: History of a Traditional Order Christian Rebisse, SI

In this article Christian Rebisse presents a comprehensive review of the history of the Traditional Martinist Order, from its beginnings with Louis-Claude de Saint-Martin’s mentors, Jacob Boehme and Martinès de Pasqually, to today’s worldwide mystical order.

n 1889, the Fourth World’s Fair, complished through human communica- celebrating the centenary of France’s tion with the so-called angelic hierarchies. I1789 Revolution, opened in Paris. It was According to Pasqually, the angels were a splendid fair where the marvel of electricity humankind’s only support in his efforts to triumphed. The fair’s main attraction was the become reconciled with the Divine after inauguration of the Eiffel Tower, a gigantic “The Fall.” metallic monument that was soon to become Thus, contrary to what is generally the symbol of triumphant materialism, thought, Martinism is not a mere exten- technology, and industry. Was it not the very sion of the Ordre des Élus-Cohen, and Mar- incarnation of a new Tower of Babel? tinès de Pasqually should not be consid- Meanwhile, Martinism was in the pro- ered the founder of the Martinist Order. cess of being reorganized and had just be- In 1772, before the organization of gun publishing its magazine L’Initiation. his Order was completed, Martinès de Upon what foundations did the Martinists Pasqually left France on family business for of that time rely to erect their Temple, and Haiti—from whence he never returned. who were the craftsmen of its reconstruc- He died in Santo Domingo in 1774. After tion? the disappearance of Pasqually, several dis- In answer, one may date the birth of ciples of the master continued to spread his the Martinist Order to the meeting of teachings, each from a unique perspective. two custodians of an “initiation” that had Two disciples particularly distinguished been passed down from the time of Lou- themselves—namely, Jean-Baptiste Will- is-Claude de Saint-Martin (1743-1803). ermoz and Louis-Claude de Saint-Martin. Their names were Gérard Encausse (better known as Papus) and . An ardent adept of and , Jean-Baptiste Willermoz (1730- The Élus-Cohen 1824) was in contact with the German Louis-Claude de Saint-Martin was the Stricte Observance Templière (Strict Tem- disciple of Martinès de Pasqually. Around plar Observance). In 1782, at a Conven- 1754, Pasqually founded the Ordre des ticle of the Order in Wilhelmsbad, Will- Élus-Cohen (Order of Elect Priests) so as ermoz incorporated Pasqually’s teachings to have his disciples work toward per- into the higher degrees of that order—the sonal reintegration through the practice degrees of Profès and Grand Profès—but of theurgy, which relied on complex cer- did not pass along the theurgic practices emonial practices aimed at what Pasqually of the Élus-Cohen. During the Conven- termed the reconciliation of the “minor” ticle, the Stricte Observance Templière was person with Divinity. This was to be ac- reformed under a new name, the Cheva- Page 3 liers Bienfaisants de la Cité Sainte (Knights development. However, we do know that Benefactor of the Holy City). a group formed around him, alluded to Meanwhile, Louis-Claude de Saint- in the letters of some of his friends (circa Martin had renounced Freemasonry. He 1795) under the name Cercle Intime (Inti- forsook theurgy—“the exterior way”—in mate Circle) or Société des Intimes (Associa- favor of the benefits of “the interior way.” tion of Intimates). In Le Lys dans la Vallée In fact, he considered theurgy to be dan- (The Lily in the Valley) the great novelist gerous, and angelic evocation far from Honoré de Balzac refers to the existence of infallible when conducted through “ex- groups of Saint-Martin’s disciples: “An in- terior” methods. We might even put into timate friend of the Duchess of Bourbon, Saint-Martin’s mouth the following ex- Mme. de Verneuil, belonged to a holy soci- cerpt from a poem by Angelus Silesius, en- ety whose soul was Mr. Saint-Martin, born titled Chérubinique: in Touraine and nicknamed the Unknown Philosopher. This philosopher’s disciples Go away Seraphims, you cannot com- practiced the