Austin Witchfest 2024

Austin Witchfest Inc. is an Austin-based 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization dedicated to the celebration, education and practice of witchcraft, in all it's forms. Held in the indoor spaces of the Palmer Events Center, near the heart of Austin and next to the beautiful spaces of Butler Park, we hope that you will join us for a day full of workshops, rituals, shopping, divination, entertainment and more! A portion of net proceeds will be donated to charity. Please read fully to understand what to expect and we hope to see you there!

Venue:

Originally an airplane hangar purchased in 1940 by the City of Austin, the Palmer Events Center (PEC) was established in 1998 after a board voted for an entire renovation, culminating in a multi-purpose venue next to Butler Park with a gorgeous view of downtown Austin. Powered 100% by renewable energy from Austin Energy's Green Choice Program, PEC's massive spaces, including five conference rooms and balcony on the second floor, and close proximity to many hotels makes it a great venue for our festival.

Admission:

Early Bird General Admission: $10, on sale 10/01/23-12/31/23

Presale General Admission: $15, on sale 01/01/24-04/27/24

General Admission: $20, on sale 04/28/24

Ticket purchases include admission to all rituals, workshops and entertainment unless otherwise specified (i.e. specialty workshops ). All sales final. Children 12 and under enter for free as long as they are accompanied by a paid ticket holder. The purchase of an admission ticket does not include parking.

Parking:

Parking is available for a $10 fee next to the Palmer Events Center in their four-story, 1,200-space garage. It has two entrances, one on Riverside Dr. and another on Barton Springs Rd. Mobility-impaired parking is available on each level of the garage. Spaces with this distinction are close to the elevators. And vehicles with military specialty plates receive complimentary parking. No overnight parking is allowed. Pro Tip: If there is any traffic, enter on Riverside. For parking inquiries, email: accdparkinginfo@austintexas.gov or call us at (512) 404-4260. Debit, credit cards, and cash accepted.

Overflow Parking

The One Texas Center Parking Garage, at the southeast corner of Barton Springs Rd. and S. 1st St., is used for extra parking during select major events and occasionally when the Palmer Events Center garage reaches capacity.

For more information about parking, visit https://www.palmereventscenter.com/directions-and-parking/

Guests of Honor*:

*Subject to change based on availability; will be updated as news guests are confirmed

Ivo Dominguez, Jr. (He/Him) has been active in Wiccan and the Pagan community since 1978 and has been teaching since 1982. Ivo is a founding member and former High Priest of Keepers of the Holly Chalice, the first Assembly of the Sacred Wheel coven. He currently serves as one of the Elders of the 14 ASW covens. Ivo has been published in numerous periodicals and is the author of The Four Elements of the Wise; Keys to Perception: A Practical Guide to Psychic Development; Practical Astrology for Witches and Pagans; Casting Sacred Space; and Spirit Speak, among other works. He is the anchor author for the new twelve book Witch’s Sun Sign Series. In his mundane life, he has been a computer programmer, the executive director of an AIDS/HIV service organization, a bookstore owner, and many other things. He is queer, poly, and lives in the woods of Southern Delaware with his family of choice.

Coby Michael (He/Him) is an occult herbalist and plant medicine practitioner, specializing in poisonous and psychoactive plants, particularly for their magical and spiritual properties. He is the owner of The Poisoner’s Apothecary (2017), a blog and online shop where he makes a wide array of formulas working with plants like deadly nightshade and fly agaric mushroom. Coby creates ritual formulas and talismanic jewelry, inspired by poisonous plants and their use in witchcraft and ceremony. Coby has a background in religious studies, traditional witchcraft, North American folk magic and phytochemistry. He also is the host and creator of Botanica Obscura Conference, an annual gathering of magical plant practitioners from around the world sharing their plant spirit knowledge. He writes prolifically and teaches workshops on the poison path, flying ointments, occult herbalism and psychedelic spirituality.

Thumper (Horkos) Marjorie Splitfoot Forge (He/Him) is a Gardnerian High Priest, an initiate of the Minoan Brotherhood, a Discordian Episkopos, a recovering alcoholic, and a notary public from Houston, Texas. His first book, Virgo Witch: Divining the Details was co-authored with Ivo Dominguez, Jr. and will be released by Llewellyn Publications in November 2023. By day, he manages a leather and fetishwear shop, and by night, he dabbles in chaos magic, offers geomantic and lithomantic readings, and blogs irreverently for Patheos Pagan. His essays have previously appeared in The Gorgon’s Guide to Magical Resistance (Revelore Press, 2022) and Modern Witchcraft with the Greek Gods: History, Insights & Magickal Practice (Llewellyn Publications, 2022).

