Egregores: The Occult Entities That Watch Over Human Destiny - Mark Stavish 2018
Freeing Oneself from the Influence of Egregores
If we follow the train of thought expounded in this book, then we are faced with several questions, principally, “Can we ever avoid or escape the influence of egregores?” If we take the definition that an egregore is a collective attitude or consciousness, then they appear to be forever appearing whenever even small groups of individuals come together for any length of time or common purpose. If we take the more technical view that egregores are only those psychic collectives that are actually created and fed via ritual and with a specific purpose and that they have a preternatural intelligence at one end, then we miss the more dynamic and fluid reality of what constitutes “created” and “ritual.” It is very possible, and most likely, that the majority of egregores are born out of necessity—one might even say accidentally—and subsequently mature as formal mechanisms of acting, interacting, learning, and survival are established, not unlike other living organisms.
So can egregores be avoided? Yes, but only if human beings can be avoided. If we take the words of the Gospels to have any truth to them, then “when two or more are gathered in my name I will be in the midst of them.”
While we can learn to dissolve the energy that connects us to an egregore (as we saw being suggested by the occult masters) and to direct
it to a nonspecific but generally beneficial purpose (as we see in Tibetan Buddhism with “dedication of the merit”), it is more important to be clear about what our purposes and expected outcomes from affiliating with specific groups are—be it association with a street gang, the Parent Teacher Association, an esoteric order, or a loosely organized artists’ circle. If we are to achieve our goals in life through affiliation with an organization or participation in a movement, it is critical that we know what our goals are to begin with. Only by having a clear understanding of what we desire to accomplish can we know if the groups we associate with will help or hinder us in our journey. Clearly knowing our goals can also act as a beneficial checklist during our participation with groups to see if our time is being well spent. It is too easy to get distracted by promises before we join and by other activities once we are in the door. Knowing what it is we desire to accomplish and comparing what is being promised and what is really being delivered is a way to keep us moving toward our goals—and away from those who would use or abuse us in pursuit of their own.
Be it the spontaneously arising “genius cluster” as suggested in The Geography of Genius by the highly regarded American author Eric Weiner, or the more individually created “master mind” from American self-help author Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich, groups of like-minded people are created not by chance but out of necessity. In a word, necessity breeds genius, but it is also what breeds resilience and personal mastery. The only thing we may very well get out of a knitting circle or occult lodge is what we really want—deep down inside—to begin with. We need to know why we are really participating in the first place. In the end, over the Temple of Apollo at Delphi (and said to have been derived from the Egyptian temple at Luxor) was not engraved, “Know the party line and conform” but rather “Know thyself.”
Just as we can destroy egregores—be they of the classical form wherein they are ensouled by an intelligence or of the modern definition wherein they are a collective consciousness but not of a fully autonomous nature—we can also free ourselves from their influence.
To free ourselves we need to limit our connection and contact with the members, rituals, symbols, and activities of the egregore and its material anchors to the group. This may be a simple matter in some cases: we stop paying dues, attending meetings, or reading the organizational literature. Organizations such as social and business clubs will have a weaker group mind than a religion. An organization that we join as an adult will also generally have a weaker pull on us than one that we join in our childhood or teenage years. However, each individual enters into various relationships out of personal needs. Each must also find their own reasons for staying, modifying, or leaving various associations. School alumni associations—whose main area of focus is constant identification with one’s high school or college, particularly around its sports teams—is one of the stranger manifestations of a group mind and also one of the most common. Some psychic or emotional connections or “memberships,” if you will, are easier to form than others simply due to their size. It is not possible to completely leave the egregore of a nation, although its nature and strength will vary from location to location. The influence of egregores will also wane over time as new and different concerns take a predominant role in one’s life—the key word being concerns. Emotions are the food of egregores as well as what direct and define our actions. Whatever we love the most is where we will find the greatest concentration of our life energy, our magical force, and with it the egregores we are in communion with.
For students of esotericism, the main areas of concern are separation from the egregore of a dominant religious movement, or even from one or more initiatic organizations to which they belong or have had previous affiliations. Separating from these requires a focused effort, possibly repeated attempts, and a clear realization of why one joined in the first place and why one now wishes to leave, or at least why one wishes to minimize the influence it has on one’s life and its spiritual path.