virtues recommended by the fort me! high speculations of mystical Illuminism.”2 Go away angels and all that may be The Initiation originally transmitted by seen close to you; Saint-Martin was passed I jump all alone into down to modern times the uncreated sea of through various so-called pure Deity. filiations. By the end of the nineteenth century, According to Saint- two men in particular Martin, the implement were the custodians of and crucible of this mys- the Initiation, Dr. Gérard terious communion is Encausse and Augustin the heart of humankind. Chaboseau, each through He sought “to enter into a different filiation. Let the heart of the Divine us briefly examine these and make the Divine filiations. enter his heart.” It is in Jacob Boehme. this sense that we call the Martinist Filiation path advocated by Saint- Martin “The Way of the Heart.” The evo- Louis-Claude de Saint-Martin died on lution of Saint-Martin’s interior perspec- October 13, 1803. He had initiated Jean tive can be traced to his discovery of the Antoine Chaptal, a chemist to whom we works of Jacob Boehme. In his personal owe the discovery of certain manufactur- diary, Saint-Martin wrote, “It is to my ing processes for alum and the dyeing of first master [Pasqually] that I owe my first cotton, as well as the vinification process steps upon the spiritual path, but it is to called chaptalization (the process of add- my second master [Boehme] that I owe the ing sugar to the must). Chaptal had sev- most significant steps.” He enlarged upon eral children, among them a daughter the ideas of his two masters and incorpo- who married to become Mme. Delaage. rated them into a personal system passed She had a son, Henri Delaage, who wrote on through an “initiation” to a few chosen many books on the history of ancient initi- 1 Rosicrucian disciples. ation. He in turn was initiated by someone Digest Saint-Martin was not the founder of whose name we do not know—probably No. 1 2014 the Martinist Order, which was a later his father or mother, for when his grandfa- Page 4 ther (Chaptal) died, the young Henri De- and made plans to pass this on to a few laage was only seven and too young to re- seekers of truth. To achieve their goal, they ceive the Initiation. Henri Delaage passed founded what we call the Martinist Or- on the Initiation to Gérard Encausse (Pa- der, and it is only after this time that the pus) in 1882. Martinist Order can be said to have existed The second filiation proceeded as fol- as such. (We will see later how the name lows. About the middle of 1803, Saint- of the Order was altered by adding such Martin was staying at Aulnay with his qualifications as “Traditional” or “Synar- friend, the Abbot de la Noue, whom he chical.”) had long since initiated. This clergyman, Although the Order had no struc- an independent priest possessing an ency- ture at that time, the number of initiates clopedic knowledge, initiated the lawyer increased rapidly. It was then that Papus Antoine-Louis Marie Hennequin. The lat- created the magazine L’Initiation. As Pa- ter initiated Hyacinthe Joseph-Alexandre pus had not yet finished his education, af- Thabaud de Latouche, better known under ter which he was to complete his military the pen name of Henri de Latouche, who service, it was not until July 7, 1892, that in turn initiated Honoré he successfully defended de Balzac and Adolphe his medical thesis. Still, Desbarolles, the Count what activity! He had of Authencourt, to whom already organized the we owe a famous disser- Ordre Martiniste, estab- tation on palmistry. The lished l’École Hermétique latter initiated Henri de (the Hermetic School), Latouche’s niece, Amélie created the magazines Nouël de Latouche, the L’Initiation and Le Voile Marchioness of Boisse- d’Isis, and written, at age Mortemart who, in 1886, twenty-three, Le Traité initiated her nephew, Au- Élémentaire de Sciences gustin Chaboseau.3 Occultes (The Elemen- tary Treatise on The Creation of Sciences) and, at age the Martinist Order Papus. twenty-four, Le des It was from the meeting of these two Bohémiens (Tarot of the Bohemians). His spiritual descendants of Louis-Claude de