After a stay in London, Alexandra began seriously studying Oriental philosophy along with the English language. Having come of age on October 24, 1889, she left her family, settled in Paris at the Theosophical Society and audited classes in Oriental Languages at the "Sorbonne University" and "Collège de France". She visited every nook and cranny in the city of her birth, especially the Guimet museum where, as often as possible, she "spent long hours in the library, listening to the silent calls of the pages she leafed through. Vocations are born" and, she added, "mine was born there."

At the same time, she joined various secret societies - she would reach the thirtieth degree in the mixed Scottish Rite of Freemasonry - while feminist and anarchist groups greeted her with enthusiasm.

In 1899, she wrote an anarchist treatise prefaced by the anarchist geographer Elisée Reclus. Frightened publishers refused, however, to publish this book written by a woman so proud she could not accept any abuses by the State, army, Church or high finance.

To make up for this rejection, Jean Haustont, her companion since 1896, decided to print the work himself. Although it went virtually unnoticed by the general public, the book did draw attention among anarchists and was translated into five languages, including Russian.

She also studied music and voice and performed on the stage, where she achieved considerable success in certain roles, such as Marguerite in Gounod's Faust, the title roles in Massenet's Manon and Bizet's Carmen. After having completed her contract at the opera house in Athens, Alexandra abandoned this career she did not particularly enjoy, in spite of the fact she could travel but only from city to city. What she wanted were deserts, and while she was acclaimed by loud bravos, she would have preferred to hear the distant echo of the angelus or, better yet, of a gong in faraway Tibet, calling the monks to meditation.