Egregores (the Occult Entities That Watch Over Human Destiny)

By (author) Stavish, Mark
Short description/annotation:
The first book to explore the history and influence of egregores, powerful autonomous psychic entities created by a collective group mind.
Description:
The first book to explore the history and influence of egregores, powerful autonomous psychic entities created by a collective group mind

• Examines the history of egregores from ancient times to present day, including their role in Western Mystery traditions and popular culture and media

• Reveals documented examples of egregores from ancient Greece and Rome, Tibetan Buddhism, Islam, modern esoteric orders, the writings of H. P. Lovecraft and Kenneth Grant, and the followers of Julius Evola and Aleister Crowley

• Provides instructions on how to identify egregores, free yourself from parasitic and destructive entities, and destroy an egregore, should the need arise

One of most important but little known concepts of Western occultism is that of the egregore, an autonomous psychic entity created by a collective group mind. An egregore is sustained by belief, ritual, and sacrifice and relies upon the devotion of a group of people, from a small coven to an entire nation, for its existence. An egregore that receives enough sustenance can take on a life of its own, becoming an independent deity with powers its believers can use to further their own spiritual advancement and material desires.

Presenting the first book devoted to the study of egregores, Mark Stavish examines the history of egregores from ancient times to present day, with detailed and documented examples, and explores how they are created, sustained, directed, and destroyed. Stavish provides instructions on how to identify egregores, free yourself from a parasitic and destructive collective entity, and destroy an egregore, should the need arise. Revealing how egregores form the foundation of nearly all human interactions, the author shows how egregores have moved into popular culture and media--underscoring the importance of intense selectivity in the information we accept and the ways we perceive the world and our place in it.
Table of contents:
Acknowledgments

Preamble

INTRODUCTION
Angels, Women, and War in the Heavens

1 Tibetan Buddhism and the Reality of the Egregore

2 The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and Related Egregores

3 The Modern Era and the French Occult Revival

4 Pop Culture and the Creation of Egregores

5 The Lovecraft Circle

6 The Egregore of the Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis (AMORC)

7 Freeing Oneself from the Influence of Egregores

CONCLUSION
Ideas and Their Consequences

APPENDIX I
Personal Accounts of Disengaging from an Egregore

APPENDIX II
An Account of the Revivification of an Egregore

Notes

Bibliography

Index
Review quote:
“Stavish gives not only theories but also facts and examples of these forces in spirituality, politics, news, and entertainment. More importantly, he explains how to recognize and free ourselves from their influences if we so choose.”
Review quote:
“Egregores: The Occult Entities That Watch Over Human Destiny marks a major turning point in popular esotericism, with Mark Stavish tackling head-on our society’s most pressing issue--the psychic and physical embodiment of ideologies and systems--with a penetrating and insightful text addressing the hidden life of thoughtforms as they emerge in our culture through mass movements, fundamentalist sects, corporate branding, and identity politics. Put down the fake news, pick up this book, and find out why Enoch warns us that the c