Catharose de Petri
Encyclopedia
Catharose de Petri was a Dutch born mystic and co-founder of the Lectorium Rosicrucianum
, an international esoteric school based on Gnostic
ideas of Christianity
.
Catharose de Petri founded the Lectorium in 1935 with two other Dutch mystics, Jan van Rijckenborgh
and his brother Zwier Willem Leene after meeting them as a member of the Dutch branch of Max Heindel
's Rosicrucian Fellowship
. The three broke away from Heindel's interpretation of the Rosicrucian message to form their own movement, the Lectorium Rosicrucianum.
With van Rijckenborgh and Leene Catharose wrote several books on the Gnostic vision of the Lectorium, speaking of a transformation of the inner man through the Christian/Rosicrucian Gnosis. In 1956 she and the others met French historian of the Cathars and mystic Antonin Gadal
whose theories about the heretical Christian movement of the Middle Ages
played a major role in the development of their ideas.
On the death of Rijckenborgh in 1968 Catharose de Petri took over leadership of the movement until she died in 1990 (Zwier had died many years earlier). The Lectorium continues their work today.
Lectorium Rosicrucianum
The Lectorium Rosicrucianum is a worldwide school of Esoteric Christianity founded in 1935 by Dutch mystics Jan van Rijckenborgh, his brother Zwier Willem Leene and Catharose de Petri...
, an international esoteric school based on Gnostic
Gnosticism
Gnosticism is a scholarly term for a set of religious beliefs and spiritual practices common to early Christianity, Hellenistic Judaism, Greco-Roman mystery religions, Zoroastrianism , and Neoplatonism.A common characteristic of some of these groups was the teaching that the realisation of Gnosis...
ideas of Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
.
Catharose de Petri founded the Lectorium in 1935 with two other Dutch mystics, Jan van Rijckenborgh
Jan van Rijckenborgh
Jan van Rijckenborgh was a Dutch born mystic and founder of the Lectorium Rosicrucianum, a worldwide esoteric Rosicrucian movement....
and his brother Zwier Willem Leene after meeting them as a member of the Dutch branch of Max Heindel
Max Heindel
Max Heindel - born Carl Louis von Grasshoff in Aarhus, Denmark on July 23, 1865 - was a Christian occultist, astrologer, and mystic. He died on January 6, 1919 at Oceanside, California, United States.- Early infancy :...
's Rosicrucian Fellowship
Rosicrucian Fellowship
The Rosicrucian Fellowship – "An International Association of Christian Mystics" – was founded in 1909 by Max Heindel as herald of the Aquarian Age and with the aim of publicly promulgating "the true Philosophy" of the Rosicrucians....
. The three broke away from Heindel's interpretation of the Rosicrucian message to form their own movement, the Lectorium Rosicrucianum.
With van Rijckenborgh and Leene Catharose wrote several books on the Gnostic vision of the Lectorium, speaking of a transformation of the inner man through the Christian/Rosicrucian Gnosis. In 1956 she and the others met French historian of the Cathars and mystic Antonin Gadal
Antonin Gadal
Antonin Gadal was a French mystic and historian who dedicated his life to study of the Cathars in the south of France, their spirituality, beliefs and ideology.-Life:...
whose theories about the heretical Christian movement of the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
played a major role in the development of their ideas.
On the death of Rijckenborgh in 1968 Catharose de Petri took over leadership of the movement until she died in 1990 (Zwier had died many years earlier). The Lectorium continues their work today.
External links
- Lectorium Rosicrucianum Official site of the Lectorium
- Catharose de Petri: Profile