Buzz
Since the Enlightenment, France has been a breeding ground for numerous occultists, many of whom have faded into historical obscurity. In today's age of rationalism, academic circles often dismiss these figures as mere eccentrics or delusional individuals. However, this overlooks the fascinating and peculiar stories behind their lives. Regardless of one's personal beliefs about the occult, these individuals have left lasting impacts on the world in unexpected and significant ways.
10 Guillaume Postel
In the early 1500s, Guillaume Postel relocated to Paris, where he acquired a collection of Hebrew and Latin books from a local Jewish individual and quickly mastered Hebrew. At the College de Sainte Barbe, he embraced a mystical, ascetic form of Christianity, aspiring to reform the notoriously corrupt Catholic Church of his era. During this time, he authored works on geography, embarked on multiple voyages to the East, and began studying Arabic. He later joined the Jesuits in Rome, gaining access to rare, priest-only documents and deepening his esoteric knowledge.
During the early 1540s, Postel experienced a vision instructing him to caution the French king, Francois I, to prepare his kingdom for an impending “Universal Restoration.” Initially, Francois I heeded Postel’s warning, but a royal advisor soon swayed his opinion. Whispers of Postel’s alleged insanity began to circulate.
Postel’s unconventional beliefs in a future French global dominion and his refusal to fully acknowledge the Pope’s authority led to his expulsion from the Jesuits just a year after joining. When Francois I disregarded Postel’s prophetic advice by aligning with those who supported the Pope’s supremacy over Church Reformers, he passed away shortly thereafter, seemingly validating the divine nature of Postel’s vision.
Postel later settled in Venice, where he worked as a hospital chaplain. There, he became the confessor and follower of an elderly mystic named Mother Johanna (Madre Zuana), renowned for her charitable work with the sick. In 1547, while in Venice, he acquired a manuscript of the Zohar, the central text of the Kabbalah. He blended Kabbalistic and Christian teachings, eventually accepting Johanna’s assertion that her soul had merged with Christ and that she embodied a divine feminine presence.
Following Johanna’s death, Postel asserted that her spirit visited him in 1552, transforming him into a “new man” reborn as the son of Christ and the “Mother of the World.” He claimed her spirit had altered his physical form and provided him with spiritual garments—one white and one red. The red garment, he explained, restored the balance between his anima and animus, the feminine and masculine elements of his being.
Following this, Postel proclaimed a new prophetic revelation: Mother Johanna, the “Virgin of Venice,” was the second Eve, paralleling Christ as the second Adam. She had ascended to heaven in bodily form, uniting with Christ in a “chemical wedding,” and would soon bring about the restoration of all things. He published these controversial ideas in two books and steadfastly refused to renounce them.
Luckily for Postel, he was deemed mentally unstable, which spared him from heresy charges. He was imprisoned in Rome but escaped execution by burning. In 1559, following the death of Pope Paul IV, he and other Inquisition prisoners were released.
Although the Inquisition destroyed Postel’s writings about the Virgin of Venice, it is believed that some copies survived in private collections and circulated in France, Germany, and England, influencing thinkers throughout the Reformation. While his accounts of spiritual experiences may seem delusional at face value, they bear a striking symbolic resemblance to the teachings of European alchemists who followed him. Additionally, Postel is credited with bringing back astronomical texts from his travels to the East, and there are strong indications that this knowledge reached Copernicus and other scientists during the Reformation.
9 The Unknown Philosopher
Louis-Claude de Saint-Martin is a fascinating figure whose life and philosophies eerily aligned with the dawn of Modernity. Despite his profound influence on Western occultism, he remains largely obscure to the general public today.
Born in 1743, Saint-Martin began his career as a lawyer but abandoned it after only six months. He later joined the military and was stationed in Bordeaux, where he encountered Martinez de Pasqually, a Jewish mystic. In 1768, he was initiated into Pasqually’s esoteric group, the Elus-Cohens.
In 1770, Saint-Martin attained the highest degree within the Elus-Cohens and left the army the following year. During this period, he authored just one book—Errors and the Truth, published in 1775. While he embraced much of Pasqually’s doctrine, he diverged on the order’s reliance on theurgic rituals. Saint-Martin advocated for a more straightforward mystical approach, which he termed “The Way of the Heart.” Failing to persuade the order to adopt this contemplative method, he left it entirely in 1790, coinciding with the onset of the French Revolution.
