Spellwork & Ritual Intensive

Whether you're an experienced occultnik, a skeptic, or an eager aspiring practitioner, this rigorous, five-week deep-dive into the world of witchcraft and magic will give you a firm grounding in what it means to walk the path of the witch, preparing you to take up the tools and techniques of the magical arte for yourself.

In this beginner-friendly and inter-traditional program—taught by Melissa Jayne Madara, witch, author, and one time co-ownwer of NYC’s famed Catland Books—students will engage in comparative analysis of historical spells and charms, exploring magical operations across cultures and time periods in an attempt to define the undefinable work of the witch. Each week, our curriculum will delve further and further into the details of magical practice, looking at tools, techniques, and examples of witchcraft in action. Students will even receive spells assigned as homework, to try their hand at a few procedures discussed in class. At the culmination of this series, students will construct an initiation rite of their own design, and use this ritual to create a magical practice of their own.

If you have ever wanted a peek within the occulted world of witchcraft, to read ancient spell books and examine rituals from the most famous magicians of history, this class is the perfect place to begin!

All classes take place live on Zoom, and are recorded for all ticketholders to enjoy. If you miss a live class, recordings will be sent along afterward so you can catch up! This ticket page will be up for the full length of the course. If you would like to join late, please purchase your ticket, then message this website for access to previous class recordings.

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WEEK 1 - Foundations of Practical Magic

Tuesday October 1st, 7pm EST

This course kicks off with an introduction to how magic "works," and the path of our specific approach through this course. We will outline differences between devotional and practical magic, introduce the notion of personal gnosis, and explore the various goals and results of pursuing a magical path. 

WEEK 2 - Materia Magica

Tuesday October 8th, 7pm EST

In Week 2, we will explore the tools and substances of magic, and discuss what makes an object "magical" in the first place. This class will cover the must-have objects of ritual craft, correspondence systems for making elections in our work, and the process of selecting herbs, waters, waxes, oils, and other materia in writing your own spells. 

WEEK 3 - Techniques of the Witch

Tuesday October 15th, 7pm EST

Week 3 puts the materials of Week 2 into action, and examines magical skills and techniques that are essential for performing spractical spellwork. We will discuss crafting and consecration, magical timing, writing invocations and charms, and constructiing magical amulets, among other essential procedures. 

WEEK 4 - Resources, Research, and Building a Magical Library

Tuesday October 22nd, 7pm EST

Week 4 will feature a resource share of magical reference texts, as we dive deep into the grimoires and magical books of history to see where we might find further inspiration for our work. This class will teach you where to look for high-quality resources about the occult, where to find first-hand documents from magicians of the past, and how to build a magical library of your own. 

WEEK 5 - Practical Ritual Construction 

Tuesday October, 7pm EST

The final week of this course will combine all the wisdom of our previous lectures, as we discuss how to build and perform rituals and rites of your own construction. This lecture will lay out a format for writing your own operations, and leave students will the skills and confidence to craft meaningful, effective spells of their own. 

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Melissa Jayne Madara is a witch, herbalist, and educator based in New York City. You may know her through Catland Books, her now-closed occult bookshop in Brooklyn, or through one of her two books, The Witch's Feast & The Witch's Workshop. As a writer, she loves discussing plant magic, herbcraft, and presenting deep analysis of historical spells and charms. Most of her research is centered in the magical traditions of classical antiquity, but you can find her writing about folklore, mythology, and rituals from the ancient world all the way through the modern era. She’s passionate about making witchcraft accessible and easy to learn, while providing high-quality research and education to those who want to pick up this work for themselves.