(1865- 1916) French mystic and writer on occult subjects, he was born at La Corogne in Spain on July 13, 1866. He wrote under the nom-de-plume “Papus.” Encausse graduated in medicine and surgery, but soon seemed to feel discontented with the materialistic view of life which his academic studies required and he joined the Theosophical Society (TS) in Paris. Encausse formed two groups for the study of occult subjects: Groupe Indépendant d’Êtudes Êsotériques and Ordre Martiniste. Later, he formed Faculté des Sciences Hermétiques, which was quite successful, with branches in many parts of the world.

In 1888 Encausse published a work entitled, Traité É‘lémentaire de Science Occulte (*pub. Georges Carré, Paris). The work attracted the attention of Helena P. BLAVATSKY and a review of it appears in Lucifer, Vol. I, No. 6 which is probably by Blavatsky, where she comments favorably on it.

Encausse became embroiled in a disagreement that occurred between Henry S. OLCOTT and Blavatsky and in 1890 he was expelled from the TS by the Council of the European Section. He died in 1916, it is said, through sheer exhaustion incurred by his ceaseless work on behalf of the war-wounded.

P.S.H.

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