Programme
Saturday 13th February
LectureS
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Simon Costin will be delivering the Keynote Lecture to open the Conference.
Ritual Objects and Living Lineages: The Museum as Custodian of Magical Knowledge
The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic serves as a vital repository of neo-pagan heritage and contemporary witchcraft practice. This talk explores how the museum preserves ritual objects, personal archives, oral histories, and rare texts that document the evolution of magical traditions in Britain and beyond. By safeguarding these materials, the institution not only protects a historically marginalized spiritual movement but also provides future generations of practitioners, scholars, and seekers with access to an authentic lineage of magical knowledge. Through careful curation and collecting, the museum aims to ensure that the legacy of modern witchcraft remains accessible, respected, and alive.
Simon Costin is the Director of the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic in Cornwall, the worlds largest repository of artefacts and archive material relating to Witchcraft and magical practise. The museum was established by Cecil Williamson in 1951 on the Isle of Man and later moved to the UK mainland and having had to move several times, it finally settled in the small coastal village of Boscastle in 1959. Simon was passed the reins by Graham King, who took over from Cecil, in 2013. Simon also has a curatorial practise and is in the process of establishing the UK's first ever Museum dedicated to British Folklore.
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The aim of this presentation is to unravel an important piece of the puzzle of medieval European magic, the magic of Al-Andalus, focusing on herbalism. The influence of Andalusian magic on Western magic is undeniable. It is a conglomeration of magical wisdom and traditions found in Iberia, arriving from the confines of the Mediterranean: from Aristotelian treatises, Hermeticism, astrology, Greco-Roman magic, Kabbalah, alchemy, Egyptian magic and Middle Eastern traditions. Al-Andalus became a new Alexandria and a benchmark for its translation schools and universities.
The history of magical culture in Al-Andalus is a story of survival. It is a story of traditions deeply rooted in the people, both low and highborn. It is a testament to how pagan magical traditions survived in the Iberian Peninsula, even under the Christian cross. Plant magic is one of the pillars of Andalusian magic. Ness Bosch offers us an introduction, a window into magical herbalism in the legendary kingdom of Al-Andalus.
Ness Bosch is an Iberian Shamaness, Priestess and Celebrant living on the West Coast of Scotland. Author and independent researcher, mother of 3, she is a founding member of the Goddess Community Scotland. Founder of The Path of the Bones, she is also the Head of the Covenant of the Waters and the Temple of Astarte. Ness is a Hierophant Priestess, Dame Commander, and Archdruidess of the Fellowship of Isis, and a regular speaker at international conferences and events; she holds teachings and retreats when time and children allow. Ness is also the CEO of the online Ancestral Pathways Conference.
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Stay tuned for further exciting announcements!
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Sara Hannant will describe the magical journey which resulted in Panic: Visions of the Horned God in the English Country Garden (Strange Attractor Press, 2026). Wild and exciting, the Greek god Pan induces both fear and awe; at times, he is dangerous, stirring panic and creating pandemonium. Sarah’s dreamlike images investigate statues of the Horned God as a personification of nature in our climate emergency, rousing us to recognise our place within the living world.
Sara Hannant is an award-winning artist and photographer. Her practice is inspired by witchcraft, magic, and folklore. Sara has exhibited internationally, and her books include Panic: Visions of the Horned God in the English Country Garden (Strange Attractor Press, 2026), which includes texts by Ronald Hutton and Simon Costin. Of Shadows: One Hundred Objects from the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic (Strange Attractor Press, 2017) and Mummers, Maypoles and Milkmaids: A Journey Through the English Ritual Year (Merrell, 2011), which was also a Horniman Museum touring exhibition, bringing contemporary British folklore and Paganism to a wide and diverse audience.
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Dr. Sue Terry is joined on stage by a host of women practitioners to discuss their practice, perspective, and paths in this new format for the Glastonbury Occult Conference.
Workshops
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This year our Keynote and JSK Memorial Lectures will be the only 10:00am event.
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Stay tuned for another exciting announcement!
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Exploring the innovative creativity of Brion Gysin and William S. Burroughs in using cut up technique for spellcraft.
