In 1937, Spencer Lewis (the founder of AMORC) organized a tour for his members to Egypt, the Holy Land, and Europe; upon his return to the United States, he summarized the trip in his Rosicrucian Digest, August 1937, recounting the following:
SOME OF THE IMPORTANT FEATURES OF THE RECENT TOUR TO EGYPT, THE HOLY LAND, AND MEDITERRANEAN CITIES
By The Imperator
To gave even a brief summary of our entire itinerary would fill too many pages of too many issues of this magazine, and I believe that the majority of our members would prefer to have only an outline of the important and out standing features of this very unusual tour.
A large number of us left the Pacific Coast in special cars on Monday, January 25, and journeying in a zigzag method across the United States, we picked up many more members until a large party of us arrived in New York on the morning of January 29, and registered at the Rosicrucian Tour offices in the Hotel Martinique where we met scores of other members and tourists who were waiting for us, and who arrived throughout the day.
Crossing the Atlantic Ocean
Early in the morning of Saturday, January 30, we left the Hotel Martinique in a long caravan of taxicabs and went aboard the beautiful ship Rex of the Italian Line. After a few minutes exploration of the ship we were quite satisfied that the Rex was not only a very beautiful ship, but so conveniently and thoughtfully laid out in its arrangements of lounge rooms, library, deck space, and many other features, that we were certainly going to have an interesting trip.
About ten hours after we were out at sea a number of members began to make comments about the arrangement of the portholes in the various rooms, and this became quite an outstanding topic of humorous comment throughout the trip.
Those who believed themselves extra ordinarily fortunate in having a large, or an extra, number of portholes in their rooms soon discovered that these portholes meant little or nothing, because as the sea became high and the waves dashed against the side of the boat (without causing unnecessary disturbance) the portholes were closed with large metal plates in order to prevent any injury to the glass in the windows, and therefore the portholes became use less for sight-seeing.
We found the Rex very steady and satisfactory as a ship. Since we were touring in the winter months, it was to be expected that there would be a few days of stormy weather when the ship would roll a little, and a few members found it a little more convenient and comfortable to remain in their state-rooms —especially in a lying-down position— and there were a few days when the boat inclined one way or the other to a more or less unnecessary degree, and especially one afternoon when a few of us found it impossible to remain stationary on the deck or in the lounge rooms without sliding a bit.
Despite the fact that we were three or four weeks on the one ship going from port to port after a long journey across the Atlantic Ocean, there were very few of the approximately one hundred and fifty members in the party who could say that they were really ill, or suffering from mal de mer to the degree that is so humorously referred to. And there were no serious accidents, and certainly no serious delays in any feature of our itinerary.
As might be expected, the cuisine and service on the Italian Line ships were of the very highest grade. We received the most courteous attention, everything was scrupulously clean, and there was a kindness on the part of all of the officers and stewards on the boat that made the trip very enjoyable.
In fact, I may say at this point that at the conclusion of the tour a large majority of those in the party who had ever toured before on other ships and had crossed the Atlantic, agreed that if they ever went to Europe again or to any distant point, they would certainly use the Italian Line and its ships in preference to any other they had ever used.
I know that this is my decision, and the decision of my family, and we have made many tours on many ships, and are qualified to say that the Italian Line ships (three of which we used on this tour) and its services, and every feature, represent the utmost in every point. It makes cruising and touring a real pleasure along with safety and convenience.
Visiting the Mediterranean
I think that all of our members will agree with me in saying that one of the most picturesque and entertaining, as well as mystically inspiring, visits we made was at the Island of Madeira. It has a magnificent setting, is unique in the matter of scenery, gardens, gorgeous fields of flowers, customs, habits, costumes of the people, architecture, etc.
Then there was the wonderful luncheon at the top of the mountain that used to be the mountain of the Temple of Music in the times of the Lost Atlantis, and the mystical demonstration of music which AMORC was able to arrange and provide for, and which will probably never be forgotten by those who participated in it. This incident was talked about more throughout the tour than many of the more elaborate features.
Our stops and visits to Algiers, Naples, Athens, and other Mediterranean ports were instructive in both a mystical and educational way, but of course our week's visit in Egypt was the principal goal and inspiration of the tour.
