Editing Order of the Solar Temple (section)

=== The Pyramid and Golden Way ===
In 1973, Di Mambro founded and became president of the Center for the Preparation of the New Age ({{Langx|fr|Centre de Préparation à l'Age Nouveau}}, CPAN).{{sfn|Bogdan|2014|p=288}}{{sfn|Mayer|1999|p=174}}{{sfn|Michaud|1996|p=32}}{{Efn|According to Bogdan, CPAN was the first iteration of the OTS and therefore it started in 1973.{{sfn|Bogdan|2014|p=288}} Others say the OTS was founded in 1978 with the Golden Way or 1984 as a schism from ORT.}} CPAN was a yoga school, but also presented itself as a "cultural center for relaxation".{{sfn|Mayer|1999|p=174}} In 1976, eight people including Di Mambro, most of whom lived together, formed a building society in [[Collonges-sous-Salève]] and bought a building that they called "The Pyramid" ({{Langx|fr|La Pyramide}}).{{sfn|Mayer|1999|p=174}}{{sfn|Clusel|Palmer|2020|p=220}} The group was also called by its members the Fraternity of the Pyramid ({{Langx|fr|Fraternité de la pyramide}}).{{sfn|Morath|Lemasson|2023a|loc=0:25–1:29}} This hid an esoteric society, consecrated as the Temple of the Great White Universal Lodge, Pyramid Sub-Lodge 24 June 1976.{{sfn|Mayer|1999|p=174}} In June 1977, Di Mambro met orchestral conductor [[Michel Tabachnik]], who, having an interest in esotericism, attended and became a member.{{sfn|Clusel|Palmer|2020|p=220}}{{sfn|Morath|Lemasson|2023a|loc=00:45–01:12}}

On 12 July 1978, Di Mambro founded the Golden Way Foundation ({{Langx|fr|Fondation Golden Way}}). The Golden Way became the center of activities in Di Mambro's variety of groups.{{sfn|Mayer|1999|p=174}} Several members donated large amounts of money, allowing them to buy a property in [[Saconnex d'Arve|Saconnex-d'Arve]] (Geneva) which hosted meetings, including for non-members.{{sfn|Mayer|1999|p=174}}{{sfn|Morath|Lemasson|2023a|loc=08:10–09:00}} The Golden Way functioned as a "front" for a smaller group of people, the "Fraternity", which undertook secret esoteric rites.{{sfn|Mayer|1999|p=174}} The Fraternity, like many other New Age organizations in the 1970s, had communal ideals, holding all their property communally. This attracted members — one member had previously been in the Scottish [[Findhorn Foundation|Findhorn]] New Age group — but also disappointed them when the reality of the group failed to live up to the ideal.{{sfn|Mayer|1999|pp=174–175}} As well as the Fraternity there was the "Community", which was made up of members who kept their income and paid for rent/food and drink.{{sfn|Mayer|1999|p=175}}

While the group's headquarters were impressive, the group lacked a successful communicator with which to spread its ideas.{{sfn|Mayer|1999|p=175}} In 1981, Jouret was invited as a speaker, and spoke about homeopathic medicine at one of their conferences. Di Mambro was impressed by him, and invited Jouret to join, and he was officially accepted into the group alongside his wife on 30 May 1982, where he quickly rose in the ranks.{{sfn|Clusel|Palmer|2020|p=220}}{{sfn|Mayer|1999|p=175}} Di Mambro then told others that Jouret possessed charisma, so he should be the frontman for the group, while Di Mambro controlled it from behind the scenes. Jouret became the group's "propagandist" and began giving lectures promoting it in 1983.{{sfn|Mayer|1999|p=175}}