Foundations of Witchcraft

Next Round Begins July 8th, 2026 Online Live-streamed & Recorded Foundations of Witchcraft will present a 13 month course of in-depth study which is designed to aid the student in developing and strengthening their personal magical and spiritual practice in genuine, meaningful, impactful, fulfilling, and most importantly, effective ways. Though this course will dive deeply into the heart of what it means to be a witch, it is worth noting that the Craft as we will explore it in this course, will not be presented through the lens of Wicca (traditional or eclectic). Neither will it approach the subject from the viewpoint of Popular Polytheist Paganism. Within the breadth of this course we will cover the history and practices of witchcraft from a folk magical, and folkloric perspective. This places this course more in alignment with what some might term traditional witchcraft. Additionally this course approaches Witchcraft from an animist, and spirit focused lens, with information, practices, and exercises designed to aid the seeker in establishing and developing deeper connections with ancestral spirits, familiar spirits, and spirits of the land. This will further be developed by guided exercises in hedge crossing/spirit flight. Throughout this course we will establish regular practices for empowering our body, our mind, our breath, and our spirit. We will also discuss the creation of altars and hallowed spaces, the crafting and use of magical tools, the power of voice and invocation, and the creation of incenses, oils, and magical charms. By the conclusion of this course you will have received training, guidance, and experience in the following: -Working with Spirits of the Land -History and Folklore of the Witches Sabbath -Establishing a practice of Ancestral Veneration -Techniques of Planetary Magic -Approaches towards Familiar Spirits -Working with the cycles of the Moon and the Sun -Hedge Crossing, Shapeshifting, and Spirit Flight -Meditative and Visualization Techniques -Concepts of the spirit, soul, and energy body -Creating Ritual Space (The Circle, Compass, and Crossroads) -Folklore and Nature of Faery Folk -Use and Crafting of Ritual Tools -Techniques of Magical Herbalism -Animal Magic -Magical Words, Spoken Charms, and Invocations - Techniques of Spiritual Cleansing and Protection -The Making and Consecration of Charms and Amulets  -And much more… What do I get as a student in the course? -26+ hours of video instruction. -All course students have the option to be added to a private Discord group in order to foster community, share experiences, and have access to further course documents and information. -Class sessions will include downloadable slideshows with detailed information on the topics and techniques discussed in the course. -Students enrolled in the course will save $130 over the cost of individual classes -Students receive a 15% off discount on all purchases from Spiritus Arcanum while enrolled -Tentative Class Dates All classes after the first are currently planned to take place at 7pm Eastern on the 2nd or 3rd Wednesday of each month. All classes will be available as a recording for those who cannot make the live class or who wish to view it again. These dates are tentative and subject to change as needed. In Person Attendance Those students who are local to Peabody, MA. and wish to attend the classes live at the Spiritus Arcanum brick & mortar shop are welcome to. Just let me know beforehand that you’ll be coming. I’d love to have you there! Class Agreement and Returns All students who wish to have access to the video recordings, PDF files, and Facebook forum associated with this course will be required to sign and return a nondisclosure agreement regarding the content and materials of the course. Failure to do so will still allow for access to live classes but restrict access to the other elements of this course until signed and returned. Due to the nature of the course there will be no refunds available to students after 07/08/26 About the Instructor: Matthew Venus a folk magician, and traditional witch, and artist based in Salem, Massachusetts with three decades of practice and nearly twenty years of teaching experience within witchcraft and the magical arts. His practice is informed by a deep heart of animism and a dedication to ancestral traditions. Additionally he is a an Aborisha in the Lucumí Orisha tradition and a Tata Ndenge in a lineage of Quimbanda de Angola. Matthew is co-founder of Salem Witch Fest @SalemWitchFest as well as the owner and lead apothecary of Spiritus Arcanum @spiritus_arcanum an online and brick and mortar shop which specializes in handcrafted ritual incenses and oils, talismanic art, and a diversity of occult wares. Over the past two decades Matthew has been sharing teachings on various aspects of magic with students around the world through classes and courses which explore elements and approaches towards traditional witchcraft and folk magical traditions. Matthew has presented classes and courses on magical practice at conferences and shops throughout the United States including Templefest, Convocation, Between the Worlds, Botanica Obscura, as well as at the The Salem Witchcraft & Folklore Festival. His writings have appeared in Modern Witch Magazine, Qlippoth Journal, Pillars, and Hoodoo & Conjure Quarterly. He has appeared on, and been a consultant for several television and film projects, including Forbidden History, and the documentary WITCH: Hex the Patriarchy. He is an author whose first book Ensouling the Effigy was published by Crossed Crow Books in 2025.