Egypt
Our hotel accommodations at the largest and most luxurious hotel —the Heliopolis, located in the ancient Sun City of Egypt— represented a period of luxurious rest and enjoyment that will never be forgotten. But along with this interesting incident of our Egyptian visit were, of course, the visits to the Sphinx and the Great Pyramid, and then eventually to the Egyptian desert where we stopped overnight and had a mystical ceremony at midnight.
Here an unusual thing occurred when we all witnessed and participated in both a sandstorm on the desert and a heavy rainstorm — two Cosmic features added to the program without announcement, and quite unusual for the average tourist.
The jaunt across the desert on camels, the mystical ceremony, the ancient Egyptian adoration to the rising sun across the Nile in the morning, the camel ride around the Pyramids, and the climbing up the side of the Pyramid, are certainly features that our members will remember for a long time.
Those members representing the Hierarchy and highest circle of our members, including the Supreme Officers, were admitted by the Brotherhood in Egypt to a number of secret pasageways within the Pyramid, and of course this feature will always remain as an important event in their lives.
Incidentally, I am sure that our members throughout the country will be glad to know that the Supreme Colombe whom they so generously helped to participate in this tour, was honored at every point and place in a special man ner, and was permitted to go into the Pyramid, and into the most secret places in every mystical community that we visited. And she performed the duties of Colombe in the mystical ceremony not only at midnight on the desert in Egypt, but at a special service in th e Grand Lodge of Switzerland where she was robed and permitted to sit in the East as Colombe. She was also honored at banquets and secret meetings in European cities including Paris, Brussels and London.
Colombe Thelma was grateful every hour of the trip for the privileges that had come to her through the generosity of our members, and it is needless to say that all of us as Supreme Officers are deeply grateful for these courtesies made possible by the members of the organization who learned of the opportunity they had in helping in this manner, and participated so kindly.
Meeting with the dictator Mussolini
Of course, another outstanding event was the radiogram I received while our ship was at sea en route from the East to Nice, France, where we had planned to spend a week. That radiogram in vited my wife and myself, accompanied by the Supreme Officers, to a special reception granted to us by Mr. Mussolini in the Palace of Venezia in Rome.
We had to call a hurried meeting at eleven o'clock at night, and it was amusing to see how the members responded to the sudden and unexpected call in pajamas, robes, and other miscellaneous attire, and although most of them were drowsy and half asleep, they quickly awakened at the news and agreed that they would accompany us in a body to Rome, and abandon three of the seven days we had planned to spend in Nice.
We had al ready visited Rome, and this detour in our itinerary represented a cost in money and in effort, and in tiresome travel of an entire day. And so we cut short our visit in Nice after enjoying many wonderful sights, and went to Rome and participated in a number of important ceremonies in the one after noon and evening. All who were present at the time (practically every member of the party) received later a large size photograph of the group with Mr. Mussolini and my family and myself standing in the center of the group.
It was unanimously agreed later that what we had learned, observed, and witnessed in Italy most certainly contradicted all that we had read and heard in America through the newspaper and magazine propaganda. And we did not base our opinions on what was told to us by any propagandists in Italy, but on what we actually saw, and which could not have been prearranged.
It was the only country of all those we visited where we found real courtesy, kindness, a genuine spirit of optimism and hopefulness, a complete absence of war talk and war preparation, and a manifest desire for peace, and good will toward tourists of every land.
(Cid's observation: Italy joined World War II in June 1940.)
The reception of the Rosicrucians by Mr. Mussolini, and the fine talk that he made as an address to your Imperator and the Supreme Officers, the fine things that he said about the Rosicrucians and the AMORC, his many references to its history and its activities which he said he had investigated for some time, and his wholehearted welcome to Rosicrucians and Rosicrucianism. constitute some of the remarkable elements of growth and development of the Order in Europe. It will have a greater effect upon Rosicrucianism in Europe than any of our members can suspect at the present time.
More visits
Another honor that many look upon as one which I should consider a very personal thing, but which I shall always feel is like many others that have come to me —a greater honor to the Order— was the invitation I received while in Egypt to participate in an initiation of a unique nature by which I was admitted into a knighthood order of Egypt and decorated with a medal and ribbon, and given the title of "Prince of the Nile.” This title and decoration has never been conferred upon an American citizen or any other than an Egyptian citizen heretofore.
