ConVocation 2025: Explore and Build Pathways to the Divine: Full Schedule

Add sessions to your personal schedule to register your attendance (Check-In).

8:30pm EST

Malkuth: The Greater Earth

Thursday February 20, 2025 8:30pm - 10:00pm EST

When people think of Malkuth there is often the assumption that it refers to the earth plane alone. However it is much more than the physical reality that is perceived by the senses and a mind in a state of normal waking consciousness. This is the sphere that receives all the influences of the Tree and is the home to a much more expansive reality. This class hopes to open your awareness to a extraordinary reality that surrounds us every moment. We will also touch on some methods to open the way to this Greater Earth.

Speakers

Ivo Dominguez

Ivo Dominguez, Jr. has been active in Wiccan and the Pagan community since 1978. Ivo is a founding member and first 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 ASW. Ivo is the author of... Read More →

Thursday February 20, 2025 8:30pm - 10:00pm EST
Conference Room A

Lecture/Discussion

Age Level All Welcome – Acceptable for all age levels to be present in the class.
Experience Focus Beginner – Requires little to no previous knowledge or training on the topic; introductory courses.

10:30pm EST

Ritual Dynamics - Formula of Elements

Thursday February 20, 2025 10:30pm - Friday February 21, 2025 12:00am EST

Conference Room A

Feedback Survey

Ritual Dynamics is a study of the tools and processes used in various rituals. From Spell making, to circle casting, to the creations of potions, fetishes, and magical implements, what is it about the process that differs from systematic and mundane day-to-day tasks? What makes the aspects of ritual so important? When we gather for a ritual, there are things to do, items to place, and words to say – but why? Let us delve into the mechanics of ritual and discover what it is about the ingredients that come together to create Magic?

Speakers

AVATAR

Co-Founder, Lil' Country Haven

Joel “Avatar” Bukowski is frequent panelist at various conventions around Michigan, speaking on such topics as Self-Defense, Strange Reality, the difference between Faith and Belief, various other Philosophical and Esoteric Topics. He firmly believes that there is much more to... Read More →

Thursday February 20, 2025 10:30pm - Friday February 21, 2025 12:00am EST
Conference Room A

Lecture/Discussion

Age Level All Welcome – Acceptable for all age levels to be present in the class.
Experience Focus Intermediate – Attendees should already be familiar with the basics of the topic.

9:30am EST

A Poisoner's Journey of Healing & Self-Discovery

Friday February 21, 2025 9:30am - 11:00am EST

Conference Room A

Feedback Survey

The poison path is full of herbs from the witch's garden with great magical potential and fascinating folklore. Despite their baneful reputations, they are profound spiritual healers capable of offering support in tremendous ways. Join Coby Michael in a powerfully personal journey of trauma, addiction and recovery while meeting three allies that offered support through this process; deadly nightshade, fly agaric and foxglove. Coby will demonstrate the intersection between magical correspondence and medicinal properties, demonstrating how we can access plant spirit medicine for healing, personal growth and empowerment for whatever challenges we are faced with.

Speakers

Coby Michael

Coby Michael is an occult herbalist and magical practitioner specializing in the ritual use of poisonous and psychoactive plants. He owns and operates The Poisoner’s Apothecary, an online shop and educational resource for the poison path. Coby has been blogging since 2016 and... Read More →

Friday February 21, 2025 9:30am - 11:00am EST
Conference Room A

Lecture/Discussion

11:30am EST

Heroes and the Heroic Path in Ancient Hellenic Religion

Friday February 21, 2025 11:30am - 1:00pm EST

Conference Room A

Feedback Survey

Ancient Greek traditions about the heroes provide us with a particular model of how to live in such a way as to be of service to this world and to hone our chosen type of excellence. In the Hellenic tradition, heroes were humans who have managed to transcend the limitations of their mortality and become something else. Heroes are important for two reasons. First, they can be called upon as intercessors. Secondly, they reveal a path available to humans for becoming something else—for becoming some form of Theoi. Through analysis we can discover this heroic path that is accessible to all of us. Come join Gwendolyn as she examines the nature of heroes and the heroic path with an eye towards practical application.

Speakers

Gwendolyn Reece

Dr. Gwendolyn Reece is the high priestess of Theophania, a coven in the Assembly of the Sacred Wheel based in Washington, DC. She is the President of the Sacred Space Foundation (which runs the Sacred Space Conference) and is the author of The Waters of Mnemosyne: Ancient Greek... Read More →

Friday February 21, 2025 11:30am - 1:00pm EST
Conference Room A

Lecture/Discussion

Age Level All Welcome – Acceptable for all age levels to be present in the class.
Experience Focus All – This class is intended to speak to a broad audience, regardless of skill/experience.

2:00pm EST

Astrological Magic Without Astrology

Friday February 21, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm EST

Conference Room A

Feedback Survey

One of the barriers to practicing powerful astrological magic is the employment of complex elections; timing techniques which go far beyond Moon phases, using dozens of additional factors that few non-specialists have heard of. These are utilized primarily in the crafting of talismans and conjurations of spirits to grant wishes. Some have suggested that perhaps there may be a short cut to mastery of astrological magic without this daunting hurdle. The truth will be found on a journey into forgotten histories of magic, from the Renaissance to the Victorian Era and beyond. In this lecture we will sift fact from fancy about these practices, reveal shocking revelations which have been lost for centuries; and discover simple yet powerful astrological magic techniques that you can use today.

Speakers

Clifford Hartleigh Low

Clifford Hartleigh Low is the impossible man who does impossible things. He’s been described as a living encyclopedia of the arcane, and is recognized by his peers as one of the most accomplished practitioners of magic and divination alive; summoning spirits in front of witnesses... Read More →

Friday February 21, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm EST
Conference Room A

Lecture/Discussion

Age Level All Welcome – Acceptable for all age levels to be present in the class.
Experience Focus Intermediate – Attendees should already be familiar with the basics of the topic.

4:00pm EST

Ensouling the Effigy: Image Magic & Enspirited Objects

Friday February 21, 2025 4:00pm - 5:30pm EST

Conference Room A

Feedback Survey

The creation of humanoid figures is an act with origins which predates recorded history. Such work aligns us with the art of the gods as conjured by humanity's earliest imagining, and creates both a conduit for power and an anchor for spirit. In this discussion we will explore the use of the dolls and effigies in various magical traditions throughout history, as well as examine practical ways that we may meaningfully incorporate them into a contemporary practice based upon sound tradition.

Speakers

Matthew Venus

Teacher, Author, Apothecary, Diviner, Spiritus Arcanum

Matthew Venus is an artist, folk magician, and traditional witch based in Salem, Massachusetts whose craft is centered around a deep heart of animism and a dedication to ancestral and land-based traditions. His practice is further enriched by his role as Tata Ndenge in a lineage of... Read More →

Friday February 21, 2025 4:00pm - 5:30pm EST
Conference Room A

Lecture/Discussion

Age Level All Welcome – Acceptable for all age levels to be present in the class.
Experience Focus All – This class is intended to speak to a broad audience, regardless of skill/experience.

7:00pm EST

Don’t be a dick and other basics of magical ethics

Friday February 21, 2025 7:00pm - 8:30pm EST

Conference Room A

Feedback Survey

Ethics are personal and variable. Who you are today and who you are evolving into in the future is built from your personal values and ethics. Jacki Smith shares her tools to help you uncover what your values & ethics really are and dive into their origins to see if they fit who you want to be. Bring a pencil and something to write on, Jacki loves to give out a good worksheet.

Speakers

Jacki Smith

Jacki Smith is the multi-talented founder of Coventry Creations, an internationally known, rapidly growing candle factory in Ferndale, MI as well as a co-owner of the magically quaint Candle Wick Shoppe. Jacki didn’t just start a candle company, she jump started an entire industry... Read More →

Friday February 21, 2025 7:00pm - 8:30pm EST
Conference Room A

Lecture/Discussion 18+ Restricted

Age Level Mature – Geared towards both adults and some of our more mature/older teens.
Experience Focus All – This class is intended to speak to a broad audience, regardless of skill/experience.

9:30am EST

Light Trance Methods For Anchoring Divine Beings

Saturday February 22, 2025 9:30am - 11:00am EST

Conference Room A

Feedback Survey

Actual divine embodiment, drawing down, aspecting and so on is best taught in person. However there are techniques that can be taught at a distance that can improve your capacity to call upon divine beings, anchor them in a ritual, and to some degree act as their conduit. The same methods taught in this class can be applied to invocations, petitions, and more. Additionally, this class can help prepare you for divine embodiment if it is new to you or deepen your existing practice.

Speakers

Ivo Dominguez

Saturday February 22, 2025 9:30am - 11:00am EST
Conference Room A

Lecture/Discussion

Age Level Mature – Geared towards both adults and some of our more mature/older teens.
Experience Focus Intermediate – Attendees should already be familiar with the basics of the topic.

11:30am EST

Sacred Spaces and Divine Faces for Modern Life

Saturday February 22, 2025 11:30am - 1:00pm EST

Conference Room A

Feedback Survey

Magic books & teachers present us with the lore of sacred spaces: the Crossroads, the Seashore, the Cemetery, the clearing in the grove...these types of places are recognizable to most magicians & Pagans, as places of power. But what about airports? Train stations? Street lamps? What modern spaces hold natural characteristics which give them an affinity with magic & how can they fit into our sacred & magical experiences? Just as there are places that didn't exist when most concepts of magic were developing, the world is full of new technologies & experiences as well. How do we explore their spiritual components to understand what powers rule over things like cars & computers? In this class we will explore the magic of the modern & how to explore traditional associations to build new ones.

Speakers

BJ Swain

BJ Swain is the author of Living Spirits: A Guide to Magic in a World of Spirits, Luminarium: A Grimoire of Cunning Conjuration, Familiar Unto Me: Witches Sorcerers and Their Spirit Companions. He was a contributing editor for Heaven and Hell 2018: The Grimoire Issue, and has had... Read More →

Saturday February 22, 2025 11:30am - 1:00pm EST
Conference Room A

Lecture/Discussion

Age Level Mature – Geared towards both adults and some of our more mature/older teens.
Experience Focus Intermediate – Attendees should already be familiar with the basics of the topic.

2:00pm EST

Hellenic Household Practice: Modern Adaptations

Saturday February 22, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm EST

Conference Room A

Feedback Survey

The central social unit of society is the household, but we are in a time in which the oikos has a different shape and form than in Ancient Greece. This workshop explores both ancient practice and modern adaptations to build a meaningful and relevant practice for today. Learn about the deities and spirits of the household, how to build a household shrine, and how to make a kadiskos to bless the household’s wealth. Gwendolyn will also share some reinterpreted rites to bless the household and its members, including rituals to bring spiritual meaning to life transitions. Household practice brings the sacred consciously into everyday life in ways that are both profound and transformative.

Speakers

Gwendolyn Reece

Saturday February 22, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm EST
Conference Room A

Lecture/Discussion

Age Level All Welcome – Acceptable for all age levels to be present in the class.
Experience Focus All – This class is intended to speak to a broad audience, regardless of skill/experience.

4:00pm EST

Standing at the Threshold

Saturday February 22, 2025 4:00pm - 5:30pm EST

Conference Room A

Feedback Survey

Standing at the Threshold: The Spirits, Lore, and Transformational Magics of the Doorway
Many who have an inclination towards magic may not have a room or dedicated space set aside for performing spellwork and ritual workings. However, most of us have a front door, and it is here that we are invited to engage with and perhaps re-enchant a part of our homes which is often taken for granted except when we find ourselves locked out or fumbling with our keys. In this talk we will explore the front doorway of our home as a locus for spirit work, practical charming, and magical workings. We will examine diverse perspectives, folklore, and approaches towards engaging with our doorway as a nexus of power and potentiality.

Speakers

Matthew Venus

Teacher, Author, Apothecary, Diviner, Spiritus Arcanum

Saturday February 22, 2025 4:00pm - 5:30pm EST
Conference Room A

Lecture/Discussion

Age Level All Welcome – Acceptable for all age levels to be present in the class.
Experience Focus All – This class is intended to speak to a broad audience, regardless of skill/experience.

11:00am EST

Pagan Sacred Music: Past, Present, and Future

Sunday February 23, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm EST

Conference Room A

Feedback Survey

Sharing music is an important part of building tradition and community. In this workshop we'll learn about and discuss the past (20th century) present, and future of music within the modern Pagan movement. We will discuss the roles that music plays in our practice and in our communities, and our hopes for how these traditions will continue to evolve. Come prepared to learn, discuss, listen, sing, meet new friends, and delve into some of the deeper questions about how music speaks to our spiritual selves. Those with instruments are encouraged to bring them. No musical experience necessary!

Speakers

Nora Farley

Nora Farley is a singer, composer, and language teacher currently pursuing her masters in music composition at the University of Michigan. She learned song-leading in her experience as a summer camp counselor and has lately turned it towards fostering the Pagan community music tradition... Read More →

Sunday February 23, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm EST
Conference Room A

1:00pm EST

On Spirits and Phantasms: Work With the Disincarnate

Sunday February 23, 2025 1:00pm - 2:30pm EST

Conference Room A

Feedback Survey

We live in an enspirited world. This is a truth known to the witch and sorcerer alike. But are spirits something we should fear, or befriend, or avoid? How might we understand spirits better? And how can we begin to engage with, or strengthen our work with them? In this class we will discuss the nature of animism and apply it towards an understanding of the otherworld and its inhabitants. We will explore the ways in which spirits have been viewed historically as well as ways we might un-learn ideas which stand in the way of our success with spirit work.

Speakers

Matthew Venus

Teacher, Author, Apothecary, Diviner, Spiritus Arcanum

Sunday February 23, 2025 1:00pm - 2:30pm EST
Conference Room A

Lecture/Discussion

Age Level All Welcome – Acceptable for all age levels to be present in the class.
Experience Focus Intermediate – Attendees should already be familiar with the basics of the topic.