associates were not much older than he, Saint-Martin—Augustin Chaboseau and except for F.C.H. Barlet. Papus—that an initiatory Order called In 1887, Papus’s esoteric interests had Ordre Martiniste (Martinist Order) was been aroused by the writings of Louis Lu- born. Papus and Augustin Chaboseau were cas, a chemist, alchemist, and Hermeti- both studying medicine. A mutual friend, cist. A student of occultism, he studied Gaëtan Leymarie, Director of La Revue the works of Eliphas Levi and made the Spirite, knowing of their deep interest in acquaintance of Barlet (Albert Faucheux), esotericism, arranged for them to get to- a learned occultist, and Félix Gaboriau, gether. The two medical students soon be- director of the Theosophical magazineLe came friends and discovered their mutual Lotus Rouge (The Red Lotus). In 1887, Pa- participation in initiatic filiations going pus also joined the Theosophical Society, back to Louis-Claude de Saint-Martin. In founded earlier in 1875 by Helena Bla- 1888, they pooled what they had received vatsky and Colonel Olcott. Page 5 The 1891 Supreme Council headed by Victor-Emile Michelet, devoted to the study of ; and Sphinge, Papus soon adopted a detached at- intended to promote the arts. Martinist titude toward the Theosophical Society. groups formed in several other French cit- It promoted an Eastern, Buddhistic con- ies as well. The Order also spread to Bel- cept of esotericism which went so far as to gium, Germany, England, Spain, Italy, trivialize, even suppress, the perspectives of Egypt, Tunisia, the United States, Argen- . This attitude—pro- tina, Guatemala, and Colombia. The April claiming the superiority of Eastern over 1898 issue of L’Initiation claimed as many Western tradition—alarmed Papus. At the as forty lodges throughout the world, and same time a more serious danger appeared later that year it could boast one hundred on the horizon which made it impossible thirteen. to perpetuate the Western tradition in its customary silence and obscurity. Accord- The Faculty of Hermetic Sciences ing to Papus and , some occultists were trying to shift the hub of Martinists wanted to revive Western esotericism away from Paris—its tradition- esotericism; however, there was no place in al center—to places more favored by the France where Hermetic sciences could be Eastern enthusiasts. studied. Papus reflected, “Since there ex- ist faculties where we can learn material- “Thus it was decided in high places,” istic sciences, why shouldn’t there be one Papus wrote, “that a campaign of exten- where we can learn esoteric sciences!” To sion should be undertaken to select true meet that need, Martinists organized a initiates capable of adapting the Eastern school that would create courses and lec- tradition to the century which was about tures intended to communicate Western to open.” The purpose was to preserve the esoteric values to seekers drawn from the perenniality of the Eastern tradition while public. This school became the breeding at the same time opposing a trend which ground from which prospective Martinists would have led sincere seekers toward an were selected for initiation. In fact, it was impasse between Eastern and Western eso- to become the outer circle of the Martinist tericism. Martinism was to be the instru- Order, and was called the École Supérieure ment of this plan. Libre des Sciences Hermétiques (the Inde- In 1890, Papus resigned from the pendent High School of Hermetic Sci- Theosophical Society. From that date, ences). It later changed its name to Groupe Martinism became better organized. Mar- Indépendant d’Études Ésotériques, then to tinist initiations became more frequent, École Hermétique, and finally to Faculté des and in the following year, July 1891, the Sciences Hermétiques (Faculty of Hermetic Martinist Order created a Supreme Coun- Sciences). cil composed of twenty-one members.4 It offered a multitude of courses (about Papus was elected Grand Master. Through twelve monthly), with subjects ranging Papus’s many talents and the material sup- from to , Victor-Emile port of Lucien Mauchel (Chamuel), the Michelet to the Tarot, covering the history Order