Review: Mark Stavish, Egregores: The Occult Entities that Watch Over Human Destiny. Introduction by James Wasserman. Richmond VT: Inner Traditions 2018, ISBN: 9781620555774

by Don Webb

Mark Stavish is a treasure in the world of modern occultism. Most occult volumes are rehashes of popular ideas. All books are written to their readers’ needs and the average reader in the occult is engaged in a rather exotic form of sleep. They have learned that the mainstream descriptions of the world which are either materialistic or represent a commonly held faith are not useful for their truth, so they have bought into “occultism” – a description of a warm universe that punishes the bad, rewards the virtuous and bestows a special benison upon the Knowledgeable. In short, occultists, by and large, are seekers after Truth who pulled their car over at the first (or, daringly) second highway rest stop. Stavish draws from the American occult tradition that came over with the Mayflower just as much as did Puritanism, and re-arrived with various North European groups such as the “Pennsylvania Dutch.” He also looks at two other (generally over-looked) sources – the nineteenth century Continental occultists who aren’t in the Golden Dawn vine and popular versions of esotericism that fell out of favor. But his three roots, admirable in themselves, are tested by decades of practice and watered by decades of teaching. The “I’ve never done this, but Crowley said…” school often has different ideas.

Stavish takes on a once-popular idea, that of the Egregore, the spirit that leads groups, protects artifacts, and can inform those sympathetic to it. Most occultists assume such beings exist, and the popular fancy is that these vague but benevolent beings are leading mankind into some better existence. Stavish suggests that while egregores do exist, they might or might not have mankind’s best interests in heart. They are invented (or at least summoned) by individuals and may have a devastating effect on humans. He even gives methods to create them, to sense them and more importantly exorcise them. Let’s look at these ideas.

Citing sources as different as Alexandra David-Neel, Dr. Baolin Wu and the Zenith’s corporation mass-study of telepathy, he gives the following criteria needed for the creation of an egregore. Strong emotions both in the creator and in those entering into its field, clear symbolic form – sigil, slogan, yantra – and  purpose. The purpose can be to sell more Coke Cola, transform the defeated Germany of WW I into a world power in an amazingly brief time, or steer the mystical experiences of the AMORC. The egregore must be fed or it shrinks into a storage zone – as Julius Evola points out, Tradition lives even in out-of-the-way peasants and unused idols. The feeding of egregores is not as focused a magic as their creation. It just requires people and energy – for example, a high school prep rally would do rather well. Now as a matter of fact my High School (in Texas) had as its mascot the Confederate solider, its flag the Confederate battle flag, its school song “Dixie.” When it moved to less racially charged symbols in 1975, an underground use of the old symbols began, existing to the present day. 

To spot egregores, Stavish gives two examples from feng-shui master Dr. Wu. He cites the idea that young children (before age 7) will be drawn to play with the symbols and forms of egregores yet-to-be. He also quotes a passage from Julius Evola about the “chance” discovery of a Fasces in Italy just as the Fascists were coming to power. The past is never past – as both Lovecraft and Jung would tell us, it’s only sleeping.

The egregore is at best a synergistic organism. It gives meaning, power and security to the humans it draws its forces from. Anyone that has joined any group with an initiatory ceremony, from the OTO to the Elks lodge, feels an egregore. It is there in strong brand loyalty, political affiliation or any other human group. It is a good thing when the feel of Christianity makes you get out and check on the homeless during a blizzard – not such a good thing when your KKK brothers get you up at 4 in the morning to burn a cross in the black pastor’s yard. But an egregore – like any organism – doesn’t want its food supply to go away. It will assert pressure on you to believe. I have seen folks keeping up membership in a group that they don’t approve of. They’ve been a member for years and used the egregore to bolster their egos when they were scared or depressed or just lonely. Now they are “in.” Stavish points out that an egregore’s main power is controlling the narrative. It has taught its members the correct prefilters to put in their thinking. In a small group? You must be elite! In a big group? You’re part of something bigger than you! No roots? Your group goes back to the Renaissance, Egypt, Atlantis! He suggests therapeutic blasphemy, exercise and controlling your own narrative. Don’t say “The Loyal Order of the Water-Buffaloes saved me!”, say “When I was in my 20s, I got better business connections and better self-esteem by my involvement in the Loyal Order of the Buffaloes!” Finally, if it took ritual to get in, make a ritual to get out.

Now everyone that reads this book either gets terribly angry or very pleased by the introduction by James Wasserman. He describes how the evil egregore of believing in social justice held him back from the clear light of believing in Trump. Stavish doesn’t comment on Wasserman’s revelation – and for many readers that will be the question: is the book a pro-Trump statement beginning with Wasserman’s words and ending with Baron Evola’s Fasces? Or is Stavish thinking you can make your own call?

And here’s the test – do I follow my own egregore that I assume IS rationality, and not the fact that I am a proud scion of Yellow Dog Democrats, and hurl the volume across the room? Do I tell myself that “politics don’t matter” and omit the ideological bookends? Or should I comment on the clarity of thought, the breadth of examples and mention what will trouble some and delight others? I chose the third option. For what it’s worth I even suggested that the book be on one of the reading lists for a group I belong to – either the Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes or the Other one.