Programme

Saturday

There will be an unofficial evening social at the George and Pilgrim Inn.

LectureS

  • Professor Ronald Hutton will be delivering the Keynote Lecture to open the Conference.

    Ronald Hutton is Professor of History and Associate Dean of Arts in the University of Bristol, and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, the Society of Antiquaries, the Learned Society of Wales, and the British Academy. He represents both history and archaeology on the Board of Trustees which runs English Heritage, and chair of the Blue Plaques Panel which awards commemorative plaques to historic buildings. He has published fifteen books on aspects of political, social, cultural and religious history, including a monograph on the English Civil War, a narrative history of the Stuart Restoration, a biography of Charles II, two surveys of what is thought about the pagan religions of ancient Britain, two large-scale studies of the history of the ritual year in Britain, an analysis of Siberian shamanism, the first history of modern paganism in Britain, and two surveys of the treatment of Druids in British culture over the centuries. He was formerly a Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford, and has been at Bristol since 1981. He was appointed Gresham Professor of Divinity in 2022.

    Further details to follow.

  • Known in the magical circles as the Witch of Salopia, Brett is a devoted folk Witch, born and raised with the stories, traditions, and magic of the Welsh Marches. He is a workshop leader, public speaker and author of the upcoming book Sabrina: Discovering the Goddess of the River Severn. Brett is also a regular contributor to several zines and has appeared on both Welsh and Japanese television to share the folklore of his home. He is also a professional pole dance instructor and member of both OBOD and the Welsh Coven Cylch y Sarffes Goch.

    Further details to follow.

  • In this lecture, Bob will briefly outline the origin of the Ophidian Current from its pre-dynastic roots through the so-called Middle-Egyptian Duatic texts down to the Late- Demotic ‘Book of Thoth’. Bob will then analyse how the so-called ‘Magical Revival’ had itself relied heavily on the PGM, PDM, Grimoire, and Egyptomania as a whole. Bob will conclude by arguing that to be proficient in one’s own creative esotericism, practitioners, must learn how to engage the magical current itself. This, he will argue can only be achieved directly either through the ancient magical techniques themselves, or by studying and following certain ideas hinted at in the works of Crowley, Grant, and along with other praxeis that are taught within several of today’s ‘Magical Orders’.

    Dr. R. A. Plimer (Bob) was born in Edinburgh and then after a short stay in Egypt went to school in the city before moving to Kelso in the Scottish Borders. Bob’s degrees and postgraduate studies include Classics and Ancient History, Philosophy, Metaphysics and Philosophy of Mind. Bob taught for over 20 years in Classics, Ancient History, Archaeology, Ancient Languages, Philosophy and Religious Studies and which added to his already growing magical interests. As a speaker, Bob, has lectured at most occult conferences both here and abroad, and still runs monthly lectures at the Phoenix Club on the Isle of Wight. Discussions focus on various Occult subjects including Egyptian skrying techniques, Classical Magick, Hermeticism, Neoplatonism, the Grimoire tradition, Esoteric symbolism and astrosophy, ancient and modern Alchemical theoria et praxis along with the individuals who inspire the promotion of the Magical Revival.

  • In this talk we will dive into the deep, exploring not only the lore and magic of fairies within a Welsh context, but also beliefs surrounding the Otherworld, Annwfn, and the deities associated with this liminal realm.

    Mhara Starling is a Welsh Witch, born in North Wales, and raised on the Isle of Anglesey. She is a coven leader, an author, and a member of the Anglesey Druid Order. Having been delving into Welsh streams of magic and lore from a very young age, Mhara now shares her love for her culture via her books, courses, YouTube videos, and workshops. She is the author of Welsh Witchcraft (2022) and Welsh Fairies (Releasing Autumn 2024).

  • Kristoffer Hughes is Chief of the Anglesey Druid Order and the award-winning author of several books that focus on Welsh/Celtic spirituality, mythology and magic. He is a first language native Welsh speaker born to a Welsh family in the mountains of North Wales. He is a Druid and member of the Gorsedd of Bards of the Island of Britain, and a Druid graduate of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, a Mount Haemus Scholar and the designer of three tarot decks. He worked for His Majesty's Coroner service for 32 years as an Autopsy Technologist and bereavement officer before retiring to become a Welsh language Television presenter. In addition to his role in Welsh TV, he is an active funeral celebrant and consults on the board of religious education in Wales. He is active in the school of the Anglesey Druid Order where he teaches Druidry in the Anglesey tradition.

    Further details to follow.

Workshops

  • This year our Keynote and JSK Memorial Lectures will be the only 10:00am event.

