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Saint-Yves d'Alveydre ;
Synarchy and Secret Societies
by Milko Bogaard
Introduction :
I was asked by Sandy Hamblett to write this article on Saint-Yves. Of course I'm well acquainted with the character of Saint-Yves d'Alveydre, but I'm not very familiar with the subject which deals with the mystery of Rennes le chateau. I've heard and read about the history of Rennes, I've seen the BBC documentary, I'm familiar with its symbolism etc. but I'm not an "expert" on the mysteries of the priest and his parchments.
Being a member of several occult fraternities I've studied many of the Hermetic philosophers, from Iamblichus, Pythagoras, Plotinus, the "Gnostics" etc. up to the "modern" philosophers of the 19th - and 20th century; Fabre d'Olivet, Wronski, Levi, Papus, Bardon, and …. Saint-Yves d'Alveydre .
I would like to state though, that I've never been confronted with any form of politics, indoctrinations or whatsoever, within the esoteric orders of which I'm a member at the time. I'm not denying that such a thing doesn't exist, because it does ….. Where money's involved, there's power to gain, and there are fraternities out there which are run like regular companies. But that's another story …. Or isn't it?
Saint-Yves d'Alveydre (1842-1909)
Marquis Joseph Alexandre Saint-Yves d'Alveydre was a follower of the school of Jean-Philipe Dutoit-Membrini (a.k.a. Keleph-ben-Natha, 1721-1793) and Fabre d'Olivet (1762-1825). Dutoit-Membrini lead a Pythagorean group called "Ames Interieures qu' inspirait Mme Guyon" of which Fabre d'Olivet was a member in his younger years.
In his youth Saint-Yves (who was of Breton origin) apparently was not easy to handle and because of his "insubordination" he was, at the age of 13, taken under the custody of 2 professors, Frédéric-Auguste of Metz and the Abbot Rosseau. Encouraged by his teachers, he started to read Joseph de Maistre and learned about Fabre d'Olivet. The young Alexandre wanted to study literature, but his father decided otherwise; His son should aim for a career in the military. At a naval-academy in Brest, where he studied medicine (which his professor, Frédéric-Auguste of Metz, had advised him to do), he contracts the blackpox (or "black variola") and he leaves for Jersey to recover from the disease. On Jersey he meets Pelleport and Victor Hugo. It is said that Victor Hugo, a famous French 19th century novelist, was involved with a group of "Rose-Croix" (rosicrucians) of which Maurice Barres (a later member of the "Ordre Kabbalistique de la Rose+Croix" and of the Supreme Council of Papus' Martinist Order) was also a member. Around this time Saint-Yves d'Alveydre also visited London for the first time . In 1870 Saint-Yves, still on Jersey, joined the 171* "bataillon de Marche". In 1871 he accepted a post at the Ministry of Home Affairs.
It is stated by an unknown biographer that Saint-Yves at his stay on the isle of Jersey, received from a relative of Fabre d'Olivet several of his manuscripts which apparently made a huge impression on Saint-Yves. The works of Fabre d'Olivet exerted a major influence on the development of Saint-Yves' philosophy.
In 1877 Saint-Yves met Countess Marie de Riznitch-Keller, a relative of Honoré de Balzac, novelist and a member of the 'original ' Martinist Order. Saint-Yves married the Countess, a decision which made him financially (in)dependent. He could afford it to spent almost all of his time doin' research in libraries in France and abroad. In 1880 Saint-Yves obtains the title of "Marquis", a title which was confered to Saint-Yves by the Vatican. Saint Yves had an excellently connected cirlce of acquaintances through his marriage with the Countess.
It is known that Saint-Yves d'Alveydre started to develop his socio-political concept of "Synarchy" in the early 1870's. The second half of the 19th century was a period in which many new political ideas were developed and were taking hold. Apparently Saint-Yves was alarmed by the rise of Anarchy, and it is generally claimed that he developed "Synarchy" specifically "in order to counter it". But Synarchy was not a purely political movement, as I will explain later on in this article. From the 1770's on, Saint-Yves started to correspond with all the known occultists of his time. He wanted to be recognized as a writer, but he never really succeeded in finding this recognition. According to Jules Bois, to whom Josephin Peladan used to refer as "Elu Comte de la R+C" ( the elected "Rosicrucian Count"), Saint-Yves once produced 1400 pages within three days. But his works are rather complex and not easy to read. Saint-Yves published 4 books between 1882 and 1887, in which the concept of 'Synarchy' is explained and developed ;
· "Mission actuelle des souverains, par l'un deux" 1882 ; Saint Yves' definitions of the various types of government, the Republic-Monarchy-Theocracy etc. each defined by principle, means, strive, values. In short, "the history of Europe which revolved around the papacy of Rome for nearly 2000 years is in need for a synthetic social reform".
