Martinism in modern times

Since the 90s XX century and so far there have been several attempts to establish a Martinist organization in the Russian Federation.

In 1996, the Department of Justice registered the Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis (A.M.O.R.C.). This Order was founded in 1915 by H. S. Lewis. During the vicissitudes of Martinist history at A.M.O.R.C. the branch of the Traditional Martinist Order (T.M.O.) dissolved. It lost the Martinist recognition and legitimacy of the line of initiation, as the organization spread the practice of initiations by mail, which is typical not only for foreign, but also for Russian branches.

In 2008-2009 G. B. Dergachev, Former Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Russia, founded the first legitimate Martinist organization in Russia, which traced its succession from the Parisian Martinist Order (related to the line of Philippe Encausse and Emilio Lorenzo). However, Paris gave a charter only for the work of the lower administrative unit, called the “circle”, which did not give the right to initiate work, and did not imply the transfer of the degrees and rights of the Initiator to anyone from Dergachev’s group. Due to the impossibility of conducting initiations, as well as the lack of interest in this structure on the part of potential adepts, the charter was withdrawn and work was stopped by the fall of 2012.

In 2006, expelled from regular Freemasonry, G.R.A. (Sar David) received a patent for the foundation of lodge No. 12 “Hyperborea” through the mediation of Sar Lamech (Y.A.P.), from the head of the Martinist Order from the USA – Ancient Martinist Order (AMO) – Sâr Michael. Having also received contacts from Sar Lamech for the establishment in Russia of lodges of one of the branches of the Memphis-Misraim irregular Freemasonry, Sar David, secretly from Sar Lamech, received initiation into Ordre Martiniste Initiatique Réformé (OMIR) for the sake of his further advancement in said irregular Masonic structure. Emphasizing the activities of his branch of the irregular Memphis-Mizraim, Sar David did not pay attention to the Martinist meetings (they were held no more than once a quarter), which did not suit the few ordinary members of AMO in Russia. Having learned about the secret dual membership of his protege, Sar Lamech breaks ties with Sar David and establishes another Order in Russia – Sovereign Autonomous Ancient Martinist-Martinezist Order (SAAMMO), while possessing only a Martinist P.I. degree, which is not sufficient to legitimately create someone’s own Martinist Order. Sar Lamech was expelled from AMO for illegal activities from the point of view of traditional Martinism. Sar Lamech was followed by other members of the AMO in Russia, alien to the political games of the former Russian leadership and dissatisfied with the lack of meetings and any Martinist activity in Sar David’s organization.

Between 2012 and 2014, AMMO was the only actually active organization in Russia that claimed to belong to Martinism, although it was not a legitimate Martinist and initiatory Order, since it was not legitimately founded and, in addition, suffered from attempts by Sar Lamech to impose members of the organization questionable rituals that were neither Martinist nor Martinezist, but an eclectic mix of rituals, accessible to profanes, of various low quality systems and concepts of the New Age movement. As a result of Sar Lamech’s incompetence in matters of Martinism, his superficial attitude towards the occult sciences and the persistent McDonaldization of initiatory rituals and teaching materials, all members of the Order (except Sar Lamech) left AMMO declaring perpetual silentium. However, Sar Lamech, having brought together some of the members previously expelled from AMMO for perjury, continued his activities, establishing a lodge called “Aurora”.

In 2012, Sar David, who has already been mentioned as the head of the AMO and OMIR branch in Russia, secretly received membership in the third Martinist Order – the Martinist Order of Unknown Philosophers (M.O.U.P.). By 2020, the leadership of the AMO became aware of the double, and even triple membership of Sar David in Martinist structures. Given the absence of any activities of the AMO branch in Russia, and also taking into account the details that came to light about Sar David’s connections with the Thelemic OTO in Russia, which is incompatible with Martinism, the circumstances of his triple membership, together with the above-mentioned violations, led to the disciplinary exclusion of Sar David from AMO, the closure of the Russian branch of the AMO, and the expulsion of all its members from the Order. Currently, AMO has ceased its activities in Russia.

The next attempt to create a legitimate Martinist organization in Russia was the opening in March 2015 of a branch of Ελληνικό Μαρτινιστικό Τάγμα (E.M.T.). This organization was founded by a Martinist under the name Sar M., who holds the degree of S.I.I.L., who received this degree from Sar T.. It is this degree that gives the Martinists the full and legal right to found new Martinist Orders. The succession of the Order is from the Martinist Order Initiate (O.M.I.), founded on June 30, 1968 by R. Ambelain (Sar Aurifer). At the end of 2017, the leadership of the Order in Greece began to lose interest in the development of Martinism in Russia, due to which in 2018 all Russian Martinists left Ελληνικό Μαρτινιστικό Τάγμα, along with several brothers who were initiated in the USA.

At the beginning of 2018, the Occult Martinist Order was created in the countries of the European Union – an international occult initiatory organization established by the bearers of traditional Martinist lines of succession from Greece, Italy and Spain, which go back to the French and Russian branches. The creation of the Order was blessed by Sar T., who had previously transmitted the line of initiation for the work of the E.M.T.. On June 14 of the same year, OMO officially announced its work, and extended its activities to Russia. The core of the group involved in the establishment of the OMO were initiated Martinists from Russia, who previously worked in various organizational forms over the years, and since 2009 have been active in enlightment activities in Russian, in particular through the portal of the Western magical tradition www.Teurgia.Org. On March 20, 2022, on the day of the Spring Equinox, the leadership of the Occult Martinist Order decided to break the silentium, end their silence, and openly declare their work and principles. To date, O.M.O. signed concordats of mutual recognition with five Martinist organizations: The Martinist Order of the Golden and Rosy + Cross, The Hermetic Order of Martinists, Ancient Martinist Order, Ordine Martinista Aurei Philosophi (The Martinist Order of Golden Philosophers), IFD – Irmandade dos Filósofos Desconhecidos (The Brotherhood of Unknown Philosophers). The conclusion of a concordat between our Order and the AMO symbolically restores spiritual and historical justice, while maintaining fraternal ties with the first legitimate Martinist Order that came to Russia in the 21st century. OMO is an independent Martinist structure recognized and respected in the world, it is an equal member of the International Confederation of Martinist Orders, and operates in Switzerland, Russia and the Balkans.

The Martinist degrees of the OMO are not isolated, and after completing the full cycle of Martinist initiation, members of the OMO have the opportunity to be invited to participate in internal Orders, historically and initiationally associated with the Martinist tradition and united within the structure of our Order, and focusing on advanced theurgical practice. In addition to the previously designated educational work within the framework of the Teurgia.Org portal, OMO members are engaged in translating and publishing literature on the occult, martinism, magic and theurgy: in particular, in 2019, the book “The Algerian Manuscript of Martinez de Pasqually” was translated into Russian, and also in 2022 – book by Stephen Skinner “Techniques of Solomonic Magic”. Both books were first published in Russian.

Sar Aratron

Sarah Gladius Dei