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Hello Symposiast! I’m Dr. Angela Puca, Religious Studies PhD, and this is your online resource for the academic study of magic, esotericism, paganism, shamanism, and all things occult. Today we talk about Alexandro de Cagliostro.

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Introduction: Alessandro, Count of Cagliostro

Alessandro, self-styled Count of Cagliostro, emerged in London in 1776, claiming noble Italian origins and esoteric training in Malta. —apparently, his spirit animal was less ‘eagle’ and more ‘peacock’.

Gaining fame as a healer and a Freemason, he was accused of being the Sicilian conman Giuseppe Balsamo. Cagliostro introduced High Egyptian Freemasonry in Naples in 1777 and travelled extensively across Europe. In France, his friendship with Cardinal de Rohan led to his involvement in the scandalous affair of the diamond necklace, which implicated Marie Antoinette and fueled pre-revolutionary discontent. Although acquitted in 1786, Cagliostro’s reputation suffered.

Cagliostro’s involvement in the diamond necklace scandal makes you wonder if he mistook ‘enlightenment’ for ‘enjewelment’

Caglisostro moves to Rome and is Imprisoned and Dies

He attempted to revive his Masonic activities but faced opposition. In 1789, despite Vatican bans, he moved to Rome, hoping for protection.

Cagliostro moving to Rome despite Vatican bans was the esoteric equivalent of bringing tarot cards to a poker game.

Alas, estranged from his wife Serafina’s family, he was arrested by Papal authorities, accused of Freemasonry and heresy, and condemned to life imprisonment in San Leo Fortress, where he died in 1795. Despite official records, some believed Cagliostro survived, immortalised in occult legends.

Count Cagliostro’s Story Told in Novels & Films

The enduring allure of Count Cagliostro has been captured in numerous novels and films, often intertwining with mainstream popular culture, such as his fictional representation alongside Arsène Lupin by Maurice Leblanc. Determining Cagliostro’s authentic contributions to the modern Western esoteric tradition proves more complex. His extant writings are sparse, consisting mostly of ten memoirs defending himself against various charges, with scant esoteric elucidation.

Marc Haven’s Compilation of Cagliostro’s Rituals & Catechisms

Posthumously, Marc Haven (the pseudonym of Emmanuel Lalande) compiled Cagliostro’s High Egyptian Freemasonry rituals and catechisms, which were not fully published until 1948. These rituals, likely penned in 1784 in Lyon, integrate elements from earlier high-degree Masonic rituals prevalent in 18th-century France and Germany, showcasing a blend rather than purely original contributions.

Trying to revive Masonic activities with all that opposition was like trying to perform a ritual in a hurricane—both ambitious and a bit breezy.

The rituals catered to both genders and incorporated core beliefs such as theism and soul immortality, positioning Cagliostro within the spiritualist faction of Masonic debate. They also reflected a narrative of human descent from a spiritual existence to a material one, with an outlined path for redemption through spiritual, intellectual, and physical restoration. This path emphasized charity and divine love, advocating for a form of “natural religion” and an “eternal Christianity” with strong Kabbalistic influences. Intellectual renewal was seen through engagement with Naturphilosophie, embracing alchemy, theurgy, and divine invocation, marking a distinct philosophical approach within the esoteric landscape.

Cagliostro’s contributions to the Western esoteric tradition, though not extensively documented in his own writings, are significant primarily through the rituals of High Egyptian Freemasonry, which encapsulate a complex blend of Masonic, spiritualist, and mystical elements. His theoretical and practical work was later collated by Marc Haven, under his real name Emmanuel Lalande, and posthumously published, revealing a nuanced approach to esotericism that merges earlier Masonic practices with innovative spiritual concepts.

Cagliostro’s Teachings & Rituals

Cagliostro’s teachings, particularly his Arcana Arcanorum, are revered in modern magical movements for advocating a tripartite system of spiritual practices: theurgical evocation of guardian angels, laboratory alchemy, and inner alchemy involving sex magic. His teachings suggest a selective approach to immortality, proposing that eternal life is achievable through the exertion of one’s magical will, a notion that continues to captivate those interested in esoteric and magical traditions.

The rituals crafted by Cagliostro, primarily penned around 1784 during his time in Lyon, integrated elements from established high-degree Masonic rituals prevalent in 18th-century France and Germany, while also introducing distinct esoteric theories. These rituals, which differ for men and women, pivot around several core esoteric principles:

• Core Principle: Spiritual Restoration: This stage involves achieving a reconnection with the divine through acts of charity and the cultivation of divine love. Cagliostro’s reference to a “natural religion” and an “eternal Christianity” suggests a universalist approach, drawing from Kabbalistic themes more than orthodox Christianity. This implies a return to an esoteric, mystically infused form of faith that transcends traditional religious boundaries.
• Core Principle: The Existence of God and Soul’s Immortality: Cagliostro positioned his practices within the spiritualist domain of Masonic thought, countering the era’s rationalist and atheist currents. His emphasis on the soul’s immortality reflects a fundamental belief in an enduring spiritual essence beyond physical death.
  
  Core Principle: Fall and Restoration of Humanity: Cagliostro’s esoteric framework included a narrative of human descent from a primordial spiritual state into the material realm—a ‘fall from grace’. He articulated a path for redemption and restoration that occurs across three intertwined stages—spiritual, intellectual, and physical.