· "Mission actuelle des ouvriers" 1883 ; The Mission of the Working Class- a short note on France
· "Mission des juifs" 1884 ; divided in 22 chapters, almost 950 pages - chapters 1-4 deal with the general universal principles and wisdom of mankind. Saint Yves' plea for Synarchy ; throughout history, from the Ancients to the Egyptians, from Moses to Jesus, the univeral principles of "social law" were known ; the roots of Judeo-Christian 'social Law'
· "La France vraie" 1887 ; the evolution of Synarchy in the history of France since the 14th century. Saint Yves d'Alveydre determines "the law of relation" between the various groups of a society
In the year 1885 Saint-Yves was visited by a group of Eastern Initiates, one of them being named prince Hardjij Scharipf. Their mission was to inform Saint-Yves on 'AGARTTHA' , a spiritual and political organization. Their visit lead to his publication, titled "Mission de l'Inde en Europe, mission de l'Europe en Asie. La question des Mahatmas et sa solution". Saint-Yves dedicated this work to the "Sovereign Pontiff who wears the tiara of the seven crowns of modern Brahatmah in the ancient Paradise of the Cycle of the Lamb and the Ram". But Saint-Yves did not publish the book but decided to destroy the work and tore it apart. According to Saint Yves he acted under orders of the Brotherhood. The wisdom revealed would not be understood and therefore a publication would be like casting pearls before swine. Other sources state that Saint-Yves decided not to "expose the life of a saint" to the outside world, the saint being "Guru Pandit", the Eastern initiate who'd visited Saint-Yves. Apparently Saint-Yves overlooked one copy of the manuscript which fell into the hands of Count Alexander Keller, son of Countess Marie de Riznitch-Keller. This copy of Saint-Yves "Mission de l'Inde en Europe…" was published (posthumous) in a limited edition in 1910 by the publishing firm of Dorbon-Aîné. During the Second World War the Gestapo seized all the publications of this book that were known to exist. According to Dr.Philippe Encausse, Papus' son, the original copy belonging to Count Keller was given to Papus. After the death of Papus in 1916 it was donated to the Library of Sorbonne.
Papus apparently met Saint-Yves d'Alveydre around 1887 at the beginning of his esoteric career. Several sources claim that it was Saint-Yves which introduced Papus in 1887 to Stanislas de Guaita, with whom he would found the "Ordre Kabbalistique de la Rose+Croix" in 1888. Similair sources claim that Saint-Yves helped Papus in establishing the G.I.D.E.E., "Groupe Independent des Etudes Esoterique", an institution which was established to develop research-centres of occult siences. The G.I.D.E.E. was later renamed "Ecole Hermetique", the Hermetic School. The "Ecole Hermetique" probably commanded various 'subdivisions' like the "Faculte des Sciensces Hermetique" etc. According to others, Saint-Yves even also claimed to be the Grand Master of the 'original' Martinist Order. "Whatever the truth is, the collaboration of a man like Saint-Yves d'Alveydre would certainly have attracted many "mystics" to the ranks of a new organization like the "Groupe Independent des Etudes Esoterique".
The author of "Mission des juiffs" was regarded by Papus as his "Maitre Intellectuel ", his Intellectual Master. Papus was particularly impressed by Saint-Yves' "Mission des juiffs", which Papus saw as the starting point and as the point of arrival of all his work with regard to the concept of 'Synarchy'.
After his wife's death in 1895, Saint-Yves started to work on his last work, an enormous work called the "Archéomètre ", a book published in 1903.
The "Archéomètre" 'intended to be a comprehensive key permitting a survey of ancient culture'. The book 'explores' the value of various philosophical, scientific, occult and religious systems 'and its place in the universal tree of science or tradition'. "Archéomètre" is derived from the Greek meaning roughly "the mass of the principle".
Saint-Yves' system is build around a series of symbols and interpretations relating to the "Ark of the Covenant". It's a very complex system which intends to be the key to all Religions and Sciences of the Ancients.
Saint-Yves wrote the ’Archéomètre' at his home in Versailles, assisted by a
Medium, a certain Marie Victoire.
Victor-Emile Michelet, contemporary of Saint-Yves, member of the first Supreme Council of the Martinist Order under Papus established in 1891, founder of the "Association des Amis de Peladan" (1921), and co-founder of the "Ordre Martiniste Traditionnel" (1931), in one of his books wrote the following on the ’Archéomètre' ;
· What is the ’Archéomètre', is it the "measurement of the ’Archée' (Universal Cosmic Force) of which the Hermetists speak? Is it a process, a 'key' which makes it possible to penetrate the Mysteries of the Word ? The ’Archéomètre' is a measuring instrument of the first (primary) principles of the manifested universe… ('freely' transl.)
Saint-Yves d'Alveydre, together with contemporaries like Eliphas Levi, Maitre Philippe, and Fabre d'Olivet, belonged to the most influental spiritual teachers/philosophers of France in the 19th century. Saint-Yves may be looked upon as a 19th century profound thinker, philosopher and mystic.
Saint-Yves died on February 5, 1909, and is buried on the cemetery of Notre Dame.
