SassyCon 2026: Full Schedule

arrow_back View All Dates

9:00am CDT

Beyond the Servitor: On the Crafting of Spirits and Conjuring of Fetiches

Saturday May 9, 2026 9:00am - 10:15am CDT

In this class we will explore the creation of fetich objects and spirit vessels through the intersection of artistry and artifice. With an animistic approach towards spirit work we will discuss perspectives and methodologies for engaging with and conjuring spirits. We will then explore the concepts of created spirits and familiar spirits. Further, this class will look at co-creative and relational processes for partnering with botanical, animal, and mineral materia, as well as employing commonplace objects as mediums by which we might craft enspirited objects such as the fetich, and conjure forth spirits. Finally, we will conclude with a discussion on ways that the fetich may be enspirited, aligned to its work, cared for, and worked with.⁠

Speakers

Matthew Venus

Teacher, Author, Apothecary, Diviner, Spiritus Arcanum

Matthew Venus is a traditional witch, artist, and folk magician based in Salem, Massachusetts, whose craft is centered around a deep heart of animism and a dedication to ancestral and land-based traditions. Over the past two decades, Matthew has been sharing his teachings with students... Read More →

Saturday May 9, 2026 9:00am - 10:15am CDT
Bacchus 300 Bourbon Street, The Royal Sonesta

Crafting

9:00am CDT

So You Want To Write A Metaphysical Book...

Saturday May 9, 2026 9:00am - 10:15am CDT

Bourbon

Have you always wanted to write that book in your head, but don't know how to get started? Your vision matters! Christine Cunningham Ashworth is here to help you bring it to life. With over a decade of publishing experience in both fiction and non-fiction, Christine will guide you through the first steps of writing your book, finding your unique voice, and answering three essential questions every writer should consider before putting words on the page. A handout will be available; and there will be in-class exercises.

Speakers

Christine Cunningham Ashworth

Presenting at Spirit Northwest 2026: The Life and Legacy of Scott Cunningham

Presenting at SassyCon 2026: The Life and Legacy of Scott Cunningham; So You Want to Write a Metaphysical Book; and Finding Courage in Troublesome Times

Saturday May 9, 2026 9:00am - 10:15am CDT
Bourbon 300 Bourbon Street, The Royal Sonesta

Lecture

9:00am CDT

The Seven Keys of the Witch’s Sabbat

Saturday May 9, 2026 9:00am - 10:15am CDT

Royal Conti

Seek the mystery of the Witch in the eternal sabbat of the Mighty Dead. See the sabbat as a mandala, a teaching tool, a map of initiation to navigate relationships with the evolutionary streams of ancestors, fey, and angelic beings. Understand the dance of the Soul of the World through seven alchemical keys to the Sabbat: Procession, Gate, Pact, Sex, Feast, Battle, and Game. Each embodies its own mystery to build relationships with ourselves and our magickal ancestors and allies. Through it, seek the alchemical heart of the Earth. Use these seven steps on the Crooked Path to both deepen our magickal practice and our experience of life, joining the eternal dance of creation.

Speakers

Christopher Penczak

Christopher Penczak is a modern Witch working in the Temple of Witchcraft tradition and community he helped co-found. His practice focuses on the intersection of Love, Will, and Wisdom as an ethos for today’s Witch, and focuses upon relationships with the plant realm, the patterns... Read More →

Saturday May 9, 2026 9:00am - 10:15am CDT
Royal Conti 300 Bourbon Street, The Royal Sonesta

Lecture

10:15am CDT

Break

Saturday May 9, 2026 10:15am - 10:45am CDT

Royal Sonesta Hotel

Saturday May 9, 2026 10:15am - 10:45am CDT
Royal Sonesta Hotel 300 Bourbon Street, The Royal Sonesta

Break

10:45am CDT

Cerridwen and the Cauldron of Inspiration

Saturday May 9, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT

Bourbon

Cerridwen, fierce and beloved Witch goddess brews the sacrament of awen in her holy cauldron. Living upon the mysterious island upon the lake, she is the mother of beautiful light, utter darkness, and the poetry of the bards. Explore the powers of the cauldron as a vessel of inspiration, abundance, healing, transformation and initiation. Look at the tale of Taliesin as the tale of the initiate moving through three darknesses towards rebirth. Explore the magick of shape shifting as an initiatory challenge, and the need to address the wrongs, often unintentional, of our past before moving onto our future. Seek her counsel and find the song within your own heart.