Some entities are more difficult to identify: Are they a collective consciousness or a classical egregore complete with preternatural intelligence?
For example, in recent decades the reach, consistency, and frequency of messages made available through mass media have transformed many areas of popular culture from entertainment into lifestyles. Whether it is Star Wars and people identifying themselves as Jedi or Sith in the religion category of any given census, or those individuals who follow musical bands or personalities, the purpose of media is, on its most fundamental level, to create an egregore. This can also mean the arising of an umbrella movement, something general yet clearly identifiable, such as the New Age movement, Steampunk, or even various historical (and not so historical) reenactment groups. Each group will have its own “typical” member, a stereotype or archetype that is identifiable and, more importantly, marketable. Common characteristics and values can be used to create temporary or transient collective minds, or egregores. As a result of their relative strengths, and particular emphases, these forms of media-created and media-sustained groups often have a highly transient membership. In short, this type of membership is something one grows out of over time as various unrelated needs and obligations increasingly demand one’s time and attention. When one does not grow out of them or allows them to dominate one’s relationships they can easily be seen as a detriment.
“THERAPEUTIC BLASPHEMY” TO BREAK THEIR HOLD
An interesting theme discussed in Joscelyn Godwin’s book The Theosophical Enlightenment is that of therapeutic blasphemy, a term Godwin borrows from one of Britain’s most prominent and controversial promoters of Buddhism in the West, Urgyen Sangharakshita (Dennis Philip Edward Lingwood). The idea of therapeutic blasphemy is, in essence, that Christianity is such a pervasive influence in Western culture that only by a positive and concerted effort can one break free of its pernicious (and largely unconscious) influence. In particular, all those born in a Christian society (even if not raised Christian, even nominally) must go through a period of public denunciation of Christianity, or therapeutic blasphemy. Otherwise they are doomed to remain perpetually under the thrall of the cult of the creed-making fishermen.
The Buddhist teacher and writer Sangharakshita describes the effects of therapeutic blasphemy in his book The Priceless Jewel as “transforming his unconscious resistance to, and reaction against, Christianity into an integral part of his conscious attitude.” In short, we are to free ourselves publicly and consciously from private and unconscious indoctrination.
This conscious desacralization of the dominant religious themes acts as a compensatory measure against their powerful yet very unconscious presence. If done as a therapeutic measure to bring forth and consciously address and overcome the various neurotic tendencies previous teachings have created, it can be a useful tool on the path to self-awakening. If, however, it is done disrespectfully—out of cynicism, pride, or without appreciation for what positive lessons may have been learned—then desacralization, or therapeutic blasphemy, loses its therapeutic component and simply becomes blasphemy.
PSYCHOSYNTHESIS AND THERAPEUTIC BLASPHEMY
An unconscious means of attempting to free oneself from a religious or spiritual egregore may be seen in the various forms of pathology or resistance to the spiritual that may take place. This form of spiritual denial is not limited to traditional religion but is experienced in some initiatic and esoteric groups as well, wherein the pressure of awakening is resisted rather than relaxed and allowed to flow freely. Such a crisis is a normal part of any path; however, there is another aspect to it that is pathological in which one reaches an inner plateau. How long one stays there is not clear. In a healthy spiritual group it is the function of spiritual directors or masters to assist in keeping the student moving forward to broader horizons and ever-greater awakenings and freedom.
Yet we also see that not all groups function consistently with their ideal, and it is possible for members to outgrow them. Here resistance may not be so much to the idea and expression of the “superconscious” but rather to specific limiting and doctrinal issues representative of the egregore. In this instance a certain degree of therapeutic blasphemy may be needed to free the individual from the limits of the collective. This can be done smoothly and privately, but often it is done explosively and publicly, thereby creating additional problems.
Possibly the best example of acquiring this sort of freedom can be understood in the Tibetan doctrine of refuge, where one moves from placing complete trust and faith in the historical doctrine to placing it instead in one’s teachers and then, finally, in oneself alone. This is the meaning of taking outer, inner, and secret refuge. To take refuge solely in one’s “[psychic] channels, [psychic] winds, and [essential consciousness] drops” requires separating oneself from the egregore. Or, in more common language, “If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him.”