· Synarchy, its principle and philosophy
Introduction
As a philosopher and mystic Saint-Yves drew upon many esoteric systems, from both East and West, in developing his ideas. One of the major principles Saint-Yves has developed is a concept which he named 'Synarchy". Developed in the early 1870's, a period in which many new political ideas were taking hold, Synarchy advocated according to Saint-Yves ; "government by an elite of enlightened initiates". Its principle is a world which is lead by one institute which is based on spiritual- and social fundaments. 'Synarchy' as devised by Saint-Yves is not a purely political movement, it’s a philosophy based on Saint-Yves' ideas about the history and evolution of the human race, together with the development of a "social law" which evolved throughout history, merged with Occult laws and Mysticism.
The principle of Synarchy was probably inspired on earlier so-called "Utopian" writings, a collective noun used here for publications based upon an Utopian worldview. The first philosopher who actually developed 'utopian' ideas in a philosophy was Pythagoras of Samos. Out of this philosophy Pythagoras developed a 'system' based upon mathematical proportions and numerology and named it "Arithmosophy". It is also known that Saint-Yves started his esoteric schooling with a Pythagorean group ( the 'school of Jean-Philipe Dutoit-Membrini' , see 'profile' ). We've seen that at an early age Saint-Yves was encouraged to read Fabre d'Olivet, another follower of the Pythagorean tradition (who had also been involved with Jean-Philipe Dutoit-Membrini). So it is very clear that the 'Pythagorean school' was already of a major influence to Saint-Yves' world of thought at a young age.
Saint-Yves probably found the inspiration for his ideas in classical works which were based upon an Utopian worldview like, Tomasso Campanella's "Civitas Solis" ("City of the Sun"), which was published in the beginning of the 17th century (1623), Thomas Moore's "Utopia" (1516), Johann Valentin Andrea's "Christianopolis" from 1619, Francis Bacon's "Nova Atlantis" etc. Examples from the ancient literature from Greece and Rome are such publications as Plato’s "Critias" (in which he i.a. speaks about "Atlantis") , Cicero's "Republica", Plutarchus' ‘the life of Lycorgus' etc.
The 'message' of the "Utopian view" is the restoration of the original condition of life, which Christianity calls 'Paradise', a condition known in all the Ancient cultures. Famous French Novelist (and 'Rosicrucian Martinist' ) Victor Hugo once stated : "
"L’utopie, c’est la vérité de demain", "Utopia is the truth of tommorow".
Being an occultist, Saint-Yves believed in the existence of spiritually superior beings.
These 'beings' could be contacted telepathically. Apparently Saint-Yves claimed that he was in touch with these 'superiors' himself, as a matter of fact the principles of 'Synarchy' were partially received telepathically from these 'Masters'.
According to Saint-Yves these 'Masters' with whom he claimed to be in contact lived in the mysterious underworld realm which is known as "Agartha". Saint-Yves d'Alveydre was the man who introduced the concept of "Agartha" to the Western world, "Agartha" ( the myth of "Agartha" is also known as "Shambhala", as it was known in India), the underworld realm peopled by initiates and lead by 'the Masters", Masters who are the Spiritual leaders of humanity.
Saint-Yves discusses the concept of "Agartha" in his book "Mission de l'Inde en Europe, mission de l'Europe en Asie. La question des Mahatmas et sa solution" ;
· "Agartha is the great Asian University of the Initiates of the Greater Mysteries. Their 'Mahatma' ('Great Soul') plays the part of the supreme spiritual leader of humanity ….. (freely transl.)
According to Saint-Yves the secret world of "Agartha" and all of its wisdom and wealth "will be accessible for all mankind, when christianity lives up to the commandments which were once drafted by Moses and Jesus, meaning ' When the Anarchy which exists in our world is replaced by the Synarchy".
Saint-Yves gives a 'lively' description of "Agartha" in this book as if it were a place which really exists, situated in the Himalayas in Tibet.
Saint-Yves' version of the history of "Agartha" is based upon ' revealed' information, meaning received by Saint-Yves himself through 'attunement'. However, several French 'reliable' sources state that Saint-Yves was NOT a medium. We've seen that Saint-Yves used a medium, a certain Marie Victoire, when he wrote the "Archéomètre". It seems that "the sources" disagree with each other when it comes to Saint-Yves' 'gifts'…
Saint-Yves d'Alveydre was incredibly influental in the development of 19th century occultism. The concept of "Agartha" and its 'Masters' had a big influence on the teachings of i.a. H.P.Blavatsky, founder of the Theosophic Society . Blavatsky also 'promoted' one of Saint-Yves' other concepts, namely the idea of 'root races' ; a 'root race' dominated a long period in history, "destined to be supplanted by the next superior race ". The concept of "root races" can also be found in the writings of Alice A.Baily, Rudolf Steiner and Max Heindel.
Another of Saint-Yves' idea's was that in the reconstruction of the history of mankind Atlantis was an advanced superior civillisation. According to Saint-Yves the Sphinx was built by the Atlanteans, many thousands of years before the rise of Egypt. Saint-Yves placed the downfall of Atlantis at around 12,000 B.C.