grew rapidly. The first Martinist of Hermetic philosophy. The more diligent Lodges were established, and four soon teachers were Papus, Sédir, Victor-Emile appeared in Paris—Le Sphinx, headed by Michelet, Barlet, Augustin Chaboseau, Papus, which offered general studies;Her - and Sisera. A special group under Augustin Rosicrucian Digest manubis, headed by Sédir, which taught Chaboseau studied the Eastern sciences. No. 1 mysticism and eastern tradition; Velleda, Another under F. Jollivet Castelot studied 2014 Page 6 Alchemy and took the name Société Alchi- huge undertaking was Victor Blanchard, a mique de France (Alchemical Society of Martinist who later made use of this tech- France). nique to organize the F.U.D.O.S.I. Ordre Kabbalistique de la Rose-Croix Sometimes, in his many alliances, Papus would allow himself to be over- Having organized the outer circle— whelmed by the emotional zeal of his col- then called the Groupe Indépendant leagues. So it was with the Église Gnostique d’Études Ésotériques—the Martinists also (Gnostic Church), founded around 1889 created an inner circle, the Ordre Kabbal- by Jules Doisnel after a spiritual experi- istique de la Rose-Croix (Kabbalistic Or- ence. It is often claimed that the Gnostic der of the Rose Cross). On July 5, 1892, Church became the official church of the the Martinist Order and the Ordre Kab- Martinists. In fact, the importance of the balistique de la Rose-Croix were linked by alliance has been exaggerated by some of an agreement. According to Stanislas de the pseudo-successors of Papus. Although Guaita, “Martinism and the Rose-Croix the Martinist Order merged with many constituted two complementary forces in organizations—Les Illuminés (The Illumi- the full scientific meaning of the term.”5 nati), Les Babistes (The Babists), Le Rite The Kabbalistic Order of the Rose Cross Écossais (The Scottish Rite), orMemphis had been revived in 1889 by Stanislas de Misraïm—it always maintained its in- Guaita and Josephin Péladan. Admission dependence. It was common practice in was reserved strictly for Martinist S.I.’s those days to belong to several initiatory who had attained that Degree at least three organizations at once. Some, unfortunate- years before and under special circum- ly, abused the privilege, becoming afflicted stances. The number of members was to with a terrible disease that often appears be limited to one hundred forty-four, but among the superficially initiated: the ten- apparently this number was never reached. dency to collect titles as a substitute for The purpose of theOrdre Kabbalistique true esoteric study. de la Rose-Croix was to complete the spiri- Papus and most of the Martinist lead- tual formation of those in the S.I. Degree. ers had assumed important responsibilities It was divided into three Degrees, leading in the Egyptian Freemasonry of the Rite of to the following diplomas: Bachelor in Memphis-Misraïm, for example. But com- Kabbalah, Kabbalah Graduate, and Doc- pared to its ninety-seven degrees, the few tor of Kabbalah. When Stanislas de Guaita Martinist degrees seemed infinitesimal! died in 1897, eight years after the Order’s A number of Martinists, dazzled by the founding, Barlet was appointed head, but prodigious titles of the Memphis-Misraïm never fulfilled his duties; the Ordre Kab- Degrees, no longer took time to study the balistique de la Rose-Croix became more teachings. Thus, many plunged into a kind or less dormant. As late as World War I in of initiatory promiscuity and lost the un- 1914, Papus was still trying to revive the derlying purpose and essence of initiation. Order, without success. World War I (1914-1918) To spread Illuminism, the Martinists did not hesitate to merge with other ini- With the onset of World War I the tiatory organizations. Thus, in 1908 Papus Order became dormant. Everyone was in- organized a great international spiritualis- volved in defending France. Papus volun- tic convention in Paris—an event which teered for the front and was assigned the brought together no fewer than thirty ini- post of chief physician, with the rank of tiatory organizations. The secretary of this Captain. He