Speakers

Christopher Penczak

Saturday May 9, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT
Bourbon 300 Bourbon Street, The Royal Sonesta

Lecture

10:45am CDT

Herba Loci: How to Localize Your Plant Magic

Saturday May 9, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT

Bacchus

In this class we’ll learn how to work with your local environments in your herbal and plant magic. We’ll investigate how to identify nearby substitutions for plants prescribed in traditional Mediterranean and European grimoire and folk magical practices by combining basic tenants of naturalism with astrological and phenomenological attributions. We’ll also learn foundational techniques of relationship building and plant harvesting spells.

Speakers

Emily Schumacher

Emily Schumacher is an educator, writer, and ritualist. She is an initiate of multiple traditions and oversees curriculum at Académie Gnostique, a school of magic and esotericism in New Orleans. Emily is also an artist working in textile and paper mediums creating tarot, book bindings... Read More →

Saturday May 9, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT
Bacchus 300 Bourbon Street, The Royal Sonesta

Lecture

10:45am CDT

Little Self - Greater Selves

Saturday May 9, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT

Royal Conti

One of the great teachings that is common to many traditions is the idea that all of us are one and that we became separate so that we could learn and grow. A part of the path of magick and spirituality is the preparation to rejoin with that our higher self. this ritual encourages us to see our divine sparks joining to become the blazing star that is all our greater selves.

Speakers

Ivo Dominguez, Jr.

Ivo Dominguez, Jr. has been a witch since 1978 and is one of the founders and Elders of the Assembly of the Sacred Wheel. He is the anchor author for the new twelve book Witch’s Sun Sign Series. Ivo is the author of The Four Elements of the Wise, Keys to Perception, Casting Sacred... Read More →

Saturday May 9, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT
Royal Conti 300 Bourbon Street, The Royal Sonesta

Ritual

12:00pm CDT

Lunch

Saturday May 9, 2026 12:00pm - 1:30pm CDT

French Quarter New Orleans

Be sure to review our SassyCon picks for some of the best places to eat! https://sassycon.com/sassycon-picks

Saturday May 9, 2026 12:00pm - 1:30pm CDT
French Quarter New Orleans

Break

1:30pm CDT

Jewish magic in daily practice

Saturday May 9, 2026 1:30pm - 2:45pm CDT

Bourbon

In this class Tamar will focus on daily practice of Jewish magic in modern times. While she will give an overview of the history, etc. The focus here will be on applying the magic and using it ourselves, now. Most of the application will be using Aleph Bet lots, for divination, meditation, and spell work. Tamar will have several sets for participants to use as they explore this magickal practice. Participants need not have prior experience or knowledge in order to participate in and enjoy this class.

Speakers

Tamar Baskind

N/A

Born and raised in Jerusalem, Tamar has been steeped in the city’s magic and energy all her life. This ancient place has shaped her development, as both a person and a practitioner. Always drawn to the unseen forces around and within us, she began consciously practicing at the age... Read More →

Saturday May 9, 2026 1:30pm - 2:45pm CDT
Bourbon 300 Bourbon Street, The Royal Sonesta

Practice

1:30pm CDT

The Ties That Bind

Saturday May 9, 2026 1:30pm - 2:45pm CDT

Royal Conti

Learn about energetic links we create between people, places and things. In this class author Sean Wilde explores links, cords and other ties that bind us together. Ethics of cord cutting will be discussed, and methods of removing links temporarily and permanently. Highlights: * Learn how to sense energetic link * Learn how to protect yourself from energetic links * Learn how to block energetic links * Learn how to remove energetic links

Speakers

Sean Wilde

Saturday May 9, 2026 1:30pm - 2:45pm CDT
Royal Conti 300 Bourbon Street, The Royal Sonesta

Practice

2:45pm CDT

Break

Saturday May 9, 2026 2:45pm - 3:15pm CDT

Royal Sonesta Hotel

Saturday May 9, 2026 2:45pm - 3:15pm CDT
Royal Sonesta Hotel 300 Bourbon Street, The Royal Sonesta

Break

3:15pm CDT

The Mouth of God: Crafting Cowrie Shell Protection Talismans

Saturday May 9, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm CDT

Bourbon

Across cultures, the humble cowrie shell has been revered as more than just a seashell — it is a sacred vessel, a symbol of divine speech, fertility, and protection. Known in African traditions as the “mouth of God,” cowries have been used for adornment, divination, and blessings, carrying the voices of the waters and the ancestors. In this hands-on class, participants will craft their own cowrie shell protection talisman by filling the shell with herbs, powdered eggshells (cascarilla), and a hand-drawn sigil of intention. Once sealed, the talisman may be buried near the home or threshold to serve as a guardian spirit, whispering protection into the earth. Alongside the crafting, we’ll explore the mythic resonances of the cowrie — its role as currency and spiritual wealth, and its connections to powerful deities of the waters such as Yemayá, Olokun, Mami Wata, and Aphrodite. Students will leave with both a completed talisman and a deeper understanding of the cowrie’s timeless role as a bridge between the sacred and the everyday.

