Editing Joseph Di Mambro (section)

== Esotericism ==
Di Mambro was then known to be interested in spiritualism.{{sfn|Bédat|Bouleau|Nicolas|1997|pages=29–30}} He opened a jewelry store, where he fixed watches and surrounded himself with luxury goods, noted to be obsessed with appearances. After the war, his business began to do badly, and Di Mambro instead decided to make a living as a medium.{{sfn|Bédat|Bouleau|Nicolas|1997|pages=29–30}} He became well known locally for supposedly mystical abilities.{{sfn|Bédat|Bouleau|Nicolas|1997|pages=29–30}}

Starting in the 1950s, Di Mambro became involved in [[Western esotericism|esoteric]] groups. He attended an [[AMORC]] meeting in 1955, which was then one of the most active groups, and became affiliated with them, joining in 1956.{{sfn|Bédat|Bouleau|Nicolas|1997|pages=30–31}}{{sfn|Chryssides|2006|p=127}} AMORC was then the largest [[Rosicrucian]] order. He became convinced that he was a "great spirit" from the ancient past.{{sfn|Bédat|Bouleau|Nicolas|1997|p=33}} He quickly learned about AMORC teachings, joining a group in [[Nîmes]]. He regularly attended the lodge, learning AMORC teachings.{{sfn|Bédat|Bouleau|Nicolas|1997|p=31}} He claimed to develop psychological abilities as a result of this, particularly immense concentration. He became head of an AMORC lodge in Nîmes in 1956, which lasted until 1958.{{sfn|Bédat|Bouleau|Nicolas|1997|p=32}} While Di Mambro found little respect elsewhere, he commanded respect in AMORC, training as an initiate over the next few years.{{sfn|Bédat|Bouleau|Nicolas|1997|p=32}} He became skilled at manipulating others, speaking of visions in a way that commanded the attention of those around him.{{sfn|Bédat|Bouleau|Nicolas|1997|p=32}} Soon after, he learned of the [[Knights Templar]], and became fascinated.{{sfn|Bédat|Bouleau|Nicolas|1997|p=34}} By 1966, he had divorced his first wife; that year, he married again to Hélène Ghersi, who he lived with in Pont-Saint-Esprit.{{sfn|Bédat|Bouleau|Nicolas|1997|pages=35-36}} He soon introduced her to occultism.{{sfn|Bédat|Bouleau|Nicolas|1997|pages=35-36}} 

=== Fraud convictions ===
In 1967, he met Albert Boiron, a technician. Di Mambro convinced him to join him in the jewellery business, and they began to work together out of Di Mambro's apartment. Di Mambro introduced Boiron to spiritualism, which Boiron became very interested in. After working together for a few years, Di Mambro suggested they move their workshop to the basement, and Boiron agreed; however, soon after this move, Di Mambro disappeared, along with all of Boiron's gold, jewels, and jewellery. Boiron hired a lawyer in an effort to track him down, but was unsuccessful, and never saw Di Mambro again.{{sfn|Bédat|Bouleau|Nicolas|1997|p=36}}

At this time, Mambro was in [[Tel Aviv]] with his wife and their two children, with his wife expecting their third child, as he believed that his child being born in Israel would grant it an "exceptional" destiny. Their child, Élie, was born in November 1969 in Tel Aviv. This was the third child of Hélène and Di Mambro.{{sfn|Bédat|Bouleau|Nicolas|1997|p=36}} While in Israel, he continued to express interest in the occult, writing a letter to his friend Guy Bérenger discussing occult sentiments.{{sfn|Bédat|Bouleau|Nicolas|1997|p=36}} He left AMORC in 1970.{{sfn|Chryssides|2006|p=127}} Believing that his past actions had been forgotten, Di Mambro moved back to [[Pont-Saint-Esprit]] in 1972, and acted as a [[psychologist]]. Soon after, he was sentenced to six months in prison for writing bad checks, breaching patient trust, and for impersonating a psychiatrist.{{sfn|Lewis|2004|p=301}}{{sfn|Bédat|Bouleau|Nicolas|1997|p=37}} 

=== Group leadership ===
Di Mambro approached members of the [[Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem]] (OSMTJ), a Templar order that met in Geneva.{{sfn|Lewis|2004|p=301}}{{sfn|Bédat|Bouleau|Nicolas|1997|p=37}}  Di Mambro founded in 1973 the Centre for the Preparation of the New Age in [[Collonges-sous-Salève]].{{sfn|Michaud|1996|p=32}}{{sfn|Bogdan|2014|p=288}}  Two years later, a Geneva-based community known as La Pyramide, founded by Di Mambro, began meeting regularly in a house in the Geneva countryside, for community, discussion and mutual support on topics such as diet and spirituality.{{sfn|Clusel|Palmer|2020|p=220}}{{sfn|Bogdan|2014|p=289}}{{sfn|Morath|Lemasson|2023a|loc=0:25–1:29}} 