After parting ways with Pasqually, Saint-Martin drew inspiration from the works of mystic Jakob Boehme. Writing extensively under the pen name “The Unknown Philosopher,” he explored occult themes. His writings introduced spiritual concepts about liberating the human spirit, which oddly paralleled the revolutionary political ideals of the time. However, as noted by renowned occultist A.E. Waite, Saint-Martin disapproved of the “forces unleashed by a self-centered, greedy pursuit of freedom driven by excessive self-interest.”
Although born into French nobility, Saint-Martin lived through the French Revolution and passed away in 1803. His influence extended beyond French intellectuals and occultists, reaching German Romantics and even foreshadowing the materialism of the 19th century. For a deeper understanding of his teachings, refer to A.E. Waite’s biography on him.
8 Jean-Baptiste Willermoz
Jean-Baptiste Willermoz joined French Freemasonry in 1750 at the young age of 22. By 1752, he had been elected venerable master of his Lyon lodge. Despite this early achievement, he spent the next 24 years performing the standard rituals of mainstream Freemasonry before discovering something that truly resonated with his spirit.
In 1776, Willermoz joined the mystical Elus-Cohens order. Similar to his friend Saint-Martin, he recognized the significance of their leader Pasqually’s teachings but felt the rituals were overly complex for most to grasp. Willermoz believed the true essence lay in the symbolic meaning of these rituals, though extracting it proved challenging.
While Saint-Martin abandoned Pasqually’s rituals in favor of his “Way of the Heart,” Willermoz aimed to make the occult significance of the rituals more accessible. He merged Freemasonry’s framework with Pasqually’s initiation practices, creating what became known as the “Rectified Scottish Rite.” Under his guidance, this rite became an official branch of Freemasonry. Though obscure today, Willermoz was instrumental in solidifying Freemasonry’s connection to the occult.
7 Adolphe Desbarolles
Palmistry, or chiromancy, is thought to have originated with India’s Brahmins. Legend has it that Aristotle discovered an Indian manuscript detailing the art, which was later translated and brought to the West. While many Western occultists practiced chiromancy, the church suppressed it due to its ties to astrology. By the Early Modern period, it became associated with gypsies. However, in the 19th century, as the church’s influence waned, figures like Adolphe Desbarolles reignited interest in palmistry.
Desbarolles is recognized for refining palmistry into a more reputable discipline, countering the distortions introduced by frauds and imposters. However, he did not seek to provide scientific explanations for everything. A student of the renowned occultist Eliphas Levi, he is often compared to a “Renaissance mystic.” His first work, Les Mysteres de la Main, is richly illustrated and explores Kabbalah, astrological influences, and numerology. His second book, Revelations Completes, culminates over two decades of research and spans more than 1,000 pages.
Desbarolles practiced palmistry in Paris, charging 20 francs per session and employing a microscope to examine the finer lines on the hand. He earned the title “the father of modern palmistry.”
6 Etteila
The Frenchman who adopted the name Etteila—a reversal of his surname, Aliette—chose to publish under this pseudonym. In 1770, he released his first book, Etteila, or a Way to Entertain Oneself with a Pack of Cards. Predating the introduction of tarot cards in France, his system utilized standard playing cards for divination. The book saw multiple reprints.
After this, Etteila vanished from historical records for a time before resurfacing as a print seller. He authored another book on astrology, claimed to have coined the term “cartomancy” (divination using cards), and falsely presented himself as a mathematician.
When tarot cards reached France, Etteila asserted that their imagery and symbols originated from Egyptian magic. In 1782, he attempted to publish Egyptian Cartomania, or Interpretation of the 78 Hieroglyphs which are on the Cards Called Tarots, but it was banned by royal censors. Two years later, he successfully released A Way to Entertain Oneself with the Pack of Cards Called Tarots.
