The Witchcraft, Women & Folklore Summit

Explore the historical, cultural, and symbolic evolution of witchcraft and folklore at this new summit. From spellcraft and Maleficia to fairies and tarot, uncover the many ways witches and magical traditions have shaped culture, belief, and identity across time.

Witchcraft has long been a site of tension and transformation – a symbol of rebellion, mysticism, and misrepresentation. At this summit, we move beyond history to explore how witches, magic, and folklore have shaped – and been shaped by – gender, power, and spiritual practice.

From spellcasting and fairy lore to the portrayal of witches in modern culture, this summit offers an interdisciplinary exploration of witchcraft’s diverse forms and enduring influence. Bringing together leading historians, literary scholars, and practitioners, the event delves into the complex history, cultural significance, and spiritual dimensions of witchcraft and folklore.

Whether you’re a scholar, practitioner, or curious learner, you’ll gain fresh perspectives on the symbolism, practice, and evolving meaning of witchcraft across time.

👭 Connect and network with like-minded individuals

📜 Explore witchcraft’s history, folklore and cultural meanings

🎓 Learn from world-leading experts in history, witchcraft, and spirituality

🔮 Enjoy a full day of talks, workshops, and Q&As

Talks and workshops include:

• An Introduction to the History of Witchcraft
• Witches of London
• By Candle and Curse: Spells and Maleficia Through the Ages
• Wicked Witches? Reconsidering the Witch in Pop Culture
• Creative Tarot: Minor Arcana
• Living the Magical Life: Experiences of a Wiccan High Priestess
• Herb Magic's Secret History
• Q&As with Speakers

We will also be hosting tarot readings throughout the day (optional extra)

Our Speakers:

Dr Julia Phillips is an Hons Senior Research Associate and lecturer at the University of Bristol. She received her PhD for her research examining how witches and witchcraft were featured in newspapers in Victorian Britain. Her work has been published in books, academic journals, and popular magazines, and she is a regular presenter at conferences and events. Her primary research interests are the study of witchcraft in the 19th century and the development of modern Pagan Witchcraft in the 20th & 21st centuries.

Dr Debora Moretti is a historian and archaeologist, and a researcher at the University of Hertfordshire and the Centre for Renaissance and Early Modern Studies at the University of York. After a career in both academic and commercial archaeology, focusing on the material evidence of magic and witchcraft in archaeological contexts, Debora completed her PhD in History at the University of Bristol (UK). Her research, which formed part of the Leverhulme Trust-funded project "The Figure of the Witch," supervised by Professor Ronald Hutton, was dedicated to the image of witches and witchcraft in late medieval and early modern Italy.

Dr Zoë Enstone is the Associate Head for English Literature at York St John. After a BA (Hons) in English, Zoë specialised in medieval studies at postgraduate level with an MA in English Literary Research and a PhD titled ‘'Witchcraft & Vilaine': Morgan Le Fay in Medieval Arthurian Literature’. She has previously taught on English literature and language modules at the University of Leicester and the University of Nottingham, mainly focused on the medieval period.

Dr Vivianne Crowley is a specialist in the psychology of religion and spirituality, and the work of Carl Gustav Jung. Formerly Lecturer in Psychology of Religion at King’s College University of London and a program committee member of the American Academy of Religion, she is an international teacher of Wicca and magic, who has been an esoteric practitioner for over 50 years. She is the author of the best-selling classic Wicca: the Old Religion for the Modern World and many books on contemporary psychology and spirituality, including Jung: Journey of Transformation. Her recent book Wild Once, published by Penguin, is an inspiring guide to living a magical life.

Christina Oakley Harrington has been interested in spirituality and magic since childhood, and grew up in West Africa, Myanmar, and Chile, moving to the West at the age of fifteen. In her early 20s she was heartened to discover Europe’s own native religious traditions, and has been a pagan ever since. A former academic, she left university life in 2001 to establish Treadwell’s Bookshop and Events Centre in Bloomsbury. She is author of the bestselling Treadwell's Book of Plant Magic.

