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Ensouling the Effigy: Image Magic, Poppetry, and Enspirited Objects
Sunday May 11, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm CDT
St. Joseph's Room
The creation of humanoid figures is an act with origins which predates recorded history. Such work aligns us with the art of the gods as conjured by humanity's earliest imagining, and creates both a conduit for power and an anchor for spirit. In this discussion we will explore the use of the dolls and effigies in various magical traditions throughout history, as well as examine practical ways that we may meaningfully incorporate them into a contemporary practice based upon sound tradition. Going beyond the often misunderstood “voodoo dolls” presented through horror tropes, we will discuss the use of poppets, doll babies, and effigies for all manner of spellwork from healing and love drawing to reversal magic and of course hexing. We will then explore the deeper realms of this art by discussing techniques and approaches towards employing effigies as spirit houses and devotional objects. And finally, we will conclude by discussing the various materials and methods we might use for the construction of effigies, as well as methods for consecration and enlivening them for magical purposes.
Speakers
avatar for Matthew Venus

Matthew Venus

Owner & Vendor, Spiritus Arcanum
Matthew Venus is an artist, folk magician, and traditional witch based in Salem, Massachusetts whose craft is centered around a deep heart of animism and a dedication to ancestral and land-based traditions. His practice is further enriched by his role as Tata Ndenge in a lineage of... Read More →
Sunday May 11, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm CDT
St. Joseph's Room 717 Orleans St. Bourbon Orleans Hotel
  Lecture

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