Etteila played a pivotal role in advancing and popularizing the esoteric use of tarot cards. Amid the turmoil leading up to the French Revolution, when many were anxious about their futures, he earned a substantial income as a card reader. He reportedly foresaw the fates of numerous individuals who met their end at the guillotine. Additionally, he created his own tarot deck, “The Grand Etteila,” which differs markedly from modern tarot designs. Today, tarot cards enjoy global popularity, and Etteila’s contributions to their evolution are indisputable.
5 Rene Guenon
Born in 1886 into a affluent French family, Rene Guenon, also known as Shaykh ‘Abd al-Wahid Yahya, emerged as an occultist, Freemason, and metaphysician. Despite his formal education being interrupted by his quest for spiritual truths across various traditions, he became a highly influential scholar and thinker.
Guenon viewed the modern era as a dark age. Through his study of religions, he identified shared principles between Eastern and Western philosophies, aiming to articulate the “perennial philosophy”—the timeless truth believed to underpin all religions. He is acknowledged as a pioneer of the “traditionalist” school of religious thought, which inspired prominent academics like Houston Smith, author of the seminal work The World’s Religions.
Simultaneously, Guenon employed meticulous scholarship to expose the leading charlatans of his time. As noted by the renowned anthropologist Mircea Eliade in his book The Occult and the Modern World:
The most comprehensive and scathing critique of these so-called occult groups came not from an external rationalist but from an insider—an author initiated into their secret orders and deeply familiar with their doctrines. This critique was rooted not in skepticism or positivism but in what he termed “traditional esoterism.” That critic was Rene Guenon.
Guenon held a deep fascination for Hinduism and mystical Islam. After publishing numerous works, he embraced Islam and eventually settled in Egypt, where he became a Sufi practitioner and sheikh. He passed away in 1951, but his writings continue to inspire many.
4 Francois Jollivet-Castelot
At the close of the 19th century, Francois Jollivet-Castelot introduced “hyperchemistry,” a modernized form of alchemy. This concept merged scientific chemistry with alchemical traditions, as detailed in his book Comment on Deviant Alchemiste. The work delves into the Kabbalah’s connection to alchemy and offers an alchemical perspective on tarot.
Jollivet-Castelot provided practical advice for aspiring neo-hermeticists. Recommendations included morning prayers while seated on the bed with a silk cloth over the head, a lukewarm rose-scented bath for magical cleansing, and a breakfast of tea with biscuits or toast. The modern alchemist’s work was to be carried out in a well-ventilated lab, with a darkened space reserved for astral projection.
According to Jollivet-Castelot, the hyperchemist should conclude work by 6:00 PM and take a walk to refresh the mind. Observing the sunset and stars was meant to inspire poetic and artistic reflection. A substantial dinner was permitted, followed by tobacco. Nighttime was reserved for studying esoteric texts. While theaters and similar distractions were discouraged to avoid “mental dissipation,” occasional companionship with women was encouraged.
Jollivet-Castelot led the Alchemical Society of France in Paris and gained credibility after Rutherford and Soddy’s discovery of radioactive “transmutation” in the early 20th century. Elements like radium sparked curiosity about whether traditional alchemists had been on to something. Perspectives shifted dramatically, as 19th-century scientists appeared to have overlooked profound insights into the nature of matter.
In 1920, Joillivet-Castelot asserted that he had achieved the transmutation of silver into gold. He also authored three novels, along with other works, established a non-atheistic communist group, influenced Swedish writer August Strindberg, and was unjustifiably regarded with seriousness by mainstream scientists in Britain, Germany, and France.
3. Georges Soules
Born in 1907, Georges Soules was an enigmatic figure who has fascinated conspiracy theorists due to his dual involvement in occult circles and politics. During his time at college in Paris in the late 1920s, he formed influential friendships that supported him throughout his life. Some of these associates reportedly played a role in the election of French president Francois Mitterrand.
In his youth, Soules joined the French Socialist Party in 1932, but his political loyalties shifted dramatically as he embraced fascism before World War II. Conscripted into military service at the war’s onset, he was soon arrested and imprisoned. After his release, he became involved with the clandestine French Resistance, which fought against the occupying fascist forces. Despite being on the winning side post-war, he fled to Switzerland to evade capture, as another Georges Soules had been convicted in absentia for supporting the Vichy regime—a case of mistaken identity, though highly coincidental.
