An ongoing spiritual and magical journey with the
Ozark Witch-Tree Mothers guided by folklorist and author Brandon Weston

Who Are the Mothers?
In Ozark folklore, witch trees are specific tree species 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 magical mother or grandmother figure. In some cases, this is the Blessed Mother Mary, other times she’s a more ancient manifestation of the Divine Mother, who I call the Green Mother. 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. 
We'll begin by working with the Eight Mothers, then move out from there to include other witch trees as well as other magical plants found in the practice. An overview of the Eight Mothers can be found at the bottom of this page.
The Apprenticeship
This apprenticeship is the culmination of nearly twenty years of my work with the Mothers as archetypes and guiding spirits. It’s an exploration of the Witch-Tree Mothers and their world. Encounter these powerful archetypes outwardly through ritual and inwardly through initiatory visualizations. With each Witch-Tree Mother we meet we’ll create a map of astrological and elemental correspondences that will offer practitioners a way of empowering their magical and meditative work.​
Financial Commitment
$100/month paid through Patreon (Patreon Tier 6)
Example Topic Areas
  • Guided, self-initiation into the circle of the Eight Witch-Tree Mothers
  • Detailed rituals for each of the Eight Mothers
  • Guided journey with the sixty-four entourage spirits
  • Ritual formulation for specific magical work with the Mothers
  • Support in building the Mother's Grimoire
  • Support for meditations and visualizations
  • Embodying the Mothers in the world
  • Devotional practices for the Mothers
Apprenticeship Perks
  • Training in a system of magic and meditation developed through personal work with the Mothers over the past twenty years.
  • Access to all posted journal entries, practice posts, and classes. Patreon Tiers 1-3 perks.
  • ​One 90-minute teaching session a month.
  • Optional 60-minute Guided Meditation session or Geomancy reading a month. 
  • Additional 30-minute check-in meetings as needed during the month. And as many emails as you'd like, I love chatting!
For More Information
If you have questions you'd like to ask before signing up for the apprenticeship, please reach out using the contact form on my website and we can chat! We can also do a face-to-face or Zoom call upon request. 
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I cancel my membership at any time?
Apprentices are free to cancel their membership at any time but refunds for the month (if already paid and already had your 90-minute session) will not be given. If you end your Patreon membership before your charge date, you won’t be charged for the month. 

Can I return to the apprenticeship after cancelling my membership?
Yes, you can always return by signing up for the Tier 6 membership on Patreon again. 

Is there any financial aid available for the apprenticeships?
​Please contact me directly if you'd like to discuss alternative financial arrangements and aid.
The Eight Mothers
Red Cedar
She is kind and firm. She is grounding like the roots of the red cedar that grow deep into the earth. She is the strong Mother supporting the home and all activities of daily life. She is the protecting Mother. She is the Mother who is the cleansing light of the Sun. 
  • Latin Name: Juniperus virginiana
  • Direction: East
  • Planet: Sun; Saturn 
  • Color: White
  • From the Grimoire: 
    • Smoke Cleansing with Juniper
    • Bathing for Detaching Harmful Energies
    • Sweeping Rite for Exorcising Spirits
    • Creating a Solar Protection Amulet
Dogwood
She is the Wolf-Mother who blows the horn that banishes all evil. She is the Mother of shadow and mist. She is the Mother who creates illusions and dispels them. She is the Mist-Opener. She is the Masked Mother, who offers us her gifts of glamor. She is the Mother who controls the rabid dog.
  • Latin Name: Cornus florida
  • Direction: Southeast
  • Planet: Mercury
  • Color: White/Yellow
  • From the Grimoire: 
    • Seeing through Illusions
    • For Revealing Secrets
    • The Many Masks of the Mother
    • Going Out as a Wolf
Sassafras
She is the healing Mother, the nurse, the caretaker. She is the Mother who washes you when you are too sick to wash yourself. She is the baptizing Mother. She is the Mother who initiates. She is the doe in the quiet holler, knelt beside the turquoise creek.
  • Latin Name: Sassafras albidum
  • Direction: South
  • Planet: Moon
  • Color: Yellow
  • From the Grimoire: 
    • Water Rite for Magical Initiation
    • Bathing for General Cleansing and Purification
    • River Rite for Breaking Bad Habits
    • Meditation for Communing with Nature
Redbud
She is the Mother who heals a broken heart. She is the Mother who is Love itself. She is the Mother who sees into all the places where we cannot. She is the Mother who lightens the darkness. She is the Seer-Mother. Her shining eyes pierce the veil between worlds. She is the Mother who sees our past, present, and future. She is the Mother who helps us see those three as well.
  • Latin Name: Cercis canadensis
  • Direction: Southwest
  • Planet: Venus; Mercury
  • Color: Yellow/Red
  • From the Grimoire: 
    • For Mending a Broken Heart
    • Amulet for Maintaining Good Relationships
    • Using Dreams as Divination
    • Amulet for the Second Sight
Spicebush
She is the fiery Mother. She is passionate about her children’s safety and wellbeing. She is the Mother who protects with a sword. She is the Mother who returns all hexes to their senders. She is warmth in the bitter cold. She is the Mother who steps on the Devil’s head.
  • Latin Name: Lindera benzoin
  • Direction: West
  • Planet: Mars
  • Color: Red
  • From the Grimoire: 
    • The Fiery Wall of Protection
    • Creating a Mars Protection Amulet
    • Retribution Rite for Burning Up Injustices
    • Subduing Demonic Forces
Elderberry
She is the fairy Grandmother. She is the Grandmother who offers us sweet treats. Her hands soothe the hottest fever and fiercest anger. Her singing gives all beings rest. She is the Grandmother who can absolve any fairy contract, no matter how strict. She is the Grandmother who is always there to get us out of trouble. She is the Grandmother who teaches us difficult lessons.
  • Latin Name: Sambucus canadensis or Sambucus nigra
  • Direction: Northwest
  • Planet: Venus; Mercury
  • Color: Red/Green
  • From the Grimoire: 
    • Curing Fairy Curses
    • For Annulling Any Pact
    • Calming the Anger of Mars
    • Amulet for Protection from Spirits
Pawpaw
She is the nourishing Mother. She is the Mother who feeds all hungry beings. She is the Mother who stands at the doorway between worlds. She is the Mother who magnetizes all worldly desirables. She is the Mother who gives us honey-tongues and makes us favorable to all.
  • Latin Name: Asimina triloba
  • Direction: North
  • Planet: Venus; Jupiter; Saturn
  • Color: Green
  • From the Grimoire: 
    • Feeding the Restless Dead
    • Rite for Gaining Favor
    • Grounding a Contentious Relationship
    • Pawpaw Dreams with the Ancestors
Sycamore Mother
She is the Bone-Mother. She is Mother of the grave. Her home is in the cemetery. She is the Mother who dances in the charnel ground. She is the Mother at our deathbed. She is the Mother whose love eases the pains of death.
  • Latin Name: Platanus occidentalis
  • Direction: Northeast
  • Planet: Saturn
  • Color: Green/White
  • From the Grimoire: 
    • Creating Good Boundaries
    • Dreaming of the Otherworld
    • Creating a Graveyard Prayer Walk
    • Dancing with the Dead