Mortellus (They/Them) is a lineage 3° Gardnerian High Priestex, Mortician, Necromancer, Medium, and world-renowned thought leader in deathcare and the magic of death, presently busy at work on their fourth book, with their second, "The Bones Fall in a Spiral: A Necromantic Primer," published by Crossed Crow Books, arriving on shelves October 3rd, 2023. Mortellus is a Mortician, and in addition to their degrees in Mortuary Sciences, holds degrees in Design, Education and Fine Arts. Their areas of expertise include necromancy, necrobotany, mediumship, and the funerary rites of minority faith groups. Currently residing in Western North Carolina on three acres that doubles as the Covenstead for the Coven of Leaves with their spouse and twin children. Their adult child, who resides in Asheville North Carolina, is a student of Health Sciences at UNCA.

Alexis A. Arredondo (He/Him) grew up on the border of South Texas, where he was enamored with folklore as well as spiritual folk-practice at a very young age. He began learning folk magic and traditional brujería (Mexican witchcraft) from a local bruja (witch) in his hometown. Through the influence of famous healers such as Don Pedrito Jaramillo, he began his journey in the sacred healing art of Curanderismo (Mexican folk-healing), and was fortunate enough to have teachers in this practice as well as in el culto de Santisima Muerte (the cult of the Holy Death). He has also initiated into several necromantic systems such as tantric Aghor Yoga, Brazilian Kimbanda and he is a Tata Nganga in the Congo-Cuban practice of Palo Mayombe. He is the co-owner of City Alchemist Witch Shop in downtown East Austin and co-author of the book "Magia Magia: Invoking Mexican Magic as well as Blood of Brujeria. Alexis also is the occult expert and spiritual consultant of the Night Owl True Ghost Stories Podcast. Through his experiences, he enjoys teaching others through his online school the Mictlan Academy.

Eric Labrado (He/Him) was born and raised in west Texas, where he learned the fundamentals of Mexican witchcraft (brujeria) and folk-healing (curanderismo) from family and other practitioners in his community. He is the co-author of "Magia Magia :Invoking Mexican Magic" and "Blood of Brujeria". Eric holds initiation in the Afro-Cuban tradition of Santería as a priest of Oshún and is also a medium and diviner. When he is not co-running his shop City Alchemist, is he providing limpias (spiritual cleanings) for the community and mentorship programs for those interested in learning the spiritual folk-traditions of Mexico.

Eimi OstaraMoon (She/Her), the witch and bee steward behind Poison and Bee, started her journey on the Poison Path with a handful of Datura inoxia seeds, and a dream of having her own Poison Garden on her farm in rural Texas. With the help of her honey bees, the garden has since grown to include baneful allies such as different datura varieties, henbane, deadly nightshade and mandrake, as well as various magical, medicinal and culinary herbs. As a practitioner of alchemical herbalism, plant spirit medicine and natural beekeeping, Eimi focuses her work with poisonous plants and honey bees by understanding their nature and needs, and developing a harmonious symbiotic relationship between plants, insects and humans. “Poison as medicine”, both physically and spiritually, is the guiding principle that Eimi follows on the Poison Path.

Albert Lucio (he/him) and Jake Cordero(he/him) of The Austin Séance demonstrate tools used by working mediums and employ those tools in modern recreations of old-time séances. The Austin Séance has been featured in Texas Monthly, NPR’s Texas Standard radio program, TV broadcasts and more. Austin Monthly calls them “devilishly charming” and The Austin Chronicle says “Jake Cordero and Albert Lucio give you the experience of contacting the departed.” The Austin Séance has spent years conducting séance demonstrations in venues all across Texas — demonstrations that NPR’s Texas Standard describes as “part history lesson, part exploration … not a scripted show but a communal experience.”
Jake Cordero, an award-winning journalist, has reported on everything from cult murders in Mexico to spirit hauntings in Fort Worth. He is a longtime student of magic and philosophy, and the author of two books. Things that go bump in the night have always fascinated Albert Lucio. With a degree in sociology and psychology, Albert has set out to understand how we shape and are shaped by supernatural beliefs. He has spent years studying ghost hunters, consorting with psychics and researching the occult.

