Editing Néo-Phare (section)

== History ==
'''{{vanchor|Arnaud Mussy}}''' was born in [[Boulogne-Billancourt]] in 1968.{{sfn|Palmer|2011|p=153}} He moved to [[Argentina]] in his 20s, but then returned to France. When Mussy was 22, he discovered the esoteric beliefs of fashion designer [[Paco Rabanne]].{{sfn|Palmer|2011|p=153}} Mussy had worked for [[France-Telecom]] and had a [[Brevet de technicien supérieur|BTS]] degree in communication.<ref name="LeParisien2005">{{Cite news |date=2005-06-07 |title=Six mois ferme réclamés contre le gourou |trans-title=Six months' imprisonment sought against guru |url=https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/six-mois-ferme-reclames-contre-le-gourou-07-06-2005-2006015815.php |access-date=2024-09-28 |work=[[Le Parisien]] |language=fr-FR |issn=0767-3558}}</ref><ref name="VoiceofAmerica2002">{{Cite news |date=2002-10-20 |title=French cult predicts doomsday by Christmas |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/a-13-a-2002-10-20-12-french-66456502/551360.html |access-date=2024-09-28 |work=[[Voice of America]] |language=en-US}}</ref> ''[[The Scotsman]]'' described him as a "former hitchhiker".<ref name="TheScotsman2002">{{Cite news |date=2002-09-03 |title=Siege as French apocalypse cult plans voyage to Venus |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/world/siege-as-french-apocalypse-cult-plans-voyage-to-venus-2473667 |access-date=2024-09-28 |work=[[The Scotsman]] |location=Edinburgh |language=en-GB |issn=0307-5850}}</ref> In 1997, he met the obscure [[esoteric]] writer and Breton mystic and [[freemason]] André Bouguenec (also known as Auguste Bouguenec; last name also sometimes spelled Bougenec).{{sfn|Palmer|2011|p=153}}<ref name="Ternisien2002">{{Cite news |last=Ternisien |first=Xavier |date=2002-09-04 |title=Dans un pavillon nantais, six membres de la secte Néo-Phare attendent l'apocalypse pour le 24 octobre |trans-title=In a pavilion in Nantes, six members of the Néo-Phare cult await the apocalypse on 24 October |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/2002/09/04/dans-un-pavillon-nantais-six-membres-de-la-secte-neo-phare-attendent-l-apocalypse-pour-le-24-octobre_4254378_1819218.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=2024-09-21 |work=[[Le Monde]] |location=Paris |language=fr-FR |issn=0395-2037}}</ref> Bouguenec led the {{Lang|fr|Phare-Ouest}} ({{literal translation|West Lighthouse}}) group, which had about 40 members.{{sfn|Palmer|2008|p=114}} {{Lang|fr|Phare-Ouest}} had been founded in 1989;{{sfn|Palmer|2011|p=153}} Bouguenec believed that he was the reincarnation of Jesus, and developed a belief system, {{lang|fr|Kabbalah Française}}, derivative of [[Kabbalah]], which involved [[numerology]] and linguistic elements, inspired by [[alchemical]] [[hermeticism]].{{sfn|Palmer|2011|p=153}}{{sfn|Jougla|2003|p=57}} Bouguenec's claim to be god was supposedly proven with numerology;{{sfn|Jougla|2003|p=57}} however, using his actual name did not fulfill this proof.{{sfn|Jougla|2003|p=58}} He believed God to be [[androgynous]]. He preached for a kind of [[salvation]] that involved sex-complementary pairs, with the couples in the group representing the couples of [[Heavenly Jerusalem]]. He held ceremonies that established married couples as these "soulmate" pairs.{{sfn|Palmer|2011|p=155}} Mussy joined {{Lang|fr|Phare-Ouest}} in 1997; that year, Bouguenec died.{{sfn|Palmer|2011|p=153}}

After Bouguenec's death, Mussy formed a [[schism]]atic group, later saying that he considered the members of {{Lang|fr|Phare-Ouest}} to be too religiously rigid "like the [[Pharisees]]", but the psychologist [[Sonya Jougla]] attributes this to both internal conflicts and his ambition.{{sfn|Palmer|2011|p=153}}{{sfn|Jougla|2003|p=57}} In January{{nbsp}}2001, Mussy, with 20 followers, formed {{Lang|fr|Néo-Phare}}; most members were between the ages of 30 and 40, and largely couples with some children. Mussy and his twin brother Olivier, who was viewed as [[Saint Peter]] within the group, brought their wives and their mother-in-law into the group. Neither brother needed to work as their father had left them a large [[inheritance]].{{sfn|Palmer|2011|p=153}} The name {{Lang|fr|Néo-Phare}} was chosen after the protagonist of the 1999 film ''[[The Matrix]]'', [[Neo (The Matrix)|Neo]], as Mussy was a fan of the movie, in combination with the previous group's title. He interpreted esoteric meaning from some of the film's symbolism.<ref name="Ternisien2002" />

The 21 members (including Mussy) were visualized as 21 "apostles" (flipped from the [[Twelve Apostles]]), their task being to rewrite the [[Bible]], which they viewed as having been distorted by the [[Catholic Church]]. They analyzed it through Bouguenec's ideas and numerology system. The group's mission was to rebuild the world after the apocalypse in a way that would align with their beliefs.{{sfn|Jougla|2003|p=57}} Mussy said he was the reincarnation of Jesus Christ (previously he believed he was James the Apostle).<ref name="Lichfield2002">{{Cite news |last=Lichfield |first=John |date=2002-09-06 |title=This Europe: Why a cult leader is suddenly no laughing matter |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/this-europe-why-a-cult-leader-is-suddenly-no-laughing-matter-176101.html |access-date=2024-09-21 |work=[[The Independent]] |location=London |page=13 |language=en-GB |issue=4957 |issn=1741-9743}}</ref><ref name="P.2005">{{Cite news |last=P. |first=R. |date=2005-06-27 |title=Un cas concret se déroule en France et pourrait fonder la jurisprudence |trans-title=A solid case in France could form the basis of future case law |url=https://www.lalibre.be/belgique/2005/06/28/un-cas-concret-se-deroule-en-france-et-pourrait-fonder-la-jurisprudence-U7TX5T3RRNFLZCS4VFKHK3YGCU/ |access-date=2024-09-21 |work=[[La Libre]] |location=Brussels |language=fr-BE |issn=1379-6992}}</ref> The group moved to two hamlets, with the core members living in Cellier, a small village close to Nantes, and the rest living in Olivier Mussy's home in [[Aigrefeuille-sur-Maine|Aigrefeuille]]. According to Olivier Mussy, the group lived cooperatively but not communally; members shared expenses and worked jobs half time, but maintained their own bank accounts.{{sfn|Palmer|2011|pp=153–154}} Early in the group's history, Mussy interpreted and taught Bouguenec's ideas, but he later began to fulfill a more messianic role.{{sfn|Palmer|2011|p=154}}