H. Byron Ballard has called western North Carolina home since her birth. Her education includes a BA and MFA in theatre. She studies and practices Appalachian folk magic, a traditional folkway that she's dubbed "hillfolks' hoodoo." Her research in its origins has led her to fieldwork throughout the British Isles. Her books on the subject include "Staubs and Ditchwater: an Introduction to Hillfolks Hoodoo" (Silver Rings Press) and "Asfidity and Mad-Stones" (Smith Bridge Press). "Embracing Willendorf: a Witch's Way of Loving Your Body to Health and Fitness" (Smith Bridge Press) debuted in 2017. She has served as a featured speaker and teacher at festivals and conferences that include Sacred Space Conference, Pagan Spirit Gathering, Southeast Wise Women's Herbal Conference, Glastonbury Goddess Conference, the Scottish Pagan Federation Conference and Mystic South. A member of the Appalachian Studies Association, she recently presented the paper "The Ragged Wound", which has become the core of her current work-in-progress. Byron serves as senior priestess and co-founder of Mother Grove Goddess Temple in Asheville. She is also one of the founders of the Coalition of Earth Religions/CERES, a Pagan nonprofit, and she does interfaith work locally and regionally. She is a folklorist, a playwright, a gardener, and a tai chi student who blogs irregularly and talks about Tower Time far too often. You can find her at her website www.myvillagewitch.com and on Facebook and Twitter.
Spirit-Folk
From a life lived in nature and grounded in old magic, Ballard shares her truth about the non-corporeal people who share this planet with us. She calls them the Ancestors, the Good Neighbors, the Cousins and they inhabit the slim space between worlds of matter and spirit. They are the others and they have always been with us, whether we acknowledged them
or not. In these times of chaos and madness, we humans need their advice and their help. The trick will be to find out if they are willing to be allies with our benighted and dangerous species.
Byron Ballard
Old, Wild Magics of the Motherland
This class explores ancient and lingering spells that I have discovered in my field work in Scotland, Cumbria, Yorkshire and Cornwall. My research in the origins of Appalachian folk magic have invited me to Britain again and again. I have read and listened; I have walked old tracks and smelt old smells that are iron and blood and long-standing water. Then I’ve come back to the southern highlands of Appalachia and have practiced these ways, tweaking them to see what works and doesn’t after all these years and in a world so different from the one that birthed them. It is a lively and interactive class that I hope will serve as an interesting introduction to these gnarled survivors of a time long past.
Jason Mankey is a third-degree Gardnerian High Priest and helps run two Witchcraft covens in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, Ari. He is a popular speaker at Pagan and Witchcraft events across North America and Great Britain and has been recognized by his peers as an authority on the Horned God, Wiccan history, and occult influences in rock and roll. You can follow him on Instagram and Twitter @panmankey. Jason is the author of several books, including The Witch’s Book of Spellcraft, The Horned God of the Witches, and Transformative Witchcraft.
Early Modern Witchcraft in North America
Magickal practice has long been everywhere, but what about self-identifying Witches? In this workshop we explore the first generation of Witchcraft practitioners in North America in an attempt to separate fact from fiction and realworld events from mythology. Who were the first self-proclaimed Witches and what can they teach us today?
Jason Mankey
The Horned God 3.0
From Pan to Cernunnos to Herne the Hunter, it's a history of the Horned God and the many horny, horned, and antlered deities associated with him. Discover the origins of the Horned God in pre-history and how he's been reimagined and rediscovered over the centuries. Mankey has been writing about, speaking on, experiencing, and researching the Horned God for over fifteen years, and his work is continuously being updated, hence "3.0" the latest version of his Horn Head ruminations.
As a young adult he studied in seminary as a Christian missionary, but later joined a Unitarian church with a more open view of deity and eventually became ordained. Through this path he discovered Wicca, taking a Wicca 101 course and being initiated a year later as a 1st-degree Gardnerian. After years studying traditions such as Gnostic, Mithraic, Faery, and Alexandrian, he achieved his 3rd degree and founded a coven with his wife Zoe, also a 3rd-degree Gardnerian High Priestess. Since moving to the South, they have led several Wicca 101 courses, and he continues to serve as High Priest of their learning coven.
Scourging
a workshop that talks about the why and how of this act. It is all about purification and even used for some trancework or energy raising. If enough people are interested towards the end there can be a hands on demonstration as well, so participants can bring their own and we can break up into partners.
