The Templars: LINKS WITH THE ALCHEMISTS & KABALISM

There were links between well known alchemists and the Templars. One of these 

was Raymund Lull, a respected Catalan monk born in 1232. Lull, 

as well as being an alchemist, was a member of a secret circle 

of the Order of the Knights Templar. It is known that Lull was 

present as an influential member of the Church at the abolition 

of the Order at the famous Council of Vienne. Lull did not 

attempt to intervene. Either he was privvy to knowledge that the 

Order had arrived at the end of its cycle or he had simply 

concluded that there was no more he could no to influence events. 

He had argued strenuously for the unification of the Templar 

and Hospitaller Orders in the hope of thus saving the Templars, 

but in vain - Grand Master Jacques de Molay remained firmly 

opposed to the merger. 

Links have also been traced between the Templars and 

Kabalism, the esoteric branch of judaism. Several writers have 

alluded to the contacts which existed between the Templar 

tradition in Spain and the famous Kabalistic schools of the 

Iberian peninsula.  

The four elements are symbolized in alchemy by the equilateral cross.  

Each of the fouralchemical elements is ascribed to an arm of the equilateral cross 

and coincides with one of the four cardinal points on the com- 

pass. Each of the elementsmepresents among other things an 

aspect or quality in ourselves which, if out of balance with the 

other three elements, brings the negative aspects of that element 

into our life and behavior.·  

Here are some examples of the 

positive and negative qualities of the different elements.  

ELEMENT OF EARTH: 

Positive Qualities Negative Qualities 

Punctuality Unreliability 

Firmness Stubbornness 

Confidence Selfishness 

ELEMENT OF AlR: 

Cheerfulness Quarrelsomeness 

Diligence · Fickleness 

Kindness Tendency to gossip 

ELEMENT OF FIRE: 

Activity irritability 

Keenness Bossiness 

Resolution lntolerance 

ELEMENT OF WATER: 

Modesty Timidity 

Docility Passivity 

lntuition Credulity 

In alchemy and in certain other esoteric traditions 

such as the Kabalah, symbols have been evolved to represent 

each of the four elements. There are ways known to initiates by 

which these symbols can be manipulated through meditation or 

other techniques to bring about a balance of the elements in the 

practitioner, so that within him negative and positive qualities 

can be neutralized and balanced by positive qualities. ln simple 

terms, when an individual manages to master the unbalanced or 

warring elements in himself by working on his character, his 

weaknesses and uncontrolled impulses, he will have sacrificed his 

ego and will no longer be tied to the cross of the elements. He 

will become free from unbridled domination, thus enabling the 

Christ within to manifest. The alchemist would say that such a 

person has managed to purify the dross or impurities in his 

metals through the force of sacrifice and self-discipline, 

transmuting these metals into the alchemical gold of an awakened 

spiritual awareness. 

STRANDS OF THE TEMPLAR TRADITION

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux considered it his personal 

mission to reunite the different strands of the spiritual tradition 

and to adapt this synthesis to the age in which he lived. He 

had access not only to teachings known to the early Church 

Fathers but, through family connections, he had also been 

trained in Druidic lore. He despatched his Knights Templar on 

secret missions to seek teachings which had been guarded for 

centuries in certain brotherhoods of the Islamic and 

Judeo—Egyptian traditions. 

The nine Knights sent by him to jerusalem could not 

seriously have been sent just to guard the pilgrims. What could 

such a small body of men achieve as a police force in hostile 

territory? The real task of the nine Knights in jerusalem was to 

carry out research in the area in order to obtain certain relics 

and manuscripts which contained the essence of the secret tra- 

ditions of judaism and ancient Egypt, some of which probably 

went back to before the days of Moses. 

There is no doubt` that the nine founding Knights 

fulfilled this particular mission and that the knowledge obtained 

from their finds was taught in the oral tradition of the Order of 

the Temple‘s secret circles. Hence the rumour that when the 

Templars were seized by King Philip certain relics were spirited 

away for safe keeping. 

THE TEMPLARS AND THE GRAIL The Templars are said to 

have had close contacts with the Troubadours, those wandering 

minstrels whose poetry and song entertained the courts and 

peoples of Europe with stories of noble deeds. Some of these 

were themselves secret Templars, as is said of Wolfram von 

Eschenbach, the man who popularized the Grail legends. One of 

these legends relates that Gamuret, a knight and father of 

Parsifal, had another son named Feirefiz by a Moslem woman. 

Feirefiz also reaches the Castle of the Grail but cannot see the 

Grail itself until he is baptized, to which he agrees in order to 

marry the Grail King's daughter, whom he loves. Feirefiz is 

then able to contemplate the Grail, around which appears a 

message advocating tolerance for other races and creeds. The 

marriage takes place and a 'son' is born, the legendary Prester 

John, future guardian of the Grail.

