The intellectual scene of the Belle Époque belongs to figures of high stature, but few match the influence of Gérard Encausse. This French doctor, better known under his pseudonym Papus, tirelessly works for the reconciliation of modern knowledge with the traditions of Antiquity. His life unfolds in a constant effervescence between medical consultations and work within intellectual societies, which earned him the title of the "Balzac of occultism."
A training between scientific rigor and spiritual curiosity
Gérard Anaclet Vincent Encausse was born on July 13, 1865, in La Coruña, Spain, into a family environment that already combined two strong and complementary influences. His father, Louis Encausse, a chemist of French origin, embodied a rigorous approach based on observation and experimentation, while his mother, from the Spanish nobility, passed on an older cultural heritage marked by intellectual elevation and sensitivity to traditions. In 1869, the family left Spain to settle in Paris, a decisive choice that placed young Gérard at the heart of a particularly rich intellectual environment, where sciences, literature, and the most varied currents of thought of the late 19th century intersected.
In this context, he grew up surrounded by books and ideas, developing early on a sustained curiosity for knowledge, whether in medicine, philosophy, or more discreet disciplines. He naturally pursued medical studies, a path that corresponded both to his father's influence and his interest in understanding the human body. He regularly attended the halls of the Hôpital de la Charité, where he observed patients, medical practices, and the concrete limits of the science of his time. It was in this space, both concrete and demanding, that a dual vocation gradually took shape: on one side, the doctor concerned with understanding the mechanisms of the body; on the other, the researcher attracted by what escapes purely material explanations.
Alongside his university training, he undertook a remarkably intense personal study. He visited the Bibliothèque nationale de France almost daily, dedicating long hours to studying ancient manuscripts, alchemy treatises, and kabbalistic texts. This immersion in ancient sources was not mere curiosity but a genuine structured research aimed at understanding symbolic systems and the correspondences between body, mind, and world. The writings of Éliphas Lévi held a central place in his intellectual journey, serving as a foundation for his reflection and durably shaping his approach to the relationship between science and tradition.
In 1894, he earned his medical doctorate, marking the official completion of his university studies. His thesis, devoted to philosophical anatomy, already illustrated a clear desire to go beyond a strictly material reading of the human body by seeking to integrate a broader dimension linked to correspondences and invisible principles structuring being. This position, at the boundary between medicine and symbolic thought, characterizes his entire future work. A few years earlier, around 1888, he chose to adopt the pseudonym Papus, a name drawn from a Neoplatonic text where it designates a healing spirit. This choice was no accident, as it affirmed from that time his intention to align with an ancient tradition where medical knowledge and understanding of invisible forces do not oppose but participate in the same quest for a global understanding of man.
The principle of analogy or the key to reading the universe
Papus's thought is organized around a central principle, that of analogy, which he considers the key to understanding the world. In his view, the universe does not present itself as an assembly of separate elements but as a coherent organism where each part reflects the whole, like a fragmented mirror reproducing the same image in multiple forms. This conception led him to oppose the dominant scientism of his time, which limited the study of reality to what can be measured and directly observed. For him, occult science is not an imaginary construction or a mere ancient heritage; on the contrary, it constitutes a structured method based on observing the links between the visible and the invisible, and on an internal logic as demanding as that of classical sciences. This method relies on the principle of correspondences, according to which each element of the earthly world is part of a larger chain connecting it to higher spheres, stars, and celestial intelligences, forming an ordered network where nothing is isolated. The initiate, by accessing the understanding of these relations, does not merely accumulate theoretical knowledge but acquires the capacity to act, because a formed and disciplined will can intervene on these links and produce concrete effects in the world.
This logic is found in the doctrine of signatures, which tangibly illustrates this system of analogies by directly linking natural forms to their uses. According to this conception, a plant carries visible clues to its function, like a discreet writing left in its shape, color, or structure. A leaf that evokes a human organ thus indicates a particular connection with it, suggesting a precise application in the art of healing. This way of reading nature is not an arbitrary interpretation but fits into an ancient tradition where each element of the world participates in a global symbolic language. In the same spirit, Papus proposes a representation of human constitution through the image of a carriage and horses, which clearly shows the articulation of the different components of being. The physical body corresponds to the carriage, the material support that provides structure but cannot move by itself, while the astral body takes the place of the horse, ensuring the circulation of vital forces and the movement of the whole. The spirit, or will, occupies the position of the coachman, responsible for directing and guiding this system according to a precise intention. Health then appears as the result of a balance between these three levels, because a disorder in the astral body eventually causes a direct repercussion in the physical body, revealing the deep continuity that unites all dimensions of the human being.
