Julian Vayne and a longstanding animist Pagan Federation member exchange thoughts on sacred animals in esoteric and magical practice. Sacred animals appear in many cultures, taking on various roles from guides to spiritual antagonists. They are a well-known concept, but perhaps for this reason, one often taken for granted. What if animals were to be considered valuable in their own right, rather than as stereotypes with set significances, as described in many magical traditions? Can a deeper meaning be found within the independence of sacred animals, and in humanity's relationship with that independence? Less of a 'skip through flower-filled meadows with butterflies', this conversation is a cheerful but challenging 'running across thin ice with tigers'. It explores the successes and failures of the current conservation movement and the importance of recognising a spiritual component in modern environmental work. It's followed by a Q&A. SPEAKER BIOS Gordon is an animist pagan, working closely with a mixture of faith and nature groups to promote deeper spiritual awareness of the living world. He is an Honorary Life Member of the Pagan Federation and has been an active member of the wider pagan community for many years. Gordon’s own practice is deeply involved with the spirits of landscapes, wildlife and the faerie realms. Blog: creepingtoad.blogspot.com Julian Vayne is an occultist with over 35 years’ experience. His work is informed by chaos magic, Wicca and eastern mysticism. A regular workshop leader and speaker, he is co-organiser of the psychedelic conference Breaking Convention, and sits on the academic board of The Journal of Psychedelic Studies. He is also the author of several works, including Getting Higher: The Manual of Psychadelic Ceremony. His books, essays and articles are published in both the academic and esoteric press. Site: https://julianvayne.com Original Event Date: 12 September 2023

Hannah Sanders probes the folklore of magical circlets, from crowns to garters to beaded necklaces. Circlets, crowns, garters and beaded necklaces are used by witches across the globe as conveyors of status, keepers of secrets and markers of celebration. In this class, Hannah Sanders explores the various traditions surrounding circlets in folk magic. She also teaches the art of creating a witch’s necklace. SPEAKER BIO Hannah Sanders has a doctorate in anthropology and is a longstanding practitioner of folk and herb magic. She was the last apprentice of writer and tarot reader Joyce Collin-Smith, and she is the granddaughter of a well-known Irish fortune teller. Professionally, she is a traditional folk singer. Original Event Date: 21 March 2024

Suzanne Corbie shares time-tested ways to magically prepare a space for spells and devotional work. The demarcation of magic circles and sacred spaces is integral to almost every magical system across the world. In this class, Suzanne Corbie, a Wiccan priestess with over 40 years' experience, explores a variety of methods to create sacred space and perform magic spells without the need for long, complicated rituals. SPEAKER BIO Suzanne Corbie has been engaged in esoteric and folkloric traditions for more than four decades. For the last 25 years, she has lectured and taught on tarot and witchcraft, in person and online, nationally and internationally. She is a longstanding Wiccan priestess, and also holds a Master's degree in 'Myth, Cosmology & the Sacred'. Original Event Date: 1 August 2023

Rebecca Beattie introduces the key gods in the Ancient Egyptian pantheon and explores the history of their worship. The deities of this pioneering civilisation have long fascinated magical practitioners of the Western Mystery tradition and in other traditions all over the world. This workshop introduces some of the key figures in the Ancient Egyptian pantheon, and examines how they have been worshipped across history. It also introduces practical ways of working with them today. SPEAKER BIO Rebecca Beattie has spent over two decades practising and studying magic and witchcraft . A Wiccan priestess of 15 years, she has a rich understanding of the history and traditions underpinning pagan practice. She also has a doctorate in Creative Writing and is a published author. Her books include 'Nature Mystics: The Literary Gateway to Modern Paganism' and the seasonal toolkit for navigating major life changes, 'The Way Through the Woods'. Original Event Date: 27 March 2023