LINKS WITH THE ALCHEMISTS & KABALISM  

There were links between well known alchemists and the Templars. One of these 

was Raymund Lull, a respected Catalan monk born in 1232. Lull, 

as well as being an alchemist, was a member of a secret circle 

of the Order of the Knights Templar. It is known that Lull was 

present as an influential member of the Church at the abolition 

of the Order at the famous Council of Vienne. Lull did not 

attempt to intervene. Either he was privvy to knowledge that the 

Order had arrived at the end of its cycleior he had simply 

concluded that there was no more he could no to influence events. 

He had argued strenuously for the unification of the Templar 

and Hospitaller Orders in the hope of thus saving the Templars, 

but in vain - Grand Master Jacques de Molay remained firmly 

opposed to the merger. 

Links have also been traced between the Templars and 

Kabalism, the esoteric branch of judaism. Several writers have 

alluded to the contacts which existed between the Templar 

tradition in Spain and the famous Kabalistic schools of the 

Iberian peninsula.  

THE SECRET MISSIONS OF THE TEMPLARS 

In addition to the activities just related, the 

Templars were entrusted with a number of secret missions. One 

of these was to work for the linking of Christianity and Islam. 

The word Islam means "confident submission to God." 

Islam is the religion promulgated by the Prophet Mohammed, and 

someone who accepts Islam is a Moslem. Islam dates from the 

seventh century AD when Mohammed, a welI-to-do Arab merchant, 

received instructions in a vision to bring the message of the One 

God to the Arab world. Mohammed himself did not claim to have 

started a new religion, but is reported to have said that his 

task was merely to bring Ito his countrymen the message of mono- 

theism already declared by the patriarch Abraham and other 

prophets such as Moses and Jesus.   

(All EXCERPTS FROM ICES LIBERS)

THE EXOTERIC AND ESOTERIC MISSION OF THE TEMPLARS

THE EXOTERIC AND ESOTERIC MISSION OF THE TEMPLARS The mission of the Templars was two—fold. Firstly, to inject a certain spiritual idealism into the world of their time through a number of concrete actions. Secondly, to ensure the continuity of the Spiritual Tradition of the Temple by seeking out the sacred esoteric heritage of mankind wherever it was to be found, to reunite it, and to present to a certain spiritual elite a synthesis of the Tradition adapted to the Western mentality of the Middle Ages. Some of their activities were secret, while others were carried out publicly. Some actions, although done openly, had more profound effects on the contemporary world than were appar- ent. For example, St. Bernard stimulated public awareness of the Feminine Principle by promoting the adoration of the Mother of Christ in the Church, and by encouraging the Templars to dedicate chapels, cathedrals and churches to the Virgin Mary. ln the harsh, cruel and male dominated world of the Middle Ages, the activation of the feminine archetype was extremely important. The esoteric tradition to which the Templars had access taught them that the universe was conditioned by the laws of sound, colour, number, weight and measure. They knew how to apply these 'laws so that symbols could be used to develop a closer relationship between man and spiritual realities.

NUMBER According to the Templar tradition, number was the principle of being on three levels of manifestation, i.e. Divine, Man and Nature. Number in this sense was the expression of the cosmic design and an element of the mysterious harmony which exists in the universe. This vision of things can be traced back to the priests of ancient Egypt and was developed by Pythagoras in the fifth century BC. In the Middle Ages, the science of numbers played an important part in the spiritual research carried out by the Christian mystics, the jewish Kabalists and the Moslem Sufis. The numbers 3 and 9 had a particular significance for the Templars and these numbers were always present in their buildings and churches. The ancients have always deemed the number 3 to be the most sacred of all numbers. According to- Plato it was the perfect symbol of the Creator because it contained the properties of the first two numbers. Aristotle added the reflection that 3 contains in itself a beginning, a middle and an end. Gold had strong symbolic meaning for the Templars: to them it symbolized the radiance of the spirit after purification. They therefore associated gold with the number 3, the symbol of the perfect manifestation of unity.

THE NUMBERS THREE & NINE For the Templars the number 3 also symbolized the mystery of the Trinity. Here we find the symbol of the triangle which is 3 as well. The triangle appears in most of the patterns and designs left behind by the Order. The number 3 was always present in the daily life of the Templars: their rite of reception was repeated 3 times; the aspirant had to present himself ritually 3 times; the aspirant took 3 vows; the Templar ate meat 3 times a week; a Knight had 3 horses; he had to accept to fight against odds of 3 to 1, etc. ` The number 3 when multiplied by itself gives 9, the number of completion. The number 9 is the only number which when multiplied by any other number always reproduces itself when the digits of the product are added together. (Try it! i.e. 9 x5 = 45; 4+5 = 9). Like 3 the number 9 has always been con- sidered a sacred number in esoteric tradition. lt is not surprising that the founders of the first Templar Order were 9, that the Templars took vows after a waiting period of 9 years, and that the Order was divided into 9 provinces. During their trials they chose 9 members of the Order to defend them, and 9 of them stood before the Council of Vienne when the Order was abolished. Thus the number 9 was with the Templars at the beginning and with them at the end. ‘ · The Templars believed that if certain geometrical forms and mathematical relationships were employed in the construction and design of buildings, these would have important spiritual effects on the people who visited them. Sacred buildings such as chapels, cathedrals and churches were places where man aspired to approach the Divine. lt was not surpri- sing that the Templars were particularly interested in church construction and, as we shall see later, this explains their concern for the welfare of the builders and artisans who could erect and decorate buildings according to their specifications. The Templars also made sure that certain symbols were included in the decoration of buildings in order to pass on esoteric knowledge for future generations of initiates. The Templars applied themselves to the business of cathedral building with such industry that over a thousand chapels and churches were constructed with their support in a little under two hundred years. St. Bernard, the spiritual father of the Order of the Knights Templar, was a passionate believer in the power of specially constructed forms to bring a realization of the Divine to man. He was of course the driving force behind the Templar's monumental building program which even reflected his tastes in architecture. St. Bernard favoured a rather simple and austere style, probably in reaction to the rich and ostentatious one preferred by the Benedictines of Cluny.

