Initiation Traditions in Ozark Folk Magic and Healing

Magical and healing power is traditionally seen as a tangible energy or force in the Ozarks. This "gift" as it's often called, can be inborn within a person, or it can be found, passed down using certain ritualistic practices, and even stolen. Healers, witches, and other magical practitioners in the Ozarks have shared countless stories about how they came to have their unique gifts. In this lecture we'll be looking at a few common trends amongst magical folk including being born with the power, finding magic in the wilderness, and receiving the gift from otherworldly entities.

About the Presenters:

Brandon Weston is a healer, writer, and folklorist living in the Arkansas Ozarks. He is author of "Ozark Folk Magic: Plants, Prayers, and Healing" and owner of Ozark Healing Traditions, a collective of articles, lectures, and workshops focusing on traditions of medicine, magic, and folklore from the Ozark Mountain region. As an active healer, his work with clients includes everything from spiritual cleanses to house blessings and all the weird and wonderful ailments in between. He comes from a long line of Ozark hillfolk and works hard to keep the traditions that he’s collected alive and true for generations to come.

*This class is part of the General Admission & Thursday 8/12/21 Day Pass registrations, if you are interested in attending all of the events during this festival, or all of the events offered on Thursday 8/12/21, please select the appropriate registration type on our Events & Registration page.*

**Attendees will have access to this recording until the end of 2021 - class recording links will be emailed to attendees within 7 business days of the conclusion of the festival. To protect the IP of our presenters, class recordings will not be downloadable.**

***Your class link will be emailed to you in your confirmation email. If you have not received your registration confirmation email within 24 hours please email info@salemsummersymposium.com***

****PLEASE NOTE: We cannot guarantee that any class registration within 24 hours of the class start time will be admitted to the livestreaming of the class. You will however receive the class recording link within 7 business days of the conclusion of the festival and will have access to the recording for the remainder of 2021****