viewed as sacred his obliga- Page 7 tions to his country. Augustin Chaboseau, unable to serve in a physical capacity, joined the departmental staff of Aristide Briand’s ministry, first as a magistrate, then as Chairman of the Board. Papus died before the end of the war on October 25, 1916. By the time the war was over, members of the Supreme Board were scat- tered; no new Grand Master was elected. “With Papus gone, Martinism is dead,” Jollivet Castelot lamented.6 Several Mar- tinists tried to assume leadership of the Order, but they altered the essence of Mar- tinism so drastically that many Martinists preferred not to participate and remained independent. Short-Lived Successions

Several Martinist groups came into ex- istence at that time, but most were short- Augustin Chaboseau. lived, and followed no single leader. When which Robert Ambelain has shown to be a Russian Martinist asked Barlet who was without foundation.9 Bricaud’s movement the Order’s leader in France, Barlet an- remained essentially centered in Lyon.10 swered, half-smiling: “Martinism is a circle A second group was established un- whose circumference is everywhere with its der the leadership of Victor Blanchard. 7 center nowhere.” Let us take a quick look Blanchard had been Master of the Parisian at the organizations of this period, which Lodge Melchissedec and was recognized are often confused, and some of the issues by a number of Parisian Martinists. On that historians have enjoyed clouding. November 11, 1920, the Journal Officiel The first of these organizations was announced the establishment of Victor formed under the leadership of Jean Bri- Blanchard’s Order under the name Union caud, who claimed that Papus had desig- Générale des Martinistes et des Synarchistes nated Teder to be his successor, and Teder (General Association of Martinists and in turn, on his deathbed, had named Bri- Synarchists), or Ordre Martiniste Syn- caud as his successor. He showed the Pa- archique (Synarchical Martinist Order). risian Martinists a document purporting In1934, Victor Blanchard initiated H. to certify his appointment as the head of Spencer Lewis into that Order. Later, Lew- the Order, but no one took it seriously, is would receive from Blanchard a charter believing that Bricaud had probably writ- to be Grand Inspector for the Americas, ten it himself, and he was not recognized.8 another to be Sovereign Grand Master formed a small group in Lyon Legate for the United States, and autho- which “masonized” the Order by admit- rization to establish the Louis-Claude de ting only eighteenth-degree Masons. The Saint-Martin Temple in San Jose. (Ralph result was a version of Martinism which Maxwell Lewis would also be initiated into Rosicrucian had little to do with that of Papus and the Ordre Martiniste Synarchique in Sep- Digest Augustin Chaboseau. In addition, Jean tember 1936.) We will return to the Ordre No. 1 2014 Bricaud claimed an Élus-Cohen filiation Martiniste Synarchique later. Page 8 In Paris, several independent groups Martinism was regaining some of its were created, but there was no Supreme strength. A Grand Master was appointed. Council acknowledged by Martinists as a As tradition dictated, it was the oldest whole. In fact, most Martinists preferred member, Augustin Chaboseau. As early to continue working independently in the as April 1932, he chose to relinquish the background instead of rushing into quar- office to Victor-Emile Michelet. Although rels over succession. active, the Order remained relatively secret under his leadership. When Michelet died Birth of the Traditional Martinist Order on January 12, 1938, Augustin Chaboseau There seemed to be no solution to the resumed the office of Grand Master of the problem. In 1931, Jean Chaboseau sug- Traditional Martinist Order. gested to his father that the survivors of the 1891 Supreme Council meet to reestablish Martinism and F.U.D.O.S.I. the Martinist Order on its pristine founda- In August 1934, the first meetings of tions. Apart from A. Chaboseau, the only the F.U.D.O.S.I. were held in Brussels.13 survivors were Victor-Emile Michelet and Various initiatory Orders were