• Core Principle: Intellectual Restoration: Here, Cagliostro advocates for an engagement with the ‘sanctuary of nature’ through Naturphilosophie—a philosophical inquiry into nature that includes elements of alchemy. This stage promotes a deeper understanding of the universe and our place within it through alchemical transformation, symbolising internal spiritual refinement.
  
  
• Core Principle: Theurgy and Divine Invocation: The practice of theurgy, or the ritual invocation of divine forces, forms a crucial component of Cagliostro’s system. This involves using sacred names of God to effect change in the world and within the practitioner, suggesting an active engagement with divine energies to facilitate personal and cosmic transformation.

Restoration to Original Divine State
Overall, Cagliostro’s esoteric practices aimed at a holistic restoration of humanity to its original divine state, encompassing moral, intellectual, and spiritual dimensions. His integration of these themes into a cohesive system of Masonic ritual underscores his unique position in the landscape of 18th-century Western esotericism, bridging traditional Masonic practices with more profound mystical and theurgical operations.

Cagliostro also advocated for the use of a young child, referred to metaphorically as a “dove” or “pupil,” who would peer into a reflective surface of water to receive visions that the adept would then interpret. This method underlined a blend of divinatory practices integrated within his broader esoteric framework. Additionally, he proposed a process of “physical restoration” which, while conferring tangible benefits to the practitioner, also held deeper symbolic significance.

00:09:34 Becoming an Elected Master
https://youtu.be/k6gKAIF81_U?t=574s
Upon completing the stages of restoration, initiates in High Egyptian Freemasonry achieved the status of “elected master,” endowed with remarkable capacities in both theurgy and healing arts. These masters had the ability to transmit their magical powers to disciples, thus perpetuating a lineage of spiritual capabilities that were, however, contingent upon their ongoing connection to the order’s central figure, the “Grand Copthe” or Cagliostro himself, whose powers were depicted as divine gifts rather than innate abilities.

The Arcana Arcanorum and the Quarantines
Marc Haven, in his interpretations, framed Cagliostro’s methods within a Christian mystical context but critiqued the efficacy of the magus’ “quarantines”—forty-day periods of intensive magical and spiritual practice. These quarantines, which profoundly influenced later occult traditions, were regarded by Cagliostro and his closest followers as his most profound secrets, the “Arcana Arcanorum.” The first quarantine involved rituals and prayers leading to visions from the seven primeval angels, revealing mystical seals and numbers. Successful completion of this period allowed the practitioner to wield significant command over celestial beings and perform miraculous feats through the use of pentagons—a kind of talisman where these angelic signatures were inscribed.

In Cagliostro’s esoteric practice, the second forty-day quarantine was focused on physical rather than moral perfection. The manuscripts detailing this period, stored in Rome’s Biblioteca Nazionale and Avignon’s Musée Calvet library, depict a regimen of serious fasting and secluded living. During this quarantine, the retreatant undergoes minor bloodletting, consumes enigmatic ‘white drops’, and eventually ingests the alchemical substance Materia Prima. This leads to drastic physical transformations, including temporary loss and regrowth of skin, hair, and teeth, culminating in a rejuvenation by the fortieth day.

Losing and regrowing skin, hair, and teeth? Cagliostro’s beauty regimen was so intense, even the alchemists suggested a spa day.

Influence of the Rosecruzians
This intense ritual, which might appear outlandish even to Cagliostro’s followers, is actually rooted in a rich tradition of magical and alchemical practices. It resonates with rituals from the German Gold- und Rosenkreuz, particularly a process described in the Thesaurus Thesaurorum, which involves creating a philosopher’s stone from one’s own blood mixed with other elements like gold and urine. This ritual can be understood on two levels: as a physical alchemy involving the distillation of substances and as a form of internal or sexual alchemy where the body itself is the laboratory.

Cagliostro’s rituals had so many stages of transformation, it’s like he was trying to turn himself not just into a new man, but into an entire celestial choir.

These practices echo elements from the German Order of the Gold- und Rosenkreuz and, possibly, the Asiatic Brethren, suggesting an amalgamation of various Western esoteric currents. The summoning and interaction with guardian angels, a common practice among 18th-century occult circles, underscores the theurgical orientation of Cagliostro’s esoteric doctrine, which emphasised direct engagement with divine entities through talismans, seals, and other specific ceremonial objects to achieve spiritual perfection and moral transformation.

Conclusion and Cagliostro’s Legacy

In conclusion, Count Cagliostro remains a captivating figure in Western esotericism, with his life and works reflecting a profound engagement with mystical and magical practices. Though his contributions were not entirely original, they significantly synthesized 18th-century Masonic and spiritualist elements with mystical and theurgical practices. His rituals and teachings, particularly through High Egyptian Freemasonry and the Arcana Arcanorum, continue to influence contemporary esoteric thought. Cagliostro’s enduring influence and the fascination he inspires underscore his significant impact on the pursuit of spiritual knowledge and transformation.

Cagliostro’s legacy in esoteric circles has proved more durable than any philosopher’s stone—turns out, the real magic was in the mystery all along.

(Introvigne, 2006)

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Reference

Introvigne, M. 2006. Cagliostro, Alessandro di In: W. J. Hanegraaff, ed. Dictionary of Gnosis and Western Esotericism. Leiden, London: Brill, pp.225–227.