  • The Ars Goetia within the Lesser Key of Solomon is often a go-to for many curious magicians seeking to uncover the gnosis of the Goetic spirits. However, contemporary Demonolatry seems to have somewhat of a dislike towards this text and attempts to deter people from working with the Goetic spirits in this way. In this workshop, we will discuss the history of the Goetia, the nature of the Goetic spirits, and how this text can be applied today through making the appropriate adaptations to suit the modern magician's practice. You will also learn how to make your own Solomonic triangle for personal use.

    Black Witch Dirah is a Luciferian Witch and Occultist of the Left-Hand Path as well as an Occult educator, passionate about empowering those on their magickal journeys through Occult philosophy. Her speciality areas include divination, demonolatry, Goetic Magick, and spiritual alchemy.

  • Dave Lee will be leading a 2-hour Intensive Workshop until 15:30. Places limited, so book early.

    The purpose of this workshop is to provide participants with a direct experience of sensed energy, using Connected Breathwork* to generate an ASC in which we clearly sense flows of energy (chi, prana etc) in our bodies and immediate environment. Participants will learn how to entrain the energy sensations and project the energy from the hands to heal physical ailments. 

    The workshop will involve: an introduction to Connected Breathing, together with health and safety considerations; Connected Breathwork practice; energy entrainment practice; energy healing practice. 

    Dave Lee’s magical practice is rooted in teenage psychedelia but became rather more focused when the multi-model approach known as chaos magic came along. Dave has spent over four decades exploring consciousness-change techniques that include meditation, ritual magic, psychedelics and energy work. He is a certified coach of Vivation, one of the brands of Connected Breathwork, a technique which gives rapid access to altered states. His four decades with chaos magic organization the Illuminates Of Thanateros has given him an enormous amount of experience in facilitating group work and group consensus processes, and for over a decade he has facilitated numerous energy magic workshops in UK, Austria, Germany and online.

    His website and other main links are to be found here: https://linktr.ee/david23lee

    Dave’s energy magic publications include the ground-breaking book Life-Force: Sensed Energy in Breathwork, Psychedelia and Chaos Magic (review here: https://rb.gy/2myjhg ).

    * the two best known brands of this are Rebirthing and Holotropic


  • Further details to follow.

Sunday

LectureS

  • Mogg Morgan of Mandrake of Oxford will deliver the Jake Stratton-Kent Memorial Lecture.

    Further details to follow.

  • Geraldine Beskin and her daughter Bali Beskin own The Atlantis Bookshop in London. She has a great interest in the Western Mysteries and witchcraft, Tarot, Crowley, Spare and the Victorian members of the Golden Dawn are her particular areas of study. Geraldine curated her first of five Austin Osman Spare exhibitions in 1986 and sometimes takes something from her collection into Atlantis for others to enjoy too.

    Further details to follow.

  • Following the Morning Star from Cherry Tree Lane to Brean Down with Mary, Milly and Morgan: Discovering Women’s New Magical Genealogies Within the British Occult Scene 1910-30s Through the Work of P.L. Travers (Mary Poppins) and Dion Fortune (The Sea Priestess).

    Sue Terry’s lecture will explore intriguing connections between P.L. Travers’ Mary Poppins (1934) and Dion Fortune’s The Sea Priestess (1935) and the career of an important but little-known woman of the occult (introduced in this lecture), who has a lasting influence on children’s education today.

    Sue offers a new understanding of two classic magical novels through women’s friendships and genealogies within the British occult scene of the 1910s - 30s. Sue will share some discoveries from her original PhD research into the Stella Matutina (‘The Morning Star’, successor to The Order of the Golden Dawn), P.L. Travers’ Theosophy and Rudolph Steiner’s schools - and what she uncovered by poking around in local history. Flying under Mary Poppins’ enchanted umbrella, we’ll take a wild ride from occult circles in London, to Dion Fortune’s visionary West Country and to Wales, overseas to the Antipodes and to the in-between zones of myth and magical imagination. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

    Sue Terry is completing her PhD at the University of Surrey, researching women’s empowerment through occultism in fiction by Mary Butts, Florence Farr, Sylvia Townsend Warner and P.L. Travers.  Sue had the bright idea that created the brilliant Magickal Women Conference 2019; she was Director, speaker and host of Magickal Women events until January 2023. Sue co-presents with Caroline Wise the very successful annual Florence Farr and the Magical Imagination Conference in London, and runs Owl House Seminars, ‘Literature and the Weird’, online and in-person courses. Sue has appeared on podcasts Some Other Sphere and Rejected Religion; her work on occult feminist author Mary Butts has been published in English Studies journal (2024). She is currently working on a book on British fantasy author Alan Garner.

  • Phil Rayner has been beating metal in submission for 30 years, and can often be found at re-enactment events with his forge. He has been arguing with the Gods for longer, with moderate success. When not otherwise occupied, he can be found practising methods of combat that are several hundred years out of date.

    Further details to follow.

