Occult Herbalism of the Poison Path, with Witch and Author Melissa Jayne Madara, begins March 11
Three Week Class Taught Online Via Zoom
Tuesdays, March 11 - 25, 2025
7:00 - 8:30pm ET (NYC Time)
$85 Paid Patreon Members / $100 General Admission
PLEASE NOTE: All classes will also be recorded and archived for students who cannot make that time
Join author & occultist Melissa Madara for a deep-dive into the history of witchcraft, poisons, and the arte of the occult.
Poisonous plants have long accompanied the practice of witchcraft, revered for their powerful yet perilous properties. Throughout history, herbs like belladonna, mandrake, and monkshood have been associated with witches, alchemists, and healers, believed to possess a dual nature to both heal and harm, curse and cure. The use of such plants has been recorded across cultures, from ancient Greece to the European witch trials, weaving a mythology of danger and power.
This course offers a deep dive into the historical, folkloric, and magical significance of poisonous plants. Students will explore the botanical properties of key plants used in witchcraft, exploring traditional uses in both medicine and the magical arte. They will also examine the symbolism these plants carried in cultural perceptions of the witch, exploring why and how the witch and the poisoner came to be intertwined. The instructor will guide students through historical texts, ancient practices, and modern interpretations of these plants in witchcraft, exploring both the theory and praxis of the poison path.
By the end of the course, students will have gained a thorough understanding of the most important poisonous plants in witchcraft and the occult, as well as the historical and symbolic contexts in which they were used. Whether you are a student of the occult, a botanist with an interest in folklore, or simply curious about the intersection of magic and nature, this course will provide you with a nuanced understanding of these fascinating plants and their dark history.
Melissa Madara is an occultist, author, and educator, teaching magic and witchcraft from a historical perspective. Their work deals with the healing power of myth, divination, and immersion in the natural world, with an emphasis on plant folklore and traditional crafts. Melissa is the curator of Moon Cult, an online community of curious witches who learn and practice together. Find Melissa’s interviews in the New York Times, Vice, Broadly, Teen Vogue, and Refinery 29, or see their published works in Fiddler's Green, Venefica Magazine, or their two books, The Witch’s Feast & The Witch’s Workshop. Follow Melissa at mooncvlt.com or on IG @saint.jayne.
Images: Papaver Somniferum (opium poppy) and Atropa Belladonna and from the poison garden of English artist, botanist, and feminist Mary Delany (1700 – 1788), via The British Museum.
Three Week Class Taught Online Via Zoom
Tuesdays, March 11 - 25, 2025
7:00 - 8:30pm ET (NYC Time)
$85 Paid Patreon Members / $100 General Admission
PLEASE NOTE: All classes will also be recorded and archived for students who cannot make that time
Join author & occultist Melissa Madara for a deep-dive into the history of witchcraft, poisons, and the arte of the occult.
Poisonous plants have long accompanied the practice of witchcraft, revered for their powerful yet perilous properties. Throughout history, herbs like belladonna, mandrake, and monkshood have been associated with witches, alchemists, and healers, believed to possess a dual nature to both heal and harm, curse and cure. The use of such plants has been recorded across cultures, from ancient Greece to the European witch trials, weaving a mythology of danger and power.
This course offers a deep dive into the historical, folkloric, and magical significance of poisonous plants. Students will explore the botanical properties of key plants used in witchcraft, exploring traditional uses in both medicine and the magical arte. They will also examine the symbolism these plants carried in cultural perceptions of the witch, exploring why and how the witch and the poisoner came to be intertwined. The instructor will guide students through historical texts, ancient practices, and modern interpretations of these plants in witchcraft, exploring both the theory and praxis of the poison path.
By the end of the course, students will have gained a thorough understanding of the most important poisonous plants in witchcraft and the occult, as well as the historical and symbolic contexts in which they were used. Whether you are a student of the occult, a botanist with an interest in folklore, or simply curious about the intersection of magic and nature, this course will provide you with a nuanced understanding of these fascinating plants and their dark history.
Melissa Madara is an occultist, author, and educator, teaching magic and witchcraft from a historical perspective. Their work deals with the healing power of myth, divination, and immersion in the natural world, with an emphasis on plant folklore and traditional crafts. Melissa is the curator of Moon Cult, an online community of curious witches who learn and practice together. Find Melissa’s interviews in the New York Times, Vice, Broadly, Teen Vogue, and Refinery 29, or see their published works in Fiddler's Green, Venefica Magazine, or their two books, The Witch’s Feast & The Witch’s Workshop. Follow Melissa at mooncvlt.com or on IG @saint.jayne.
Images: Papaver Somniferum (opium poppy) and Atropa Belladonna and from the poison garden of English artist, botanist, and feminist Mary Delany (1700 – 1788), via The British Museum.
Three Week Class Taught Online Via Zoom
Tuesdays, March 11 - 25, 2025
7:00 - 8:30pm ET (NYC Time)
$85 Paid Patreon Members / $100 General Admission
PLEASE NOTE: All classes will also be recorded and archived for students who cannot make that time
Join author & occultist Melissa Madara for a deep-dive into the history of witchcraft, poisons, and the arte of the occult.
Poisonous plants have long accompanied the practice of witchcraft, revered for their powerful yet perilous properties. Throughout history, herbs like belladonna, mandrake, and monkshood have been associated with witches, alchemists, and healers, believed to possess a dual nature to both heal and harm, curse and cure. The use of such plants has been recorded across cultures, from ancient Greece to the European witch trials, weaving a mythology of danger and power.
This course offers a deep dive into the historical, folkloric, and magical significance of poisonous plants. Students will explore the botanical properties of key plants used in witchcraft, exploring traditional uses in both medicine and the magical arte. They will also examine the symbolism these plants carried in cultural perceptions of the witch, exploring why and how the witch and the poisoner came to be intertwined. The instructor will guide students through historical texts, ancient practices, and modern interpretations of these plants in witchcraft, exploring both the theory and praxis of the poison path.
By the end of the course, students will have gained a thorough understanding of the most important poisonous plants in witchcraft and the occult, as well as the historical and symbolic contexts in which they were used. Whether you are a student of the occult, a botanist with an interest in folklore, or simply curious about the intersection of magic and nature, this course will provide you with a nuanced understanding of these fascinating plants and their dark history.
Melissa Madara is an occultist, author, and educator, teaching magic and witchcraft from a historical perspective. Their work deals with the healing power of myth, divination, and immersion in the natural world, with an emphasis on plant folklore and traditional crafts. Melissa is the curator of Moon Cult, an online community of curious witches who learn and practice together. Find Melissa’s interviews in the New York Times, Vice, Broadly, Teen Vogue, and Refinery 29, or see their published works in Fiddler's Green, Venefica Magazine, or their two books, The Witch’s Feast & The Witch’s Workshop. Follow Melissa at mooncvlt.com or on IG @saint.jayne.
Images: Papaver Somniferum (opium poppy) and Atropa Belladonna and from the poison garden of English artist, botanist, and feminist Mary Delany (1700 – 1788), via The British Museum.