H Spencer Lewis

Harvey Spencer Lewis, born in 1883, was an American writer and mystic who founded the Ancient Mystical Order of the Rosy Cross (AMORC) in 1915. He served as the first leader, or imperator, of AMORC from its inception until his passing in 1939. Lewis's founding of AMORC was reportedly inspired by a trip to France, where he claimed initiation into Rosicrucianism and a mission to revive the ancient order. His background included work as an advertising agent. Lewis also established the New York Institution for Psychical Research prior to founding AMORC. His esoteric interests extended to affiliations with occult groups, including a connection with Aleister Crowley's Ordo Templi Orientis, and he incorporated neo-Templar elements, particularly those related to Bernard-Raymond Fabré-Palaprat and the Knights Templar, into his work. Lewis also founded the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum in San Jose, reflecting his interest in Egyptology.

Harvey Spencer Lewis established the Ancient Mystical Order of the Rosy Cross (AMORC) in 1915, serving as its leader until his death in 1939. He stated that the organization's founding followed a journey to France with his father, during which he claimed to have received Rosicrucian initiation and a directive to re-establish the order. Lewis presented AMORC as a revival of a historically significant, though partly mythical, Rosicrucian tradition. His engagement with esoteric circles included ties to various occult organizations, notably Aleister Crowley's Ordo Templi Orientis. Following a schism within the O.T.O. in 1916, a German faction acknowledged AMORC, providing Lewis with documentation. While AMORC did not practice sex magic, Lewis took pride in this recognition, despite doctrinal differences. His teachings also integrated elements from neo-Templarism, showing a specific interest in the 18th-century revivalist order of Bernard-Raymond Fabré-Palaprat and the Knights Templar. Lewis maintained contact with figures associated with neo-Templarism and other European occultists, such as Émile Dantinne.

Lewis authored numerous books and writings, often exploring Rosicrucian philosophy and mystical interpretations of religious figures. Under the pseudonym Wishar S. Cerve, he published "Lemuria, The Lost Continent Of the Pacific" in 1931, a work credited with significantly popularizing the legend of Mount Shasta's hidden Lemurians. His 1929 book, "The Mystical Life of Jesus," presented a version of the swoon hypothesis regarding Jesus's crucifixion. However, this work was noted for containing plagiarized chapters from Levi H. Dowling's "The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ." Lewis's bibliography also includes titles such as "Rosicrucian Principles for the Home and Business," "Rosicrucian Questions and Answers with Complete History of the Order," and "The Secret Doctrines of Jesus." He also explored themes of reincarnation in "A Thousand Years of Yesterdays" and psychic phenomena in "Mental Poisoning." His interest in Egyptology led him to found the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum in San Jose.