  • In Comics, Cults and Occult artist Jason Atomic talks about the occult roots of the comic book and, more specifically, how this medium has been used and abused over the years by some of the world’s most notorious religious cults. Special attention will be paid to harbingers of doom like, end times cults, such as The Process Church Of The Final Judgement, The Children Of God & Aum Shinrikyo. Atomic, a lifelong comic collector, will share examples of these and more cult comics from his personal archive and tell how this countercultural obsession led into the creation of his own Satanic Mojo Comix. This is a revised an updated version of a talk previously given at Treadwells Occult Bookshop and Helgi’s Bar in London in 2019. It will be accompanied by a full colour zine produced for the occasion.

    Jason Atomic is a multidisciplinary artist, writer, curator and performer based in the UK. He is a founder of the Satanic Flea Market and publisher of the underground anthology title, Satanic Mojo Comix and the Samoco Mojozine. He has artwork on display and in the collections of the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic, The Satanic Temple’s Salem Gallery & The Buckland Museum Of Witchcraft And Magick and once set an unofficial world land/speed record for portraiture at the National Portrait Gallery. Having left London during the pandemic lockdown, Atomic currently resides in an Oxfordshire market town with his muse Manko and a 3-legged cat called Picasso.

Workshops

  • This year our Keynote and JSK Memorial Lectures will be the only 10:00am event.

  • This presentation delves into the key elements of sigils and sigil magic, looking at their early appearances in grimoires, then looking into how the method of sigil magic was developed by Austin Osman Spare, and from there going on to look at how Pete Carroll promoted it in chaos magic, and finally looking the role of hypnosis in the modern method of the practice.  This session is also practical. It takes you through the essential mechanisms of the sigil: from intent, to inscription, to implantation in the unconscious. By the end of the session participants will be able to create, energise and work with sigils in a variety of ways. 

    Mark is a professional musician of 25 years, a clinical hypnotherapist with over 15 years experience, and an experienced chaos magician. He draws upon his extensive knowledge of neuroscience, psychology and therapeutic approaches to develop cutting-edge occult methods to ensure more effective spellcasting. He runs numerous workshops through Treadwell's London, and he specialises in finding out what people really want versus what they think they want and then teaching them to employ various occult approaches to enact their will. As well as chaos magic, Mark is experienced in Enochian magic and various non-traditional occult approaches. His methods can be integrated and used by people who are working in established traditions as well as by solo practitioners.

  • Lou and Kevin will be leading a 2-hour Intensive Workshop until 15:30. Places limited, so book early.

    The use of sound and rhyme in ritual context has long been documented. This can be achieved via the repetition of words and enchantment conveying sacred meaning. This workshop will endeavour to introduce the audience to the writing and performance of sacred poetry under the guidance of the Muses, in the context of a modern reinvocation of the Dionysian mysteries. Channelling divine inspiration, we will construct a collective invocation to Dionysus and give participants creative tools to enrich their spiritual and poetic lives. No previous experience necessary.

    Lou Hotchkiss-Knives walks an eclectic path where country Witchcraft, Thelema, History, feminism, music and writing intersect with Babalon devotional practices. Her work on Babalon has been featured in several occult anthologies and journals, including Women of Babalon (Black Moon Publishings), and the Eloquent Blood by Manon Hendeborg White (Oxford University Press). A self-confessed incorrigible scribbler, she has also contributed to various fiction, poetry and punk publications such as Veneficia Publishings, The Gloucestershire Poetry Society, punk zine Slutcake and the Dolmen Grove Chronicles. Her interest in Classical culture and mythology has heavily influenced her poetic ramblings.

    Kevin Childs is a freelance writer and lecturer on culture and art. As well as convening and contributing to courses at the Victoria and Albert Museum he has taught on the Art History and Visual Culture BA course at Exeter University. He’s written regularly for national newspapers and leads specialised tours of Rome, Venice and Florence.  He is also a screenwriter working on projects as diverse as the Norman rulers of England, Josephine Baker and a what-if scenario around the potential restoration of an Italian monarchy. His first collection of poetry, entitled Pagan Poetry, will be published later this year.

  • Mima Cornish came to magic in a very strange way, having grown up helping her mum fill envelopes at The Atlantean Centre, and thinking this was quite normal. When she returned to Spirituality as an adult, a sense of coming home centred her firmly as a devotee of Hekate. She is a healer, meditation leader, counsellor and artist and she started working as HedgeRose Healing in 2012. Hekate is always present in Her work and Her practice, guiding, informing and giving her strength and insight. Mima lives in Cheshire with her husband, and the most ridiculous rescue dog that ever was born. She has her own therapy practice in the jungle of her back garden, which makes her more happy than she can really express. She is ADHD and very socially awkward.

    Further details to follow.