Take a trip with two experts on psychedelic history as they discuss ecology, altered states and modern pagan practice. In this video, Andy Letcher and Julian Vayne meet for a mind-expanding exchange. They delve into everything from entheogenic culture, to druids, to magic mushrooms, to the indigenous music of the British Isles, to the contemporary use of Fly Agaric. There's also a Q&A afterwards. Be prepared for far-out theories, kaleidoscopic concepts and otherworldly anecdotes. SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES Dr Andy Letcher is a Senior Lecturer at both Schumacher College, Devon UK – where he is the Programme Lead for the MA Engaged Ecology – and at the University of Exeter, where he teaches on the PGCert Psychedelics: Mind, Medicine and Culture. He is the author of 'Shroom: A Cultural History of the Magic Mushroom', and numerous papers on psychedelics, ecology, animism and paganism. He is currently researching ritual and animistic usage of psychedelics by contemporary British Druids, and the contemporary use of the Fly Agaric mushroom. Julian Vayne is a British occultist, independent scholar and author with over four decades of experience within esoteric culture. Julian is a co-organizer of the psychedelic conference Breaking Convention, a founding member of the post-prohibition think-tank Transform. He sits on the academic board of The Journal of Psychedelic Studies. Julian facilitates psychedelic ceremony, as well as providing one-to-one psychedelic integration sessions and support. In addition to exploring traditional sacred medicines, Julian’s work includes the first published accounts of the entheogenic ritual use of ketamine and several novel psychedelic sacraments. Original Event Date: 10 April 2024

Suzanne Corbie explores the deeper meanings of the tarot’s twenty-two major cards. The imagery of the tarot is filled with hidden depths – each card contains a wealth of correspondences relating to the Qabalah, alchemy, witchcraft, angels and more. In this workshop, Suzanne Corbie examines the symbolism contained within the major arcana of the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, helping participants to deepen their interpretative skills and understanding of the cards. These skills can be used for more effective tarot readings as well as aiding meditation. SPEAKER BIO Suzanne Corbie is a Wiccan priestess with over 40 years' experience. She was previously a tarot reader at Treadwell's for many years. Original Event Date: 29 August 2023

Rebecca Beattie introduces the seven planetary powers – seen by the pre-moderns as the governing energies of all nature. This lecture gives an introductory overview of the pre-modern planetary powers that have been called upon by magical practitioners since ancient Babylon. Rebecca discusses each planet – Moon, Mercury, Venus, Sun, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn – and outlines their mysteries, symbols and attributes. She then covers how one can work magic with each of them using their corresponding colours, crystals, herbs, plants and foods. SPEAKER BIO Rebecca Beattie has spent more than 20 years studying and practising witchcraft and Wicca, and has a deep understanding of the history and traditions underpinning them. A published author, her books include 'Planetary Magic: A friendly introduction to creating modern magic with the seven energies' and 'Wheel of the Year: A Nurturing Guide'. Original Event Date: 13 February 2023

Dr Alexander Cummins and Hannah Sanders discuss the rich history of cunning magic and the traditions it has inspired. Cunning magic is not merely confined to dusty history books. It's very much still used today and has inspired a wealth of magical traditions. This engaging conversation explores the taut thread running from legends to modern magic. Learn who cunning folk were, what did they did, and what they still do. SPEAKER BIOS Dr Alexander Cummins is a contemporary cunning-man and historian of magic. His magical specialties are the early modern grimoires, divination (especially geomancy) and the myriad folk necromancies of working with the dead. Hannah Sanders has a doctorate in anthropology and is a longstanding practitioner of folk and herb magic. She was the last apprentice of writer and tarot reader Joyce Collin-Smith, and she is the granddaughter of a well-known Irish fortune teller. Professionally, she is a traditional folk singer. Original Event Date: 21 November 2023

Doctoral researcher Anna Titov examines the philosophical connections between magical acts and environmentalism. In this rigorously researched lecture, Anna looks at contemporary witchcraft through the lens of ideas from 20th century phenomenology through to object-oriented ontology. She asks the timely question: can magical practice help us to halt our damage of the environment? As she explores, witchcraft practice involves the creation of an ‘otherworld’ – an act performed in order to bring change into the 'real' world. It can therefore be seen as an act of self-preservation in response to the ‘Anthropocene’ (the era of human-made change on our planet, most notably including the climate crisis). She asks: how do witchcraft practitioners create these 'otherworlds' for change? What is the interaction between the liminal element inside them and our perception? She also examines the empathic connections that witchcraft practitioners form with nonhuman entities (and therefore the overall environment). In doing so, Anna invites us to consider that magical practice may indeed be a first step towards stopping the destruction of our world. SPEAKER BIO Anna Titov is a writer and researcher in philosophy. She is pursuing a PhD at the Centre for Ethics as Study in Human Value (Pardubice), focussing on notions of subjective physical experience in the wake of a waning natural world. She completed an MA in Continental Philosophy at Warwick in 2021, with a dissertation that looked at trans-anthropocentrism in Nietzsche's middle writings. Her areas of interest are Nietzsche, phenomenology, embodied philosophy, and esoteric spirituality. Original Event Date: 27 September 2023