About 1977, he divorced Ghersi, following several instances of him cheating on her.{{sfn|Bédat|Bouleau|Nicolas|1997|p=73}} In 1977, he married Joselyne Duplessis, a 28-year-old woman from Lyons (Di Mambro, meanwhile, was 55). They had met through occult circles; Joselyne could not have children, which Di Mambro did not mind as by that time he already had four. According to someone who knew them, they got on very well, and were extremely close, keeping no secrets from each other. However, they were noted to not act affectionate to one another. As Duplessis was Di Mambro's wife, she quickly gained power within the community and was distant and cold to the rest.{{sfn|Bédat|Bouleau|Nicolas|1997|p=75}} She wrote out his sermons, and did not mind Di Mambro's constant cheating on her, which she tolerated without complaint.{{sfn|Bédat|Bouleau|Nicolas|1997|p=75}}

A fire occurred in 1979, which has been suggested to have possibly been an insurance scam by Di Mambro.{{sfn|Lewis|2004|p=301}} Orchestral conductor [[Michel Tabachnik]] attended, enjoyed the atmosphere, and became a member,{{sfn|Morath|Lemasson|2023a|loc=00:45–01:12}} where in 1977, he met Di Mambro, who suggested he take over the community and structure it.{{sfn|Morath|Lemasson|2023a|loc=07:30–07:55}} The following year, the two men created the Golden Way Foundation, of which Tabachnik became president.{{sfn|Clusel|Palmer|2020|p=220}} Di Mambro was perceived by Foundation members as a [[Mediumship|medium]] and as a "walk-in" being (a being who takes on the body of another with their consent).{{sfn|Morath|Lemasson|2023a|loc=26:30–26:40, 30:14–30:20}} 

In 1982, Di Mambro announced that a "great mission" awaited the foundation. He also announced that a "child-king" was to be born into the community.{{sfn|Morath|Lemasson|2023a|loc=20:40–21:00}} Di Mambro had actually impregnated Dominique Bellaton, a former manicurist, who was well known in Geneva and had previously had several affairs with businessmen.{{sfn|Labelle|2006|p=160}}{{sfn|Introvigne|2006|p=36}} Bellaton's parents had brought her to Di Mambro at the age of 19, worried about her interest in men and drugs; Di Mambro told her that she was the reincarnation of [[Hatshepsut]], and made her his main mistress.{{sfn|Palmer|1996|p=310}} Di Mambro claimed that this child's conception was created from the power of his mind and [[Immaculate Conception]].{{sfn|Labelle|2006|p=160}}{{sfn|Palmer|1996|p=310}} This was backed up in a ceremony, in which one of the invisible Masters pointed a sword shining a beam of light at Bellaton's throat (the sword was actually fitted with a lightbulb).{{sfn|Labelle|2006|p=160}} 

Their child, initially named Anne Bellaton, was born on 22 March 1982.{{sfn|Clusel|Palmer|2020|p=220}}{{sfn|Labelle|2006|p=160}} Joselyne did not mind this, and agreed to take care of the child even though it was not hers.{{sfn|Bédat|Bouleau|Nicolas|1997|p=75}} The child was viewed as "the Christ of the new generation",{{sfn|Clusel|Palmer|2020|p=220}} but was born female, something attributed by Di Mambro to human imperfection (believing the child's mother being human had led to an imperfect Christ).{{sfn|Clusel|Palmer|2020|p=221}} Di Mambro claimed the child was an Avatar, a male soul trapped in a female body. She was then renamed Emmanuelle but was referred to with male pronouns.{{sfn|Clusel|Palmer|2020|p=221}}{{sfn|Labelle|2006|p=160}} In January 1986 Di Mambro legally recognized the child as his biologically at the French Consulate in Quebec.{{sfn|Clusel|Palmer|2020|p=221}} 

Jouret gave a number of lectures in which he defended the existence of a link between a spiritual approach and homeopathy. Having noticed Luc Jouret's good elocution and communication skills, Di Mambro decided to meet him, and was charmed. He invited Jouret to join the Golden Way, where he quickly rose in the ranks.{{sfn|Clusel|Palmer|2020|p=220}} In 1983, after the death of [[Julien Origas]], leader of the [[neo-Templar]] order the [[Renewed Order of the Temple]] (ORT), Di Mambro urged Jouret to take over the order, and he became its new Grand Master the same year, before he was expelled by Origas's daughter.{{sfn|Palmer|1996|p=305}}