Joséphin Péladan and The Ordre de la Rose-Croix, du Temple et du Graal

The Ordre de la Rose-Croix, du Temple et du Graal, is said to have been founded. It would later include Josephin Peladan among its membership rolls. This is said to have been an offshoot of a somewhat irregular Masonic Lodge known as La Sagesse in Toulouse. It is said that members of the Hautpoul family were members of this Lodge, and perhaps members of the Marconis de Negre family as well. Around 1850 one of its members, the Vicomte de Lapasse (1792 - 1867), a well respected doctor and alchemist, founded the Ordre de la Rose-Croix, du Temple et du Graal. A subsequent head of this Order was Josephin Peladan (1859 - 1918), who was also from Toulouse...

Joséphin Péladan was born in 1858, in Lyon. His father, Louis-Adrien, and his brother, were impassioned by alchemy, magnetism, arts, sciences, literature and Christian mysticism.

Joséphin’s brother Adrien (1815-1890), was one of the first French homeopaths, and had become a Rosicrucian of the order of Firmin Boissin (1835-1893), who was Commander of the Rosicrucian Temple of Toulouse, Prieur of Toulouse and senior of the Council of Fourteen. Another member of the Toulouse Command had Viscount Louis-Charles-Edouard de Lapasse (1792-1867), a pupil of prince Balbiani of Palermo, who had been a pupil of Cagliostro.

In 1884, Péladan published a novel with strong Rosicrucian and occult themes, probably in the same vein as Bulwer-Lytton’s Zanoni. It was a success and he became a celebrity, involved in many art reviews. He also did studies of painters such as Rembrandt, Dürer, Herbert, Frans Hals.

Be became a member of l'Académie Française.
In Paris, Péladan became acquainted with the Marquis Stanislas de Guaita, who had become interested in Occultism after reading Péladan’s novel. The two determined to rebuild the Command of the Rosicrucian Brotherhood. To this end they recruited Gerard Encausse, “Papus.” Within a short time there were problems. Papus wanted to dramatically extend the membership of the organization, which Péladan was against. Péladan felt that Papus was too interested in occultism and magic, and they also disagreed with his doctrines, clearly modeled on the Theosophical teachings of Mme. Blavatsky, which suggested that Christianity was on a par with the other great religions.

In November of 1890, Péladan split with de Guaita and Papus. Péladan created the "Rose+Croix Catholique,” which almost immediately changed it’s name to "Ordre of Rose+Croix of the Temple and Graal" De Guaita and Papus published invectives against Péladan, and the whole fiasco was known as the “War of the Roses.”
Peladan was an occult expert, inspired by Eliphas Levi. Peladan developed a magical system that has been described as 'erotic Catholocism-cum-magic' and organized the popular Salon de la Rose + Croix. He believed that the Catholic Church was a repository of knowledge that it had itself forgotten, and he was particularly interested in John's Gospel.

Frankfort-on-the-Main, Germany. The old Rosicrucian Lodge fell into abeyance, according to W. W. Westcott (writing in 1916). This would be the Nascent Dawn Lodge. Gould states that it was in operation until the 1870s. He also wrote that the first Lord Lytton was received into the Adeptship and became imbued with the ideas he displayed in his novel "Zanoni" and other works...


Emile Dantinne was born in the city of Huy, Belgium, on the 19th of April, 1884. In his youth he turned out to be an excellent student with a talent for languages. Dantinne taught himself Italian, Portuguese, Greek, Latin, and Russian. From 1909 on he studied Hebrew and Arabic at the University of Liege (Luik), in Belgium. In 1913 Dantinne meets C.Virollaud, managing director of "Babylionaca', in Paris. He starts to study the 'Sumerian Tablets' and this way he also becomes an expert on the ancient Assyrian language.

In 1904 Dantinne met Josephin Peladan when Peladan lectured at the Ravenstein hotel in Brussels. The Ravenstein Hotel was a meeting place for the members of Peladan's Order 'L'ORDRE DE LA ROSE-CROIX CATHOLIQUE EST ESTETHIQUE DU TEMPLE ET DU GRAAL', originally founded in 1891by Josephin Peladan after he left 'L ORDRE KABBALISTIQUE DE LA ROSE-CROIX' ( The Kabbalistic Order of the Rose+Cross ). After Peladan founded his new Order, he organized the now famous 'Salons des Rose-Croix' in Paris. He engaged 170 artists who collaborated in the famous art–exhibitions. At the third exhibition held in Brussels in 1894, a branch of Peladan's Order was established in Belgium. The Belgian branch was headed by the famous symbolist painter Jean Delville

After the first meeting with Peladan in 1904, Dantinne became a regular visitor of Peladan's branch at the Ravenstein Hotel in Brussels. The Rosicrucian philosophy flourished in Belgium.