Ken Hooker
Grounding and Centering
a nice talk on the basics of this important technique that I think benefits both beginners as well as advanced practitioners. We will go over the reasons for it, the differences between grounding and centering, and then perform a few practical grounding techniques.
The Altar and Tools
Will go over some basics on each tool, their placement on the Altar, their representations as paths to power and then on different types of placements depending on traditions.
He has been a practicing Pagan for more than 35 years. He was the High Priest for Witches of the Woods and is a priest and member of SPIRAL. He has been a member of the Society of Creative Anachronisms since rocks were soft and learned many craft skills there. He is married to Tish and so is most likely insane.
Crafting Leather Pouches
You will put together a pouch in which to carry your valuables during festival. There are different sizes and materials are included in the class. This class is for adults and children. There will be two sessions.
Patrick Owen
Rachel Bruce is an eclectic practitioner born in Tacoma, Washington. She has traveled the world and planted roots in Tennessee. She joined her first coven at the age of 17 and later followed a Norse path, continuing her education with years of research and solo practice in other walks, and currently practices as a member of Wild Thistle Witchcraft in Smyrna/Murfreesboro. This culmination of knowledge and personal experience makes Rachel passionate about her craft as an intuitive tarot reader and shadow work coach.
Somatic Movement 1
A workshop that talks about the why and how of this act. It is all about purification and even used for some trancework or energy raising. If enough people are interested towards the end there can be a hands on demonstration as well, so participants can bring their own and we can break up into partners.
Rachel Bruce
Somatic movement 2
Spiral dance- Learn the magic and history of the spiral.
Lady Anya is a native of Gulfport, MS and priestess since 2005. She's been reading Tarot for over 25 years and Runes for over 9 years. She's a member of Wild Thistle Witchcraft coven and a Hearth witch with Norse and Celtic influences that strives to always be a guiding influence in the community.
"May the Hearth Fire burn ever brightly in your heart and may you carry that light into the world."
Rune Class 1
History and stories of how the Elder Futhark Runes came to be. We'll explore the first 12 Runes and their meanings. There will be a handout. Note taking is encouraged.
Lady Anya
Rune Class 2
We'll explore the last 12 Runes and their meanings. Reading styles, techniques, and ethics will be discussed. There will be a handout. Note taking is encouraged.
Founding Elder of People Embracing Change. Professional Psychic, and Teacher on Comparative Mystical and Spiritual practices for over 30 years.
Initially Solitary, apprenticed and trained by his Elder for finishing school.
Ceremonialist over several decades. Personal practices include, yoga, kriya, chi gong along with other integrated practices.People Embracing Change (PEC) we encourage people to explore many mystical, spiritual, and magical paths. We prepare people to make conscious choices. PEC as an organization, we are looking at developing a tribal mind set, with groups, traditions, and clans for a community. Magic or Religion should serve the communities that they are in. Most importantly develop leadership skills for the future, growing our leaders from the ground up, loving community and serving it in its entirety.
We will also cover movements, breath, and techniques to channel a group's energy for various purposes. Concepts on how to move group energy in a group and do it safely will be addressed. Beyond the 4 elements we will cover entities, places, things and group mind that can augment group workings. Movements, group physical connections, holding hands in ways to channel or direct energy will be covered also. This is an energetic workshop. Wearing Comfortable clothing is suggested. Wells of natural energy will be evoked, as opposed to drawing on energies of peopled places.
William Hegeman
Energetics 102:
Using Energy by breath and movement
Beyond mind, supernatural alignment, or identifying and projecting thoughtforms, how do we draw and move energy in the body? We can paint, draw and move astral/spirit/chi/prana through our body via energetic memory, breath, movement, and awareness. We will cover how we can channel spirit through our bodies utilizing concepts in energetic hygiene and a brief overview of meditation, breath is used for energy work. Movements such as tai chi, chi gong and kriyas augment many spiritual and magical practices. Foundational integrated practices will be covered. Personal discovery to take this further is always encouraged. This is an energetic workshop. Wearing comfortable clothes is suggested. Wells of natural energy will be evoked as opposed to drawing on energies of peopled places.
Energetics 202:
Group Energetic techniques
Create Your Own Wheel of the Year
Where does your wheel of the year come from? Does it fit your life, or the agrarian cycle of the south? This is a group discussion, with pointed questions to find what is important to you, your life, and personal group. Some resources will be available and an example of People Embracing Change’s liturgical cycle and why it is important to us.
