Ronald Decker's new book,
The Esoteric Tarot (2013), has three chapters on Etteilla and his followers. Much of the information about the followers can be arranged as a time-line. I include information on Etteilla only as it directly relates to his followers. I give the page number in Decker's book as well as his source, when given. I have not checked the accuracy of his information, but it is consistent with what I remember from other sources.
1769-70. The Prussian national known only as Hisler studies with Etteilla in Paris. (Decker p. 191.)
1782. Etteilla publishes
combination hislérique, Hisler's lotto system. (Decker p. 191.)
c. 1783. Charles Greille-Saint Leger de Bonrecueille (b. 1753) moves to Lyons and sets up a secret society known as the Temple of the Sun, whose members called themselves the "Unknown philosophers", following the lead of Louis-Claude de St. Martin (1743-1803), who referred to himself by the same term and had moved to Lyons in 1773. (Decker p. 191, from Robert Amadou, "Alchemie et Société Sécrète,"
L'Autre Monde, no. 98 (1985) pp. 24-29; no. 99 (1986) pp. 18-23, 57.)
1787. Melchior Montmignon d'Odoucet studies with Etteilla.
1788. Claude Hugand, a Lyons native, joins the Temple of the Sun; also joins Etteilla's group, Society of the Interpreters, founded that year. (Decker p. 191, from Amadou; on membership of the Society, Thierry Depaulis in
Wicked Pack of Cards pp. 100-112.)
1788. Hisler visits Etteilla in Paris. (Decker p. 191.)
1788. Pierre Joseph Joubert de la Salette (1742-1833), in Grenoble, contacts Hugand and de Bonrecueille in Lyons, joins Etteilla's group. (Decker p. 192.)
1788. D'Odoucet becomes Etteilla's disciple. (Decker p. 192.)
1789. In Lyons Hugand writes a pamphlet
Faites Mieux, J'y Consens, ou les Instructions d'Isis Divulguées par un Electeur de la Commune de Lyon, en l'Année 1789 (Do Better, I Agree, or the Instructions of Isis Revealed by a Voter of the Commune of Lyons, in the Year 1789). (Decker p. 191. For a translation and discussion of some of this pamphlet, see my post at
http://www.tarotforum.net/showpost.php? ... tcount=251.)
1789. Etteilla in an advertisement of his work mentions that lessons are available from d'Odoucet as well as from himself. (Decker p. 192.)
1790. De la Salette joins the Temple of the Sun. Reveals its existence to Etteilla, for which he is reprimanded for breaking the vow of secrecy. (Decker p. 192, Amadou 26ff.)
1790. D'Odoucet publishes
Revolution Francaise in Paris, which contains a footnote critical of Etteilla and Hugand, although not mentioning their names. Etteilla is judged a neglectful husband and father, as well as a charlatan. Hugand is declared unskilled. (Decker p. 197, from
Wicked Pack of Cards pp. 103-104.)
1790, summer. Etteilla founds the Nouvelle Ecole de Magie (New School of Magic). In the
Apperçu sur La Nouvelle Ecole de Magie (Prospectus on the New School of Magic), he calls d'Odoucet "Dodo", which Decker says is equivalent to the infantile "goo goo" in English and not the name of the famously stupid bird. Adds that d'Odoucet is "ungrateful" and "despising in tone". (Decker p. 196.)
1790. Etteilla publishes
Cours Théorique et Pratique du Livre de Thot (Theoretical and Practical Course on the Book of Thoth). (Decker pp. 196-197.) This book is said to have gone unfinished; Decker refers us to Dummett,
The Game of Tarot, p. 109. (Decker p. 291.)
1790. De Bonrecueille, Hugand, and de la Salette have all begun to compile interpretations of individual cards. De Bonrecueille writes de la Salette: "Brother Hugand has indeed received your epistle on the synonyms of the Book of Thoth, but according to the announcement made by Monsieur Etteilla, we had presumed that you had composed something more complete about it." (Decker p. 197, from Amadou, p. 20.)
1791. Etteilla dies on December 12. (Decker p. 198.)
1791, February. De Bonrecueille writes to Etteilla, "You will find here enclosed the manuscript of our estimable competitor Monsieur de la Salette. There are many synonyms [for individual Tarot cards] whose fortunate conjunctions I have admired. However, there are many others that I do not think are at their natural places. Either he is wrong or I am; but it is true that the work is very helpful, and--for fear it would not be printed--I made a copy of it." (Decker p. 213, from
Wicked Pack, p. 110.)
1791. Hugand in Lyons publishes de la Salette's
Dictionnaire Synonimique du Livre de Thot. (Decker p. 197.)
1791. De Bonrecueille, a government bureaucrat, is transferred from Lyons to Toulon. At his urging Hugand is now "first pilot" of the Temple of the Sun. In Lyons Hugand publishes a 12 page pamphlet entitled
Cartomancie, ou l'Art de Développer la Chaine des Evénements de la Vie. Récreations Astrologique par le Livre de Thot (Cartomancy, or the Art of Developing the Succession of Life's Events: Astrological Recreation through the Book of Thoth. (Decker pp. 198-199.)
March 1792. De Bonreceuille reports that d'Odoucet has seized Etteilla's private papers and is usurping Etteilla's role. He is also selling Etteilla's merchandise, as evidenced by the 40 cards of the original first edition of Etteilla's Tarot that Thierry Depaulis owns, where on the Eight of Batons, Etteilla has obliterated the engraving and used a pen to insert his own name and address. (Decker p. 199, from
Wicked Pack, p. 91.)
1792. Hugand moves to Paris and collaborates with d'Odoucet until 1794, running a small press with him. Hugand, like Etteilla, is a supporter of the Revolution. D'Odoucet is a Royalist. (Decker p. 199.)
1794. Hugand, under the name Jéjalel, publishes his
Course Complet: Théorique et Pratique du Livre de Thot; no further information about Hugand after this publication (Decker p. 199). The book extends Etteilla's
Cours Théorique et Pratique and unlike that one "is truly complete' (Decker p. 291 n20), It includes a list of synonyms (Decker p. 244). On p. 6 Hugand mentions that the Alexis from whom Etteilla learned about the Egyptian tarot was a "descendant" of the famous "Alexis Piémontese" (Decker, p. 191; his real name, Decker says, following Depaulis,
Wicked Pack p. 272 n16, was Girolomo Ruscelli, 1520-1566). Hugand also says (p. 72 of his book) that the name Jéjalel is from a Table of the 72 Cabalist Angels in the
Zodiacus Vitae of Palingenius, where it is number 40; this is in contrast to its usual number, Decker says (p. 215), which is 58; I myself have found no such Table in either the French or the Latin editions of Palingenius that appear online. For more on this book see the thread "Palingenio's
Zodiacus Vita, 1535 Venice" at
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=854)
1804 and after. D'Odoucet publishes the 3 volume
Science des Signes: Médecine de l''Esprit (Science of Signs: Medicine for the Mind). Vol. 1 draws on Etteilla's
Cours Theorique et Pratique. Vol. 2 condenses the
Dictionnaire Synonimique. Vol. 3 does not include the tarot but discusses other matters occult and Masonic. Disappears from history in 1808 when the Prefect at Lille orders a warrant for his arrest. (Decker pp. 199-200.)