My First Time.
I didn't know what to expect.
A Witches Convention. A Witches festival near me. Witchcraft in Oregon. Spirit Northwest.
I was fresh out of college. I didn’t know what to expect.
I knew I wanted to know more about my Magickal self. I felt I was a Witch, but I didn’t know what that meant. It was the weekend after my college graduation and I didn’t have any idea what my next chapter would hold. I jumped in a truck with a friend-of-a-friend whom I barely and went to a Magickal festival/conference without a clue as to what would happen when I arrived.
Looking back, I can tell you less about what I found in those three (very wet…it was a rainy weekend!) days, and more of what I did NOT find.
What I didn’t find: Judgement from others or the need to justify myself.
No one rolled their eyes at my questions about spirituality, or blinked at my confessions of strange psychic experiences. Even moreso, not everyone believed exactly what I did. Some people had had, or were having spiritual experiences, far more intense than mine. Some didn’t believe in Magick at all.
That didn’t matter. We were like-minded.
Despite our different jobs, locations, demographics, income, and otherwise, we all had the experience of being just a little different than others around us.
I didn’t just find friends. I found me.
Since that first experience, I’ve traveled all over the country, having the privilege of helping create these spaces for other people. When I moved back to Oregon in 2017, I missed the festivals and conferences I’d experienced in other parts of the country. We have such a beautiful environment and lifestyle out here. Why don’t more Magickal people gather?
But I thought of what an old friend said to me many years ago: “Don’t find the scene. BE the scene.”
I wasn’t the only one thinking those thoughts.
Alongside some wonderful like-minded people, I not only had the opportunity to bring my gifts home, but to invite friends from across the country to the beautiful place I call home. Last year, looking at the delighted faces of the first guests of Spirit Northwest, I knew I was giving back the same gorgeous experience that had shaped me.
And we’re doing it again.
I hope you’ll join me at Spirit Northwest.
More information below. If you have specific questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
Your Magickal Self Is Waiting At Spirit Northwest
April 23-26, 2026
Embassy Suites Hotel
319 SW Pine Street
Portland, OR
I am honored to be a co-organizer and presenter at this dynamic conference in Portland, OR. 2025 was our first year and it was a smashing success. 2026 is promising to be even better. Will you be there?
Spirit Northwest is basically a mystery school in a weekend.
This year’s lineup will feature 54 sessions from 38 presenters, totaling more than 85 hours of teaching, ritual, and practice. That’s enough depth for seekers, clergy, and community leaders to all find their edge, and then go a step beyond it.
We’re holding both thunder and stillness.
The program balances nine silence-required journeys (for meditation, trance, and deep devotional work) with seven sound-soaked rituals full of drumming, music, and chant. Sponsors aren’t just backing “a conference”, you’re underwriting a complete emotional and spiritual range, from quiet soul work to ecstatic celebration.
Our teachers aren’t “doing a slot” — they’re curating arcs.
Several of our most in-demand presenters are offering multi-part series. That means attendees can follow a thread across multiple sessions: advancing skills, deepening relationships, and carrying sponsor brands along a meaningful learning journey.
The topics are unapologetically leading-edge.
From ancestor work through poetry, to synesthesia as a magickal portal, to embodied spirit communication, lucid dreaming as an alchemical practice, and pop-culture technomancy with AI and social media, this year’s schedule centers the kind of work people can’t just find on YouTube. It’s the sort of programming that will make you say, “I have to be there.”
We built Spirit Northwest for engagement, not lectures.
The overwhelming majority of offerings are hands-on presentations and workshops, supported by a smaller set of full rituals and one special panel. About half of the sessions don’t need projectors or heavy tech, which means more embodied practice, storytelling, and direct connection — a perfect environment for seekers who want honest conversations.
I hope you’ll join me there. Magick and community are waiting for you.