It’s funny how some words just lodge themselves in your mind, isn't it? For L.S. Bernstein, that word was 'egregore.' He first stumbled upon it in W.E. Butler's "The Magician, his training and his work" back in 1982. Butler described it as a 'magical Egregore, or group form,' something an aspirant needed to understand to grasp their role in a larger scheme.
But 'egregore' wasn't exactly a household term, nor was it readily found in standard dictionaries. Bernstein, like many of us, felt a pull to dig deeper. He found the concept echoed in theosophical writings and works by figures like Dion Fortune, often referred to as 'group thought forms.' Yet, the specific word 'egregore' seemed to carry a unique weight.
His investigation led him through various texts. "The Magical Philosophy" by Denning and Phillips mentioned 'racial and archetypal egregores' in relation to the Collective Unconscious, even introducing the term 'Watcher' in contrast. Then there was a French AMORC booklet, "Maitrise de la Vie," which spoke of an 'Egregore' as an 'idea-force,' a 'cosmic energy field.'
Bernstein suspected a connection to the Golden Dawn, a significant occult order. He scoured books by its associates like Regardie, Underhill, Fortune, and Waite, but the term remained elusive. The breakthrough came with Eliphas Levi's "The Great Secret." Levi, writing in the late 19th century, used 'egregor' (without the final 'e') extensively. He linked these 'colossal forces' to the 'giants' mentioned in the Book of Enoch, to 'celestial watchers' governing the planets, and even to Kabbalistic concepts like Adam Kadmon and biblical figures like the Anakim. Levi, however, ultimately rejected the 'mythology of the egregors.'
This historical trail, however, didn't fully satisfy the etymological curiosity. Bernstein decided to tackle the Greek alphabet. In the "Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon," he found 'egregor' derived from 'egeiro,' meaning 'to be awake,' 'to watch,' 'to rouse,' 'to stir up,' and even 'to raise from the dead.' This connection to vigilance and awakening resonated deeply.
Further research into the Septuagint (a Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible) revealed the word 'egregoros' and its Hebrew equivalent, pronounced 'IR' or 'ER.' The citation from Lamentations 4:14, "They wandered blind through the..." (the text cuts off here, but the implication is clear: the 'watchers' or 'awake ones' were somehow compromised or in a state of distress), solidified the link between 'egregore' and the idea of watchful entities or states of being.
So, what is an egregor? It’s not a simple definition. It’s a concept that seems to hover between a collective consciousness, a powerful idea-force, a spiritual entity, or even a primal force of nature. It’s something that is 'awakened' or 'watched,' often by a group or a collective intent. While its origins are debated and its interpretations varied, the word itself points to a fascinating intersection of consciousness, energy, and ancient wisdom.