Speakers

Mamba Mirah

Mamba MiRah is a veteran Army officer turned spiritual teacher whose journey spans continents, cultures, and more than two decades of magical practice. While serving overseas, a tragic event in Germany led her to question her traditional faith and take her first steps onto the mystical... Read More →

Saturday May 9, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm CDT
Bourbon 300 Bourbon Street, The Royal Sonesta

Crafting

3:15pm CDT

In His Dark Garden: Plants of the Underworld

Saturday May 9, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm CDT

Royal Conti

When it comes to re-enchanting our modern world, myth and story contain instructions hiding in plain sight. Greek mythology is full of plants and animals, and these beings are important parts of the story — they not only have the power to enrich our magical and ritual practices, but they can also enhance our understanding of complex, multifaceted mythological figures like the gods. In this presentation, Jamie will introduce a surprising variety of plants associated with the Greek god Hades and his Underworld. She’ll share her methods for identifying and investigating the magical properties of these plants, while also discussing their usage and mythic origins. (Here’s a hint: it's way more than just that infamous pomegranate!)

Speakers

Jamie Waggoner

Priestess & Author

Jamie Waggoner is an author, Pagan priestess, and practicing witch for 25+ years. Jamie is the author of Hades: Myth, Magic and Modern Devotion, and contributor to Witchology Magazine, Haunted Magazine, The Rebis, and The Feminine Macabre, among others. Jamie is also a cofounder and... Read More →

In His Dark Garden Notes SassyCon 2026 pdf

In His Dark Garden Slides SassyCon 2026 pdf

Saturday May 9, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm CDT
Royal Conti 300 Bourbon Street, The Royal Sonesta

Lecture

3:15pm CDT

The Way of the Shaman— Ancient Rituals, Modern Practice; a dive into the way of Core Shamanism, a modern methodology to walk a very ancient spiritual path.

Saturday May 9, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm CDT

Bacchus

Shamanism is the spiritual path of direct revelation. It is a way magic, of animism, spiritualism, healing, service, and deep knowing. Core Shamanism (or neo-shamanism) is a modern approach that learns respectfully from the shared techniques and wisdom found in traditional shamanic cultures. It offers a universal method for connecting with the spirit world, free from specific cultural frameworks. We’ll begin with the “core” of shamanic belief: there is a spirit world, it is full beings of spirit who are our teachers and allies, and it can be accessed by the shaman with a meditative technique known as Journeying. In this workshop, we’ll explore these foundational ideas and introduce the practice of shamanic journeying. No prior experience or ritual tools are required. The ritual journey segment will take place in a softly darkened space, guided by a hand drum.

Speakers

Stephanie Brown Scott Brown

Saturday May 9, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm CDT
Bacchus 300 Bourbon Street, The Royal Sonesta

Practice

4:30pm CDT

Dinner

Saturday May 9, 2026 4:30pm - 6:30pm CDT

French Quarter New Orleans

Be sure to review our SassyCon picks for some of the best places to eat! https://sassycon.com/sassycon-picks

Saturday May 9, 2026 4:30pm - 6:30pm CDT
French Quarter New Orleans

Break

6:30pm CDT

Hecate of the Crossroads

Saturday May 9, 2026 6:30pm - 8:30pm CDT

Royal Conti

Hecate, Goddess of Magick and Witches, stands at the crossroads. As she beckons you with her torch and keys, she asks you… Where are you headed? By what ways will you travel? What would aid you on your journey? As stewardess of the crossroads and keeper of hidden wisdom, she offers guidance and light in the darkest of moments. At this time of contemplation and deep magick, join us in this ritual experience in the presence of Hecate. Come and stand at Her crossroads, to seek new momentum on your path and in your life.

Speakers

Jessica Shoemaker Kat Wheels

Saturday May 9, 2026 6:30pm - 8:30pm CDT
Royal Conti 300 Bourbon Street, The Royal Sonesta

Ritual

9:00am CDT

9:00am CDT

9:00am CDT

10:15am CDT

10:45am CDT

10:45am CDT

10:45am CDT

12:00pm CDT

1:30pm CDT

1:30pm CDT

2:45pm CDT

3:15pm CDT

3:15pm CDT

3:15pm CDT

4:30pm CDT

6:30pm CDT

Get help with the event