Jacques de Livron Joachim de la Tour de la Casa Martinez de Pasqually (c. 1727–1774) was a highly influential, yet enigmatic, 18th-century French theurgist and theosopher. He is best known as the founder of the esoteric Christian Masonic system known as the l'Ordre de Chevaliers Maçons Élus Coëns de l'Univers (Order of Knight-Masons Elect Priests of the Universe), commonly referred to as the Élus Coëns or "Elect Priests."
Biographical Mystery and Masonic Milieu
Details surrounding Martinez de Pasqually's early life remain uncertain, contributing to his mysterious persona. His exact birth date and place are debated, though sources often cite Grenoble, France, around 1727. His nationality has also been a subject of speculation, with proposals ranging from Portuguese to Spanish, and some suggesting Jewish ancestry, though he required postulants for his Order to be Roman Catholic. What is known is that he began appearing in French Masonic circles around the mid-1750s, tirelessly working to establish and promote his Order.
He settled in Bordeaux for an extended period, where he was particularly active, before moving to Paris. His influence was cemented through his relationships with future leaders of the esoteric world, most notably his disciples and secretaries: Louis-Claude de Saint-Martin and Jean-Baptiste Willermoz. These two men would ultimately propagate and transform his teachings, laying the foundation for what would later be broadly known as Martinism.
In 1772, Pasqually departed France for Saint-Domingue (Hispaniola, now Haiti) to claim an inheritance, where he died in Port-au-Prince in 1774. Following his death, the Élus Coëns eventually declined, but his teachings lived on through his disciples' works.
The Doctrine of Reintegration
Pasqually's core philosophy is contained within his magnum opus, the Traité de la Réintégration des êtres dans leurs premières propriétés, vertus et puissance spirituelles et divines (Treatise on the Reintegration of Beings). This work, only partially completed at his death, offers a complex eschatological cosmology, drawing heavily upon Judeo-Christian themes, Kabbalistic, Hermetic, and Gnostic influences.
The central tenets of his doctrine include:
The Original Fall: God, the primordial Unity (or "Omneity"), emanated spiritual beings. Lucifer, wanting to exercise independent creative power, fell, becoming trapped with his followers in a designated "prison" (the material world). Man, initially created as an androgynous being endowed with glorious powers, was sent to contain the rebels and work toward their reconciliation. However, Adam himself prevaricated and fell into the very prison he was meant to contain, becoming a physical and mortal being.
Reintegration: The ultimate goal for humanity—the path of salvation—is Reintegration, a return to the original Divine State in the "Supercelestial Immensity." This involves restoring humanity's lost Divine qualities and spiritual power.
Theurgy as the Means: Pasqually taught that Reintegration could be accelerated and achieved through Theurgy, a form of ritual magic or "Divine magic." These were elaborate ceremonial rites (practiced by the higher degrees of the Élus Coëns) designed to enable the initiates (the "men of desire") to enter into communication with angelic entities, thus receiving proof ("passes" or hieroglyphs) that they were on the proper path of spiritual refinement and return to God.
Legacy: Martinism and the Rectified Scottish Rite
While the original Élus Coëns faded, Pasqually's thought survived through the efforts of Louis-Claude de Saint-Martin and Jean-Baptiste Willermoz.
Louis-Claude de Saint-Martin (The "Unknown Philosopher") distilled Pasqually's operative theurgy into a path of pure, inner mystical contemplation and spiritual growth, eventually leading to the philosophical movement known as Martinism.
Jean-Baptiste Willermoz integrated Pasqually's cosmology into a high-degree Masonic system, transforming the Élus Coëns into the more structured and enduring Rectified Scottish Rite (Régime Écossais Rectifié - R.E.R.), which focused more on esoteric Masonry and chivalric virtues.
Martinez de Pasqually's work therefore stands as a vital cornerstone of the Western Esoteric Tradition, bridging early esoteric Freemasonry with the later development of Christian Theosophy and Mysticism.
This video gives an introduction to the enigmatic life and teachings of this foundational figure in Western esotericism:
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