THE TEMPLARS &  THE ARABS The Templars had negotiated with the Arabs for permission for their church builders to do construction work in the region of Damascus, Jerusalem, St. ]ean d‘Acre and Cyprus. The Arabs promised not to molest them so long as they did not bear arms. The builders were placed under the general authority of a Knight named Guy de Lusignan. These builders, known as Compagnons, were men who had spent many years experimenting in order to develop what later became known as Gothic architecture. ln their day-to—day tasks the builders owed obedience to de Lusignan but in their spiritual life they owed allegiance to the Templars.

THE RULE OF HOLY DUTY According to Raoul Vergez, a Frenchman and modern Compagnon, some time around 1100 AD the Templars and the leaders of the Compagnons formalized the Rule known as the "Saint Devoir" or the Rule of the Holy Duty, which governed the manner and spirit in which the latter practised the art of construction, and established the relationship between Templars and Compagnons. Under this arrangement the Templars committed themselves to protect the Compagnons, while the latter agreed to place their skills at the disposal of the Templars. There was probably also an undertaking by the Compagnons to keep secret, such teachings about the esoteric aspects of con- struction as the Templars would pass on to them. This was a good arrangement for the Compagnons - without the protection of the Templars, they would have been obliged to place themselves under vassalage to some ruler who would not particularly respect their customs. (These included the traditional working journey around France which every builder had to perform before he was recognized as a Compagnon). Under the Templars they enjoyed a better status than the serfs and could travel freely under Templar protection.

THE COMPAGNONS in a way, the Compagnons de Saint Devoir were the first organized movement in the world of the working man. During the period of Templar ascendancy, there were also other craftsmen and artisans who did not belong to the Saint Devoir, but, wishing to escape from the rigid structure of their feudal lords, pledged oaths of vassalage to the Templars. One of the techniques which the Compagnons learned from the Templars was the art of choosing the place where a church should be located. The fathers of the Church had long suspected that certain earth currents were useful in enabling contact to be made with cosmic currents, and that the junction of these two types of forces created conditions which were propitious to prayer and mystical contemplation. There is a story that this knowledge was acquired by the Church from a man called Stan- islas, who had inherited a family gift which enabled him to identify telluric currents. lt is said that Stanislas established that sacred buildings should always be placed so that they could benefit from telluric or earth currents which flow from north to south. lt seems that it is also helpful to place a church altar- above an underground stream.

MASTER BUILDERS The Compagnons developed a particular approach to their trade. Their art was dedicated not only to the creation of beautiful buildings, but to the construction of forms which were also functional, by glorifying the Creator and forging a living link with Him. The trade of constructing sacred buil- dings was initiatic in the sense that the master builders kept secret their art and passed on their secret skills only by word of mouth. Certain instructions, especially those associated with the application of spiritual laws in the craft, were transmitted only after theapprentice. had passed certain ordeals to test aspects of his character. lt was these masteribuilders, the Compagnons, inspired by their Templar masters, who worked certain hermetic keys into the geometry and forms they created to decorate cath- edrals and churches.The island of Cyprus has important associations with the Compagnons. It was here that the results of their research into building techniques were first tested. ln 1195 Guy de Lusignan was recognized as King of Cyprus. lt was natural, because of his earlier associations with these master builders of the Saint Devoir, that he became their champion on the island. ·He actively helped those who had survived expulsion from the Holy Land or could not make a living in France. lt was here lin Cyprus under the protection of de Lusignan that the followers of the Saint Devoir probably lived their most exciting days in an atmosphere where manual work was elevated by spiritual discipline and Templar ideas of chivalry. Unfortunately, with the exception of a few esoteric circles, the influence of Compagnonage in the spiritual odyssey of Western civilization has virtually disappeared.

L'Ordre Kabbalistique de la Rose-Croix - The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia

L'Ordre Kabbalistique de la Rose-Croix - The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia

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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

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