In his book Rosicrucian Manual, Harvey Spencer
Lewis, the founder of AMORC, put the picture of this lady:
And about her,
he wrote:
« This is Mrs. May Banks-Stacey,
Co-founder and first Grand Matre of the United States. …placed in Spencer Lewis hands such papers as had been officially
transmitted to her by the last of the first American Rosicrucians, with the
Jewel and Key of authority received by her from the Grand Master of the Order
in India, while an officer of the work in that country. »
(p.129)
In his Cromaat D magazine, Lewis gave more
information:
« The Masters in Egypt a certain mystical Jewel of
the Order and several sealed papers which she was requested to hold until such
time as another [Spencer Lewis] came to her with a duplicate of one of the
seals and requested her assistance in establishing the Order in America.
Mrs. Stacey then returned to India and after showing the recognition she
had received at the hands of the Masters in Egypt she was duly initiated into
our Order there and was given other papers signed by the Supreme Council of the
World.
In writing
of her part in the establishment of the Order in America, Mrs. Stacey has put
upon official record in the Archives of the Supreme Grand Lodge in New York the
following statement:
“I further
state that the said Jewels and INCOMPLETE instructions were delivered into my
hands by the R.C. Masters of India, representing the Supreme Council of the W
rid, and that I was there made an initiate of the Order and a Legate of the
Order for America. I also state that the said Jewels and papers were
represented to me as coming direct from Egypt and France, and that they were
given to me to be formally handed to that man who should present certain
papers, documents, jewels and ‘key’ in America. Such a person having matured
and being Brother H.S. Lewis, I did the duty expected of me, fulfilled my
commission and with pleasure express the joy at seeing the work so well under
way in accordance with the prophecy made in India to me in person. The history
of the Jewels and papers are, to my knowledge exactly as stated herein and as
described by Mr. Lewis, our Imperator in the History of the Order as published
in the Official Magazine". »
(p.26)
And in his
book The Light of Egypt it is
specified that:
« She was a high initiate of the
oldest Rosicrucian Organization of London and Paris, descended from the D'Arcys
of France. She was a well traveled woman with numerous affiliations who
presented herself as a Special Delegate of the Order in India. She presented
Dr. Lewis and the founding committee with the final preparation papers for the
great work, and the Jewel of Authority, a rare official emblem, as well as
priceless treasures from the East Center archives. »
(p.14)
We see
therefore that Spencer Lewis on several occasions stated that there is a
Rosicrucian Lodge in India, but:
How true is this?
And the
answer is that it was most likely another lie of Lewis because it turns out
that Mrs. May Banks-Stacey was not a great occultist who had traveled a lot
around the world and who had been in the Rosicrucian lodges of London, Paris,
Egypt and India, as Lewis had claimed, but in reality she was a poor widow who
knew nothing of esotericism and who lived all her life in the United States (see link).
And if the main
character in this story is fictitious, the Rosicrucian Lodge in India most
likely is too.
~*~
And this is another example of the enormous
charlatanism that Spencer Lewis had.
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