Experience the Magic of Swamp Mystics: Descriptions of Presenters Below
Swamp Mystics 2026 Presenters
Georgi Gardiner
Georgi Gardiner is an Associate Professor of Philosophy and GESS (Gender and Sexuality Studies) at Tulane University. She teaches creativity and specialises in ‘philosophy through art, play, and adventure’, such as using Lego, game-design, and tarot cards for research and learning.
Gardiner’s research includes philosophy of occult practices and countercultural community. She has written on tarot, ritual, kink, and sex witchcraft. She is currently writing a book called ‘Unthinkable’ about when people have self-protecting mental blocks about traumatic experiences.
Gardiner’s approach is intermodal: She is editing a philosophy book that interweaves scholarly essays with poetry, fiction, paintings, collage, and interactive activities, for example. Gardiner is a circus performer and, before moving to New Orleans, ran a countercultural queer arts events space called the Playhouse.
You can find her work at www.georgigardiner.com. Podcasts interviews and shorter essays can be found on her ‘Media’ page.
Tom Taylor
Ritual Dance
Our ancestors danced together in circles, around a fire, in religious rituals and celebrations of community. In this session, we will experience the integration of spiritual centering, meditation, music, movement, connection, and celebration. We will also explore how we can incorporate ritual dance into our personal and collective lives. Tom “Rahim” Taylor has been leading Dances of Universal Peace for over 50 years.
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Center, Connect, Collaborate, and Celebrate
We will center ourselves with awareness of our inner wisdom that is connected to universal knowing. Our authenticity connects us in safe and sacred spaces. Rather than competition and combat, we will seek consensus on shared challenges and solutions. Then we will celebrate our successes and the community that makes them possible. Tom Taylor has been a consensus and conflict resolution facilitator and teacher for 40 years.
Ulix Van Beber
Ulix VanBeber (He/They) is a professional rune reader, teacher, public speaker, and founder of Académie Gnostique, where he teaches divination, occult philosophy, and advanced runology. An occultist with extensive experience in Western ceremonial magic, Ulix’s work is grounded in historical medieval magic and the early systems that contributed to modern magic and alchemy. Ulix seeks to reshape contemporary understandings of medieval and pagan magic. Balancing prophecy with magic, he hopes to shed light on runology, runosophy, and the spiritual currents and historical sources waiting to be translated and decolonized.
A Norse polytheist and animist with a background in ceremonial magic, Ulex specializes in divination, ritual arts, and the adaptation of historical pagan practices to modern contexts. As an educator and event organizer, they are passionate about cultivating the pagan arts through music, dance, poetry, visual art, ritual, and scholarship, encouraging practitioners to become active creators of culture.
Max Thompson
Max Thompson, MA; astrologer, entrepreneur, composer, new age practitioner, and poet. Max has been teaching and practicing natal, mundane and relationship astrology for fifty plus years. He wrote a weekly astrological forecast for an Orlando newspaper 1975-1978 and has spoken on astrological cycles. He studied astrology with Mike Michaels and Juanita Ashville.
Over the years, Max has had the privilege of advising hundreds of clients at critical points in their business, relationshipsrelationships, and personal lives. Max personally considers it a great honor to counsel people at key points in their lives and is constantly amazed at the revelations in an astrology chart.
Max studied Kundalini and white tantric yoga with Yogi Bhajan. He is an ordained minister, a certified Matrix Energetics practitioner, and has studied many quantum healing methods. He has also studied extensively with Native American shamans.
Max has experienced a number of near death experiences (NDA), mystical experiences, waking visions, pre-birth & past life memories. These have convinced him that we are a part of and connected to a much larger gossamer web of life than our normal waking logical state of consciousness reveals. His life experiences have convinced him that we live in a magical interconnected universe with amazing possibilities that the world is just beginning to become aware of.
Max is an eagle scout. He earned a BA in music composition and philosophy in 1974 at UCF and a Masters degree in music incomposition in 1979 at FSU. Musically, Max studied with Aaron Copeland, Arpad Szomoru, Dr. John Boda & Krzysztof Penderecki and was the principal trumpet for the FTU Symphony Orchestra.
He is currently co-owner of New Dawn Enterprises, Inc. and was co-owner/co-founder of the national New Age Retailer of the Year Crystal Connection Metaphysical Bookstore.
Will Teach:
“An Astrological Perspective on the Timing of Ceremonies.”
The blurb will be: Learn to time your ceremonies to the cyclical energies of the Cosmos. We’ll explore the lunation cycle and the annual zodiacal calendar in order to time your ceremonies for the greatest beneficial results.
Aurora Dawn
Plant Spirit Communication
Did you know that you can communicate with plants and trees to learn their stories and healing abilities? In this class we will talk about how ancient peoples communicated with the plants to learn how to heal and guide them. We will also go on a guided meditation with several local plants to see what messages they have for us.
Aurora’s interest in herbalism began when her Native American grandmother taught her how to dye objects and create simple medicines with local plants; since then, she studied with some of the best herbalists and aromatherapists in the country.
Aurora is a professional Herbalist and is a member of the American Herbalist Guild. She is also an Aromatherapist, and registered nurse. Aurora has spoken at national conferences about herbs and aromatherapy, has been published in multiple periodicals, and has written a magical herb book called “Magical Herb Compendium.” Her second book on the medicinal properties of herbs will be out in late 2027.
Aurora currently has a medicinal and spiritual healing practice in Florida where she integrates Herbalism, Aromatherapy, Flower Essences and ritual to heal people of their issues; she also has an online school where she teaches classes in Herbalism and Aromatherapy.
