Join Salem Witchcraft & Folklore Festival for a screening of the 2018 horror classic remake of Suspiria, followed by a lively panel discussion  amongst magical practitioners and folklorists exploring the film's  themes and impact.

 

About the film:

 

Suspiria is a 2018 supernatural horror film directed by Luca Guadagnino, inspired by Dario Argento's 1977 Italian film of the same name.

 

Young American dancer Susie Bannion arrives in the 1970s Berlin to audition for the world-renowned Helena Markos Dance Co. When she vaults to the role of lead dancer, the woman she replaces breaks down and accuses the company's female directors of witchcraft. Meanwhile, an inquisitive psychotherapist and a member of the troupe uncover dark and sinister secrets as they probe the depths of the studio's hidden underground chambers.

 

About the Panelists:

Professor Charles Porterfield (he/him) is an old-fashioned, no-nonsense, Old Testament reader and rootworker.  He writes, teaches, and lectures on hoodoo and conjure to help preserve and pass on the roots of the work as well as consults, prescribes, and divines work for those in need. He currently lives in Denton, Texas with his wife, legacy student, two cats, and a dead dog.

 

Jesse Hathaway Diaz (he/him/they/them) is a folklorist, artist, performer and independent scholar with a Masters in Performance Studies from NYU. With initiations in several forms of witchcraft from Europe and the Americas, he is also a lifelong student of Mexican curanderismo, an initiated priest of Obatalá in the Lucumí Orisha tradition, and a Tatá Quimbanda. He co-hosts an occult themed podcast called ‘Radio Free Golgotha’, and edits the ‘Folk Necromancy in Transmission’ imprint through Revelore Press. For the better part of two decades, he has been involved with Theatre Group Dzieci, a New York based experimental theatre ensemble which explores theatre and ritual as a way, blending service with self-exploration and performance. Dividing his time between the Bronx and a farm in the Hudson Valley, his artistic and written work navigate the world-as-magic through exploring orality and transmission, decolonialism, ritual theory and praxis, herbalism and healing modalities through private study, apprenticeship, and community involvement. You can find his artistic and written work at www.jessehathawaydiaz.com and his wares at www.signthepact.com

 

Dr Alexander Cummins (he/him) is a contemporary cunning-man and historian of magic. His magical specialities are the dead (folk necromancy), divination (geomancy) and the grimoires.  His published works include Nazarth: Pillars of Gladness (2022), An Excellent Booke of the Arte of Magicke (2020) with Phil Legard, The Starry Rubric (2012), A Book of the Magi: Lore, Prayers, and Spellcraft of the Three Holy Kings (2018) and several chapbooks as well as essays in collections by Three Hands Press, Hadean Press and academic presses such as Palgrave Macmillan. He co-hosts the podcast Radio Free Golgotha, and is a founding editor of Revelore Press’ Folk Necromancy in Transmission series. Dr Cummins’ work, classes, and services can be found at www.alexandercummins.com

 

Sarah Jezebel Wood is an artist, chandler, dancer, and sorceress whose work explores the ephemeral nature of the liminality in life and death through the interactions of time, place, objects, and moments. Either through the lens of a camera or a pot of wax she devotes herself to creating images of contemplation and sources of light. She is the owner of Lovi Artes, an intentionally crafted candle company that seeks to cultivate your inner fire through the art of wax, scent, ritual, and flame. 

 

Loretta "Loo" Ledesma (she/her)  - The Death Witch, Loo, founder of The Mile High Conjure Gala and conjuror behind The Death Witch is a Santa Muerte Devotee and practitioner of Conjure. She cultivates a comfortable relationship with spirits of many sorts. Loo approaches the work from the Conjure tradition and a close open relationship with the dead. Loretta walks her spiritual path comfortably with less freely talked about workings and brings deep knowledge and experience to educational conversations and her goods. She is a legacy student of Conjure Man Professor Charles Porterfield. She has learned from and sits at the table with some of the most sought-after teachers and elders in Conjure. You can find more of Loretta’s work at thedeathwitch.black and follow along on Instagram @thedeathwitch.

 

Moderated by - Matthew Venus

Matthew Venus an artist, folk magician, and traditional witch based in Salem, Massachusetts whose 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 Nàgô.

Matthew is co-founder of Salem Witch Fest as well as the owner and lead apothecary of 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 craft and folk magical traditions.

 

Refreshments will be available at the concession stand inside Cinema Salem. 

 

Attendees must be over the age of 18. Please present your PDF ticket at the door.