THE HIGH MASONIC DEGREE THAT JEAN BRICAUD AWARDED TO CHARLES LEADBEATER

Regarding this event, researcher Gregory Tillett commented:

After his initiation into mixed Freemasonry by James Wedgwood in Sydney in 1915, Charles Leadbeater rose with extraordinary speed in the ranks of Freemasonry (but not through his own merit but through the undeserved prestige that Leadbeater had acquired).

Along with Wedgwood, Leadbeater sought other sources of Masonic authority, all within what is known as "marginal Freemasonry," that is, Freemasonry outside of traditionally recognized organizations.

This included obtaining a high degree in the "Ancient Order of Memphis-Mizraim" from the French marginal Freemason Jean Bricaud.

Jean (or Joanny) Bricaud (1881-1934), also known as Tau Jean II, was a French occultist heavily involved in the French neo-Gnostic movement, in which he was consecrated bishop on July 21, 1913 by Bishop Louis-Marie-François Giraud.

Bricaud was the Patriarch of the Universal Gnostic Church.

He then became head of the Martinist Order in 1916.

In 1919, Bricaud received authorization from Theodor Reuss to establish the French Sovereign Sanctuary of the MM [33°, 90°, 96°], and on September 30 activated the French foundation of the "Grand Supreme Council of Confederate Rites, Ancient Scottish Rite, Memphis and Misraim, Royal Order of Scotland," etc.

For a not very objective version of the history of the "Ancient Order of Memphis-Mizraim" according to Bricaud, see: http://www.parareligion.ch/sunrise/mm1.htm

(https://cwledbeater.wordpress.com/2016/07/22/bricaud-and-memphis-mizraim/)

CID'S NOTE

I note that Jean Bricaud was a pseudo-occultist who associated with charlatans and other pseudo-occultists, and also created pseudo-esoteric organizations.

LETTER

Below you can see the facsimile of the typed letter that Leadbeater sent to  Jean Bricaud to thank him for the high Masonic degree that he had granted him, but I do not consider the "Ancient Order of Memphis-Mizraim" that Bricaud led to be very genuine.