Website: https://aurorasmagicalrealm.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aurorasmagicalrealm/
Kira Matteson Rosen
Tuning Into the Body: Allowing the Body to Guide Your Next Spiritual Lesson
Kira is a Tallahassee local, a three-time Swamp Mystics veteran, and an initiate of The Temple of Limitless Light. A practicing massage therapist in private practice since 1997, Kira brings 30 years of personal growth and healing experience through alternative medicine and spiritual practices.
As a Reiki Master trained in Advanced Psychosomatic Character Therapy (via a three-year program with Kurt Hill at Holistic Health in Chicago), she integrates energetic and spiritual depth into her bodywork.
Kira will explore how touch integrates into the therapeutic process and how listening to physical wisdom can unveil your next step on the spiritual path.
She will also be offering a guided acoustic chakra meditation.
Erich Brown
Crafting and Using a Magic Wand
First, we will craft a wand using materials we will provide. Each participant will be given a package containing a bamboo shaft, a crystal and herbs to place in the hollow of the wand. Next, we will consecrate our wands to empower them, using a simple rite that creates holy water or Aqua Sancta. Then we will share simple techniques that you can perform with your new wand. We will invoke all four elements and two of spirit with our new wands by drawing the appropriate pentagrams in the air and visualizing and feeling the elemental energies. The wand and a tie dye wrap for it will be yours to keep.
About me
Erich Brown, Frater Anubis, has been studying Ritual Magic since he was a teenager. He started self-training in the Golden Dawn tradition and was later initiated into the E.S.S.G. (The Order of the Gnostic Star) by its founder, Frater Barrabas, in his twenties. Erich currently coleads the Temple of Limitless Light with his wife, a magical school dedicated to raising spiritual development in the community. His studies are currently focused on Elemental, Planetary, and Enochian magic.
Aerik Arkadian
Fluid Condensors
From the construction of talismans and magick mirrors to the manufacture of medicines and potions, Fluid Condensers have been venerated throughout history and mythology for their energetic potential. You’ve probably used them even if you’re unfamiliar with the terminology. Join Aerik Arkadian for an exciting look at this frequently mentioned, but rarely explained occult topic, and how it connects both physically and symbolically to… well, to everything!
We’ll discuss their construction, employment, and incorporation into modern practice.
Aerik is an author, musician, witch, and high priest. He runs a coven in South Florida with his wife, Selene, hosts the “Music, Myth, and Magick” podcast on YouTube, and recently celebrated the release of his first published book, Fluid Condensers: Unlocking the Mysteries of Gold, Alchemy, and Magick.
You can find him online at www.AerikArkadian.com
Coby Michael
Intro to Magical Herbalism
Plants are inherently magical, and when we learn to call upon them our magical practices we open ourselves up to a whole world of potential. Whether it is in partnership for spellwork, as plant spirit allies for meditation and inner journeying, or as teachers that grow all around us plants have numerous ways of showing up in our magical and mundane lives. In this presentation attendees will learn how to begin speaking the language of leaf and flower, through planetary and elemental correspondences, and develop an understanding for choosing which herbs to work with in spellcrafting and how to incorporate them through a variety of formulas.
Coby Michael is an occult herbalist and magical practitioner specializing in the ritual use of poisonous and psychoactive plants. He studied religion at Arizona State University and has been a folk herbalist since a young age.
He owns and operates The Poisoner’s Apothecary, an online shop and educational resource for The Poison Path. Coby has been blogging since 2016 and is a prolific writer including articles for This Witch Magazine, The Witches' Almanac, and Alraune. Coby is author of The Poison Path Herbal, The Poison Path Grimoire and the forthcoming titles The Poison Path Oracle, creator of The Poison Path Oracle Deck and Herbal Magic for Dummies. He is also co-author of Leo Witch. Coby is the founder of Botanica Obscura Conference, an annual gathering of magical plant practitioners from around the world sharing their plant spirit knowledge. He travels the country teaching people about plant magic, the Poison Path, occult herbalism and plant medicine.
Lux On Duibhe
Lux is a lifelong practitioner of magic, pagan spirituality, and spirit work with decades of experience exploring the intersection of myth, ritual, consciousness, and the unseen world. Drawing from a wide range of magical traditions, Lux has devoted years to the study and practice of witchcraft, folk magic, energy work, divination, spirit communication, dreamwork, and devotional practice. As a teacher, ritualist, and community leader, Lux has designed and facilitated workshops, rituals, and spiritual experiences for gatherings ranging from intimate circles to large public events. His work is rooted in a deep respect for both ancient traditions and living magical practice, emphasizing direct experience, personal sovereignty, and meaningful relationships with spirits, land, and the powers of nature.
Lux is a founding member and High Priest of the Twilight Shore coven and serves as a priest, ritualist, and magical guide within his community. He has created and led rites involving labyrinth walking, spirit contact, faery traditions, seasonal celebrations, elemental mysteries, and transformative initiatory experiences.
His classes have explored subjects including the Fae, magical symbolism, divination, ritual design, dreamwork, energy cultivation, and practical witchcraft.
His magical practice incorporates tarot, pendulum work, rune lore, spellcraft, spirit communication, ancestral connection, and visionary techniques developed through years of experimentation and personal practice. He is particularly known for his work with dreams, liminal states, storytelling, and helping others develop a deeper connection to their own spiritual gifts and magical potential.
Beyond formal teaching and ritual leadership, Lux has spent countless hours serving pagan and magical communities through mentoring, fire tending, sacred space holding, event support, and the preservation of traditions that foster connection, wonder, and transformation.
At the heart of Lux's work is a simple belief:
Magic is not merely something one studies, but something one lives. His goal is to help others discover authentic spiritual power, deepen their relationship with the unseen world, and walk a path of enchantment, wisdom, and personal sovereignty.
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