Chris Moon (he/him) tours college campuses around the country, lecturing on his ghost hunting techniques and providing positive evidence, as well as interactive investigations using the Telephone of the Dead to many excited students, eager to learn more about the paranormal. His television interviews and appearances include,most notably, truTV Network's "Door to the Dead", NBC's "Today Show", A&E Network's "Paranormal State", as well as numerous ABC, CBS, NBC, CW (formally the WB), and FOX affiliate stations around the country. He has appeared on many nationwide radio programs, such as "Coast to Coast AM" with George Noory, "Coast to Coast AM" with Ian Punnit, TAPS Radio "Beyond Reality", "KHOW Radio" with Peter Boyles, Canada's "Richard Syrett Show", BBS Radio-"Beyond Two Worlds Radio Show", Clear Channel Radio's "Real Paranormal Talk", and countless others.
"Dee" Denise Garcia (she/her) is an Educator, Psychic Intuitive Counselor, Paranormal Investigator, and Researcher. As far back as she can remember, Dee has been experiencing paranormal phenomena and has lived with a unique gift of being able to communicate with spirits. She now spends her time touring colleges around the country providing psychic readings and intuitive counseling to students where she helps them connect with loved ones whohave passed on or even just provides them with guidance and healing messages. She also spends her time lecturing on the paranormal and her own personal experiences with communicating with spirits. She enjoys sharing her knowledge of paranormal investigating with students and teaching key investigative techniques that will be successful in gathering positive evidence as well as providing them with examples of real evidenceof the paranormal. These lectures and investigations are interactive, fun, and informative while also leaving a chilling impression on those who participate. Dee has appeared on The Spirit Realm Network’s “The Ghost Box Chronicles” and has been the host of a paranormal podcast “Phenomena Encountered” and “Box Talk Radio”.

Known as the host of the monthly group spells for the Witch Bitch Amateur Hour podcast’s Online Coven, Kacie Brunette (she/her) has long had a passion for building community spaces for folks like herself whose access to community may have been limited by their differences in the past. In 2006 she was diagnosed with Bipolar2 and began the lifelong work of learning to thrive and overcome the fears and anxieties that had isolated her from my friends, family, and community. First working to overcome her debilitating arachnophobia to meet her goal of enjoying nature with her children, she then cultivated a tarantula collection with her husbands help, and together they built a reputation for taking in snakes and tarantulas that others were too afraid to keep any longer. She then turned to conquering the social anxieties that held her back and started volunteering for local community events. As a practicing solitary witch, she joined the DFW Pagan Unity Fest coordinating committee in 2017 as the Volunteer Coordinator after years of volunteering for the event herself. In that capacity she helped expand the community ritual spaces to be more inclusive towards solitary, non-Wiccan, and neurodivergent pagans. In 2020 she took those organizing skills online for the Witch Bitch Amateur Hour podcast online community to host the monthly groups spells held in their Facebook community group. In 2023 she made her in person teaching debut with a workshop at the Anahata's Purpose Wellness Festival Retreat in Pennsylvania and has since also taught at the DFW Pagan Unity Fest.

Izzy Swanson (they/them) is a healer, teacher, and mentor specializing in the intersection of addiction, trauma recovery, and spiritual practice. Their blended approach to healing work integrates evidence-based research methodologies with intuitive guidance and devotional polytheism. Izzy has been practicing Earth-based spirituality for more than 30 years and has cultivated a deep relationship with Irish spiritual traditions. They have been a speaker and facilitator of courses focused on Celtic polytheism since 2013. Izzy is a co-founder of the Order of the Crows, a priesthood tradition honoring the Morrigan, and a member of the Coru Cathubodua Priesthood. They are the owner of Liminal Crossings and the Feileacan Ministry Wellness Center in downtown Austin, Texas, USA. Izzy makes a living as a trauma specialist, providing Reiki and healing services to clients with PTSD, auto-immune disorders, and various stress-related illnesses.

Sara Luna Gonzales (she/her), Santa Muerte Devotee, Owner of Texicana Candle Company & 3rd Eye Mystic. Third-generation practitioner of Curanderismo, Mexican Folk Magic, Brujeria & Hoodoo.

Heather Hanlin MA, LPC (she, her) is a spiritually eclectic Licensed Professional Counselor in Burnet County TX. She provides Nature Therapy and Equine Assisted Therapy for quirky, creative, and curious tweens, teens, and adults.

Andrew Skeen (he,him) is an astrologer and astrological wizard practicing medieval Perso-Arabic sorcery as described in grimoires such as ibn Qurra's On Images, De Quindecim Stellis, and the infamous Picatrix.

Amie Campbell (she/her) is a trauma-informed care trainer for mental health professionals, witch, and oracle reader. She has a passion for healing of all kinds.

Presentations/Workshops*:

*Subject to change based on availability

Amarres - The Most Dangerous Love Spell of Mexico

by Eric Labrado

In this presentation we will explore the most infamous love spell of Mexico, the amarre. Contrary to belief this is not your average spell! In Mexico the amarre is feared because of its unique ability to "tie" the souls of two people together. In this lecture we will discuss the history, theory, and application of the amarre as well as how to break them.