The craft is also important for us to craft what works for us and leaves room for our changes in the future.
Williams Links:
A philosopher and lifelong Pagan and devoted follower of Pan and the Greek Gods. He is currently writing a book on Thoughtforms, Tulpas, Egregores, and other created entities in magical practice.. In his "day job", Nik is a STEM educator working with schools to bring the magic of science to underserved populations in the Blue Ridge mountains. He lives in Asheville, NC with his husband of 17 years and one aloof cat.
In this all ages crafting workshop, participants will create their own horns from polymer clay. We will imbue them with our own energy to create a magical, wearable charm.
We will also discuss the horned Gods and Goddesses from around the world. (The horns will have to be baked in the oven for a bit, so finished items will be distributed after the class).
Nikos “Nik” Holton
Thoughtforms:
The Foundation of Magic
At the heart of nearly every magical tradition lies a shared mechanism: the shaping of thought, intention, and belief. In this workshop, we’ll explore thoughtforms as a core building block of magic and spiritual practice.
We’ll begin with the basics—what thoughtforms are, how they form, and why they matter—before looking at how they show up across Pagan, magical, and religious traditions. From personal spells and symbols to spirits, gods, and collective energies, thoughtforms help explain how magic takes shape and why it works.
Topics will include:
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What thoughtforms are and how they’re created
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The role of attention, emotion, and repetition in magic
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Personal vs. collective thoughtforms
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How thoughtforms influence ritual, spellwork, and spiritual experience
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Practical ways to work with thoughtforms intentionally and responsibly
This workshop is intro-friendly and designed for practitioners of all paths and experience levels. Whether you’re new to magic or looking to better understand what’s happening beneath your rituals, you’ll leave with a clearer framework for understanding magic as a living, participatory process.
Horn Crafting
A hedge druid, educator, and magical practitioner of over 30 years, who is committed to fostering transformative spiritual practices. Drawing on ancestral veneration and Druidic-inspired rituals, Talbin creates inclusive, safe spaces for participants to explore their roots, confront challenges, and find strength in their journey. Talbin’s practice draws heavily on his Scottish ancestry, with a focus on divination, nature, and education - empowering practitioners to break through stereotypes and gatekeeping to forge unique, personal magical paths. A passionate advocate for education, Talbin has worked in the Tennessee pagan community since the early 2000s, helping to create and lead organizations like Pagan Pride of East Tennessee, hold open community rituals, and teaches at various events. In 2020, he founded Black Oak Grove Church and the Appalachian Order of Modern Druidry, a druidic organization offering free ordinations and clergy services to both the pagan and LGBTQIA+ communities. Talbin enjoys studying cryptids and folklore, divination, crafting rituals that honor the cycles of nature, and building meaningful connections within the pagan community.
Druids of all paths, traditions, and independent practices are invited to gather in shared sacred space. This conclave brings together groves, solitary practitioners, students, healers, storytellers, and the curious for connection and communal work.
Together we will establish a simple, shared space, speak our names and callings, and kindle a communal working dedicated to wisdom, healing, justice, wildness, and community. Space will also be held for celebrations and recognitions across traditions, strengthening the ties between groves, solitaries, and seekers alike.
This is not a recruitment event, but a gathering for shared intention and service to the wider community. Come as you are. Bring the work you carry. Leave with connection and renewed purpose. It’s modern Druids gathering in difficult times.
Talbin MacGillivray, Ed.D.
Cryptids & Campfires
What do the Kentucky Goblins, the Loveland Frog, and the Beast of Bladenboro have in common? They refuse to stay quietly in the realm of myth. This lively and interactive class explores cryptid legends from across the United States, blending folklore, reported encounters, cultural history, and a healthy dose of curiosity. Expect strange creatures, eerie stories, and plenty of space to share your own experiences. This isn’t about proving or debunking. It’s about exploring the weird corners of our collective imagination and asking why these stories endure. Bring your curiosity. Leave with new legends to chase.
Druid Conclave:
A Cross-Tradition Working for Community
She has been reading bones since she was a child. Taught by her great grandmother she only brought her practice out a few years ago when she met another bone thrower at a festival. She also reads tarot and Lenormand cards. Her love of teaching keeps her busy doing readings and teaching in Smyrna TN at The Eclectic Road. She travels frequently to do events, search for cryptids and ghosts and hangs out with her coven Wild Thistle Witchcraft as much as she can!
