The Salon has a long, rich history in French society that can easily be traced back to the 18th century. These pre-Revolutionary Salons were organized by some of the leading women of Parisian society. Here, such great French philosophers as Voltaire and Rousseau plied their trade, participating in the movement and exchange of ideas which had begun in the 17th century known as the "Republic of Letters". Salonnières, the women who ran the Salons, and Philosophes, the men who played a corresponding and complimentary role worked together to achieve the ends of philosophy as the broad project of the Enlightenment. The Parisian Salon served as a base for networking the social and intellectual exchanges connecting Paris, the 'City of Light' and capital of the Enlightenment, with the rest of France.

Salonnières tended to be from the most influential ranks of high society, being either nobility or 'upper middle-class' bourgeoisie. Women were treated as equals in the Salon environment, which was a radically counterculture idea for the time, and the Salon provided a means for women to receive the advanced education that was often denied them. Consequently, admittance to these salons was highly sought after. It was the job of the Salonnière to keep the conversation flowing and to be able to jump in with an insightful remark when the conversation faltered. Besides the stimulating, erudite conversation, writing was also important. The activities of the Salon were often centered around topics contained in circulated letters and pamphlets prepared by philosophers of the period which were then circulated prior to meeting at a Salon. These philosophers often tended to favor, and would occasionally cosponsor, a particular Salon. After the revolution these Salons continued, but the focus of discussion shifted from revolutionary politics and philosophy to safer topics such as art and literature. Amidst the political turmoil following the Revolution, Salons decreased in popularity.

During the bohemian revolution of the late 19th century, however, people again sought out places for stimulating conversation like cafés and Salons. Of particular interest to us, are the esoteric Salons that were organized around the same time as the fledgling Theosophical Society. The most famous of these was the salon of Lady Marie Caithness and her circle, this would later become known as the "Société Théosophique d'Orient et d'Occident." Jules Doinel, who reestablished the Gnostic Church and who had, himself, been gifted with visions throughout his life, participated in a series of séances at her Salon that were attended by many notable occultists of the time. It was during these séances that Doinel received his vision of Sophia Achamoth who then charged him with reestablishing her Gnostic Church.

Besides these Theosophical Salons, there were also 'Salons de la Rose+Croix', established in 1892 by Joséphin Péladan. Péladan had worked with Stanislas de Guaïta and his Ordre Kabbalistique de la Rose+Croix, but then broke away and founded his own group - the Rose+Croix Catholique du Temple et de Graal, Jean Bricaud and Constant Chevillon also had their Ordre du Rose+Croix Kabbalistique et Gnostique. These Salons endeavored to restore "the faith of the ideal, with an accent on beauty and tradition", and were focused on catholic, mystical or spiritual themes. Rose+Croix Salons lasted for about five years, and included such notable participants as artists Gustave Moreau, Félicien Rops and Georges Rouault. The composer Erik Satie worked directly with Péladan for a period, writing music for his plays and rituals, which were performed in these Rose+Croix Salons.

The Salons of 19th century and early 20th century France, were a meeting place in which friends gathered informally on a regular basis to converse on a myriad of interesting topics. Salons continued to serve as a hub for the various esoteric, spiritual and chivalric organizations where interested people could become familiar with the people, ideals and initiatic traditions available. This is our model for a study group, or "le Salon". It is a group of people which meets regularly, once a month in someone's home or a designated meeting room and spends an evening of intellectually stimulating conversation based on Gnostic themes and topics related to the French Esoteric Tradition, and led by someone authorized by our community.