Cut up is not just a collage or a system of rearranging words, but a simple process that nevertheless creates powerful synergies and contact with unconscious realms. Participants will look at some of Burrough‘s spells and, together with some NLP techniques, help you develop your own efficient and deeper use of language in magical practice. Those in the workshop will then do a deep dive into the effect that this work had on friends of W S Burroughs that included Bowie, The Beatles and Kurt Cobain and the Chaos Magic movement.
Everyone will have a chance to experiment with cut up practice and create effects that are both spontaneous and surprising!
Vic Hyland and Michele Chamberlain Scott are active participants in the occult community, both having spent over 40 years in study and practice across a wide range of esoteric techniques.
They are also artists, podcasters, poets, musicians and published authors who combine a warm, friendly, collaborative approach with deep knowledge and gentle humour.
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Join Pablo Vazquez, notable Zoroastrian scholar, initiate, and esotericist, in the creation of ancient Zoroastrian talismans sanctified through the power of sacred sound. Attendees will learn briefly about this influential and timeless tradition and the four most powerful Zoroastrian manthras before creating their own talismans to aid and protect them in their magical work.
Pablo Vazquez (any) is a scholar, lecturer, writer, translator, documentarian, adventurer, occultist, and theologian. A notable Zoroastrian initiate and scholar, Pablo is the Resident Theologian of the Hearth of Wisdom, an international Zoroastrian esoteric lay order, and the host of Zoroastrianism 101, an educational YouTube series developed through Soul Roots, a documentary projecthouse co-created with his friend, colleague, and fellow occultist Ryan Gaffney. Pablo has translated the oldest Zoroastrian texts as The Sacred Gathas of Zarathushtra and the Old Avestan Canon (Mantra Books, 2022) and is currently writing a primer on Zoroastrian esotericism and magic.
Currently a PhD student, Pablo focuses on researching the influence of Zoroastrianism on Western Esotericism at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. When not working on a million and one projects or engaging in occult ritual and research as Pablo has for over two decades now, Pablo loves to travel, be an annoying cinephile, collect strange and interesting things, write for tabletop RPGs, and drinking pints shared with friends new and old.
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Full details of this workshop to follow.
Robert Peter is an eclectic magician hailing from England. Walking in the footsteps of those who tread the path of both darkness and light to bring knowledge forth from parts unknown to the hearts and minds of seekers of the esoteric arts.
Saturday Ritual
‘Rite of Isis’ performed by Isabella Javor & Middle Pillar Theatre
The ‘Rite of Isis’ is a contemporary devotional performance celebrating the enduring worship of goddess Isis. Middle Pillar Theatre lead an atmospheric ritual drawing from revived ancient magical practice and the creative works of pioneering magicians such as Florence Farr, Dion Fortune, Aleister Crowley, Moina Mathers and Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers.
Isabella Javor is an actor, occultist and independent researcher. Since 2012, she has been devoted to her study of the life and work of Florence Farr (1860-1917). In 2017, she produced charity event 'A Woman's Century' in association with Treadwells Bookshop at the Theosophical Society, staging candlelit performances of Florence Farr & Olivia Shakespear's Egyptian magic themed plays. Throughout Isabella’s career in theatre, film and TV she has worked across immersive performances and experiences in London, and brings that wealth of experience to her ritual performances.
In partnership with astrologer and magician Rory Keys, she co-founder of Middle Pillar Theatre, a ritual theatre company producing immersive sacred performance.
Sunday 14th February
LectureS
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Each year the Glastonbury Occult Conference celebrates the life and work of visionary occultist, writer, and bon vivant Jake Stratton-Kent.
We can’t tell you who will be giving the lecture just yet, but you’ll want to be there to hear them!
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Full details to follow.
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Full lecture details to follow.
Ùna Maria Blyth is a queer, neurodivergent writer living in the Shetland Isles, a remote archipelago located between Scotland and Norway. She is the author of Muses No More: Portraits of Occult Women (Hexen Press, 2024).
In addition to Muses No More, Ùna has written for a range of publications including Folklore for Resistance, Sabat, Rituals & Declarations, Doggerland, Fire & Knives, and the academic text Reframing Immersive Theatre (published by Palgrave Macmillan).
