PAPUS

Gérard Anaclet Vincent Encausse, widely known by his pseudonym Papus, was a French physician and a significant figure in the popularization of occultism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in Spain in 1865, his family relocated to Paris when he was young, where he pursued both medical studies and extensive research into esoteric subjects like Kabbalah, tarot, magic, and alchemy. He was an early member of the Theosophical Society but left due to its focus on Eastern occultism. Papus was instrumental in establishing esoteric organizations and publishing ventures, aiming to disseminate occult knowledge.

His career included co-founding a publishing house for esoteric works and editing a prominent occult journal. He was deeply involved in various occult and paramasonic groups, including the Hermetic Brotherhood of Light, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and Memphis-Misraim. Papus also founded the modern Martinist Order, which remains one of his most lasting legacies. Despite his extensive occult activities, he earned a medical degree and ran a successful clinic. His influence extended internationally, notably through his visits to Russia where he served as a physician and occult advisor to Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra. He died in 1916 from tuberculosis contracted while serving in the French army during World War I.

Papus was a prolific organizer within the occult revival movement. In 1888, he co-founded the Librairie du Merveilleux, a Parisian publishing house dedicated to esoteric literature, and launched the influential journal L’Initiation, which he edited for nearly two decades. His pseudonym, "Papus," was derived from the Nuctemeron of Apollonius of Tyana, signifying the genius of medicine, reflecting his dual interests in healing and the occult. He was a member of numerous esoteric societies, including the Hermetic Brotherhood of Light, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and Memphis-Misraim. A significant contribution was his founding of the modern Martinist Order in 1891, based on his acquisition of papers attributed to Martinez Paschalis. He also played a role in the Gnostic Church, being consecrated a bishop in 1893.

Encausse's early engagement with occultism was heavily influenced by the writings of Éliphas Lévi. He dedicated significant time to studying Kabbalah, occult tarot, magic, and alchemy at the Bibliothèque Nationale. Lévi's translation of the Nuctemeron of Apollonius of Tyana provided Papus with his chosen pseudonym. His initial formal occult education came from the Marquis Joseph Alexandre Saint-Yves d'Alveydre, who introduced him to Stanislas de Guaita. Together with de Guaita and Joséphin Péladan, Papus co-founded the Rosicrucian Kabbalistic Order of the Rose-Cross in 1888, becoming a member of its Supreme Council. He also considered the healer Anthelme Nizier Philippe, known as "Maître Philippe de Lyon," a spiritual mentor.

Despite his deep immersion in occult studies and organizations, Gérard Encausse maintained a conventional academic path, earning a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Paris in 1894 with a dissertation on Philosophical Anatomy. He established a successful medical clinic in Paris. Papus traveled to Russia on three occasions, serving Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra as both a physician and an occult consultant. While his role involved spiritual advising, he later expressed concern about the royal couple's reliance on occultism for governmental decisions and cautioned them about the influence of Rasputin. Claims that he conjured the spirit of Alexander III with prophecies for the Tsar have been noted as inaccurate.