A monumental literary production
Papus wrote with a speed that amazed his contemporaries. He published about 160 volumes during his career. His ambition was to popularize ancient secrets. He worked so that every seeker had the tools for their evolution. His most imposing work appeared in 1891: the Methodical Treatise of Occult Science. This book of over a thousand pages offers an overview of kabbalah, alchemy, and astrology. It explains how the ancients used symbols to transmit immutable truths.
Another key text is the Methodical Treatise of Practical Magic. Papus defines magic there as the action of will on living forces. He addresses magic engineers seeking to understand astral fluids. He emphasizes the operator's preparation. The operator must master their senses and passions before commanding the spirits of nature. The Tarot of the Bohemians was published in 1889. This book established itself as the absolute key to occult sciences.
The Martinist Order and the initiatory brotherhood
In 1891, Papus founded the Martinist Order alongside Augustin Chaboseau, following a discovery that gave particular legitimacy to their approach. The two men realized they each held an initiatory lineage from Louis-Claude de Saint-Martin, a major figure of the Martinist current, which led them to structure and organize this transmission to give it a stable and transmissible form. Their project took place in a specific context marked by the rise of Eastern doctrines spread in Europe by the Theosophical Society, to which they opposed a clear will to preserve and restore a Western tradition rooted in its own texts and methods. The Martinist Order thus presents itself as a framework for inner work and brotherhood, accessible to both men and women, where study and personal experience advance together, aiming at reintegrating the human being into their original states, according to a conception directly inherited from Saint-Martin.
Very quickly, the influence of this order went beyond the Parisian circle to spread internationally, with lodges opening in Europe, America, and Russia, demonstrating real influence. Papus played a central role in this expansion by using his magazine L'Initiation as a tool for dissemination, correspondence, and coordination among dispersed members. At the same time, he maintained close ties with the Kabbalistic Order of the Rose-Cross founded by Stanislas de Guaita, with whom he shared a common vision of renovating esoteric studies. Between the two men, a solid relationship was established, nourished by joint work on texts, traditions, and practices, notably around ancient bibliography and alchemy. This collaboration was part of an active research dynamic where theory and experimentation met, to the point that an anecdote reported in their circle mentions a successful transmutation attempt following the rediscovery of a red powder mentioned in an old book, an episode illustrating the spirit of these circles where study was not limited to reading but extended into concrete and assumed experiments.
Practices and training of the operative mage
For Papus, magic is not an imaginary construction or a mere intellectual decoration; it asserts itself as a true applied science based on precise laws that the operator must learn to recognize and master. From this perspective, every external action first requires rigorous inner work, because the individual cannot claim to influence the world unless they govern their own organism with discipline. The will occupies a central place here, not as a vague intention but as a directed force acting from a support point located on the astral plane, which serves as a relay between the idea and its realization. Papus insists on the necessity of regular exercises aimed at strengthening this will, including learning bodily stillness, breath control, and constant attention to internal movements. Imagination, in this framework, is not an escape into dreams or a distraction of the mind; it is an active tool capable of shaping subtle currents by modeling what Papus calls astral fluids, allowing the operator to structure their action coherently and effectively.
This vision extends to the entire invisible world, which Papus describes as a living and organized domain, populated by forces and entities with which it becomes possible to enter into relationship. He draws on the teachings of Paracelsus, particularly his classification of elemental beings, which divides these entities according to the four fundamental elements. Gnomes are linked to earth and watch over buried treasures, embodying a form of stability and conservation related to the underground world. Undines belong to the water element and are connected to the movements of life and emotions, participating in the circulation of vital forces. Sylphs occupy the air domain, associated with intellect and thought, while salamanders manifest in fire, the principle of energy and transformation. In this approach, the operator does not seek to constrain these beings but to establish a relationship based on knowledge and respect, because tradition holds that understanding their names and functions opens the possibility of obtaining their cooperation in certain works, notably in healing and protection, provided it is done within a controlled framework conforming to the laws governing these invisible planes.
Synarchy as a social model based on harmony
Gérard Encausse did not limit his activity to study and experiments in a small circle, as his reflection extended directly to the question of social organization and the future of European societies. Under the influence of Saint-Yves d'Alveydre, he adopted and defended the principle of Synarchy, a model presented as a structured response to the political disorders and tensions of his time. This system opposes anarchy by proposing an order based on principles considered stable and durable, where each function finds its place in a hierarchical but balanced whole. Synarchy is based on a division into three distinct councils, each reflecting an essential aspect of collective life: an Economic Council responsible for production and material exchanges, a Justice Council guaranteeing legal balance and relations between individuals, and an Authority Council gathering those who embody the moral and spiritual leadership of society. This organization does not aim at arbitrary domination but at a clear distribution of responsibilities, where each domain functions according to its own logic while remaining connected to the others.