brought to- Chamuel. gether to unite their efforts. Through the We must not forget that Augustin F.U.D.O.S.I., Victor Blanchard hoped to Chaboseau was the co-founder of Mar- restore the worldwide unity of Martinism tinism in 1889 and had received his ini- under his leadership. However, many Mar- tiation through the direct filiation of his tinists were absent. The Traditional Mar- aunt Amélie de Boisse-Mortemart. Victor- tinist Order was not represented and does Emile Michelet had been an important not seem to have been invited. Jean Bri- member of the Hermetic University and caud, probably fearing that his title would Master of the Velleda Lodge. Chamuel be challenged, preferred to abstain. On had been the material organizer of the Or- August 9, during a Martinist meeting, Vic- der, using the back room of his bookstore tor Blanchard was recognized as Sovereign to shelter the first activities of the Order. Grand Master by attending Martinists, Other Martinists joined them: Dr. Octave and Georges Lagrèze as Deputy Grand Béliard, Dr. Robert Chapelain, Pierre Lévy, Master.14 Ihamar Strouvea, Gustave Tautain, as well Victor Blanchard authorized Dr. H. as Papus’s son, Philippe Encausse. Philippe Spencer Lewis to establish Lodges of the associated with the Martinist Order for a Synarchical Martinist Order in the United time, then parted from it. His concerns States, but was unable to deliver the re- seem to have been elsewhere, as confirmed quired documents to either Lewis, Émile by a book he devoted to the memory of his Dantinne, Edouard Bertholet, or others. father the following year.11 As a precaution, Dr. Lewis preferred to On July 24, 1931, the Martinists, wait for formal general rules before ven- meeting again with Augustin Chaboseau, turing further. Martinists from other ju- decided to revive Martinism under its au- risdictions adopted the same attitude. It thentic and traditional aspect. To distin- turned out that the activities of the Syn- guish it from numerous pseudo-Martinist archical Martinist Order were limited to organizations, they added the qualification the transmission of the various Martinist Traditional to the name of the Order. In Degree Initiations, and the Order other- doing so, the survivors of the 1891 Su- wise had no actual existence. There was no preme Council laid claim to “the perpe- Martinist Lodge in Paris at the time, and tuity of the Order founded by them with Victor Blanchard gave his initiations in the Papus.”12 temple of the Fraternité des Polaires. Page 9 Five years later, not much had im- proved. In 1939 the F.U.D.O.S.I. re- solved to remove the trust that had been bestowed on Victor Blanchard. Georges Lagrèze took the opportunity to point out to members of the F.U.D.O.S.I. that there was indeed a Martinist fully quali- fied to lead the Order, whose existence Blanchard, intentionally or not, had never mentioned. This Martinist, Augustin Cha- boseau, past collaborator of Papus and last survivor of the 1891 Supreme Council, was also the only one entitled to direct the destiny of Martinism. Consequently, a delegation was sent to meet with Au- gustin Chaboseau. After considering the situation, he agreed to head the Martinist Order. At a special F.U.D.O.S.I. meeting, all the attending Martinists rallied before Ralph Maxwell Lewis. the authority of the Grand Master of the Traditional Martinist Order. Thus, in July have dire consequences for the Martinist 1939, the Traditional Martinist Order was Order. Many Martinists lost their lives on admitted into the F.U.D.O.S.I., resulting battlefields and in concentration camps. in a drop in the membership of the Synar- On August 14, 1940, shortly after the chical Martinist Order. outbreak of hostilities, the French official Augustin Chaboseau, who had just newspaper published a decree from the Vi- assumed the leadership of Martinism, re- chy Government banning all secret societ- placed Victor Blanchard as Imperator of ies in France. Most of the leaders of these the F.U.D.O.S.I., becoming one of a triad organizations were arrested. The Tradi- of Imperators running that organization, tional Martinist Order became dormant in the two