Rosicrucianism is a generic term referring to the study of or membership of a secret society said to be founded in medieval Germany built on the esoteric truths of the ancient past which conceals from the average an, provide insight into nature, the physical universe and the spiritual realm. (Lindgren, Carl Edwin. The way of the Rose Cross; A Historical Perception, 1614–1620. Journal of Religion and Psychical Research, Volume 18, Number 3:141–48. 1995.)
The movement is symbolized by the Rosy Cross (Also called the Rose Croix) pictured above.
Other organizations that use the cross are the Freemasons, the Mermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and the Ordo Templi Orientis (founded by Aleister Crowley).
The letters INRI, which was supposedly on the cross of Jesus Christ, are an abbreviation of Iesvus Nazarens Rex Lvdaeorym meaning "Jesus of Nazareth, king of the Jews". The cross shape is used in occultism to represent the 4 elements. The colours yellow, red, blue and black represent air, fire, water and earth (also repeated on the bottom of the cross) and white representing spirit. The cross can also represent dualism, two forces going in conflicting directions yet uniting at a central point. The union of rose and cross is also a generative symbol, the union of male of female. The six "squares" can also all be folded into a cube, symbolizing perfection.
The rose itself has three tiers. The first represents the three basic alchemical element: salt, mercury and sulphur. The second tier represents the seven Classical planets (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter) and the third the twelve signs of the zodiac. The twenty-two petals have the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet and represent the twenty-two paths on the tree of life.
The rose itself is a symbol of passion, purity, virginity, fertility, death and life. It symbolizes Venus and the blood of Adonis and Christ. It represents transmutation and Paradise. The smaller rose in the middle has 5 petals for the five senses and the number of a human's extremities: two arms, two legs and a head. Combined, it represents humanity and physical existence.
The pentagrams bear symbols for the five elements: Wheel of Life for spirit, bird head for air, Leo for fire, Taurus for earth and Aquarius for water. They are drawn in an invoking pattern.
The three symbols at the end of each arm are the three symbols for the three alchemical elements salt, mercury and sulphur. They are repeated 4 times for a total of twelve; the number of zodiac signs.
The hexagram (also called a Star of David) represents the union of opposites, two triangles pointing up and down (up towards the spiritual and down towards the material). The symbols in and around are the Classical planets with the Sun in the middle and clockwise from the top are Saturn, Jupiter, Venus, Moon, Mercury and Mars.
http://altreligion.about.com/od/symbols/a/rose_cross.htm
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