History and making of a Witches Ladder
Free class that will be hands-on and participants leave with a complete 9 knot Witches Ladder. Short history of witches ladders, a few reasons they were crafted and then dive into the how of making them and let them choose their cords and supplies. 1 hour
Maeve Wilders
Mermaid Meditation
History of meditation, types of meditation and then float in the lake while you meditate on a gift from below. 1 hour
Bone Throwing
Beginners class, with history and how to read clusters and mini readings. Small bone kit and mini book. $15.00 1 hour
She has been in a relationship with the plant world since childhood, finding solace and support among the plants. Out of the 20+ years of her winding, wonder-filled path, the last 8 have been dedicated to deepening that connection through dedicated herbal study and practice. Her approach to working with plants is rooted in direct experience, reverence, and lifelong spiritual practice, weaving together threads of her herbalism practice, animism, plant spirit communication, and direct experience with the green world. She is passionate about helping others reconnect with the wisdom of the more-than-human world. She shares her work not as a teacher above the plants, but as a listener, facilitator, and fellow student of their teachings.
Seraphina is passionate about helping others remember their own place in the web of life. Through her teachings, she offers a grounded, heart-led invitation to reconnect with the living world. One leaf, one reciprocal breath, one conversation at a time. She lives in Knoxville, TN, and is a member of Black Oak Grove.
Listening to Leaves
Let's take a guided meditation together! Every year the students of Magic 261 - Journey with the Chakra Animals at Woolston-Steen Theological Seminary finish their year by showing how much they have learned about writing guided meditations. Come with us as we journey to meet one of our sacred animal siblings and learn the lessons they have to teach us. Presented by Woolston-Steen Theological Seminary, the only legal college of Witchcraft in the entire world.
Seraphina
​Communicating with Plant Spirits
Still available to everyone; It’s an ancient practice that many of us have simply forgotten. In this practical, experiential class, we will remember that connection with our plant kin. Through a short lecture, guided meditation, and gentle prompts, you’ll learn how to tune in to the wisdom and personality of a specific plant ally. Learn how to listen with your heart to the wisdom of a plant. You’ll leave with a deeper trust in your own intuition, and the skills to deepen your relationships with the beautiful world of plants.
Magdalena Koudelka was born in Poland and has lived in Tennessee since 95'. Grown up Roman Catholic, she had quiet support from her mother to read into the occult. She has slowly but surely found her roots back to the Slavic path. She is a High Priestess with Wild Thistle Witchcraft, a coven started with Chrissi Johnson in Smyrna/Murfreesboro, TN. As an everyday person, she is an Art teacher, a wife, a mother to 3 black cats and runs a small business called Flora of Swords, which provides divination services such as; Tarot, Bones Throwing & along with Tarot prints designed by her in an Art Nouveau style.
Favomancy -
Magic Beans are NOT just for growing stalks
Beans, beans the magickal fruit, the more you throw, the more you know! Join Magdalena as she shares Slavic Bean Divination, how a Favomany mat is constructed & learn the basics in bean reading. After basic knowledge, we will put our beans to work by practicing in small groups. It’s going to be an un-bean-iveable* class!
*more terrible puns included
Magdalena Koudelka
Slavic Magic:
Working with Spirits, Amulets & Crossroads
What does Slavic folk magic look like and feel like? Join Magdalena in conversation & hands- on activity! We will learn the basics of Slavic magic, working with land/water spirits, creating amulets and workings in crossroads. There will be a free hands-on activity (limited supplies) on creating a traditional amulet. If you miss out on the activity, pre-made amulets will be for sale at the Wild Thistle Witchcraft Booth.
Triple Goddess Stages of Worship
Which stage of life are you in? Maiden, Mother or Crone? Join Magdalena ( not a Maiden, Not a Mother and Not a Crone, yet!). Let's talk about the stages, how to find a deity and meditative actions without closing your eyes to reach out to those deities to work with them. Bring personal knowledge, bring a listening ear and a brave heart to share your journey. Notebook & pen is handy, too.
Phoenix LeNoir (Margaret Shelton) has been part of PUF for a few years and is excited to be back. She is a second-degree priestess with the Coven of the Sacred Moon and a certified Bone Instructor. A practicing witch since her teenage years she creates healing jewelry for clients and studies natural medicine and foraging. As an eclectic, kitchen, green witch, and rootworker, she is also a single mom of two and a grandmother to many.
