Mark Stavish

Mark Stavish, Director of Studies

Mark Stavish, the Director of Studies for the Institute for Hermetic Studies, is a life-long student of esotericism with over 35 years experience in comparative religion, philosophy, psychology, and mysticism with emphasis on Traditional Western Esotericism. His articles have appeared in academic, specialty, and mass market publications specializing in spiritual studies, making Mark one of the leading authorities in Hermeticism today.

In addition to being a member and officer of several prominent Rosicrucian and Martinist societies, Mark served as the Director of Research for the Occult Research and Applications Project, of the Philosophers of Nature (PON). The Philosophers of Nature was founded by Jean Dubuis in France in 1979 and for twenty years was the leading resource for practical information on mineral and plant alchemy, as well as qabala. ORA, a statistically based research wing of the American branch of PON performed detailed exploration into the validity and practicality of various traditional esoteric methods. Original research from the ORA Project was published in the organization’s journal, The Stone.

Mark has been a return guest on Coast to Coast AM (C2C), Just Energy Radio, and Animal Planet/History Channel, as well as been a consultant for documentaries and print article dealing with spirituality.

A graduate of King’s College, in Theology (B.A.), and Communications (B.A.), and Rhode Island College (Providence), with a Master’s degree in Counseling emphasizing psycho-spiritual modalities and Psychosynthesis, Mark brings a unique blend of tradition with modern research to the application of esoteric philosophy.