Final schedule of SWPACA conference doings

Full conference details are at https://swpaca.org/albuquerque-conference/ .

Esotericism, Occultism, and Magic 2: Crafting the Witch 

Wed, 02/25/2026 - 4:45 pm - 6:15 pm, Salon C & D 

Moderator: George Sieg

(4A) "Water and the Woman: the role of elemental magic in the 1996 film The Craft" 

Ayesha Adamo, Rice University 

(4B) "Matter-Reality in the Charge of the Goddess: Bodies, Objects, Places, and Sensation" 

Polly Springhorn, Cherry Hill Seminary 

(4C) "Rebecca, The Triple Goddess and Female Rage" 

Amaris Pollinger, Emerson College 

Esotericism, Occultism, and Magic 4: Roundtable: Esoteric, Occult, and Magical Syncretism 

Thu, 02/26/2026 - 11:30 am - 1:00 pm, Salon C & D 

Moderator: Elizabeth Sanderson, Oakton College

Contributors: 

Kelly Hayes, Indiana University 

Michelle Braunstein, Southern Cross University 

Polly Springhorn, Cherry Hill Seminary

Ayesha Adamo, Rice University

Esotericism, Occultism, and Magic 9: Roundtable: Music, magic, and meaning: The Spiritual Nature of the Concert Experience 

Fri, 02/27/2026 - 11:30 am - 1:00 pm, Salon C & D 

Moderator: Michelle Braunstein, Southern Cross University 

Contributors: 

Maximilian Bowden, University of Essex 

Polly Springhorn, Cherry Hill Seminary 

Martha Jordan, School of Visual Arts

Hunter Mueller, Blinn College

Esotericism, Occultism, and Magic 14: Roundtable: The Magical Familiar Sat, 02/28/2026 - 1:15PM-2:45PM, Salon C & D 

Moderator: Polly Springhorn, Cherry Hill Seminary

Contributors:

Molly Johnson, Rice University 

Dane Daniel, Wright State University 

Eric Millikin, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

 

Usufruct show at the Beatnik Longue, Joshua Tree!

 

Last week of April - Matter-Reality in the Charge of the Goddess, and AAR-WR Pagan Studies Unit reprise!

 

Southwest Popular/American Culture Association conference doings

 The Southwest Popular/American Culture Association has published the draft schedule for their upcoming conference in Albuquerque, NM and it looks like I am doing the following:

Astrolabe: listen and get your own!

Nathan Clevenger's Astrolabe album, which I'm on, is now available on Bandcamp.

Listen and get your own:

Nathan also has these very kind words to say:

"Astrolabe marks my first extended collaboration with Polly, and it has been a revelation. Along with being one of the finest free improvisors on the scene, she can also coax a beautiful tone out of the notoriously difficult bass flute, and is willing to wield the dreaded piccolo when excruciating migraine sound effects are needed (see Violent Light). The bird sounds Polly coaxes from her flute during Natural Bridges had me searching her iso booth for an actual bird."

Astrolabe CD release show this Thursday!