New Orleans: Crescent of Darkness- A Threads of Damocles "A" Universe


	Gérard-Anaclet-Vincent Encausse (Papus) Gérard-Anaclet-Vincent Encausse, the son of a French father and Spanish mother, was born in La Coruña, Spain in 1865. (Only later would he adopt the name Papus.) He and his family relocated to Paris in 1868. Encausse was admitted to medical school in 1885. In addition to his studies there he frequented the Bibliothèque Nationale [French National Library], where he immersed himself in esoteric literature, including old grimoires (magical texts) and the works of Éliphas Lévi, Paul Christian, Hoene Wronski, and others. Outside the library, he soon made the acquaintance of numerous leading contemporary occultists, including Saint-Yvres d'Alveydre, Stanislas de Guaïta, Joséphin Péladan, and F.-Ch. Barlet. Just as importantly, he soon turned to writing, typically using the pseudonym Papus, the name of the genius associated with physicians in The Nuctemeron , a work attributed to the legendary magus Appolonius of Tyana, which appeared in Lévi's Dogme et rituel de la haute magie [ Transcendental Magic: Its Doctrine and Ritual ] (1854-55). All told, Papus authored 160 titles, mostly on esotericism, ranging from magazine articles to lengthy treatises. For example, in his book Traité élémentaire d'occultisme [ Elementary Treatise on Occultism ] (1888), he explored a wide variety of subjects, including astral influences on humankind; the history, characteristics, and missions of human racial groups; significant spiritual traditions (e.g., Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, and Christianity); and secret societies (e.g, the Templars, the Rosicrucians, and Freemasonry). Little of his output, however, has been translated into English. Additionally, he founded two important occult journals, L'Initiation [ Initiation ] and La Voile d'Isis [ The Veil of Isis].

Gérard-Anaclet-Vincent Encausse (Papus)

Gérard-Anaclet-Vincent Encausse, the son of a French father and Spanish mother, was born in La Coruña, Spain in 1865. (Only later would he adopt the name Papus.) He and his family relocated to Paris in 1868.

Encausse was admitted to medical school in 1885. In addition to his studies there he frequented the Bibliothèque Nationale [French National Library], where he immersed himself in esoteric literature, including old grimoires (magical texts) and the works of Éliphas Lévi, Paul Christian, Hoene Wronski, and others.

Outside the library, he soon made the acquaintance of numerous leading contemporary occultists, including Saint-Yvres d'Alveydre, Stanislas de Guaïta, Joséphin Péladan, and F.-Ch. Barlet. Just as importantly, he soon turned to writing, typically using the pseudonym Papus, the name of the genius associated with physicians in The Nuctemeron , a work attributed to the legendary magus Appolonius of Tyana, which appeared in Lévi's Dogme et rituel de la haute magie [ Transcendental Magic: Its Doctrine and Ritual ] (1854-55).

All told, Papus authored 160 titles, mostly on esotericism, ranging from magazine articles to lengthy treatises. For example, in his book Traité élémentaire d'occultisme [ Elementary Treatise on Occultism ] (1888), he explored a wide variety of subjects, including astral influences on humankind; the history, characteristics, and missions of human racial groups; significant spiritual traditions (e.g., Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, and Christianity); and secret societies (e.g, the Templars, the Rosicrucians, and Freemasonry). Little of his output, however, has been translated into English.

Additionally, he founded two important occult journals, L'Initiation [ Initiation ] and La Voile d'Isis [ The Veil of Isis].