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Maleficium : The Foundations of Witchcraft, with Occultist and Author, Melissa Madara, Begins November 19
Five Week Class Taught Online Via Zoom
Wednesdays, November 19, 2025 - December 17, 2025
7:00 - 9:00pm ET (NYC Time)
$120 General Admission
PLEASE NOTE: Classes will be recorded and archived for students who cannot make that time
Melissa Jayne Madara and Morbid Anatomy are pleased to present an intensive five-week course examining the history, theory, and praxis of witchcraft. Designed for both experienced practitioners and those newly embarking on their study of the occult, this course provides a substantive foundation in the principles, practices, and cultural frameworks that define the witch’s path.
Through comparative analysis, students will investigate historical spells, charms, and magical operations across diverse traditions and periods, discerning the unique approach of witchcraft from other magical arts. Particular attention will be given to the development of the witch’s mythos, exploring its manifestations in folklore, literature, and lived practice. The curriculum will examine tools, techniques, and case studies drawn from both historical sources and contemporary praxis.
Practical engagement forms a core component of the course. Weekly assignments include the reconstruction and performance of selected spells, allowing students to experiment with procedures discussed in class. At the culmination of this series, students will construct an initiation rite of their own design, synthesizing the theoretical, historical, and experiential knowledge acquired over the course to unlock a witchcraft practice of their own.
Through close reading of early modern grimoires, study of ritual structures, and contextual analysis of magical books, this course offers a rigorous point of entry to the occulted world of witchcraft.
WEEK 1
In our opening week, students explore the mythological and social origins of the European witch, tracing her ancient cultic expressions and monstrous medieval representations. This lecture introduces key terms and the guiding philosophy of the course, setting the foundation for our analysis of witch-lore. Historical rituals iconic to the tradition of “traditional” witchcraft will be discussed, with an emphasis on distinguishing magic, witch-work, sorcery, and other occult practices.
WEEK 2
The second class delves into the garden of the witches, focusing on plant lore, folk herbalism, and botanical magic within European witchcraft. Students will explore charms for curing and cursing, summoning plant spirits, bewitching trees, and brewing herbal potions—offering a cross-section of “green” witchcraft across different cultures and eras.
WEEK 3
Week three turns attention to astrological and celestial magics. Students will examine medieval astrological grimoires and rites of stellar magic, exploring mythologies and traditions of sorcery connected with the heavens.
WEEK 4
The fourth lecture investigates the tools of the arte—candles, daggers, chalices, incense, and more—developing a functional understanding of ritual magic and occult praxis. Students will study a range of historical sources and documents, analyzing ritual structures through traditional rites and charms.
WEEK 5
In the final lecture, students draw together all previous material for an in-depth discussion of ritual praxis and the performance of witchcraft. We will examine various paths and perspectives, considering complex rites and discussing the philosophies, religions, and folk beliefs that empower these practices.
Melissa Madara is an occultist, author, and educator based in NYC. Their work centers on folklore and esoterica, exploring magic and witchcraft from a historical perspective.
Images: The Love Potion, Evelyn De Morgan, 1903; Wright Barker, 1889. Bradford Museums and Galleries
Five Week Class Taught Online Via Zoom
Wednesdays, November 19, 2025 - December 17, 2025
7:00 - 9:00pm ET (NYC Time)
$120 General Admission
PLEASE NOTE: Classes will be recorded and archived for students who cannot make that time
Melissa Jayne Madara and Morbid Anatomy are pleased to present an intensive five-week course examining the history, theory, and praxis of witchcraft. Designed for both experienced practitioners and those newly embarking on their study of the occult, this course provides a substantive foundation in the principles, practices, and cultural frameworks that define the witch’s path.
Through comparative analysis, students will investigate historical spells, charms, and magical operations across diverse traditions and periods, discerning the unique approach of witchcraft from other magical arts. Particular attention will be given to the development of the witch’s mythos, exploring its manifestations in folklore, literature, and lived practice. The curriculum will examine tools, techniques, and case studies drawn from both historical sources and contemporary praxis.
Practical engagement forms a core component of the course. Weekly assignments include the reconstruction and performance of selected spells, allowing students to experiment with procedures discussed in class. At the culmination of this series, students will construct an initiation rite of their own design, synthesizing the theoretical, historical, and experiential knowledge acquired over the course to unlock a witchcraft practice of their own.
Through close reading of early modern grimoires, study of ritual structures, and contextual analysis of magical books, this course offers a rigorous point of entry to the occulted world of witchcraft.
WEEK 1
In our opening week, students explore the mythological and social origins of the European witch, tracing her ancient cultic expressions and monstrous medieval representations. This lecture introduces key terms and the guiding philosophy of the course, setting the foundation for our analysis of witch-lore. Historical rituals iconic to the tradition of “traditional” witchcraft will be discussed, with an emphasis on distinguishing magic, witch-work, sorcery, and other occult practices.
WEEK 2
The second class delves into the garden of the witches, focusing on plant lore, folk herbalism, and botanical magic within European witchcraft. Students will explore charms for curing and cursing, summoning plant spirits, bewitching trees, and brewing herbal potions—offering a cross-section of “green” witchcraft across different cultures and eras.
WEEK 3
Week three turns attention to astrological and celestial magics. Students will examine medieval astrological grimoires and rites of stellar magic, exploring mythologies and traditions of sorcery connected with the heavens.
WEEK 4
The fourth lecture investigates the tools of the arte—candles, daggers, chalices, incense, and more—developing a functional understanding of ritual magic and occult praxis. Students will study a range of historical sources and documents, analyzing ritual structures through traditional rites and charms.
WEEK 5
In the final lecture, students draw together all previous material for an in-depth discussion of ritual praxis and the performance of witchcraft. We will examine various paths and perspectives, considering complex rites and discussing the philosophies, religions, and folk beliefs that empower these practices.
Melissa Madara is an occultist, author, and educator based in NYC. Their work centers on folklore and esoterica, exploring magic and witchcraft from a historical perspective.
Images: The Love Potion, Evelyn De Morgan, 1903; Wright Barker, 1889. Bradford Museums and Galleries