After receiving amnesty in 1951, Soules returned to France under the alias Raymond Abellio. Upon his return, he was detained for only 30 hours before being freed, with his influential connections advocating for him. Setting aside his unverified role as a well-connected occultist attempting to sway global politics, Soules’ primary impact on the modern world stems from his literary contributions. Writing under his new name, he earned multiple literary awards and published several acclaimed Surrealist novels. He spent his final years immersed in mysticism until his death in 1986.
2 Alexandre Saint-Yves D’Alveydre
In the 19th century, occultist Alexandre Saint-Yves d’Alveydre authored The Kingdom of Agarttha: A Journey into the Hollow Earth. He asserted that the Earth was hollow, with ancient masters of occult wisdom residing in a central city called Agarttha, governing a vast civilization. He claimed this knowledge was revealed to him by a mysterious Eastern guru after studying Sanskrit texts. D’Alveydre described himself as a “spontaneous initiate” who had mystically glimpsed this underground realm. He even included open letters in the book to prominent figures like Queen Victoria, Emperor Alexander III of Russia, and Pope Leo III, urging them to join him in discovering Agarttha.
Adding to the intrigue, just as d’Alveydre was about to release his book, he inexplicably decided to destroy all copies except one. After his death, this sole surviving copy fell into the hands of Papus, who published it in 1910 with certain omissions. Decades later, it was revealed that the printer had secretly retained a copy of the original. Jean Saunier used this version to republish d’Alveydre’s work in 1981, which was later translated into English by scholar Joscelyn Godwin.
According to Godwin, The Kingdom of Agarttha might have been dismissed as the ramblings of an eccentric if not for Polish writer Ferdinand Ossendowski. In 1922, Ossendowski published a sensational narrative of his travels through Central Asia while escaping the Russian Revolution. In Mongolia, he claimed to have encountered tales of an underground realm called “Agharti,” home to 800 million inhabitants. Many details aligned with d’Alveydre’s account of Agarttha. Ossendowski’s version included a prophecy that Agharti’s inhabitants would emerge in 2029 to share their wisdom with humanity.
While it’s more plausible that Ossendowski had encountered d’Alveydre’s story and modified it to avoid plagiarism, his tale of Agharti still captured the interest of the respected scholar Rene Guenon. “Apart from Ossendowski’s account,” Guenon noted, “we know from other sources that such stories are widespread in Mongolia and Central Asia, and similar legends exist in the traditions of many cultures.”
D’Alveydre’s work finds some support in Eastern esoteric traditions, as Guenon acknowledged. Agarttha also intrigued Austrian occultist Rudolf Steiner, who helped popularize the legend in Germany. Other writers followed suit. There are widespread rumors that Nazi occultists murdered Steiner and even searched for Agarttha.
1. Papus
Gerard Encausse, known by his pseudonym “Papus,” initially became a member of the French Theosophical Society but left shortly after due to disagreements. He was also part of the Parisian branch of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and played a key role in establishing the Kabbalistic Order of the Rose-Croix. Additionally, he founded the Independent Group for Esoteric Studies. His writings gained widespread popularity and popularized occult practices among the middle class of his era.
Papus’s influence reached as far as Russia, where Tsar Nicholas II, concerned about the growing Bolshevik threat, sought his assistance. Papus allegedly conducted a seance to communicate with the spirit of the tsar’s father. Nicholas, known for his indecisiveness, reportedly begged his father’s spirit for guidance, only to learn that the revolutionaries would triumph and dismantle the aristocracy.
Papus also advised Nicholas’s wife, Alexandra, to use the swastika as a mystical charm to repel evil. She engraved the symbol in her diary and wore jewelry featuring the motif, which later became infamous through Hitler and the Nazis. She even carved swastikas into the window frames of the house where she, Nicholas, and their family were ultimately murdered—though tragically, it provided no protection (unless one sympathizes with the Bolsheviks).
Papus established another organization, the Order of the Martinists, inspired by the teachings of Louis-Claude de Saint-Martin. By 1900, it had expanded to hundreds of members under his dynamic leadership. However, after Papus succumbed to tuberculosis while serving as a medic in World War I, membership declined. Despite this, the order is believed to have influenced figures like Pablo Picasso. Even today, those interested can still join as Martinist initiates.