Beltane: The Other Hallows

by Mortellus

Often regarded as a sabbat associated with life, Beltane is positioned opposite Hallows and for our friends in the Southern Hemisphere, is celebrated on October 31st. Mortellus will journey with you through Beltane’s many associations with death, and rituals to celebrate that balance of growth and decay. Mortellus encourages active participation, so pull up a chair and don’t be afraid to share your thoughts!

The Poison Path: Dark Herbalism, Occult Poisons and Magical Practice

by Coby Michael

Poisonous plants, “invasive weeds,” dead flowers and weird mushrooms have a way of making people uncomfortable. Some are attracted to this uniqueness, while others give puzzled looks from a safe distance. Through working with these allies one begins to get a sense for this subtle power that creeps through the natural world, and one quickly realizes that all plant have a wild and untamable side they are willing to show those who approach them without fear.
In this presentation Coby will discuss what “baneful” and “dark” means in connection to green witchcraft. Learning the nuances in things that we consider dark and dangerous teaches us that the world is not black and white, and if we can shift the way we think about these concepts we can access hidden power through self-knowledge and cultivating individual relationships with our plant allies. Through the intermediary nature of our allies from the plant and fungi realm we can connect to the Otherness that is so familiar to practitioners of witchcraft.
We will dive into the hidden realm of occult poisons and their deeply ingrained place in witchcraft. Attendees will learn how to construct a Poison Bottle for warding the home from spiritual toxins and cultivating this force for spell work. We will discuss the sympathetic and symbolic nature of a variety of ingredients and their connection to poison magic.

The King and Queen of Hell: Kimbanda and the witchcraft of Brazil

by Alexis Arredondo

In this presentation we will explore the realm of the spirit Exu and his female consort Pomba Gira. Learn the seven spiritual kingdoms that these spirits fall under and how to develop a personal relationships with them. You will also learn the foundations and fundamentals of their practice and influence on witchcraft. Laroye Exu!

Divine Embodiment: Assumption, Drawing Down, Aspecting, Possession

by Ivo Dominguez Jr.

Most magickal traditions use some form of divine embodiment in their rituals in which a priestess or a priest becomes for a time the vehicle for the presence of one of the Great Ones. When it works, it is awe-inspiring, and can act as a great catalyst for change. When it fails, and is no more than role playing or ritual theater, it can encourage cynicism, disillusionment, and diminished expectations of what is possible in ritual. The strengths and the weaknesses of assumption of god forms, drawing down, aspecting, and divine possession will be compared to each other.

Crafting Plant Ally Poppets

by Eimi OstaraMoon

In folk magic and witchcraft, a poppet is usally a doll made to represent a person, for casting spells on that person or to aid that person through magic. When made with magical plant materials, a poppet can become a talisman or amulet that represents the plants' spirits, embodying the magical powers of these plant allies. In this workshop, Eimi will demonstrate how to create a simple plant ally poppet using plant materials. From gathering the materials to crafting the poppet to ensouling and working with it, Eimi will offer step-by-step guidelines based on her own practice. Attendees are welcome to bring mateials to create their own poppets during the workshop. Pre-made material kits are also available to purchase from Poison and Bee during the event. For a list of suggested materials to bring for the workshop, please contact info@poisonandbee.com.

Fnord and Void: An Introduction to Discordian Cosmogony

by Thumper Forge

Generally known as a parody religion based on the worship of the Greek Goddess Eris, Discordianism offers a surprisingly nonsense-free worldview, as well as a practical, postmodern take on occultism. Since its inception, Discordianism has quietly influenced everything from fiction and literature to electronic dance music... AND NOW IT CAN INFLUENCE YOU. (But only with your consent. Discordianism totally respects boundaries.) Topics explored will include the Discordian creation myth; the Five Discordian Elements (Boom, Pungent, Sweet, Prickle, and Orange); the Apostles of Eris; the Law of Eristic Escalation; and the Curse of Greyface and how to defeat it. We will also discuss why cockroaches make the best psychopomps.

History of Spiritualism and Ouija Workshop

by The Austin Seance

Albert Lucio and Jake Cordero will lead a brief discussion on the history of American Spiritualism, and then conduct a hands-on workshop on the use of talking boards.

Ghost Hunting 101

by Chris Moon and Dee Garcia

A presentation that features tips and tricks to become an effective investigator. Actual paranormal evidence and stories will be included.

