In this episode, we dive deep into the fascinating origins and esoteric
significance of the term larva. We begin by exploring its classical
Latin meaning as a ghostly apparition or malevolent spirit, drawing from
ancient Roman religious traditions. Discover how larvae were seen as
dangerous spirits that disturbed the living, and how these concepts
evolved over time.
As we trace the term through history, you'll see how larva came to
represent not just ghosts, but also astral parasites in modern
occultism, feeding off negative emotions and unresolved psychic energy.
Learn how figures like Blavatsky, Crowley, and Bardon interpreted larvae
as psychic parasites, and how the term has even found its way into
modern biological terminology.
We'll also discuss the festival of Lemuria in Roman culture, where
rituals were performed to exorcise these malevolent spirits, and the
symbolic significance of masks in esoteric traditions.
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REFERENCES 📚 (more on screen)
MacCulloch, J.A. (1930) 'Larvae', in Hastings, J. (ed.) Encyclopaedia of
religion and ethics. Vol. 8. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, pp.
765-766.
Greenfield, R.P.H. (1988) Traditions of belief in late Byzantine
demonology. Amsterdam: Adolf M. Hakkert.
Russell, J.B. (1977) The devil: Perceptions of evil from antiquity to
primitive Christianity. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.
Flint, V. (1991) The rise of magic in early medieval Europe. Princeton:
Princeton University Press.
Tertullian (ca. 210 CE) De anima. Translated by P. Holmes, 1870, in
Ante-Nicene Christian library: Translations of the writings of the
Fathers down to A.D. 325. Vol. 15. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark.
Dodds, E.R. (1947) 'Theurgy and its relationship to Neoplatonism', The
Journal of Roman Studies, 37, pp. 55-69.
Garland, R. (2001) The Greek way of death. 2nd edn. Ithaca: Cornell
University Press.
Scullard, H.H. (1981) Festivals and ceremonies of the Roman Republic.
London: Thames and Hudson.
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00:00 Introduction: Astral Larvae
01:01 The Topic of Lavae came from a Patron
01:47 Support Angela’s Symposium
02:47 Etymology of Larva – Larvae
04:10 The Significance of Larva Meaning Mask
05:35 The Modern Use of Larva in Biology
07:10 The Concept of Larvae Over Time
08:18 Classical Conceptions of Larvae
09:34 The Roman Festival of Lemuria
10:10 Apuleius: The Metamorphoses, or The Golden Ass
11:21 Larvae in Christian Theology
12:51 Larvae in Early Esoteric Thought
13:11 Larvae in Gnosticism
13:56 Early Christian Demonology and the idea of the Larva
14:45 The Larvae in Neoplatonism
16:21 Renaissance and Early Modern Esoteric Interpretations of Larvae
16:51 Marsilio Ficino’s View of Astral Influences
17:29 Paracelsus and Ideas of Spiritual Entities
16:21 Esoteric Revival and Thought-Forms
22:01 Theosophy and Helena Blavatsky’s Concept of Larvae
22:56 The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
23:38 Aleister Crowley and Thelema and Psychological Aspects of Larvae
24:26 Spiritualism and Spirit Possession
26:08 Franz Bardon and Working with Larvae
28:16 Israel Regardie and Psychic Hygiene
29:49 Dion Fortune and Psychic Self-Defense
32:19 Modern Esoteric Practices and Chaos Magic and Psychic Parasites
35:52 Larvae in the Digital Age
37:47 Support Angela’s Symposium
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