Dirts, Dusts, Salts, and Washes
Discover the fascinating world of dirt, dust, salts, and washes. Join us as we explore their various uses and learn how to create salt together. Let's dive into this hands-on experience and uncover the magic behind these natural elements!
Margaret Shelton
Gris Gris Bag/ Hands
Join us for an engaging workshop where you'll learn how to create your very own Gris Gris bag! Discover the rich history and cultural significance behind these beautiful bags while gaining hands-on experience in crafting and personalizing your own. We will also cover essential tips on how to take care of your Gris Gris bag to ensure its longevity. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore your creativity and connect with fellow craft enthusiasts!
She has been teaching tarot and other metaphysical classes as a part of SPIRAL for several years. She has a tarot class happening now. Alicia is ordained through Aquarian Tabernacle Church and as a member of the clergy in SPIRAL.
Practical Tarot Techniques
Bring your favorite deck and step into the world of tarot. Discover how the cards can deepen intuition, inspire self-reflection, and support personal growth. This class will explore the relationship between the Major and Minor Arcana, introduce simple spreads, and cover techniques to help you read with confidence—no matter your experience level.
Alicia Middlebrook
It’s not every day that you meet an intuitive counselor who is also a seasoned attorney. Monica has spent decades developing both her intuitive and her analytical gifts. After graduating from college, she began her lifelong study of astrology informally, spending hours reading the astrology books at the Belle Meade Bookstar in Nashville, reviewing the charts of friends and family members, drawn in by the repeating patterns she saw. As Astrology books and online resources became more available, her fascination and study continued, but life also intervened. She started a family, went to law school, and went on to practice law for two decades, representing individuals at their most vulnerable moments and building her skills in providing others with a broader perspective and the knowledge to make their own informed decisions when faced with difficult circumstances. Within that time, she also began her formal astrological training with Steven Forrest, arguably the founder of evolutionary astrology, through his apprenticeship program. She attended seminars in NC and CA, which rekindled her own journey of self-discovery, of remembering who she was before the world told her who she should be. She began offering astrological guidance through her online platform but continued to work as an attorney until 2025. There are a lot of ways to use astrology for fun and validation, but that’s not what Monica offers. Monica specializes in using astrology to expand your self awareness, to discover who you are beneath the projections of others, and to identify karmic or inherited patterns and further develop the tools you already have to break them. Making more conscious choices (growth) often necessitates facing uncomfortable truths. If you’re ready for that, she has a message for you.
Astrology
Telling the karmic story: Evolutionary astrology uses the nodes of the moon in the natal chart to identify a karmic pattern that you’re ready to heal. In this class, we’ll learn a technique for using the natal chart to tell the past life story of this pattern.
Monica Mayo
A third degree Wiccan priestess. Her magical journey began in 1979 when she read Sybil Leek’s Diary of a Witch. In the late 80s she studied with ADF and Oak, Ash, & Thorn before forming the Runa tradition. She specializes in affirmations and pendulums and makes a daily affirmation on social media. She has also written The Meagan Stories, which are pagan children’s stories. Kat is an advocate of daily magic and stirs in “everyone in their safe space” every morning in her coffee. Kat began making beaded jewelry about forty years ago. Later she began using them in her affirmation practice. Two years ago, she began videotaping affirmations using ten and fifty bead pieces for social media (katwitanruna on TikTok and YouTube) for her goddessdaughters and has maintained the practice of posting an affirmation every day.
Pendulum Building
You will need:
Needle nose pliers (one is sufficient but two make it easier)
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What will be provided:
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6mm beads with eye pins ready to string together.
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Larger beads on eye pin to top the pendulum.
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Large lobster clips for the bottom of the pendulum
Things you might want to bring:
If you want a pendulum with specific beads or chain, bring it along! I can help you build your pendulum with the items you bring.
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Charms or pendants to put at the end of your pendulum
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Types of jewelry supplies:
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Looping pliers
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Plier set
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These are examples, you don’t have to buy these particular items.
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Chains should be open like this, and you’ll need jump rings to attach them.
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Any size of charm or pendant will work but if it has a small loop at the top, you’ll need a jump ring to ensure it fits the large lobster claw easily.
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I will have extra eye pins for those who bring their own beads. I will also have large split rings (such as used for keys) if you prefer to use those. I will have my own pendulums on site so that you can see possibilities. I will have my jewelry pliers with me which includes a wire looping plier for making the loops at the end of eye pins.
KatRuna