The Life Story of a Queen and Her Royal Court
The actual Order of Amarante was originally created and lived by Queen Christina of Sweden on January 6, 1653, for ladies and knights. It lasted only 1 year until 1654 when Christina of Sweden abdicated her throned to her cousin. However, in 1860, James B. Taylor of Newark, New Jersey drew upon Queen Christina's order to create a new fraternal society. In 1873, Robert Macoy organized Taylor's society into the Order of the Amaranth, part of a proposed Adoptive Rite of Masonry. Eastern Star was to be the 1st degree, Queen of the South the 2nd, and Order of Amaranth the 3rd. In the Order's teachings, the members are emphatically reminded of their duties to God, to their Country and to their Fellow Beings. They are urged to portray, by precept and example, their belief in the "Golden Rule" and by conforming to the virtues inherent in TRUTH, FAITH, WISDOM, and CHARITY so they can prove to others the goodness promulgated by the Order. Amaranth is organized into Courts, under Grand Courts at the State level. The primary body is called the Supreme Council (which has some subordinate Courts directly under it, as well). Women members of the Order are addressed as "Honored Lady", while men are referred to as "Sir Knight".
One of the true-life stories that the "Order of Amaranth" is modeled after is directly tied to the year 1632, a time in history when the young Princes Christina began her reign as ruler of The Swedish Empire once she reached the age of eighteen in 1644 to be crowned Queen. The Swedish Queen is remembered as one of the most learned and wises women of the 17th century. She was fond of books, manuscripts, paintings, and sculptures. With her interest in religion, philosophy, mathematics, and alchemy. She was known worldwide, like King Solomon, for her wisdom. This attracted many scientists, philosophers, religious leaders, military leaders, and free thinkers to Stockholm to match wits with her, where she often won. This made many consider and want her city to become the "Athens of the North"; so, with the political climate at that time being conducive to the Peace of Westphalia, it allowed her to establish an academy or university when and wherever she wanted.
As time went on, the people looked to Queen Christina to use her power and influence with men of power to argued for peace to end the Thirty Years' War while ensuring that her people would always receive indemnity and not be looked upon as choosing a side. To this day Switzerland is a neutral country where several Sovern States go to resolve their countries political differences and conflict with other countries and sign peace accords. Meanwhile, not being the typical female or Queen, she caused a scandal when she decided not to marry, and when she converted to Catholicism secretly in Brussels and publicly in Innsbruck. She was nicknamed, the "Minerva of the North" and she later relinquished the throne to her cousin and settled in Rome to be with her true love and to be free to live life as she saw fit, as her own woman.
Notwithstanding, as she continued to break all the male dominated rules, she played a leading part in the theatrical and musical community and protected many Baroque artists, composers, and musicians from exile for what was said in their lyrics and plays about the social, economic, religious, & political state of affairs. Despite all, being a woman and a Queen, she was one of the only females that was ever asked to be the guest of five consecutive Popes, and a symbol of the Counter-Reformation. It should also be noted that Queen Christina is one of the few women buried in the Vatican grotto, which was at the time unthinkable. Her unconventional lifestyle and occasional masculine style of dressing have been featured in countless novels, plays, operas, and films. In most biographies of Christina, her gender and cultural identity play a significant role. (See more in History of Amaranths / O.E.S. Link)
Link to Movie Clip on Queen Christina Ruler of the Swedish Empire:
www.imdb.com/title/tt0024481/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk
One of the true-life stories that the "Order of Amaranth" is modeled after is directly tied to the year 1632, a time in history when the young Princes Christina began her reign as ruler of The Swedish Empire once she reached the age of eighteen in 1644 to be crowned Queen. The Swedish Queen is remembered as one of the most learned and wises women of the 17th century. She was fond of books, manuscripts, paintings, and sculptures. With her interest in religion, philosophy, mathematics, and alchemy. She was known worldwide, like King Solomon, for her wisdom. This attracted many scientists, philosophers, religious leaders, military leaders, and free thinkers to Stockholm to match wits with her, where she often won. This made many consider and want her city to become the "Athens of the North"; so, with the political climate at that time being conducive to the Peace of Westphalia, it allowed her to establish an academy or university when and wherever she wanted.
As time went on, the people looked to Queen Christina to use her power and influence with men of power to argued for peace to end the Thirty Years' War while ensuring that her people would always receive indemnity and not be looked upon as choosing a side. To this day Switzerland is a neutral country where several Sovern States go to resolve their countries political differences and conflict with other countries and sign peace accords. Meanwhile, not being the typical female or Queen, she caused a scandal when she decided not to marry, and when she converted to Catholicism secretly in Brussels and publicly in Innsbruck. She was nicknamed, the "Minerva of the North" and she later relinquished the throne to her cousin and settled in Rome to be with her true love and to be free to live life as she saw fit, as her own woman.
Notwithstanding, as she continued to break all the male dominated rules, she played a leading part in the theatrical and musical community and protected many Baroque artists, composers, and musicians from exile for what was said in their lyrics and plays about the social, economic, religious, & political state of affairs. Despite all, being a woman and a Queen, she was one of the only females that was ever asked to be the guest of five consecutive Popes, and a symbol of the Counter-Reformation. It should also be noted that Queen Christina is one of the few women buried in the Vatican grotto, which was at the time unthinkable. Her unconventional lifestyle and occasional masculine style of dressing have been featured in countless novels, plays, operas, and films. In most biographies of Christina, her gender and cultural identity play a significant role. (See more in History of Amaranths / O.E.S. Link)
Link to Movie Clip on Queen Christina Ruler of the Swedish Empire:
www.imdb.com/title/tt0024481/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk