Academic Talk on Modern Witchcraft

A talk on modern witchcraft will be given on October 15th at Bowdoin College in Maine by Marilyn Pukkila, a "Quaker witch in the Reclaiming Tradition." The talk will focus on dispelling some of the popular culture myths associated with witches and witchcraft.

Pukkila's talk, titled "Today's Witches: Neither Oz, Nor Hogwarts, Nor Buffy the Vampire Slayer," will focus on dispelling myths and stereotypes about modern witchcraft and witches.

I like the fact that magick has become popular enough to feature in much of our mainstream entertainment, but at the same time inaccurate media portrayals can be a problem for people who want to learn about the real magical tradition. For example, many of the people I correspond with seem genuinely surprised that it takes more than a three-word incantation and the flick of a wand to cast a spell.

I have no idea how many people will see this talk, but every little bit helps and it's nice to see colleges sponsoring events that can help to inform beginners about how magick really works.