But its peculiar meaning in this Degree, is that given to it by the Ancient Egyptians. Thoth or Phtha is represented on the oldest monuments carrying in his hand the Crux Ansata, or Ankh, life, and with a triangle prefixed meant life-giving. To us therefore it is the symbol of Life—of that life that emanated from the Deity, and of that Eternal Life for which all hope; through our faith in God's infinite goodness.
The ROSE was anciently sacred to Aurora and the Sun. It is symbol of Dawn, of the resurrection of Light and the renewal of life, and therefore of the dawn of the first day, and more particularly of the resurrection: and the Cross and Rose together are therefore hieroglyphically to be read, the Dawn of Eternal Life which all Nations have hoped for by the advent of a Redeemer.
The Pelican feeding her young is an emblem of the large and bountiful beneficence of Nature, of the Redeemer of fallen man, and of that humanity and charity that ought to distinguish a Knight of this Degree.
The Eagle was the living Symbol of the Egyptian God Mendes or Menthra, whom Sesostris-Ramses made one with Amun-Re, the God of Thebes and Upper Egypt, and the representative of the Sun, the word RE meaning Sun or King.
The Compass surmounted with a crown signifies that notwithstanding the high rank attained in Masonry by a Knight of the Rose Croix, equity and impartiality are invariably to govern his conduct.
To the word INRI, inscribed on the Crux Ansata over the Master's Seat, many meanings have been assigned. The Christian Initiate reverentially sees in it the initials of the inscription upon the cross on which Christ suffered—Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudæorum. The sages of Antiquity connected it with one of the greatest secrets of Nature, that of universal regeneration. They interpreted it thus, Igne Natura renovatur Integra; [entire nature is renovated by fire]: The Alchemical or Hermetic Masons framed for it this aphorism, Igne nitrum roris invenitur. And the Jesuits are charged with having applied to it this odious axiom, Justum necare reges impios. The four letters are the initials of the Hebrew words that represent the four elements—Iammim, the seas or water; Hour, fire; Rouach, the air, and Iebeschah, the dry earth. How we read it, I need not repeat to you.
The CROSS, [Illustration: Glyph] was the Sign of the Creative Wisdom or Logos, the Son of God. Plato says, "He expressed him upon the Universe in the figure of the letter X. The next Power to the Supreme God Was decussated or figured in the shape of a Cross on Universe." Mithras signed his soldiers on the forehead with a Cross. [Glyph] is the mark of 600, the mysterious cycle of the Incarnations.
We constantly see the Tau and the Resh united thus [Glyph]. These two letters, in the old Samaritan, as found in Arius, stand, the first for 400, the second for 200-600. This is the Staff of Osiris, also, and his monogram, and was adopted by the Christians as a Sign. On a medal of Constantius is this inscription, "In hoc signo victor cris [Glyph]." An inscription in the Duomo at Milan reads, "[Glyph] et [Glyph]. Christi-Nomina-Sancta-Teneï."
The Egyptians used as a Sign of their God Canobus, a [Glyph] or a [Glyph] indifferently. The Vaishnavas of India have also the same Sacred Tau, which they also mark with Crosses, thus [Glyph], and with triangles, thus, [Glyph]. The vestments of the priests of Horus were covered with these Crosses [Glyph]. So was the dress of the Lama of Thibet. The Sectarian marks of the Jains are [Glyph]. The distinctive badge of the Sect of Xac Japonicus is [Glyph]. It is the Sign of Fo, identical with the Cross of Christ.
On the ruins of Mandore, in India, among other mystic emblems, are the mystic triangle, and the interlaced triangle, [Glyph]. This is also found on ancient coins and medals, excavated from the ruins of Oojein and other ancient cities of India.