In many respects freeing oneself from an egregore—particularly one with which there has been a long or even multigenerational association, or in which the group provided essential guidance and assistance at critical points in life—can feel a great deal like a betrayal and has strong similarities to standard deprogramming from religious and political mind-control movements.
Light drives out darkness. This simple truth is the practical key to the problem of how to combat demons. A demon perceived, i.e., on whom the light of consciousness is thrown, is already a demon rendered impotent. This is why the desert fathers and other solitary saints had so much experience with demons. They cast their light on them. And they did so as representatives of human consciousness in general, for whoever withdraws from the world becomes representative of the world; he becomes a “son of man.” And being a “son of man,” the solitary saint attracts the demons haunting the subconscious of mankind, making them appear, i.e., bringing them to the light of consciousness and thus rendering them impotent. . . . The famous “temptations” of St. Anthony were . . . acts of healing the humanity of his time from demoniacal obsession. They were acts of sacred magic, bringing demons to the light of consciousness illumined from above, through which they were reduced to impotence.1
Whether we believe in the reality of an egregore being the home for one or more invisible intelligences is not that important. It might be safe from the practical point of view to assume that they are always home to something “invisible”—particularly when dealing with those egregores whose influence is clearly negative, limiting and seen as an end in itself, and as such, destructive of individual awakening and expression. Then, at that moment when freedom from the invisible influence is achieved, it is not simply an individual victory but a victory for all humanity and all of Creation. One takes on the role of St. Anthony, or more precisely that of the bodhisattva who performs the practice of tonglen, or giving and receiving. Just as we are told that Christ took on the sins of humanity to purify mankind, so we are told that spiritual masters can take on the sins of their students to aid them on their path. The Tibetan Buddhist practice of tonglen embodies this idea, first as an ideal, but also with the very real ability to psychically transform both the meditator and the one or ones for whom they are meditating. Granted this represents a high level of practice, but it is reported across the literature into the modern era.
SPIN THREE TIMES TO THE LEFT
The author of Meditations on the Tarot gives a somewhat peculiar and almost simplistic method of freeing oneself from the influence of an egregore. Of course we must bear in mind that for this particular author all egregores are seen as negative, and only a pure devotion to the ideals put forth by the Christian scriptures is seen as protection against all negative forces, including those called “hierarchies of the Left” or the “Fallen Angels” often categorized as demons.
For protection against the “artificial demons” or “egregores” as he calls them, one who is afflicted is to make the sign of the cross to the north, south, east, and west and repeat the first verse of the 68th Psalm: “Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered; let those who hate him flee before him! As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; as wax melts before fire, let the wicked perish before God!” One must also spin three times to the left and cross oneself. Now, this notion of spinning may appear silly, even childish; however, it is based on the idea of movement or throwing off the negative connections the egregores may have with you. This is just as one would turn quickly to avoid being touched. Moving to the left is also to move in the direction associated with “banishing” in ritual magic. Spinning, like singing, is correlated with bringing forth the energies of life.
The symbolism of the cross is well known both for its standard religious as well as esoteric value. In his book The Nature and Use of Ritual for Spiritual Attainment, Professor Peter Roche de Coppens states:
In the Egyptian religion we can find the most direct and explicitly “exoteric” statement concerning the Cross and its inner and practical meaning. The Egyptians called the Ankh the Sign of Life, the “door” to awakening and renewed spiritual life. The Christians linked it with SALVATION, RESURRECTION, and REGENERATION. In point of fact, the central purpose of the Cross Ritual is precisely to awaken man’s spiritual life from its present “sleep” or latency by activating certain key centers on the Tree of Life. It is the most simple, direct, safe, and effective means by which one can shift the “gears” of his consciousness, tap the reservoir of latent spiritual energy that exists within him, and establish a conscious “bridge” or rapport between his conscious and superconscious.
