme Council of the W rid, and that I was there made an initiate of the Order and a Legate of the Order for America. I also state that the said Jewels and papers were represented to me as coming direct from Egypt and France, and that they were given to me to be formally handed to that man who should present certain papers, documents, jewels and ‘key’ in America. Such a person having matured and being Brother H.S. Lewis, I did the duty expected of me, fulfilled my commission and with pleasure express the joy at seeing the work so well under way in accordance with the prophecy made in India to me in person. The history of the Jewels and papers are, to my knowledge exactly as stated herein and as described by Mr. Lewis, our Imperator in the History of the Order as published in the Official Magazine". »

(p.26)

 

 

 

And in his book The Light of Egypt it is specified that:

 

« She was a high initiate of the oldest Rosicrucian Organization of London and Paris, descended from the D'Arcys of France. She was a well traveled woman with numerous affiliations who presented herself as a Special Delegate of the Order in India. She presented Dr. Lewis and the founding committee with the final preparation papers for the great work, and the Jewel of Authority, a rare official emblem, as well as priceless treasures from the East Center archives. »

(p.14)

 

 

 

 

We see therefore that Spencer Lewis on several occasions stated that there is a Rosicrucian Lodge in India, but:

 

How true is this?

 

And the answer is that it was most likely another lie of Lewis because it turns out that Mrs. May Banks-Stacey was not a great occultist who had traveled a lot around the world and who had been in the Rosicrucian lodges of London, Paris, Egypt and India, as Lewis had claimed, but in reality she was a poor widow who knew nothing of esotericism and who lived all her life in the United States (see link).

 

And if the main character in this story is fictitious, the Rosicrucian Lodge in India most likely is too.

 

 

~*~

 

And this is another example of the enormous charlatanism that Spencer Lewis had.