Another source of inspiration for Saint-Yves were the medieval Knights Templar, which he regarded as the ultimate Synarchists in history. After all, the Knights Templar exerted control over the political, financial, and religious life of medieval Europe. These three pillars of medieval society corresponded with Saint-Yves' model of Synarchy. "To Saint-Yves the Templars stood for a policy of federation and universal peace which went back to the Carolingians of the early middle Ages. He felt that the 'Ancien regime' in France had take a wrong turning, responsible for its later catastrophe, which he could identify. But his speculations about the Templars were daydreams added to the old fantasies of Aroux, who had portrayed the Middle Ages as having been penetrated by a vast Manichean conspiracy" (unknown source, e-mail from an E-group on "Politics").
Saint-Yves was influenced by the many neo-Templar societies that were flourishing in his day. He incorporated many of their ideas, in particular from a Masonic-Templar order called "the Rite of Strict Observance", which was founded around 1740-1750 by German Karl von Hund. Saint Yves borrowed the concept of "Unknown Superiors" from Von Hund , however he expanded the concept into "spiritually advanced beings that lived in a remote part of Tibet", aka "Agartha".
As already mentioned before, the doctrines of Saint-Yves also included ideas about the evolution and history of mankind. These ideas were based on the information he derived from the works of Fabre d'Olivet, and from the information he obtained through "attunement" ("revealed" information). But what is actually "Synarchy"?.
Synarchy
The basic idea of this concept is a world which is lead by one institute which is based on spiritual- and social fundaments.
Synarchy is a " FORM OF GOVERNMENT BASED ON 'PRINCIPLES', in contrast with 'Anarchy'. In 'Synarchy' a social entity is lead by an Authority. The Authority controls RELIGION, ARMY, and EDUCATION. The foundation of the philosophy consists of three elements:
1. EDUCATION - 2. LAW - 3. ECONOMY
The Authority belongs to 'the Wise', according to this philosophy. In a 'Synarchic(al) Society' social life has a hierarchical structure. Society is lead by three departments which are not based on politics but on social values.
Culture, Art, and Science belongs to the fundamental element "Education".
Court, Police, the Army and Foreign Affairs belongs to the element "Law".
the Unions, the Government, and the working class belongs to the third element "Economy".
The highest ambition of the philosophy of Synarchy was a society without classes. Furthermore, in a Synarchic society the responsibility of the politicians would be in the hands of the "Wise", the "specialists".
Saint-Yves' principle of "Synarchy" resulted from certain historical questions he had formulated. The central theme of Saint-Yves' historical quest was ;
· "What were the principles on which the institutions of a State / Society were build which resulted in a progress of this civilization in an atmosphere of peace, justice, and prosperity"
His historical research was concentrated on solving problems as :
· On which principles are civilizations founded ?
· The Holy Scriptures of ancient civilizations contain valuable sociologic aspects, what did they teach?
· The great ancient civilizations - where did they came from and how did they evolve?
According to Saint-Yves the outcome of "the lessons which history teaches" are the synthetic results of experiments which were carried out in the laboratory of humanity. The knowledge of the sociological problems and its solutions in history would make it possible to apply this knowledge on our society. "A State / Society based on forms of slavery is not viable, Synarchy is the only form of government which is build on principles, the others function in Anarchy, i.e. without principles"
It is interesting to know that Saint Yves stated that the first impulse towards a "synarchic federation", a union of states, should be the establishment of a economical federation of states, i.e. the first step consists of linking the economical interests of countries, an economic community of interests…
"He was determined to find a political formula that could lead to a more harmonious society. Synarchy in opposition to Anarchy. A European society ruled by three councils representing the economical power, the executive power and the spiritual power, that is, the churches and the scientists. An enlightened oligarchy through which class struggle could be eliminated"
"The Pendulum of Foucault" Umberto Ecco
Synarchy and Secret Societies