It is through the ritual of the Cross, that the leap is made between the “state of nature” and the “state of grace,” between normal and spiritual consciousness, and that the Initiate links with his “contact point” or “switch of power” in the inner worlds.2
In addition to specific spheres of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life connected to the head, shoulders, and breast (and by extension the groin and feet), the four arms of the cross are related to the four cardinal directions, their attendant archangels, kerubim or guardian animals, and classical elements. The center of the cross is where the mystery resides. This is often given the domain of the spiritual void, the Hebrew letter shin in Hermetic Kabbalah and the rose of the Rosicrucians. The letters I.H.S. and I.N.R.I. alone or with a five-petal Tudor rose can also be seen in Protestant designs of the cross. These symbols also have exoteric, esoteric, and initiatic meanings that are called into consciousness whenever the ritual is performed.
DESTRUCTION OF AN EGREGORE—FIRE AND SWORD
To remove oneself from the influence of an egregore, particularly a religious, esoteric, or even political one (especially when a ritualistic formula is actively present, such as in National Socialism, Communism, any form of idealization of the leader or the particular creed or code), the objects connected with the organization or movement must be destroyed. Fire is the principal means of separating the energetic link and destroying it. This separation and destruction is on a personal level but can also be extended to the larger group as well.
That is why occupying armies often destroy the symbols of their defeated enemy. For example, the revolutionaries in France in 1789, the Soviet Union to Nazi Germany in 1945, the Chinese Communists in Tibet in 1959, the period of the Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1976, and the destruction of monuments, texts, and places of worship by various Islamic fundamentalist paramilitary forces are among the most obvious examples in modern history. While the spiritual or intelligence aspect of the egregore will continue to live for a very long period of time without a physical anchor, devotees, or rituals to feed it, its emotional or astral counterpart will not be able to sustain a presence in the physical world as a result of such acts of destruction.
Hence, some egregores may be reinvigorated even after centuries or millennia of disuse, which is a closely kept secret of operational magic. According to an article published in 1929 in an esoteric journal edited by Julius Evola, and detailed in appendix 2 of this book, it was efforts to revive the egregore of the Roman Empire that led to the political ascendancy of Benito Mussolini. The initial signs were “seen” in 1913 and were fully realized in 1919. This means that according to tradition, an egregore can be modified, with an existing weak or even “dead egregore” (of a long since vanished cult) being easier to modify during the process of its revival than an existing strong and vital one. This is what we may be seeing when we are told of the cyclic opening and reawakening of Christian Rosenkreutz from his “tomb.”
When ancient books or other objects or people were ritually destroyed by fire, the phrase “and not even their names or signs remain” is taken to mean a complete obliteration of the physical representations of the cult so that its egregore will have no contact point in the physical world. This may be the reason that, whereas common malefactors were traditionally hung (or in the Roman Empire crucified), and higher-class offenders were beheaded (a privilege accorded to St. Paul and later to kings and queens), witches and heretics were burned at the stake.
OCCULT AND ESOTERIC AFFILIATIONS
The following letter was sent to noted physicist, occultist, and magician Joseph Lisiewski, Ph.D., and published in his quarterly journal Howlings from the Pit. It was later republished in his book of the same title, which was compiled from journal articles and the correspondence it generated. The letter was originally published anonymously. Its content strongly demonstrates the subtle and pervasive influence of a magical egregore.
For several years my [magical] tools have been sitting in a wooden chest beneath my altar, wrapped in colored silk cloths and rarely used. I learned a great deal about myself, and magic, in the process of making them. In particular, that it is the making of the tools that is the magical act and not their consecration. This is anticlimactic at best. Second, that from the making, that it is the preparation or journey that is important—it defines how we experience the end goal. In this case, preparation for a ritual is more important than how well we perform the ritual; in fact, our performance is an expression of how well we have prepared, as are our results.
Destroying my [magical] tools was a modest price to pay, as I did enjoy making them and they reminded me of many good times with friends and co-workers on the journey. To destroy them was to move on, and this was clear. So, on a Tuesday, the day of Mars, I took an ice pick and in a clean stroke defaced each tool after saying a short prayer—audibly—thanking the tool for all that I learned from it, and that with this stroke its energy was released and our connection broken. The lotus wand was snapped in two, the sword hammered and bent, the blade of my dagger bent as well, the cup wrapped in its silk and smashed, and all was consigned to water and fire to eliminate any residual etheric links.
