Working with the understory, the magick of the below

This talk will reflect on ways of working with the ‘understory’ of magick – that which happens below our feet or in another realm entirely. What earth do we turn, which worms do we charm, when we participate in rituals or spellwork?
Where do these turnings and charmings take place? Using the metaphors of understory and forest floor and drawing inspiration from Malidoma Somé’s work on ritual, we will explore the felt sense of magick as a chancy, unseeable and underground force.
The talk will also delve into the kinds of interventions we humans may make in our attempts to change the flow of such a force. To whom or what are we appealing during rituals or spellwork? What kind of answers can we expect, if any?
And what kind of lessons can we take in our attempts from such organic structures as mycelium, roots and composting mulch?  

Bio
Sophie, she/her,  is a writer, artist and facilitator based in Cornwall, UK.
She graduated from SOAS university in 2016 with a BA in Arabic and Social Anthropology, and a specialisation in memory, imagination and heritage sites. She worked in learning and facilitation for seven years before completing her MA in Poetics of Imagination at Schumacher College in 2024. Sophie's current research interests include mythology, folklore, ancient sites, trauma theory and psychology.
She produces The Convivial in Penryn and is writing her first novel, Strange Places, which explores the boundaries and meeting places between the imaginal, the mythological and the psyche.

sophiecraven.com
@slc.arting