What if evil isn’t what we think it is? In this episode of the Sitara Podcast, Caleb Lara and Avi Nash ask a dangerous question: is “evil” just honesty without a filter? From the serpent in Eden to the friends who call us out, we explore brutal truth, morality, ego, and growth. Join us as we dive deep into the thin line between good and evil — and why embracing both might be the key to becoming your true self.

🔥 Topics Covered:

The serpent in the Bible: evil or the first truth-teller?

Why “fake friends” are worse than brutal honesty

Ego, mirrors, and facing the parts of ourselves we call evil

Good vs evil as interchangeable labels

How to use “negative” truths for growth and transformation

👉 If this sparked something in you, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share the Sitara Podcast. Drop your thoughts in the comments — we want to hear your take on whether evil is just unfiltered honesty.

Support the show

Welcome to Episode 5 of the Sitara Podcast, where we step off the path of “love and light” and into the shadows we refuse to see.

In this episode, Caleb and Avi explore shadow work, fear, spiritual bypassing, and the hidden power of our darkness. Together, we discuss how the parts of ourselves we ignore often hold the keys to our growth and liberation.

From Jungian psychology to Masonic ritual, from chaos magick to daily self-reflection, we reveal why confronting your shadow is the missing piece for those seeking true initiation and inner power.

You’ll hear us reflect on:

• Why fear and the unknown are the first gates to self-mastery
• The shadow as a teacher, not an enemy
• How childlike courage and humility in initiation can unlock growth
• Practical ways to face your darkness and integrate your shadow

By the end, you’ll understand why avoiding the shadow leads to stagnation, and why embracing it leads to power, self-acceptance, and authentic freedom.

⏱️ Timestamps:

00:00 – Opening Ritual & Introduction to Shadow Work
01:15 – Why Facing the Darkness Is the Hardest Step
04:03 – Talking to Your Younger Self and Apologizing to Your Shadow
06:45 – The Shadow as an Extension of You
08:00 – Hidden Qualities in the Darkness That Make You Whole
11:07 – Fear: The Real Enemy of Growth
13:25 – Facing the Unknown: Castles, Winding Stairs, and Life Decisions
17:00 – Masonic Initiation and Humility in the Face of Darkness
19:20 – Fear of Acceptance and Overconfidence in Life and Work
23:34 – Children and Fearlessness: What Adults Forget
26:15 – Trusting Intuition and the Human “Spidey Sense”
27:50 – Learning From Negatives and Refusing to Backtrack
29:08 – Timelines, Realizations, and Moving Forward
31:06 – Transformation Through Darkness and Chakra Openings
33:00 – Accepting Others Without Accepting Their Harmful Actions
35:18 – Humility and Growth in Masonry and Life
38:00 – Balancing Light and Darkness to Fully Understand Yourself
39:53 – Closing Reflections: Jumping Into the Shadows to Find the Truth

🌐 Listen & Connect:

🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7Ga9iY74vLpOhynSX8FOtP
📻 Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2490093
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575996781391

Support the show

What if everything you think you know about enlightenment… is a trap? In this episode of the Sitara Podcast, hosts Caleb Lara and Avi Nash pull no punches as they dismantle the overused, misused, and sometimes dangerous concept of “enlightenment.”

We begin where all true mysteries do — in the cave. With Plato’s allegory as our torch, we explore the raw and messy path from illusion to awareness, asking: Is the light always worth it? And more importantly: What if the cave was actually safer?

Through candid dialogue, personal reflections, and esoteric analysis, Caleb and Avi move between:

• 🧠 Immanuel Kant’s call to “Dare to Know”
• 🧘 The Buddha’s liberation from suffering
• 🔥 Aleister Crowley’s radical alignment with the True Will

But this isn’t just a philosophy lecture. This is lived experience, ritual wisdom, and the occasional Batman metaphor. We examine the New Age burnout epidemic, the rise of false light spirituality, and the hidden grief behind awakening. Caleb reminds us that “real Light dismantles before it reveals,” while Avi asks the uncomfortable questions: Do we mistake ego inflation for illumination? Are we addicted to transcendence at the cost of integration?

This episode bridges multiple traditions — Freemasonry, Gnosticism, Hermeticism, and modern chaos magick — without watering them down. You'll hear what it means to "receive Light" in the Masonic lodge, why the Gnostic seeks to escape the demiurge’s illusion, and how the Hermeticist seeks transformation, not escape. Through it all, we explore the paradox of being both hoodwinked and initiated, both fools and seekers.

🔦 Key Themes:

• False Light vs. True Light: The spiritual traps that masquerade as growth
• Shadow Integration: Why your enlightenment must include your darkness
• Esoteric Comparisons: Masonic Light, Gnostic escape, Hermetic alchemy
• Awakening & Identity Death: Why most people are unprepared for true illumination
• The Role of the Fool: Why the awakened are often ridiculed by the world they return to
• Ego, Isolation & Suffering: Unpacking the myth of the “blissfully enlightened”

🪞 This is not a self-help episode. This is a ritual deconstruction. A fireside reflection. A whispered warning and a knowing laugh. You’ll walk away with more questions than answers — and that’s the point.

So whether you’re a Master Mason, a chaos magician, a recovering New Ager, or just a curious soul wondering why “light” doesn’t always feel good... this episode is for you.

🌀 Listen now. And remember: The cave may be dark — but it echoes with truth.

🔗SitaraGrotto.org

🔗Instagram @SitaraPodcast @sitaragrotto

🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever seekers tune in.

📩 Want to be featured? Share your questions at: sitaragrotto.org/sitara-podcast

#enlightenment #sitara #masonicpodcast #chaosmagick #esotericism #spiritualawakening #hermeticism #gnosticism #awakeningjourney #shadowwork #freemasonry

Support the show