The Rosicrucian Counterculture - by Ronnie Pontiac (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A cultural exploration of the esoteric movement and its historical impact and legacy

- Examines the Rosicrucian involvement of figures like Rene Descartes, Robert Fludd, John Dee, Elias Ashmole, and the alchemist pirate Prince Rupert of the Rhine

- Traces the saga of Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor, and his countercultural successors Frederick and Elizabeth, who triggered the Thirty Years' War

- Shows how Rosicrucianism inspired the English Revolution and explores the Rosicrucianism of John Winthrop the Younger, Connecticut's founder

Since the appearance of Rosicrucian manuscripts in 17th-century Germany, historians have questioned the authorship, intent, and significance of this esoteric movement. In this book, Ronnie Pontiac shows how Rosicrucianism's underground influence in the early-modern period continues to the present, providing the important historical context of this invisible society.

Pontiac looks at the esoteric culture around Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II and his court, including figures like John Dee, Tycho Brahe, and Rabbi Loew, the legendary creator of the Golem of Prague. Despite occultists' fascination with Rudolf 's successors, Frederick and Elizabeth, at the start of the Thirty Years' War--and Rosicrucian efforts to make Frederick the first Protestant Holy Roman Emperor--the esoteric renaissance in Bohemia was short-lived. However, this wasn't the end of Rosicrucianism.

Pontiac explores the movement's impact on Oliver Cromwell and the English Revolution as well as individuals such as Robert Fludd, René Descartes, Elias Ashmole, Moritz the Learned, Paracelsus, and William Shakespeare. He then details the movement's arrival in the New World, including the Rosicrucian activities of Connecticut's alchemist governor, John Winthrop the Younger. Looking to the present, Pontiac shows how both pop culture and the modern psychedelic counterculture are informed by Rosicrucian ideas, showing the enduring legacy of this esoteric movement.

Review Quotes

"Ronnie Pontiac's The Rosicrucian Counterculture traces the deep and often overlooked roots of Rosicrucianism, following its flowering within the heart of the European intellectual tradition in the 16th and 17th centuries and its eventual diffusion across the Atlantic into early American culture. In doing so, he reveals how this esoteric current helped shape the often-hidden spiritual, artistic, and philosophical undercurrents that continue to resonate today. With both scholarly rigor and evocative storytelling, Pontiac illuminates the enduring legacy of a visionary tradition that is too often overlooked within European culture and its transatlantic inheritors."-- "Ian H. Gladwin, coauthor of Letters on the Royal Art and writer for the Rosicrucian and Hermetic Tra"

"Ronnie Pontiac vividly places the Rosicrucian phenomenon in the rich historical tapestry from which it emerged and traces its multiple reverberations up to modern times. The book covers a broad panorama with a lively and engaging style."-- "Christopher McIntosh, author of Occult Russia, Occult Germany, and The Call of the Old Gods"

"Ronnie Pontiac's history of the Rosicrucian movement is learned, engaging, and remarkably breezy reading. He has done an enormous service in sifting what can be known about the Rosicrucians from speculation and fancy."-- "Richard Smoley, author of A Theology of Love and Forbidden Faith"

"Ronnie Pontiac's remarkable talent for researching hidden history and esoteric secrets, combined with his passion for storytelling, really shines through in this masterwork! He takes us on a captivating journey through time, brilliantly demonstrating how Rosicrucian countercultural ideals have shaped civilizations for centuries and continue to influence contemporary culture today. This is a must-read that revolutionizes our understanding of our modern world by illuminating the invisible threads that connect our past and present."-- "Heather Diane Lauvia, translator of Etteilla's The Seven Nuances of the Hermetic Philosophical"

"This work is simply dazzling. It follows a single Rosicrucian thread to unfold a vast historical tapestry of people and events made real through a prose that sings with life. Ronnie Pontiac describes himself as a storyteller, and it is with this special gift that he invites the reader to step from the past into the present, bearing the blessings of the phoenix: counterculture itself."-- "Naomi Ozaniec, priestess of Isis, founder of The House of Life, and author of Becoming a Garment of"

About the Author

Ronnie Pontiac worked as Manly P. Hall's research assistant for seven years. A producer of award-winning documentaries, he is the author of American Metaphysical Religion and coauthor with Tamra Lucid of The Magic of the Orphic Hymns and the 10-part youtube video series The Unobstructed Way.