Fear to Power: Snake Magic

by Kacie Brunette

My goal is to share my love and joy for our snake allies through storytelling and education. Knowledge is power and I believe knowledge is the antidote to the instinctual fear reaction snakes can cause. Overcoming my own debilitating fear of spiders opened the door to so much growth and I hope to share that journey with those whose fear of snakes holds them back on their spiritual journey. I know it can be hard to relax and enjoy the magic of a friendly snake visiting your meditation if you’re caught in fight or flight mode. I will share stories of alternative cultural views of snakes throughout history along with educational material regarding the local snakes class attendees may encounter. I will also discuss the ways we can use snake energy in our spiritual practice and assist attendees in making their own snake energy charms to take home.

The Bonds Between Us: Animism and Accountability in Magical Practice

by Izzy Swanson

Animism is based on the belief that we are in relationship with the world around us and that everything has agency and a spirit or a soul. As practitioners, we form intimate bonds with the elements of our practice as well as the gods and guides that we petition to support our work. This presentation will help you understand the core values of animism. You will learn the guiding principles of living in right relationship with yourself, your community, and the Otherworld and you will be given tools and techniques that help you build the relationships that support your magical practice.

Conjuring Athleticism

by Andrew Skeen

I will be lecturing on using astrological and planetary magic to improve health, boost vitality, and more easily attain whatever health-and-fitness related outcome we desire. From a brief description of the basic astrological principles which inform sorcerous work in this domain, I intend to discuss how astrology and astrological magic may be used for a variety of fitness purposes, starting with simple astrological elections for broad goals ("be healthy", "longevity", etc) and moving to specific and powerful configurations based on the individual natal chart. I will provide example electional charts for both cases and explain the logic which informs how these configurations change moving from the general to the specific. Finally, I will close with a note on using applied magic in cases where we lack domain-specific knowledge, what I call "witchcraft under uncertainty".

Santa Muerte

by Sara Luna Gonzales

Join us for an introduction to our Beloved Bony Lady, Santa Muerte.
The Rise of Santa Muerte: Learn about the history of our Santa Muerte & her devotees.
Ask, Seek, Knock: Obtain the knowledge needed to approach our Flaca. Altar Preparation, Petitioning & Prayers.
Devoted for Life: Learn & unifie with devotees over the mysteries of her rosary & her many workings.

Green Makes Me Happy: How Nature and Animals Improve Mental Health

by: Heather Hanlin

As a beings of nature, being in nature and interacting with nature has wonderful restorative benefits. Because the natural world is complex and ever changing, we feel alignment with our complex and fluid inner world. Strangely this complexity has a calming effect on our brains and nervous systems because those systems were built with nature in mind. Experiencing naturally occurring cycles and energy movement helps us better understand and be able to work with the cycles and rhythms within us in order to be healthier and happier.

Trauma-Informed Readings

by: Aime Campbell

Witches have been helping people through their darkest times for as long as there have been witches. But what do you do when the person sitting across the table is dealing with significant trauma or mental illness? This class will discuss how to recognize distress and respond in caring ways that protect the health of both parties.

Musical Guests and Entertainment*:

*Subject to change based on availability

Charles Moorehead will be doing a ritual theater show. "The Oracle" is a 45 minute to 1 hour performance in which Charles will interact with the audience to tell the story and display the abilities of a lesser known oracle. Charles Morehead is a psychic entertainer, and performer of Ritual Theater. His shows blend magic (in the illusions and sleight of hand sense), mysticism, showmanship and just a bit of pure luck.

Fireside Radio brings an eclectic mix of music spanning multiple decades and genres.

The Bruja-jas of San Antonio are the official dancing witches of San Antonio! The group was started in August 2021 and has grown a good size following, even being featured on the local news! Their dances usually last 3-4 mins and will be performing throughout the day.

Ember Enigma is an artist fresh out of the shadows. She shares songs in celebration of her diverse spirituality with her voice and dulcimer.

Nøkken + the Grim, the anti-fascist neofolk band of angry nature spirits from Old Norse and Magyar folklore, rise from the shadowy places of the living world to ensnare humans on the brink of apocalypse. Led by the water horse spirit Nøkken on violin, N+tG combines new and old: grinding industrial synths, traditional folk music, and frenetic ritual with a message of respect for Life and Land.

Award winning Bard Gretchen McMahon is wicked sonic ambrosia. She blends equal parts Celtic Women vocals with Carlos Santana string prowess on guitar and mandolin, then serves it on a bed of Celtic/Gypsy/Jazz spiced with lyrics both sassy and achingly beautiful. Come experience her genre-bending style of five hundred years of music in five minutes, rooted in folk, world, jazz and Celtic sounds.