Brussels became the 'headquarter' of the European esoteric Orders and Societies. In 1918 Josephin Peladan died. His death was caused by food poisoning. The 'ORDER OF THE CATHOLIC ROSE-CROSS ...' was reorganized by his disciples. The Order divided into several branches. Gary de Lacroze continued the Original "L'Ordre de la Rose-Croix Catholique" in France, as did the painter Jaques Brasilier. Brasilier was the publisher of a periodical, named 'Les Feuillets de la Rosace', later rebaptized 'Feuillets des Dunes, organe de la Rosace'.

In Belgium the Order was reorganized by Emile Dantinne under the name of 'ROSE-CROIX UNIVERSELLE' (the Universal Rosecross) with the help of Du Chastain.
"After the death of Peladan it was Sar Hieronymus who relighted the torch of the Order and restored it in the ancient tradition of the real Rose+Cross". ( an Addition to 'L'Oeuvre et la Pensée de Péladan', written by Emile Dantinne in 1952 ).Sar Hieronymus is , as mentioned before, the 'Nomen Mysticum' of Emile Dantinne.
The title 'SAR' was used in the original 'ORDRE DE LA ROSE-CROIX CATHOLIQUE...' This title was only given to the highest initiates of the Order. The meaning of the title 'SAR' is 'Son of Ra' (SA= son; R'=Ra or Re). 'SAR' was also used among the ancient kings of Assyria. A more plausible explanation can be found in the letters which Josephin Peladan (SAR MERODACK) wrote to his friends. An example can be seen in 'La Vie Supreme' (Peladan's first novel), in which we find a letter addressed to a certain Prince de Courtenay. If we'll take a look at the opening words, we read:
‘S.A.R. MONSEIGNEUR LE PRINCE de COURTENAY '. The abbreviation stands for ' SON ALTESSE ROYALE ' (His Royal Highness). The 'Nomen Mysticum' -SAR- was eventually copied by SAR HIERONYMUS and later on attached to all dignitaries of the F.U.D.O.S.I.


In 1923 Dantinne reorganizes the whole R+C Order (ORDO AUREAE & ROSAE CRUCIS -OARC) in 3 separate Orders. 'L'ORDRE de la ROSE-CROIX UNIVERSITAIRE', divided into 9 Degrees. 'L'ORDRE de la ROSE-CROIX UNIVERSELLE' under the leadership of Imperator Francois Soetewey (SAR SUCCUS), likewise divided into 9 Degrees. Both the Orders served the same cause, except the 'ORDRE de la ROSE-CROIX UNIVERSITAIRE' only admitted members who were university-trained. Finally there was 'L'ORDRE de la ROSE+CROIX INTERIEURE' under the leadership of Imperator Jules Rochat de Abbaye (SAR APOLLONIUS), divided into 4 Degrees. Consequently the R+C Order was divided in a total of 13 Degrees, the 13th being "the Degree of Imperator".

On December 31, 1925 Dantinne founded a 'R+C CENTRE' in Brussels (Belgium) under the leadership of Francois Soetewey with Jean Mallinger as secretary. In 1927 Dantinne founded 'L'ORDRE HERMETISTE TETRAMEGISTE et MYSTIQUE'. The Order was a reconstruction of the 'Order of Pythagoras". The Order was led by Dantinne (Sar Hieronymus) himself, Francois Soetewey (Sar Succus) and Jean Mallinger (Sar Elgrim), leader of the Belgian branch of the 'RITE MEMPHIS-MIZRAIM'.

Dantinne worked as a librarian for the Belgian city of Huy. We know that Dantinne attended colleges at several universities all through his life. He published numerous articles in the famous Swiss periodical 'INCONNU', published by the Rosicrucian Pierre Gillard, cousin of Edouard Bertholet (SAR ALKMAION) leader of the "ROSE-CROIX d'ORIENT" and "L'ORDRE MARTINISTE et SYNARCHIQUE (successor of Blanchard). Gillard was a member of the Swiss Grand lodge of AMORC.
Dantinne was also the founder of the C.R.S.O. (Commision de recherches scientifiques sur l'occultisme), established in Huy, Belgium. He also founded 'Institut scientifiques sur l'occultisme' and the 'Societe Metaphysique' in Brussels.

The Government and the King of Belgium rewarded Dantinne several times for his contributions to education and culture. In 1962 Dantinne was admitted into 'De Leopoldsorde' (one of the highest honorable titles of the state of Belgium). It is needless to say that Emile Dantinne was an accomplished writer. During his lifetime he published over 30 titles concerning topics such as foreign languages, local history, metaphysics, occultism etc. Emile Dantinne died in Huy on the 21st of May, 1969, at the age of 85.

http://kingsgarden.org/english/organizations/om.gb/Dantine/DantinneBio.html

http://www.arbredor.com/titres/androgyne.html