Neo-Templar orders and the Order of the Solar Temple

Domain XIV · Western esoteric, divinatory & new spiritual movements · Bernard-Raymond Fabré-Palaprat · 1804 · France

What it is

"Neo-Templar" is the scholars' term for the many orders, founded from the early nineteenth century onward, that take their name, symbols and chivalric ideals from the medieval Knights Templar. The medieval order was dissolved in 1307–1312; the claim that it secretly survived is, in Introvigne's…

Format

• an invitation-only inner order. The group also ran communal households: the Golden Way property near Geneva, and from 1984 a community at Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade, Quebec. The grade content and ritual of these bodies are not reproduced here; scholars describe them as initiatory ceremonies in a…
• B. Phases of the clinical work.

Who practises it, and how they are trained or regulated

• Chivalric-charitable orders. OSMTH, for example, describes itself as an ecumenical Christian order registered as a non-governmental organisation in Geneva, with Special Consultative Status at the UN Economic and Social Council, more than 5,000 members in over 40 nations, and three stated pillars: charity and humanitarian aid, human rights, and interfaith dialogue. Its stated purpose is "Aiding humanity on the…

Evidence status, as the guide reports it

• The Templar lineage claims, the "secret Masters" and the OTS teaching that death could be a "transit" to another world are beliefs held by the groups. Evidence status in one line: historians treat Templar survival after 1312 as legend and Fabré-Palaprat's founding documents as forgeries; claims…

Questions to explore with your client

• What drew you to it, and what are you hoping it will change?
• Does it involve any substance, plant preparation, remedy or supplement? Has your doctor or prescriber been told, especially about any medication you take?
• Is it a group, retreat or community? How do they respond if someone wants to leave or raises a concern?
• How do you and the practitioner understand what is happening, in spiritual or cultural terms? Is that a source of comfort, worry, or both?
• Does it use a device, heat, cold, water or a physical procedure? Has a medical professional checked that it is safe for you?
• Who runs it, and what training or registration do they hold?
• What actually happens in a session or meeting, and how often?
• What does it cost, and is there pressure to commit to more?
• How do you feel afterwards, in the hours and days that follow?
• Does it fit with, or clash with, the work we do here?

What practitioners of it watch for

• Referral that feels like rejection. Referral to an organisation that labels the client's faith.
• Being drawn into debates about lineage or doctrine. Being asked to vouch for or condemn the order.
• Fear of spiritual consequences for leaving. Grief. Guilt about "betraying" vows. Leaving in a hurry without support.
• Children named in plans or prophecies. A child described as special or chosen. Children withdrawn from outside contact.
• Fear of financial ruin if the client leaves. Shame about money already given. Requests that escalate with urgency ("before the end").

When to involve someone else

• New or worsening physical symptoms, or advice to stop or change prescribed medication: involve the client's doctor or prescriber.
• Signs of coercion, isolation from family and friends, escalating costs or secrecy: discuss openly and consider safeguarding.
• A crisis or thoughts of suicide: follow your crisis protocol. In the US, call or text 988; in the UK and Ireland, Samaritans on 116 123.

Drawn automatically from the guide's own sections. Stay curious: neither endorse nor dismiss what the client values, and check anything that matters against the full guide and its sources. Not medical advice.