A former member of London-based ritual immersive theatre company FoolishPeople, her academic background lies in political philosophy (University of York) and film (Central Saint Martins).
Website: www.unamariablyth.com
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Full details to follow.
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This talk delves into how heathen myth merged with Christian mysticism to conceive The Holy Grail, the elusive cup that heals all ills, the source of physical sustenance and spiritual transformation. Drawing on his recent book Grail, John Constable transports us from medieval French Romance literature and the ‘High History’ to a vision of a living archetype reinventing itself in contemporary magical practice.
He’ll address the age-old question ‘Whom does the Grail serve?’ – both in terms of literal answers and a poetic vision that points beyond words to an ineffable unity.
John Constable is a playwright, poet, performer and ritualist. His work includes The Southwark Mysteries (Shakespeare's Globe), Gormenghast, Spark In The Dark, I Was An Alien Sex God and Spare, inspired by the works of Austin Osman Spare. His last book Grail interweaves myths and incantations with vignettes of Glastonbury life.
As John Crow he conducted a 23-year cycle of magical works at south London’s Cross Bones Graveyard, hosting monthly vigils and creating a shrine and garden for sex workers and outcasts. Working with his spirit guide, The Goose, he has held ceremonies at festivals and sacred sites around the world. On the album Ancestor Souls he performs his work to music by Queen Space Baroque.
Having lived more than 30 years in Southwark, he and his wife / co-practitioner Katy moved between lockdowns and are now in their seventh year of living in Glastonbury.
https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/southwark-mysteries-9781849438537/
Workshops
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This year our Keynote and JSK Memorial Lectures will be the only 10:00am event.
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Full details to follow.
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In the ancient world, the Myrrophores were priestesses and keepers of sacred oils, using aromatic essences for healing, spiritual practice, and ritual work. In this experiential workshop, we will explore their legacy and the wisdom carried within sacred plant oils.
Participants will be invited to connect with charged and activated oils prepared for spiritual work. Through guided pathworking, they will journey inward to discover a personal message, insight, or healing that the oil wishes to share.
Alongside the experiential component, participants will be introduced to each oil, its traditional properties, energetic qualities, and sacred associations. This workshop offers a unique opportunity to deepen your relationship with aromatic spirits and experience the transformative power of scent as a bridge between the physical and spiritual worlds.
Cristina Pandolfo (Astrum Lucifera) is the creatrix of the esoteric herbal apothecary In Lumine Lunae and the founder of Templum Dianae, the Lucìfera Dianic Path, and the occult women's society The Ladies from Outside. She was initiated into the Dianic Tradition and ordained as a Dianic Priestess by the Temple of Diana in Los Angeles, California.
A claircognizant spiritual guide and teacher, Cristina is a certified myrrophore, esoteric herbalist, and ritual perfumer. She is also a certified Plant Spirit Healing practitioner and a member of the British Flower Essence Producers Association (BAFEP). Her work explores the intersection of sacred beauty, plant spirits, sacred aromas, and female spirituality, and focuses on supporting women's inner sovereignty and self-actualization through spiritual education, esoteric knowledge, and guidance.
More information:
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Sefer HaOtot is a 1720 Hebrew manuscript of Solomonic pentacles. In this workshop, participants will learn a bit about the text, and then write and charge their own "Face of the Sun" pentacles, which the text tells us are "great for finding favor and respect in the eyes of kings and lords, and to get from them everything one wants, and so they won’t send one away empty-handed."
Please bring coloured pencils if you have some, although some will be provided to share.
Sara L. Mastros is the author of “Introduction to Witchcraft", “The Sorcery of Solomon,” “The Big Book of Magical Incense," and "Orphic Hymns Grimoire.” Recognized by her peers as a brilliant and original thinker, an engaging and inspiring teacher, a compelling and clever writer, and a generally decent human being, Sara spends a lot of time dreaming, thinking, enchanting, writing, and teaching about witchcraft, magic, and myth.
But, her true passion is raising up an army of inspired, educated, empowered witches prepared to weave weird new ways of Being in a world that desperately needs us. Rise up!
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Full details to follow.