THE UNIVERSAL ANDROGYNE

In the Secret Doctrine of the Rosicrucians, we find the following Third

Aphorism
The Third Aphorism
III. The One became Two. The Neuter became Bi-Sexual. Male and Femalethe Two
in Oneevolved from the Neuter. And the work of Generation began. In this Third
Aphorism of Creation the Rosicrucian is directed to apply his attention to the conception of
the World Soulthe First Manifestation of the Eternal Parentas a Bi-sexual Universal
Being. This Bi-Sexual. Universal Being, combining within itself the elements and principles
of both Masculinity and Femininity, is known in the Rosicrucian Teachings as "The
Universal Hermaphrodite," and "The Universal Androgyne." The term "Hermaphrodite" is
defined as: "An individual which has the attributes of both Male and Female." The term is
derived by joining together the two names, viz., Hermes and Aphrodite. The term came into
ancient use through the legend of Hermaphroditus, son of Hermes and Aphrodite, who, while
bathing, became joined in one body with the nymph Salmacis. The term "Androgyne" is
defined as: "An individual possessing the attributes of both Male and Female; a
Hermaphrodite." The term is derived from the combination of two Greek words, viz.,
"Andros," meaning "a man," and "Gyne," meaning "a woman."
The conception of the Bi-Sexuality in the Universal Manifestation, or Universal Being, is one
met with on all sides in the ancient esoteric and occult philosophies in all lands. In ancient
Greece, in [paragraph continues] Ancient India, and in Ancient Atlantis, Persia, and Chaldea the
doctrine formed an important part of the Inner Teachings. In its highest forms, this teaching
lay at the very heart of the Ancient Mysteries, and resulted in the very highest and noblest
conception of the dignity and worthiness of Sex. But prostituted by the vulgar popular mind,
encouraged by a debased priesthood, the same teachings were inverted and made to serve as
the basis of the various degenerate phase of Phallic Worship, the traces of which are found on
every page of ancient philosophical or religious history.
The Rosicrucians have never countenanced even the slight descent into Phallicism, but, on
the contrary have kept alive the Flame of the True Teaching, and have used its particular
symbol as the distinctive symbolic name and emblem of the Order. In order to understand the
symbology of the Universal Androgyne, it is necessary to first become familiar with the two
ancient symbols of Sex. In all the ancient philosophies and religions, we find that the "Cross"
(+) is the symbol of the Male; and the "Circle" (O) the symbol of the Female. In representing
the Bisexual, the Hermaphrodite, the Androgyne, the two symbols, i.e. the Cross and the
Circle are combined in one of several ways. The original way was that of placing the Cross
within the circumference of the Circle; but later usage preferred the various forms of the socalled "Phallic Cross," which consists of the Circle, or Oval, sustaining the Cross which
depends downward from it. (See illustrations.) Sometimes the Cross is represented as the
letter "T", and the Circle as the letter "O". The well-known esoteric symbol, the "Swastica"
(see illustration) consists of a modified Cross, conceived as a "whirling wheel"