As stated before, Papus ( Gérard Anaclet Vincent Encausse, 1865-1916 ) regarded Saint-Yves d'Alveydre as his "Intellectual Master". Apparently, Saint-Yves was the co-founder of Papus 'Groupe Indépendant d’Etudes Esotériques’, a "School for Occult sciences" which acted as a portal to the "Ordre Martiniste". I've also mentioned earlier in this article that it was Saint-Yves who introduced Papus to Stanislas de Guaita (1860-1898). Papus, De Guaita and several others (i.a. Josephin Peladan ) would found the "Ordre Kabbalistique de la Rose+Croix" (OKR+C) in 1888. When the Martinist Order was officially founded it was Saint-Yves d'Alveydre who layed claim to the Grand Mastership of the Order (the sources are contradictory when it comes to this claim). Whatever the truth is, it seems clear and obvious that Saint-Yves was held in great esteem by the so-called "Les Compagnons de la Heirophonie", a Parisian circle of young occultists who would lay the foundation for various Occult organizations which were founded (or "re-established") at the end of the 19th century and which are still existing today. This period is known as "the French occult revival", mainly because of the 'impact' these French occultists had on the international esoteric community. The " Compagnons de la Heirophonie" included such men as Victor Michelet, Josephin Peladan, Paul Sedir, Lucien Chamuel, Stanislas de Guaita, Albert Poisson, Ch.F.Bartlet, Gary de la Croze, Augustin Chaboseau, Phaneg, Silva, Marc Haven (Dr.Lalande), Dr.Rozier, Jollivet-Castelot etc., many of them are considered today as "authorities" (or even "Adepts") on Occultism by the international esoteric community. These men layed the foundation for the success of esoteric Orders such as the Martinist Order ("Christian-Chivalric" Initiatic Order based on the teachings of the 18th century French mystic Louis Claude de Saint-Martin, the order being divided today into various branches with lodges all over the world) ; The Kabbalistic Order of the Rose+Cross (OKR+C) which still exists today within the bosom of the "Ordre Martiniste de Paris" ; the Ecclesia Gnostica Apostolica, the "offical" Gnostic Church of the original Martinist Order (today there are various branches of the Martinist Order which do not recognize this church) ; the pseudo-masonic "Ancient and Primitive rite of Memphis-Misraim", a so-called Masonic Rite of High Degrees. This rite already existed in the beginning of the 19th century, the Memphis-Misraim rite was incorporated within Papus' system of Higher degrees, a 'system' which comprised several initiatic orders including the Martinist Order, the OKR+C, the Elus Cohen ("theurgic" Martinism, originally established by Martinez de Pasqually in the 18th century), and the Memphis-Misraim rite. 'Space' prohibits me to dwell on the subject of occult and mystic organizations, except for the connection of these organizations with Synarchy.
Seal of the Martinist Order,
The "Supreme Conseil de l'Ordre Martiniste"
was established in Paris in 1891
As stated, Saint-Yves d'Alveydre had many followers within the Martinist Order. Saint Yves' ideas have become part of subsequent occult "beliefs", mainly because they were also taken up and popularised by one of the most influental occultists of modern times, Helena Petrova Blavatsky-Madame Blavatsky (1831-1891), founder of the "Theosophic Society". Blavatsky's work had an enormous impact on various esoteric organizations, mainly those which were established in the beginning of the 20th century. For instance, many of Blavatsky's concepts were incorporated into the teachings of Alice A. Baily (1880-1949), and it is generally known that Baily's teachings have had a huge influence over the beliefs of the New Age movement of today. Then there is Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) who used Synarchy as a major influence when he developed his own ideas for his own organization, the "Antroposofische Gesellschaft" ( established in 1913, Steiner developed a philosophy which is known as "Antrosophy" ). Steiner was a former member (and high dignitary) of the "Theosophic Society" in Germany. One of Steiner's former disciples, Max Heindel (1865-1919), founded the "Rosicrucian Fellowship" in 1908. All these organizations, and I just named a few of them, propagated several of the ideas which were "introduced" by Saint-Yves in a way. The principle of "Masters" is a well known concept within many of the esoteric organizations. The original concept did not descend from Saint-Yves, but he was probably one of the first in the West who introduced the idea of the hidden realms of these Masters, Adepts and Initiates which were situated in the East.
It is a fact that the socio-philosophic principle of Synarchy played a major role in the (philosophic) view on society of many of the occultists and mystics of the first half of the 20th century.
Men like Papus, Philippe Nizier ("Maitre Philippe de Lyon", a famous spiritual healer whom Papus regarded as his "Spiritual Master"), Victor Blanchard, Emille Dantinne and many others within the esteric community were all followers of the "Synarchic-Movement". Especially after Saint-Yves' death in 1909 the principle of Synarchy started to become well-known within esoteric circles and what is more important here, many of the occultists and mystics started to "adopt" the principle of Synarchy as a pattern to an ideal society.
Synarchy, Secret Societies and Politics
When "Synarchy" as a philosophy started to get the attention on the part of Freemasonry and several masons became followers of Saint-Yves' philosophy, it was seen as a threat by certain groups within French society. Especially the Catholics, Royalists, and Far Right considered Synarchy as a threat, because the philosophy of Synarchy was totally out of sync with their philosophy and could therefore cross their political ends.
"By the turn of the century, the Royalist faction came to fear Synarchy. By the 1920's Masonic groups with distinctly Synarchist policies were a reality in France. In the 1930's, even a leftist group, called the "X-Cruise Club", advocated a technocracy with synarchist ideas". ( Gnosis, magazine-Spring issue 1999 ).