others being Sâr Hieronymus France in an official sense, but underneath (Émile Dantinne) and Ralph M. Lewis the true work never stopped as Athanor (his father having passed through transi- and Brocéliande Lodges remained secretly tion on August 2, 1939). A few days later, active. Taking refuge in Brittany, Augustin a letter from the International Supreme Chaboseau was not overtly harassed, but Council of the Traditional Martinist Or- Dr. Béliard had some difficulties with the der confirmed Ralph M. Lewis’s appoint- Gestapo. Georges Lagrèze was forced to 15 ment as Regional Grand Master for the hide in Normandy, then in Angers, but United States of America and member of despite constant searches of his residence, the International Supreme Council. he continued to communicate with Ralph M. Lewis through Jeanne Guesdon. World War II (1939-1945) By the end of the war in 1945, there Just as Martinist tradition was being were only a few survivors left. The Tradi- reestablished across the Atlantic Ocean tional Martinist Order was officially -re Rosicrucian (and none too soon), European Martinists, vived under Augustin Chaboseau, but un- Digest a few months later, were subjected to a new fortunately he passed through transition No. 1 and terrible ordeal. World War II was to on January 2, 1946. Georges Lagrèze died 2014 Page 10 in Angers on April 16 of that year. The Or- States and was working quietly, waiting der in France had, with their passing, lost for affairs to calm down in Europe. Ralph essential elements. Jean Chaboseau was Lewis kept his title of Regional Grand appointed to succeed his father. Though a Master, and ten years later, when the Tra- worthy Martinist, he was a poor organizer ditional Martinist Order was reestablished and failed to revive the Order in France. in France and other countries, he assumed The members of the Supreme Council the title of Sovereign Grand Master. For gradually lost confidence in him and re- forty-eight years Ralph M. Lewis led the signed. It should be stated, however, that Traditional Martinist Order. After his some Martinists did much to complicate transition on January 12, 1987, he was his work; tired of quarreling, Jean Cha- succeeded by Gary Stewart. In April 1990, boseau decided to declare the Order dor- Christian Bernard was appointed Sover- mant. Belgian Martinists, under the lead- eign Grand Master of the Traditional Mar- ership of Sâr Renatus (René Rosart), tried tinist Order. to continue the work of the Order under Today’s Traditional Martinist Order the name Ordre Martiniste Universel, and Victor Blanchard approved the decision. As you can see, the Martinist Order, But René Rosart’s transition in October despite adversity, has always succeeded 1948 effectively checked any further devel- in transmitting its Light through time. opment of the Universal Martinist Order. Though there exist several Martinist “obe- Brother Heb Aïlghim Sî (Dr. E. Bertholet) diences” today, it is the Traditional Mar- succeeded René Rosart, but chose to al- tinist Order which has the largest mem- low an Order that had never been active to bership. In the last few years, Sovereign die out. On May 13, 1965, Dr. Bertholet Grand Master Christian Bernard, has been passed away without appointing a succes- patiently reorganizing the Order. One 16 sor. hundred years after the establishment of Meanwhile, the Traditional Martinist the Supreme Council in 1891, and sixty Order had suffered no harm in the United years after the founding of the Traditional Page 11 Martinist Order, he announced plans both 3. Regarding the circumstances of this Initiation, see the article, “Pierre-Augustin Chaboseau—An Unknown to re-center the Order on its traditional Servant,” by Christian Rebisse, published in the values and practices and to adapt it to the Rosicrucian Digest, Spring 1993 issue, p. 14. modern world. Under his leadership, the 4. This creation was announced in the following issues Order appears to be experiencing a new of L’Initiation: No. 10, July 1891, pp. 83-84; No. 11, August 1891, p. 182; and No. 12, September 1891, birth. p. 277. 