In-Person Events
Folk Magic 101 @ Strange Brew Fort Smith, AR
Practitioners can often get overwhelmed by all of the different traditions and methods available to us today. In this introductory course, we’ll look at five important areas common to many folk traditions: amulets, candles, defense against the dark arts, string, and magic of the hearth and home. These methods and traditions will be taught from an Ozark perspective but with the understanding that these traditions are open to anyone who might want to deepen their own practice. This class series is taught by Ozark folklorist and writer Brandon Weston of Ozark Healing Traditions and is great for beginners as well as seasoned practitioners from any and all traditions.
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Magic of Hearth & Home
Date: Saturday December 6, 2025
Time: 2-4pm Location: Strange Brew Occult Shop, 711 Garrison Ave, Fort Smith, AR 72901 As the days grow colder, let’s gather around the hearth or the “heart” of the home. In this class, we’ll look at the magic of the home itself, from cleansing and clearing practices, to feasting traditions, to maintaining good relationships with protective spirits of the home and our ancestors. This class is taught by Ozark folklorist and writer Brandon Weston of Ozark Healing Traditions and is great for beginners as well as seasoned practitioners from any and all traditions.
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Virtual Events
By purchasing/downloading this class, you agree that you understand that no part of the material dictated or provided throughout the duration of the course may be reproduced, distributed, or used in any other form (neither electronic nor mechanic, including photocopies and recordings), without the direct and written consent of the instructor, Brandon Weston.
Encountering the Green Mother in Ozark Witch Trees
In Ozark folklore, witch trees are specific species of trees believed to hold magical powers and the ability to attract and gather spirits from the otherworld. Witch trees carry with them fascinating stories and tall tales, many of which focus on a mother or grandmother figure. In some cases, this is the Blessed Mother Mary herself, other times she’s a much more ancient depiction of the Divine Feminine. The Witch-Tree Mothers are beings of magic and the wilderness itself, aiding healers and magical practitioners through songs, stories, visualization, empowerment, and through offerings of their bodies as materia in our work.
Join folklorist and writer Brandon Weston in a five-part guided exploration of the Witch-Tree Mothers and their world. Encounter these powerful archetypes outwardly through ritual and inwardly through initiatory visualizations. Each class will focus on two of eight Mothers (although there are many more,) forming a map of astrological and elemental correspondences aligned with the cardinal and intermediate directions. This series is great for practitioners of any skill level from any tradition, as long as you have a love for the Green Mother.
Join folklorist and writer Brandon Weston in a five-part guided exploration of the Witch-Tree Mothers and their world. Encounter these powerful archetypes outwardly through ritual and inwardly through initiatory visualizations. Each class will focus on two of eight Mothers (although there are many more,) forming a map of astrological and elemental correspondences aligned with the cardinal and intermediate directions. This series is great for practitioners of any skill level from any tradition, as long as you have a love for the Green Mother.
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Discounted Ticket BundleAll five of the classes in this series are available as a discounted ticket bundle. The bundle can be purchased at any time during the duration of the series. Any past class recordings in the series at the time of purchase will be emailed to you upon purchase.
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Class #1: The Eight Witch-Tree Mothers
Video recording included in the class bundle
In the first class of the series, we’ll look at the tales and legends of the witch trees and explore how they’ve traditionally been used by healers and magical practitioners in the Ozarks. We’ll begin to organize our map of correspondences and introduce the Eight Mothers, their forms, general uses, as well as alignments with the planetary signs, zodiac, and four elements. This class is great for practitioners of any skill level from any tradition, as long as you have a love for the Green Mother. This class is taught by folklorist and writer Brandon Weston, owner of Ozark Healing Traditions.
Class #2: Red Cedar & Sassafras
Video recording included in the class bundle
Mother who cleanses. Mother who heals and purifies. In class two, we’ll begin to dig deeper into the Witch-Tree Mothers, beginning with red cedar and sassafras. Each class will empower participants to encounter the Mothers as guides, archetypes, deities, however you want to classify them, through a guided visualization. We’ll also look at specific rituals of cleansing and clearing aligned with red cedar and sassafras as well as how to add materia from these trees into your practice as protective smoke, cleansing baths, and teas for internal cleansing. This class is great for practitioners of any skill level from any tradition, as long as you have a love for the Green Mother. This class is taught by folklorist and writer Brandon Weston, owner of Ozark Healing Traditions.
Class #3: Spicebush & Pawpaw
Video recording included in the class bundle
Mother who protects. Mother who prospers. Mother who sees through the veil. In class three, we’ll look at our next two Mothers: spicebush and pawpaw. This class will empower participants to encounter the Mothers as guides, archetypes, deities, however you want to classify them, through a guided visualization. Highlighting specific rituals associated with these two trees, we’ll look at rites of protection and retribution with spicebush and with the pawpaw tree we’ll explore areas of prosperity work, love magic, and working with the world of spirits. This class is great for practitioners of any skill level from any tradition, as long as you have a love for the Green Mother. This class is taught by folklorist and writer Brandon Weston, owner of Ozark Healing Traditions.
Class #4: Sycamore & Dogwood
Video recording included in the class bundle
Mother of the cemetery. Mother who wears many masks. In class four, we’ll look at our next two Mothers: sycamore and dogwood. This class will empower participants to encounter the Mothers as guides, archetypes, deities, however you want to classify them, through a guided visualization. Highlighting specific rituals associated with these two trees, we’ll look at rites of the cemetery and the Ozark otherworld with sycamore, and with the dogwood tree we’ll explore areas of Mercurial magic, specifically work for augmenting auspiciousness and luck, working with illusions, and divination. This class is great for practitioners of any skill level from any tradition, as long as you have a love for the Green Mother. This class is taught by folklorist and writer Brandon Weston, owner of Ozark Healing Traditions.
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Redbud & ElderberryDate: Wednesday December 10, 2025
Time: 6:30-8pm (Central) Location: Virtual (Zoom link emailed before class) Mother who mends a broken heart. Grandmother of the fairies. In our final class, we’ll look at our last two Mothers: redbud and elderberry. This class will also empower participants to encounter the Mothers as guides, archetypes, deities, however you want to classify them, through a guided visualization. Highlighting specific rituals associated with these two trees, we’ll look at rituals for relationships and dreaming with redbud, and with Granny elderberry we’ll explore areas of fairy magic and curing all sorts of curses from the Fair Folk. This class is great for practitioners of any skill level from any tradition, as long as you have a love for the Green Mother. This class is taught by folklorist and writer Brandon Weston, owner of Ozark Healing Traditions.
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