With the snapping of the lotus wand, the first tool, a tremendous amount of energy was released and I felt freed. This was a genuine visceral feeling. This point must be emphasized.
The result was, by the end of the destruction of these tools, my sensory and mental clarity was dramatically increased, my connection to the material and sensing the spiritual in the material (Kether is in Malkuth, and Malkuth is in Kether) enhanced, and above all a tremendous opening in my solar plexus.
This opening was like a tunnel of energy moving out from me and somehow, like a wormhole, as there was only the end points and no sense of the line of connection itself, a link to my pituitary (in the lower back of the head).
When I was able to perform my nightly meditation, I lit my candles, sat, and as I relaxed a distinct sphere of energy formed around me at a distance of approximately nine feet. This occurred on its own, and came through my solar plexus. What normally would have to have been initiated by myself, simply manifested on its own.3
REFUGE IN AN EGREGORE?
As was pointed out, there is disagreement from a theological point of view concerning the possibility of the existence of positive or healthy egregores. One can strongly argue that in the end, ultimately, from the perspective of either supreme illumination or enlightenment, all egregores are at best restrictive forces from which we must free ourselves. As French alchemist Dubuis was fond of saying, “At the end of Time when you present yourself to the Father, to the Naught, and you are asked, ’Who are you?’ you will reply, ’I am freedom.’”
Yet for many a positive egregore is a spiritual refuge, a port in the storm of life, and they should be understood and utilized as such. Again, we quote Mouni Sadhu who points out how to avoid coming under negative psychic influences of either magic or an egregore.
The Hermetic Tradition recommends the one universal defense against invultuation [creation of images of people for the purpose of magical enchantment]: DO NOT SLEEP in the sense of being passive or distracted. . . . (1) Pray . . . whoever is fearless is hard to invultuate for any danger; (2) be occupied with the defined forms in your consciousness, chosen and generated by yourself, in order that something will not be attached to you from outside. . . . Join a certain good Egregor, which corresponds to your contemplation, so that you will not be entangled with the Chain of a foreign, evil Egregor. . . . (3) Exercise your body reasonably. . . . Therefore do not be that crayfish, retreating to the puddle, do not let the wolf and the dog frighten you, and then drops of your blood will not be strewn along the paths of service to each and everyone.4
Point One—Do Not be Distracted
The dictum to not be distracted also applies to daily consciousness. One should simply not allow one’s mind to wander with television or radio playing. Nor should one mindlessly and aimlessly click on pages on the Internet or play video games as a means of filling in a sense of boredom during the day. Perform one’s tasks with full attention and then move on. The media and its attendant sounds and images are extensions of various egregores. Limit exposure to them, and do so consciously. Make every thought a prayer by filling the mind with the ideas and images that best serve it.
Point Two—Defined Forms in One’s Consciousness
Here we pick images and even learn how to generate them so that we are in control of our own mind and not prey to external forces. “Defined” means that there is no ambiguity about their meaning or presence, and therefore the ability of an outside agency to manipulate us with an idea or image is reduced or eliminated. To this end we then are able to choose if and when we want to become part of an egregore, and in this we understand why we would choose to do so, rather than blindly acting out of hope or fear.
Point Three—Exercise Your Body
“Healthy mind, healthy body” is the key to not being sluggish and easily distracted. The physical world is the world of action; learn to be active, and let thought, word, and deed combine to achieve desired outcomes—that is the essence of magic.
DO-IT-YOURSELF DEPROGRAMMING
Removing oneself from the influences of an egregore is more than simply walking away from a group—it is a total reorientation of one’s life goals and direction. For this reason it is often difficult to do, for it’s the same thing as demonstrated in deprogramming from destructive mind-control cults (DMCC). It is important to note that all egregores are cults in the classical sense of the word, but not all are cults in the modern pejorative sense. Regardless, the amount of emotional energy, social dynamics, shared goals and values, and “family” identification and structure all combine to make it emotionally painful and difficult to extract oneself—by oneself, without some form of support—from an egregore.