Laura Kounine is an Associate Professor of Early Modern History at the University of Sussex, where she specialises in witch-hunting, feminism, emotions, gender, and selfhood. She holds a PhD in History from the University of Cambridge. Her 2018 book, Imagining the Witch: Emotions, Gender and Selfhood in Early Modern Germany, was published by Oxford University Press, and she is co-editor of the upcoming Cambridge Companion to the Witch. Kounine also writes reviews for the Times Literary Supplement and has contributed to the BBC Sounds ‘Witch’ podcast and the Channel 4 documentary Suranne Jones: Investigating Witch Trials. She has spoken at the Brighton Festival and the British Library’s ‘Festival of the Accused’.

Jules McArthur is a queer witch, scholar, and tarot reader. They hold an MPhil in Classics from the University of Cambridge and a BA from Durham, specialising in the magic of the Late Antique Mediterranean. Their other research interests include the intersections of Classical reception, modern paganism and queer culture, and ancient Hermeticism. They have been interviewed on a number of podcasts, including ‘Seeking Witchcraft’ and ‘What Magic is This?’, and they currently teach at Treadwells bookshop. They can be found at twinserpentstarot.co.uk.

Tarot Readings:

Tarot offers a psychological snapshot, reflecting what is happening in the present, the factors that may have led to this point including subconscious blocks, beliefs and self sabotage, likely outcomes based on our current choices and how we can work with what we have towards the universal goals of personal growth and happiness.

The question isn't so much "what will happen to me?" but rather “what inner work do I need to do and external actions do I need to take in order to achieve my goals? ".

Personal readings can be a valuable source of guidance and personal development.

Tarot & Tea is a London based Tarot Reading Service led by Melanie Jane Howarth.

Melanie Jane is a gifted psychic, healer, and spiritual coach with nearly 40 years of experience. Raised in a family of intuitive readers, she draws on clairvoyance, clairsentience, clairaudience, claircognisance, and deep empathy to offer profoundly supportive and transformative sessions.

Melanie Jane specialises in Tarot, dream interpretation, energy work, shadow integration, and inner child healing. Her approach blends intuitive accuracy with emotional depth, helping you clarify your life path, navigate relationships, and move through challenges with greater confidence.She is the founder of The Psychic Café, a collective of experienced spiritual workers. Your session may be with Melanie Jane or with one of her trusted team of qualified readers.

Proudly partnering with

Treadwells

Treadwell’s is the world’s most learned esoteric bookstore, based in Bloomsbury, Central London. Through their book curation and famous events, they help enquiring individuals all over the globe achieve deeper understanding of occult subjects. The store is open Tuesday – Sunday and offers a rich programme of talks and classes, both online and in-person.

Eve Shepard

Eve Shepherd is a multi award-winning internationally acclaimed figurative sculptor working in Brighton. Eve has worked as a professional figurative sculptor for some 30 years. Her work is held in many national and international public and private collections. She has created many large scale bronze public sculptures. Her most well known are a 4m high portrait of Wales’ first black head teacher, Betty Campbell for Cardiff city centre, a portrait of Professor Stephen Hawking for Cambridge University and the African Institute of Mathematical Sciences, and 3 busts for the Sea People Gallery National Maritime Museum, London.

PAR: Psilocybin Access Right

PAR is the UK's grassroots campaign fighting for psilocybin access rights. Since 2022, we've mobilized thousands, starting with an 11,000-strong petition and launching the UK's first psychedelic ad campaign. We've since delivered 89,000 leaflets and sent thousands of emails to MPs with one clear demand: sign our open letter to the Home Office and review the scientific evidence to reschedule psilocybin as a medicine.

This is a 16+ event.

If you need financial assistance, please email hello@seedtalks.co.uk

If you would like to submit a proposal to speak or exhibit at this event, please send an email to workwithus@seedtalks.co.uk