5. Carré, G. Essais de Sciences Maudites, 1, Au Seuil du One hundred years after the French Mystère (Paris: 1890) p. 158. Revolution, Martinists under the leader- 6. Castelot, F. Jollivet Essai de Synthèse des Sciences ship of Papus sought in their own way to Occultes (Paris: E. Nourry, 1928) p. 189. contribute to the spiritualization of their 7. Ventura, Gaston Tuttigli Uomini del Martinismo (Rome: Atanor Publisher, 1978) p. 59. time. In their desire to execute this mission, 8. Ibid. they scattered Serviteurs Inconnus (Un- 9. Ambelain, Robert Le Martinisme (Paris: Niclaus, known Servants) throughout the world in 1946) pp. 151-155. 10. JeanBricaud had successors we cannot mention here furtherance of the Great Work. The stakes for lack of space. at the time were considerable—the threats 11. Encausse, Philippe Papus, sa Vie son Oeuvre (Papus— hovering over Eastern esotericism, the as- His Life, His Work) (Paris: Pythagore Publisher, cent of an industrial civilization, the ad- 1932). In the December 1932 Voile d’Isis, pp. 793- 794, Jean Reyor was the first to mention this aspect vent of the “reign of quantity”—all posed of Papus’s son: “It seems we systematically lay aside all real dangers to the interior life of human- that could be truly interesting in the extremely active ity. The present bears similarities to that career of this astonishing Papus . . . not a word about the constitution and the life of this Martinist Order period, and all could see, in the bicenten- of which Papus was the promoter.” Philippe Encausse nial celebration of the French Revolution corrected this flaw in successive editions of his work. in 1989, that much remains to be done. 12. Ambelain, Robert Le Martinisme (Paris: Niclaus, 1946) p. 174. Victor Hugo said: “Revolution changes ev- 13. F.U.D.O.S.I. is the abbreviation of Fédération erything, except the human heart.” Universelle des Ordres et Sociétés Initiatiques. 14. This event was announced in the August-September Humanity now, as in the period of 1934 issue of Adonhiram magazine, p. 6. the Martinist resurgence, is imperiled by 15. In 1942, Georges Lagrèze “revived” an Order of progress. It is not by chance that initiatory Élus-Cohen. This Order had no direct filiation with that of Martinès de Pasqually, but an indirect organizations such as the Traditional Mar- filiation through the C.B.C.S., since Georges Lagrèze tinist Order have been so active as of late, had the grade of Grand-Profès in that Order. After for they teach that it is not outside that a G. Lagrèze’s transition in 1946, Robert Ambelain claimed the succession to G. Lagrèze. Yet, a few days revolution must take place, but inside of before his transition, Georges Lagrèze had written a us, within the heart of each. Martinists call letter to Ralph M. Lewis in which he announced his this The Way of the Heart. decision to make this Order dormant as it had no solid foundation. In 1967, Ivan Mosca (Hermete) succeeded Robert Ambelain as the head of the Ordre des Élus-Cohen. In 1968, concerned about the legitimacy of the 1942 resurgence, he decided, in agreement with Robert Ambelain, to make the Order dormant (see Proclamation in the October 1968 L’Initiation magazine, pp. 230-231). ENDNOTES 16. Contrary to certain legends, Dr. Bertholet was never 1. Not all Martinist historians agree on this point. Some Sovereign Grand Master of the Ordre Martiniste believe that Saint-Martin did not pass on initiation Synarchique and consequently never passed this in the usual sense of the term. According to them, title down to an eventual successor. A recent visit to Papus should be looked upon as the founder of the Mrs. A.R., the present successor to Mr. Genillard— Martinist Initiation. See Le Martinisme by Robert himself successor to Dr. Bertholet in other initiatory Amadou, Ascèse publishers, 1979, chapter IV. Up till functions—has confirmed it to us. Moreover, Dr. Rosicrucian now, nothing warrants a definite judgment one way Bertholet’s initiatory name in the Martinist Order Digest or the other. was not “Sâr Alkmaïon,” this name being his in the No. 1 2. de Balzac, H. Le Lys dans la Vallée (Nelson: 1957) O.H.T.M. In Martinism, his name was Heb Aïlghim 2014 p. 64. Sî. Page 12