In this perspective, Papus saw in Synarchy a way to restore a form of balance capable of avoiding conflicts threatening Europe in his time. He observed with concern the rise of nationalisms and the growing grip of a materialism he considered reductive, as it cut societies off from any higher dimension. Faced with this evolution, he imagined a reconciliation of peoples based on the recognition of a shared spiritual authority, capable of transcending particular interests and restoring overall coherence. His social vision directly relied on the principle of analogy that runs through all his thought, considering that society must function like a healthy human body, where each organ fulfills its function without encroaching on others, while contributing to overall balance. This conception was not merely theoretical, as he regularly developed these ideas in the pages of L'Initiation, where he addressed reforms he deemed necessary, seeking to link traditional principles to concrete issues of his time, in an attempt to give real scope to a thought that did not limit itself to the speculative domain.
The turn towards faith and missions at the Russian court
From 1894, Papus's trajectory took a clear turn linked to a meeting that deeply marked his inner evolution. He met Nizier-Anthelme Philippe, a singular figure in the spiritual landscape of the time, renowned for his healing abilities and for an authority based not on bookish erudition but on direct and lived experience. This contact gradually shifted Papus's conception of practice, as he moved away from the elaborate constructions of ceremonial magic toward a more inner approach centered on prayer, simplicity, and surrender to a higher will. This change did not signify renunciation but maturation, in which discipline and acquired knowledge found an extension in a more direct relationship with the divine. In his correspondence, he expressed deep gratitude toward the man he considered a guide, even mentioning the rediscovery of faith and Christ as a decisive turning point in his life.
At the same time, his influence extended far beyond French circles to reach Imperial Russia, where his name circulated in circles close to power. He traveled several times to Saint Petersburg in 1901, 1905, and 1906, forging close ties with Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna, who saw in him an advisor capable of providing spiritual insight during a troubled period. In this context, Papus acted as an attentive presence, seeking to protect the imperial family from influences deemed harmful and to establish a more stable framework on the invisible plane around them. He also founded a Martinist lodge within the court, thus extending his organizational work in an unexpected environment. A widely reported anecdote mentions a statement made to the Tsar that the revolution could not break out as long as he lived, a claim that takes on particular significance when one notes that his death shortly preceded the fall of the imperial dynasty, reinforcing the image of a man whose words and presence seemed linked, in the eyes of his contemporaries, to balances beyond the mere political sphere.
The Great War and the final sacrifice of the doctor
In 1914, when war broke out in Europe with the start of the First World War, Gérard Encausse did not stay on the sidelines and immediately volunteered as a chief medical officer, faithful to the vocation he never abandoned. He went to the front where he took charge of an ambulance, confronted daily with the brutal reality of the conflict, severe wounds, and the constant urgency of care. In this demanding context, he applied his medical knowledge with remarkable rigor and availability, dedicating himself entirely to relieving soldiers without sparing himself or seeking to preserve his strength. This total commitment, reflecting a keen sense of duty and constant selflessness, eventually had direct consequences on his health, as he contracted pulmonary tuberculosis from contact with patients during the harsh winter of 1914 under particularly difficult sanitary conditions.
Gradually, his condition worsened due to accumulated fatigue and infection, forcing him to leave the front and return to Paris in the hope of recovery that never came. The illness progressed and progressively weakened a body already strained by years of intense work. He passed away on October 25, 1916, leaving behind a considerable body of work that far exceeded the scope of his personal life. He now rests at Père-Lachaise Cemetery, a place that has become emblematic where the memories of many notable figures intersect. His influence did not disappear with him, as his writings continue to fuel the reflection of those interested in Western traditions and their transmission. He succeeded in making complex notions accessible without altering their coherence, maintaining a balance between clarity and rigor. His life as a doctor and occultist does not present a contradiction but a continuity, where knowledge of the body and the laws of the invisible respond to each other, leaving the image of a man who sought to restore to the human being a more complete understanding of themselves and their place in the order of the world.
Je vous remercie pour vos articles que je lis avec plaisir chaque semaine. Ceux-ci sont vraiment bien écrits, bien documentés et d’une grande clarté tout en restant concis, et donc donnant envie d’en connaître d’avantage !
Merci beaucoup pour votre travail.