The occultist Papus was a very versatile person: a mystic, theosophist, esotericist, Rosicrucian and Martinist, he was interested in magic, healing, Kabbalah and tarot. The gift of fortune-telling, which he passed on from his gypsy mother, allowed him to look into the unhappy future of the Romanovs. But the mystic's fate was not easy: while helping others, he could not help himself.
The French occultist Papus, who worked at the court of the last Romanovs before Rasputin, was considered a powerful magician in Europe at that time. Mystic, theosophist, esotericist, Rosicrucian and Martinist, he has written numerous books and articles on magic and Kabbalah. He is the author of the thesis about the origin of tarot cards. It was in his work "The Gypsy Tarot" (Le Tarot de Bohémiens, 1909) that the thesis was first expressed that tarot cards appeared in India and, thanks to the gypsies, gained fame in Europe.
Gérard Analect Vincent Encausse - the son of a French chemist and a Spanish gypsy (excellent card reader) - was born on July 13, 1865 in the Spanish city of La Coruña, officially and in the Galician dialect called A Coruña. The family moved to the capital of France when Gerard was four years old. From the age of sixteen, the young man became seriously interested in Kabbalah, magic, alchemy, tarot and the works of Eliphas Lévis, which he avidly read in the Paris National Library. The young man was soon initiated into the once powerful Martinist Order, a secret organization founded by 18th century Theosophists Martinez de Pasqually and Louis Claude de Saint-Martin.
By the time of the birth of the pseudonym Gerard Ancausse, in fact, had already become Papus and ceased to be a materialist. By the way, Dr. Gerard Encausse chose the pseudonym "Papus" from the book "Nuctemeron" by Apollonius of Tyana, because of his interest in medicine. Papus is one of the Geniuses of the first hour, whose name means "healer".
Down and Out trouble started! Every year, the Martinist enters into a new occult community, a Masonic lodge, a secret esoteric union, or is a co-founder of similar organizations. He did not find a common language with the Theosophical Society of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, probably because of their penchant for Eastern mysticism and Hinduism, which Monsieur Ancausse-Papus did not really like. Although he was not enthusiastic about the fads that were fashionable in the late 19th - early 20th centuries - materialism and positivism. To use the expression of Houston Stuart Chamberlain, Papus leaned more towards Semitic influences (to which the author of "Foundations of the XIX century" attributed not only Jews, but also Spaniards), and not Aryan. It can be said so, Papus avoided momentary fashionable hobbies.
Another thing is to organize, together with a friend and like-minded fellow Stanislas de Guaita, the Ordre Kabbalistique de la Rose † Croix. Papus' fame is growing so quickly that he accepts into his order the greats of this world: French Foreign Minister Théophile Delcass, Colonial Minister Antoine Guillain, Socialist leader Jean Jaures and many others. Shortly before the death of 36-year-old Stanislas de Guait, who suffered from asthma and kidney disease, Papus came to visit a friend. Ill-wishers spread rumors that instead of providing medical assistance to a dying person from a cocaine overdose, the doctor Papus drew a magic circle with protective symbols, calling on guardian angels.
In 1895, Papus ordained the first Russian military attaché in Paris, Valerian Valerianovich Muravyov-Amursky (brother of the Minister of Justice), to the Martinist brotherhood. Then the actress Olga Musina-Pushkina became a member of the Lodge. In September 1900, at the Paris residence of the Russian military attaché, Papus met with Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich, cousin of Nicholas II, his wife Militsa and sister of his wife, Princess Anastasia Leuchtenberg. The princess asked to know the future of the House of Romanov. The tarot cards showed an imminent threat to the reigning dynasty.
Despite this prediction, Nicholas II at a personal meeting inquired from Doctor Gerard if he would find time to come to Russia as a personal guest of the Russian Tsar. Papus took advantage of the invitation he had received and at the beginning of 1901 settled in the Tsarskoye Selo Palace. There are legends that Papus allegedly dedicated not only the royal couple to the Martinist lodge, but also the Empress Dowager Maria Feodorovna, the Grand Dukes Nikolai Nikolaevich and Peter Nikolaevich, as well as many other representatives of the highest aristocracy, there are legends, but they are based exclusively on unverified rumors. One thing can be said for sure - how times have changed: Empress Catherine the Great exiled Cagliostro from Russia, and her descendants invited other mystics to their chambers.
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The predictions about the future made by the spirit of Alexander III look no less fantastic. Papus summoned a spirit so that the king would ask his late father for practical advice. But there is no smoke without fire, of course. For example, in other stories, other well-wishers brought sad news: monk Abel or Rasputin. However, the penchant for mysticism, especially noticeable in Alexandra Feodorovna, very often turned true stories into fictional ones. There were no witnesses in the inner chambers of the royal residence, and if there were, they kept their mouths shut. Since we write about mystics in real life, then the story about this side of Papus' life should be given only as an outline, for we will never get a complete and true picture here.
On January 2, 1906, a long-awaited, but also incredible event happened. 11 years after the wedding, Papus' wife Matilda gave birth to his first child. The son was named Philip in honor of almost the only master of Papus. Anthelm Philip, who was simultaneously with Papus in Russia, had already died by that time. When the boy was seven years old, he accidentally cut himself with a kitchen knife. Blood poisoning began.
Against sepsis, Papus with all his magic was powerless. At night Philip appeared to him in a dream and advised him to "give the boy". Papus understood his late teacher perfectly. In August 1904, Monsieur Philippe's daughter, Victoria Laland, died. The inconsolable father then confessed to Papus that he could heal his daughter only at the cost of losing his healing gift. Philip did not take this step, informing Papus that he would live another year and during this time he would have time to help exactly 750 people.
Papus did exactly the opposite. He put a magic talisman around his son's neck, and on the third day the boy started to recover. The recovery of his son turned into a deterioration in health for Papus. Having spread out the tarot, they say, he accurately figured out the date of his death.
An old woman with a scythe came for him on October 25, 1916. Upon learning of the fatal outcome, the Russian empress Alexandra Feodorovna wrote to her husband at the front: "Papus is dead, so we are doomed."