As stated before, the principle of "Synarchy" was at the core of the "Social philosophy" of the Martinists. The Martinist movement was very succesful as a movement in the beginning of the 20th century, all over the world new lodges were founded. In Russia Martinism already existed for more than 100 years. This is not the place to explain its history, all I can say for now is that the teachings of Boehme, De Pasqually and LC de Saint-Martin were assimilated by a branch of Russian Masonry at the end of the 18th century, which was lead by Nicolai Ivanovitch Novikov. The followers of Novikov were known as "Theorists". This branch merged with Papus' Martinism around 1905. Papus and "Maitre Philippe" visited Russia a couple of times at the beginning of the 1900's. There existed even a Martinist lodge at the Czar's court, lodge "La Croix et l'Etoile" ("Cross and Star") which was lead by Nicolas Nicolaevitch. Among its members were members of the Romanoff family. Besides the Royal family, there was another influental Martinist with "sympathies" towards Synarchy, Alexander Fjodorovitch Kerenski ( 1881 - 1970 ). Kerenski was strongly influenced by George Lagrèze, one of the leaders of the Martinist movement, during the Russian Revolution. The socialist Kerenski even became Prime-minister of Russia in 1917. On September 14, he proclaimed the republic of Russia. On October 25, the Bolsheviks started the revolution and Kerenski had to flee …. He became an active member of an organization of Russian emigrants.
In France the opposing conservative forces started to "attack" Martinism and especially Freemasonry. They considered Freemasonry as "an evil force" which was planning a plot against the citizens of France. Theories on Masonic conspiracies started to circulate among the population.
In 1921, one of Papus' followers established a branch of the Martinist Order which would become known as the "Ordre Martiniste et Synarchique". Blanchard started to co-operate with other well known occultists like Dantinne, Rombauts, and Jean Mallinger from Belgium, H.Spencer Lewis from the United States, Hans Grueter from France etc., a co-operation which finally resulted in the birth of an international federation of initiatic orders.
When in 1934 in Brussels the F.U.D.O.S.I. was established, a federation of Rosicrucian- Martinist- and (pseudo-) Masonic organizations which accepted Synarchy as one of its principles, the traditionnal authorities started to "react".
Based upon a principle which is known under the phrase "if you can't beat them, then join them" the several militants of the Far right started to establish "esoteric organizations". One of such groups was the "Alpha Galates" , which apparently was founded in 1934.
" In this era, the French far right formed its own seemingly esoteric groups. But they were actually front organizations, pretending to have Masonic and esoteric affiliations in order to draw support away from the Masons. As anti-Semitism spread across Europe in the 1930s the French far right denounced Masons and Jews in the same breath. When fourteen initiatic orders created a federation called F.U.D.O.S.I. to promote peace and positive ideals, the far right increased its formation of Pseudo-Masonic groups" (article in 'Gnosis', spring issue 1999) .
Most of the information above and of what follows is not mine. I'm not an expert in politics, and I'm an advocate of a total separation of Occultism and politics. Meaning ; Politics are not of interest to the practising "Magician".
Purely philosophical, I think Synarchy is a perfect model but it is an utopia. I once read how the ancient Celts were socially organized. In a way this was a Synarchic society. The tribes were lead by the Druids, the 'old Wise men' who were the Judges, Teachers, and Priests of the tribe. For instance, if a murder was committed, the murderer was not senteced to death but was taken into custody for a maximum period of 5 years. If he was still considered a "real threat" for the tribe, he was eventually "executed". But I'm straying of the subject …. My point is that there are people within the Esoteric community who were and are "active" in politics. After a couple of years of research regarding Initiatic organizations i've stumbled upon documents, proclamations etc. of a fascist nature from people who were considered to be "adepts" by their followers, so I'm not easily "shocked" anymore. For instance, the review Gnosis refers to the F.U.D.O.S.I. as a promoter of peace and positive ideals, I think the writer is not aware of the proclamations written in 1941 by one of the leaders of the F.U.D.O.S.I., Emille Dantinne a.k.a. "Sar Hieronymus" in which he condemns the Jews as a race. The story on these documents is very complicated, because there is a possibility that Dantinne had wrote them to divert the attention of the Gestapo towards the activities of many of the members of the F.U.D.O.S.I., but still …. And I'm not sure whether the same author of the article was aware of the fact that several of the members of the Supreme Council of the F.U.D.O.S.I. were so-called "Naundorfists", followers of Charles Louis Eduard de Bourbon (aka Karl-Wilhelmn Naundorf), who claimed in the 19th century to be son of French king Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette, and therefore the rightful heir to the French throne. "His descendants repeatedly tried to prove that Naundorf was of royal descent. The whole history finally ended in 1998, when Prof. J.J. Cassiman
( University of Leuven, Belgium) proved (DNA- test) that Naundorf could not have been Louis XVII, successor of Louis XVI, King of France" (from the series I wrote on the F.U.D.O.S.I.)
Another character, Camille Savoir, was a close acquaintance of Constant Chevillon, Grand Master of the Martinist Order of Lyon and other esoteric orders and a Socialist at heart ("Spiritual communist" is a better definition ). Nevertheless Savoir is pictured in the following story on George Monti as a character who was involved in the activities of a pseudo-esoteric order called "Alpha Galates"….
And what about Harvey Spencer Lewis of A.M.O.R.C. speaking dearly of Mussolini, praising Mussolini's policy in 1929 (I think) when visiting the "Duce" in Italy? And even today, if we take a closer look at AMORC's membership during the last two decades we come across such personalities like Manuel Antonio Noriega, ex-dictator of Panama and Jean Claude Duvailier, who's probably better known as 'Babydoc' , ex-dictator of Haiti. Do I need to say more ?
