Michael J. Morris will be speaking at The Dark Market on
Saturday, October 13th
2:30pm
Lecture Topic:
Witchcraft Across Times of Resistance
From the Middle Ages to the Burning Times to current day, the figure of the witch has always been a figure of resistance—to patriarchy, to religious authoritarianism, to sexual repression, and so on. As we are living through challenging political times, when the need for resistance and the struggle for freedom are particularly acute, witchcraft offers practical resources for supporting our survival, our activism, and our work for justice both in the present and in the world to come. In this talk, Michael J. Morris will focus on the ways in which elements of ritual attune us to multiple modes of perceiving and thinking about time. By cultivating mindful attention to the immediate present along with a deep appreciation for nonlinear, cyclic time across vast more-than-human scales—such as evolutionary, geologic, astrological time—witchcraft has the potential to energize our resistance today while investing us in worlds far beyond our lifetimes.
Michael J. Morris is an artist, writer, educator, and a witch. They hold a PhD in Dance Studies from The Ohio State University, and they currently teach at Denison University in the Department of Dance, Queer Studies, Women’s and Gender Studies, and Environmental Studies. At Denison, they have facilitated sabbat rituals for students, staff, and faculty at The Open House Center for Religious & Spiritual Life. Michael is a member of the Temple of Ara, an international Wiccan earth-centered community founded by Phyllis Curott.