About

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Martinism can be described as Initiatory Christian Chivalry. Its Doctrine shares much in common with certain Gnostic ideas of the Fall of Humankind from a Spiritual Estate. Its practice incorporates elements of Trinitarian Christian Theurgy and Contemplative Meditation. Our organization as a fraternal body is mostly derived from the structure of Freemasonry, which includes a variety of ceremonies. Martinist Initiations serve to plant a seed of understanding through lectures and ritual. 

Trinitarian Christian belief is not a requirement but members need to be comfortable with using Christian symbolism and prayer with a Hermetic practical bent and a mystical outlook. Fundamentalist Christian beliefs are usually at odds with Martinist doctrine and practice.

Papus created the Martinist Order in 1884 in France and was influenced by both Pasqually’s Elus Cohen and their unique forms of ceremonial theurgy, and the spirit of Saint-Martin’s more mystical and contemplative philosophy of the ‘Way of the Heart’.

The Fellowship of Martinist Philosophers is a modern Martinist Order that has a basis in friendship and brotherhood/sisterhood that aspires to initiate its candidates with a unique curriculum. We are concerned with the quality, not quantity, of membership. We work the 3 main degrees of traditional Martinism as established by Papus and also grant the 4th degree as an Administrative rank for Lodge leaders.

Ritual can vary widely between different orders, but the spirit of the Tradition is more or less the same when it comes to the main aspects of Initiation and basic teachings. For the FMP, there are unique individual rituals and meditations for each member outside of the context of Initiation that are options for each member to use.

Our Lineage is derived from the lines of OMCC, OM de Papus, AMO, and shares additional membership affiliations between MOUP and BMO.

The Work: To renew the Persona using the Sacred symbolism of esotericism and that of the Regalia. The new Associate for example balances the personality and works towards the next steps of self-mastery of habits and emotions through personal purification, practical mindfulness, prayer, contemplative meditation, ritual, etc. 

Doctrine: The Myth of the Fall (to be taken allegorically) is used from the mystical Christian tradition. Humankind was originally a collective and divine entity that was in charge of lesser beings, but Fell into a fractured and Physical state after succumbing to the desire of becoming a First Cause Creator (a Creator being that would take all credit for sovereignty). This resulted in Humanity’s splintered Material Nature in the Earthly realm, and most of us are “asleep” to our true Divine nature. 

Thus Martinism’s emphasis on Reintegration, or our term for the eventual ascent towards mystical unity with God as Humans. All of this makes Martinism a kind of de facto gnostic tradition in general, but without the particulars detailed in any traditional Gnostic school of thought or the more literalist Gnostic beliefs that come with them. 

That being said, Gnostic Churches have been associated with Martinism since its inception, mainly because its founders needed an outlet for esoteric spirituality that included the traditional Sacraments and clerical ordinations, nowadays complete with Apostolic Succession. This is why you will see many Martinists engaging in either Gnostic or Independent Sacramental Movement churches.

As a practical note, Martinism relies heavily on the veneration of the “Passed Masters”, our Spiritual and Fraternal Ancestors, called upon as the Saints of our tradition to guide, protect, guard, and even test our own ranks to prove our worth. 

This is one of the ways Martinists rely on the abstract and metaphysical circumstances of purification related to the unseen Work of the Egregore (Group Soul or Group Consciousness). Traditional practice both strengthens and draws energy from this group soul and is not so very different than the metaphysical group soul of any other group that functions as a micro-society, everything from a local Book Club to whole Political Parties or even major Religions have an Egregore or a collection of group energy.

As a whole, Martinism aims to accelerate the process of self-development and spiritual direction for the good of Humankind, starting with the individual.