" Where money's involved, there's power to gain, and there are fraternities outthere which are run like regular companies", as I've stated at the beginning of the article, "But that's another story …. Or isn't it?"
The following information is derived mostly from Robert Richardson, who wrote an extensive article for the Gnosis-magazine (Spring-issue 1999) on the "Priory of Sion", and from Robert Anton Wilson's article for the same magazine (Gnosis #6), Jesus, Freemasons, Extraterrestrials, The Gnomes of Zurich, Black Israelites and Noon Blue Apples. I presume these sources are not quite popular among the 'connoisseurs' of the RLC mystery, but to me being an outsider, they talk sense. Being a person who travels a lot in the Astral spheres i'm nevertheless known for my (Dutch) soberness when I'm back with my feet on the ground.
I've taken the information on George Monti as a key, because A) he was an occultist B) His esoteric background started with his involvement in the movement of the "French occult revival" at the end of the 19th century, and C) He was apparently "politically engaged"….
George "Count Israel" Monti, was born in 1880 in Toulouse and was educated by the Jesuits. He considered a career as a Jesuit Priest but decided otherwise. At the age of 22 he became a member of a Scottish Masonic Rite, probably the R.E.R. , Régime Écossais Rectifié" or "Rectified Scottish Rite".The highest degree of the R.E.R. was (and is) the rite of C.B.C.S. , ., "Chevaliers Bienfaisants de la Cité Sainte / Knights Beneficent of the Holy City". This rite was established by Jean-Baptiste Willermoz (1730-1824), a disciple of Martinez de Pasqually (1727-1774), founder of the rite of the "Elus Cohen", a Theurgic-Martinist rite. And there lies the "value" of the R.E.R., because it is the only rite, besides what is known today as "Russian Martinism" which is a direct descendent of the original "Martinist" rite of the De Pasqually.
Monti also became a member of Joséphin Péladan's (1859-1918) "Ordre de la Rose-Croix Catholique et Esthetique du Temple et du Graal". He eventuelly became Peladan's personal secretary. It seems that after Peladan's death in 1918 Monti's esoteric career stagnated. "He began to tell melodramatic tales of his involvement in the supposed political activities of esoteric orders, although his only known political connection was with Leon Daudet, brother of the leader of the rightish group "Action Francaise" (Robert Richardson). In 1924 Monti, using the name Marcus Vella, founded a small "illusory" society called "Groupe occidental d'Etudes Esoteriques". In October 1936 Monti is denounced in a publication of the Grande Loge de France (Masonic Grand Lodge of France) "a fraudulent claimant to nobility, a trafficker of information, and a supposed Jesuit agent". On October 21, 1936, Monti is found dead, probably poisoned. His body was examined by Dr.Camille Savoir (who was the Grand Master of the R.E.R.) and according to Savoir, a close associate of Monti, he was poisoned. Savoir was apparently one of the "creators" of the magazine "Vaincre", the magazine of the "Alpha Galates". Other names involved with the magazine were people like Louis le Fur (involved with the far right), Maurice Moncharville, and … Pierre Plantard. Richardson's article is built around the thesis that the "Priory of Sion" is an "invention" of George Monti, but the information which is of value for this article are the political activities of people like Monti, Savoir, who were really involved in the world of initiatic orders (especially Savoir).
Another interesting fact is that Robert Amadou, a well known Martinist and writer of books on Martinism, Masonry, Theurgy etc., once was a member of "Alpha Galates", because he really believed at the time the organization was a genuine esoteric group. But he soon found out that its focus was purely political and wisely left.
Another interesting movement was the so-called "International Synarchist Movement" which was created in 1919 in response to the Russian Revolution of 1917. Not much is known about the movement's activities or its leaders. According to various French researchers, the movement was largely behind the rise of Mussolini in Italy, and they also created a movement in 1922 which was called the "Pan-European Movement". In 1932 another society was founded under the name of "Synarchist Empire Movement". Apparently this society was behind such right-wing terrorists groups such as the CSAR.
That "Synarchy" and its "threat" was taken seriously in France, proves the reaction to the publication of a document called "The Synarchist Pact". In the thirties Frenchman Vivien Postel du Mas (member of the occult group "Les Veilleurs", founded by Egyptologist Schwaller de Lubics) wrote this notorious document which became "the Manifesto" of the Synarchic movement. When France was occupied in 1940 the Nazi's prohibited all order-activities, especially Freemasonry and other Initiatic orders, societies, and brotherhoods. (Even the ' THULE- GESELLSCHAFT, a pro Nazi-Brotherhood, was prohibited by the Gestapo in 1942). All gatherings, publications etc. were forbidden by the Nazi's. The archives of the Orders were confiscated and often destroyed. There was a special branch within the S.S. called ' AHNENERBE' , the " Ancestral Heritage Society", lead by Heinrich Himmler himself, who were reponsible for this. Many members of Occult, Secret and Mystical Societies and Orders were arrested and put into the concentration-camps or shot by a firing-squad.