The several cases in the past when I have received knight hood titles in other countries —including the United States of America— have made me feel that these honors are really a compliment to our organization. I prefer to take an impersonal view of them, and I always feel like congratulating our members on assisting us in maintaining such high ideals and whole some practices and constructive services as have warranted this recognition of the Order and its officers on the part of the various knighthoods and distinguished organizations of various kinds.
Our visit in Venice and our hours on the canals in gondolas and otherwise represented a very fascinating feature of the tour, and despite the fact that it was wintertime, or early spring, the weather was fairly mild, and we were given an opportunity of witnessing the overflow of the canals on one occasion.
Our visits to many temples, synagogues, cathedrals, historical museums, grottos, caves, shrines, and places of un usual historical and mystical interest, kept our daytime hours quite busy; while on the other hand, there were Rosicrucian lectures, Forum sessions, sight-seeing lectures, mystical explanations, moving pictures, and amusements of all kinds to fill our evening hours.
Three times we visited Naples and went around and through the country of Italy, and then finally, on March 14, my family and a few of the officers and I separated from the main body of the tour and began an independent journey through Europe visiting the various national headquarters of the Order, and attending banquets and special sessions that had been arranged for us by the Rosicrucian Order, the Martinist Order, and the Federation of FUDOSI, and meetings of allied organizations and their leaders and Grand Councillors.
For forty or forty-five days we journeyed through many parts of Europe including Switzerland, Germany, France, England, Holland, Belgium, and returned through some of these again to board the steamer Rex of the Italian Line on April 29 at Villefranche, France. In all of the countries where the Rosicrucian Order is active, we found pleas ant reading rooms, temples, and assembly places, and very active members, highly enthused and working as diligently as our members here in America.
In Egypt the AMORC information bureau is in the heart of the city, and it became the central meeting place of all of our members while out on sight-seeing tours. It was here that all of the members received, on their first visit to the city of Cairo, a souvenir in the form of a pretty little box containing a rare scarab. Then later each member received a bottle of Egyptian or mystical perfume, incense, and there were even flowers for the ladies on their departure.
One of the interesting things noted by all of the members was that Rosicrucianism and the Order of AMORC and its Supreme Officers were very well known in practically every city and country where the Order has been in existence. Officers, members, and in many cases city and national dignitaries or officials, met the Imperator and his official group who were introduced to the general membership, or to the highest members in private sessions.
In Egypt the Grand Secretary made it his business to devote his time throughout the week to escorting the tourists individually and collectively to various parts of the city and to introducing them to high officials and to many secret places.
In Switzerland the Grand Lodge entertained us with a banquet, and then with a very wonderful mystical session in their beautiful temple, the walls and ceilings of which were frescoed with the colorful mystical designs that are to be found in that great book called The Secret Symbols of the Rosicrucians.
The Grand Master, Dr. Bertholet, and his staff of officers were extremely courteous in entertaining us, and made our visit to Lausanne very helpful and in spiring.
In Paris there were a number of important sessions and meetings attended by our officials, and in Brussels again there was a great banquet with a hundred or more present, with many interesting speeches.
In London the large Rosicrucian Sun shine Circle of the English jurisdiction of AMORC tendered our party a banquet at which there were several hundred present in the famous crown room where a very large picture was taken, affording all of our members a beautiful souvenir of the occasion.
Here we met the Grand Master Raymund Andrea, and Frater Michaud, and Frater James, and others who are so well known in the English jurisdiction, and they wished me to extend to all of our members their personal greetings. Once again it was a rare pleasure to spend many golden minutes with Frater Raymund Andrea.
While we were in London I was asked to deliver a lecture on Rosicrucianism before the Bacon Society of England of which I am the only American Vice-President, and this meeting was held by special arrangement in the historical room in which many of Francis Bacon's meetings were held, and on the very grounds where the ancient Rosicrucians held many ceremonies. On the wall of this room hung a portrait signed at the bottom as of the Grand Master of the Rosicrucian Order that met in that room during the early part of the seventeenth century.
In London we also visited the editorial rooms of that new and wonderful magazine called The Modern Mystic, and enjoyed the usual afternoon tea.
No matter where you go in London — store, theater, office, hotel lobby, or open market, tea is served in the after noon as part of the regular routine of daily affairs. While at first this may seem to be quite a disturbing feature in the business scheme of things, it gradually becomes enjoyable and by the time we were ready to leave England we had quite decided that America might improve its business-social relations by having afternoon teas!
