Book excerpt: The Secret Doctrine of the Rosicrucians is one of the many titles attributed to William Walker Atkinson writing under a pseudonym. The book presents the history and background of the Rosicruscians, a mystical brotherhood which uses Christian symbology to communicate otherworldly ideas and meanings. Atkinson, writing as Magnus Incognito, supplies a guide to the beliefs and teachings of the brotherhood, including how to ascend to higher planes, sexual satisfaction as spiritual enlightenment, and the meaning behind auras. Interestingly, much of the Rosicrucisans is taken verbatim from another Atkinson work The Arcane Teachings.MAGNUS INCOGNITO is an alias and pen name of American writer WILLIAM WALKER ATKINSON (1862-1932). He only used the pseudonym once, obviously wishing to emphasize the writer's anonymity. Atkinson was editor of the popular magazine New Thought from 1901 to 1905, and editor of the journal Advanced Thought from 1916 to 1919. He authored dozens of New Thought books under numerous pseudonyms, including "Yogi," some of which are likely still unknown today.