This happened also to one of the most prominent Order-leaders at the time, Constant Chevillon , head of the Orders of Lyon (Martinist Order, Memphis-Misraim Rite etc.).
In fact, Chevillon was assassinated by the Vichy-Regime ( Klaus Barbie /Gestapo). Mdm.Bricaud was under the assumption that Chevillon was murdered by the Gestapo, because he was the Grand Master of various Initiatic Orders. The explanation of Mdm.Bricaud (widow of Jean Bricaud, predecessor of Chevillon) is often used as the ' official version' of the attempt. But the Vichy-regime had a different motive.
The Assassination of Constant Chevillon
On August 14, 1940 the Vichy-Regime (Petain) prohibited all Order-activities.
The whole affair started with Jeanne Canudo, member of the ' FRATERNITE DES POLAIRES' (of whom Victor Blanchard was its president at the time). She was a journalist and collaborated with the Nazi's. She worked for the "SERVICE DES SOCIETES SECRETES", a special department which monitored the Secret Societies, especially Freemasonry. Canudo played an important part in exposing the followers of the Synarchy-movement. In 1941 the S.S.S. searched the house of Hans Grueter (A.M.O.R.C.-France), where they found a lot of documentation, papers, official Order-material etc., especially documentation concerning A.M.O.R.C. and .... the MEMHIS-MISRAIM RITE !
The documents on the M.'.M.'.Rite were the evidence the S.S.S. needed to confirm their suspicion (Chevillon was the G.M. of the Rite ).
The Gestapo raided Chevillon's home (date unknown) were they found among other things several documents concerning the Synarchy-movement and a document of the "Synarchical Pact", which he received in confidence from ....... Jeanne Canudo. Chevillon wanted to compare the ideas of Saint-Yves d' Alveydre with the documents that he received from Canudo.
This "Pact" had it's source in the ' FRATERNITE DES POLAIRES". Certain members founded the "Comite Synarchique Central en Mouvement Synarchique
d' Empire". This group was pro-fascist by nature and against a parliamentary system, and wanted to overthrow the French government. The whole story is very complicated, but we think that the Nazi's suspected that Chevillon was one of the conspirators. The Nazi's considered the "Synarchic(al) Pact" as a rival.
The story ends on March 23, 1944, somewhere outside Lyon, when Constant Chevillon faced a firing-squad, formed by a pseudo police-unit. In reality they were collaborating Frenchmen , by order of the ' Parti Populaire Francais" and the 'M.S.R.'
- taken from "1934-1951 - F.U.D.O.S.I.", Milko Bogaard. The story on the History of this Federation of Rosicrucian- and Martinist Orders can be found on the Internet on Marcel Roggeman's Website on the "History of Occult & Mystical Brotherhoods" at :
http://users.pandora.be/marcel.roggemans/milko.htm#9
or at ;
http://www.geocities.com/roggemansmarcel/milko.htm
We know for certain that such groups as "Alpha Galates" were political fascist groups, simply because they were tolerated by the Nazi's. No further proof needed….
As we've seen Synarchy was taken very seriously by the autorities of France in the 1930's and 1940's. There were reports by the police which warned of a plot by Synarchists taking over the government (1941, Vichy-France). During Marshall Petain's trial, the president of the Vichy-Government during the War of 1940-1945, questions were asked about his possible connection with the Synarchist Pact.
After the second World War the Synarchic-movement declined, it's heydays were over… We've seen that most of the pseudo-occult Synarchic organizations were in fact Far right and Royalist groups that were found to fight the regular Initiatic orders as well as the Jewish population of Europe. We've seen that many masons were send to the concentration-camps, were many of them died. French Freemasonry dissolved itself, in fear of reprisals of the far right.
The "Ordre Martiniste et Synarchique" still exists today, with lodges in England, Canada, the United States , France and Barbados. But the addition "Synarchy" is not emphasized any longer, it's only a name which echoes its history…
As we've seen in the "Principle of Synarchy", Saint-Yves d'Alveydre stated that the first impulse towards a "synarchic federation", a union of states, should be the establishment of a economical federation of states.
When surfing the Internet I've stumbled upon an interesting hypothesis which I found on the homepage of Sune Nordwall, from Stockholm, Sweden. The closing word of this article is from the thesis of Sune ;
· "In an article on my website I have described in whatform the EU-process is now very effectively organizing Europe into a sort of federation, not unsimilair to the ideas of d'Alveydre, but also with deep historical roots in the concept of Plato, forging a union with France and Germany as the main partners, according to a very strict time-table between 1986 and 2030. In the article I also try to show how - as I see it - it can be transformed into something good on the basis of an understanding of the threefold nature of society, reflecting our different relations to the earth "below" us, to each other as equals and to the spiritual world "above" us" ( Sune Nordwall at http://hem.passagen.se/thebee/indexeng.htm )