Again, this process is not limited to religious and spiritual constructs and is easily seen in a variety of life experiences. There is always that one person who is unable to move beyond their high school or college years—particularly those involved in sports. Why? Well, there is the obvious sentimental link. However, there is also the reality that sports activities are collective ritualistic events in which a great deal of sexual energy is sublimated into a psychic force around a given identity—often the school mascot—with a specific and clear purpose. The whole function of cheer-leading is the enhancing of sexual and psychic energy by way of music, costumed animal figures, and logos. It is nothing less than a religious ritual wherein the participants are united in a single identity and purpose.
We can also see the same phenomena in those who have undergone military service. Even if their term of enlistment was short and uneventful it is not uncommon to witness these men twenty and thirty years later wearing olive drab shirts, military surplus hats, “baseball caps” with service logos. There may also be military-related bumper stickers on their motor vehicles. And as we have stated, mass media also produces similar cult phenomena around individual performers, shows, and movies, with fan clubs and cultures developing around them. The recent phenomena of fictional stories taking on a scriptural dimension is clearly stated in the use of the term canon to describe that which is in the “original” presentation versus that which is fan created or comes later. This religious dimension should not be overlooked or lightly dismissed, for it points to the psychic and spiritual weakness of contemporary culture.
One should not expect to extract oneself from the psychic influences of an egregore simply because physical contact with it has ceased and memories associated with it have been removed. A plan, purpose, and meaning for life is needed to fill in the psychic and physical gaps that are left. As a significant life-changing event, removing oneself from the influences of an egregore and the physical entity that supports it has many similarities to adjusting to life after retiring from a career, dealing with death, or overcoming addiction. Depending on the length of time one was in a particular association, a period of mourning is to be expected, and the entire process of extraction, a comprehensive understanding of the related events, and the realization of a new direction may take up to two years. It is easy to say that for every year one is involved with the egregore it can take a month for the process to work itself out. While this is just a general figure, it at least gives a benchmark for the healing and rebuilding process.
For now, should you wish to free yourself from some unwanted influence, take action in keeping with the following points. Even if you are not sure if you want the break to be permanent but are simply testing yourself to see how much of an influence various ideas or activities may have on your life, the following will be of assistance to you.
Place everything associated with your identified egregore in a box. Place the box out of sight in your closet or give it to someone to hold for the duration of this practice: one month minimum, and six weeks ideally. Now, during this time, notice where your thoughts and feelings are unconsciously directed. Pay attention to the frequency of your ideation. Also during this time begin to think about what—if anything—you would hang in the place of the old photograph, book, or statue. What will you do with your time? What will you create? How will you express yourself? And with this, notice any negative feelings that arise when you consider doing something outside of the old egregore, as well as the joy and positive feelings that arise when you imagine your new possibilities and achievements. You may find a way to balance the two, or you may choose to go back. You may also move in a different direction, but whatever it is that you do it will be from a position of individual choice, self-expression, and freedom.
“CONTROLLING THE NARRATIVE”
The entire action of an egregore, be it a political philosophy, family history, cultural mythos, or initiatic organization, can be summed up in the commonly heard phrase controlling the narrative. Controlling the narrative means to be in control of the story, of the story you want people to hear, believe, and act upon—all three parts must be present. It is not sufficient that they hear it; they must also believe it, and from that position of belief act in the manner that the narrative is directing them to. Again, this is not always a negative, and there are egregores that are healthy for some people—one need only look at the number of people who overcome addictions, health concerns, or emotional distress by interacting with healthy support groups.
When removing ourselves from the influences of various groups, however, we need to recognize that now we must define and control the narrative—the story and its values—of our own life. This can be done by reading what was once considered “forbidden” literature or undertaking activities previously frowned upon. This is not to encourage reckless behavior or self-indulgence but rather to show that many of the things various groups discourage their members from doing are relatively harmless. This also means not simply reading other points of view but also actively taking them on for a period of time and finding value in them, even if one does not buy in to them completely, thereby exchanging one controlling egregore for another. In fact, being widely read about the very topic one was once devoted to can help heal the wounds caused by slavish and idealized devotion to just a limited view of it. Typically such devotion is made out of ignorance and a desire for safety rather than knowledge, self-awareness, and courage.