Martin Luther's DaVinci Code

"The five petalled rose on Martin Luther's seal was a pentagram, a symbol which represented the Goddess"


I can't make this stuff up.

I recently read a discussion entitled, Luther and the Occult. Highlights are follows:

Was Martin Luther an occultist? I recently came across a quote in a Freemasonic book by I. Edward Clark called The Royal Secret. In it, the author has a list of famous occultists and Martin Luther's name is there. The author called Luther a possessor of the Royal Secret. The book also says in a glossary under "Abif" that the speling is a corruption of "Abi" and that Luther added the "f." So what do you all make of this? I do remember a Lutheran minister who was a friend of mine years ago who always signed his name with the Rosy Cross, a Rosicrucian symbol. He explained to me that it was Luther's symbol. It also appears that many prominent early Lutherans were Rosicrucians (i.e. Andreae).

Why did a Freemasonic author from the 30s claim that Luther was a possessor of the Royal Secret?

I have been doing a lot of research into the occult for about the past year and a half and it increasingly appears to me that the Reforamation[sic] has occultic roots.

The person making these comments is some sort of Catholic or Orthodox person (I don't recall which exact flavor he is).

I've never heard such claims. You can read through the actual discussion to see how a few Lutherans responded. I did though look through what was available on Google books in regard to Edward Clark's claims, and there simply wasn't enough meaningful information given to say anything in response. One of the discussion participants pointed out: "...Martin Luther is only mentioned three times in that book. Once on page 221, once on 307 because he is a Scorpio, i.e., because of his birthday and because the author thinks he lived according to the same principle as did Moses, and lastly mentioned in an addenda as the person responsible for a misspelling of abi that became common among some masons."

That a Freemasonic author from the 1930's claimed Luther was a possessor of the Royal Secret doesn't surprise me. In the 5 minutes I used to Google search this, I saw rather quickly how history was being invented to support such notions. It reminded me very much of "Holy Blood Holy Grail". Take a look at this link:

THE REFORMATION: ROSICRUCIAN CONNECTIONS: Luther was an Augustinian monk of the Strict Observance in a German monastery. “A member of Martin Luther's order appointed, in accordance with the 'Rule of Saint Augustine', to read while the other monks eat in order that the monks may focus upon their spiritual hunger for the word of God as well as their physical hunger. . . “Attempts to head off laxity in the Order led to the establishment of the 'Observant' wing to which Luther belonged by virtue of joining the Erfurt house. His fellow German Augustinians showed sympathy in 1518 with Luther's theological stand, but in that same year his Augustinian superior, Staupitz, released him from his monk's vows. “Johann von Staupitz, Vicar General of the Augustinian Order (c.1460-1524): Monk, spiritual adviser. Staupitz was the senior figure in Luther's Augustinian Order in Germany and the leading light in the strict or 'Observant' wing of it. Luther frequently praised the spiritual comfort Staupitz had given him, though the older man did not join Luther's movement." - John Osborne, "Luther," Royal National Theatre) "Strict Observance" was the name given by Baron von Hund, a German Templar, to the 33rd degree of Scottish Rite Freemasonry.


Also, this webpage states:

"I have pieced together a little story of probabilities which has a direct bearing upon the subject. Long before the establishment of Freemasonry as a fraternity, a group of mystics founded in Europe what was called the "Society of Unknown Philosophers.

Prominent among the profound thinkers who formed the membership of this society were the alchemists, who were engaged in transmuting the political and religious "base metal" of Europe into ethical and spiritual "gold"; the Qabbalists who, as investigators of the superior orders of Nature, sought to discover a stable foundation for human government; and lastly the astrologers who, from a study of the procession of the heavenly bodies, hoped to find therein the rational archetype for all mundane procedure. Here and there is to be found a character who contacted this society. By some it is believed that both Martin Luther and also that great mystic, Philip Melanchthon, were connected with it. The first edition of the King James Bible, Bible, which was edited by Francis Bacon and prepared under Masonic supervision, bears more Mason's marks than the Cathedral of Strasburg. The same is true respecting the Masonic symbolism found in the first English edition of Josephus' History of the Jews."

Melanchthon a mystic? This is probably stated because of Melanchthon's interest in astrology. Interestingly, Luther didn't share the interest with him.

"Luther's rose" identified here as the "Rosicrucian cross"("The five petalled rose on Martin Luther's seal was a pentagram, a symbol which represented the Goddess") is explained here. One participant in the discussion raised a good point when she stated, "if Rosicrucianism didn't come to Germany until 1614, I don't see how Luther could have had anything to do with it. How do we know that they didn't get their symbol from Luther's seal, instead of the other way around?"

The only way to interact with such charges is to actually have some facts to work with (Here's one of the few clues from Luther's Tabletalk, and the quote from the Tabletalk). Given the deep hatred of Luther from Catholic writers throughout history, Luther being an occultist would've been like giving fresh meat to starved animals (remember, this is an analogy!). A starved animal will eat anything. I've not come across any Roman Catholic writers pouncing on this one. I can't believe Hartmann Grisar, Patrick O'Hare, or even the current batch of pop-apologists would let this slip by them if it were even remotely true.

On the other hand, I'm very grateful to record once again, another version of Martin Luther floating around. The mythology of Martin Luther fascinates me to no end. I don't plan on doing anything in-depth on this. If any information is dug up, I'll deal with what is posted.

Hint to clearing the historical fog: Elvis has left the building, for good.