Return to the United States
The main body of touring members who returned to America ahead of the Imperator and his group, had a voyage of more or less rainy weather, but those who came back on the Rex, leaving France on April 29, had a sea that was as smooth as a lake for the entire seven days, and weather that was as delightful and balmy as even a day in California. We enjoyed every feature of the magnificent decks, salons, outdoor swimming pool, library, and every other feature of the first class section of the Rex, and it certainly made a happy ending to a long tour.
Many of the members had departed from the main body of tourists in the middle of March, and had gone up and visited some of our branches and grand lodges individually and in small groups. We were surprised to find at the banquet a few of the members to whom we had said farewell on the occasion of our departure from the main tour on March 14. Upon our return to America we met many others in New York who told us that they too had attended sessions of Rosicrucian lodges in Europe, and had contacted many members in various cities.
After a visit of four or five days in New York our official group of seven returned to California ending a hundred and nine day absence from San Jose. We were glad to get back and be at work again, and to assist in the preparations for the convention and the opening of the Rose-Croix University summer courses. As is usual with all of my personal and other group tours to Europe,
I had to buy additional luggage and trunks in order to bring back the many books, manuscripts, and rare documents that I obtained at the various Rosicrucian archives throughout Europe and Egypt. Even in Palestine I was able to contact the secret archives and obtain rare papers that will serve us magnificently in our work here in America.
Lewis promotes himself to sell more trips
Just before my departure from the main body of tourists on March 14, while approaching the Bay of Naples, a meeting was held in the evening by all the tourist members, and two wonderful resolutions were moved and passed unanimously, and then signed by all of the members of the touring party. In these resolutions the members thanked AMORC and its officials for their conduction of the tour, and the many special gifts and surprising special features that had been added to the itinerary, and for the benefits they had received throughout the tour. In one of the resolutions it was definitely stated that all of the members felt that they had received far more in travel, sight seeing, accommodations, entertainment, and instruction than they could possibly have paid for in dollars and cents through any other form of cruising or touring.
They agreed that it was the most economically priced, most perfectly conducted and inspiring tour that any had ever taken, and a great many of those present had toured Europe several times before and were familiar with methods of travel and sightseeing in foreign lands.
Throughout the tour there was the utmost harmony and peace, and I want to take this occasion again to express to the members of that tour my appreciation of their kindnesses, and especially of their many and constant demonstrations of the Rosicrucian spirit.
Our members on this tour represented every walk and position and condition of life in America, Canada, and other countries, and they were always kind and considerate, cultured and refined, appreciative and cooperative. I do not think that we ever associated with a finer body of men and women at any time in our lives. In many cities comment was made by the hotel managers, by the conductors of sight-seeing tours, by city officials, and others, that our group of approximately one hundred and fifty persons was the most intelligent, refined, and well mannered body of tourists that they have ever contacted or had to deal with.
Certainly the 1937 Rosicrucian tour to mystic lands, and mystic places ended gloriously, and every member has much to recall for years to come, and a marvelous amount of inspiration and instruction to assist in his journey along the path of life
But all of our other members who remained at home and were not able to be with us will receive benefits directly and indirectly through the lectures and monographs, articles and pictures that will be presented to them throughout the magazine and otherwise in the months and years to come, and we all look forward to the day, some time in the future, when another tour of this kind may be conducted by our organization, and when many who stayed at home this time may join us.
AMORC has distinguished itself in the past years not only by its contributions toward excavation and exploration funds in mystic lands, by its support of investigations and researches, but by actually conducting tours of this kind into foreign lands and revealing to its members the so-called secret and hidden places that are little known and little suspected by those who are students of other organizations. In fact, AMORC is the only organization of its kind in America that has so consistently offered this service and this help to its members.
(p.265-270)
OBSERVATIONS
I note several things:
Spencer Lewis lived a very good life at the expense of all those people he deceived with his false Rosicrucian organization AMORC.
Lewis was a compulsive liar because more than 20 years after founding AMORC, he still claimed to meet great Rosicrucian initiates and receive very valuable and secret documents; when in reality, all of this was purely his own invention.
Lewis was careless with the details because the title stated that they only visited Mediterranean cities, but a good part of the trip was up the Mediterranean.
Lewis took every opportunity to advertise and sell his products and services.
And Lewis showed great admiration for fascism, speaking highly of Mussolini, but this dictator was a bloodthirsty monster.
