Coby Michael

Tracing tangled, yet continuous threads from theurgy to liturgy, and from ancient goētia to living folk magic, this presentation shows how magical practices remain integral to modern Greek culture. Drawing on artefacts, textual records, and ethnographic fieldwork, Dr Chaitow challenges assumptions of the demise of magic in a culture that was never disenchanted.

While core elements of pagan ritual were subversively integrated into the official religion, with saints becoming avatars for the old gods and icon animation central to its practice, folk tradition remained more blatant. Ritual timekeeping, ritual meals, necrolatry, folk medicine, divination, amulets, incantations, spells, vocal calls – and ritual sacrifice – remain common knowledge and widespread lay – and sometimes liturgic – practice. Recorded in folk grimoires transmitted by women – and monks – many such texts remain in broad circulation and can be traced to late antique magical manuscripts.

Folk Orthodoxy is akin to Santeria or Candomblé. Neither a pristine continuity nor a modern revival of ancient magic, yet containing many of its traces, it represents an organically evolving, entangled living tradition that is practically unknown in the West. Resting on textual evidence, material culture, and first-hand accounts, this lecture argues for a fresh understanding of Greek magical traditions, obscured by linguistic and scholarly blind spots. Dr Chaitow offers a nuanced perspective on the ubiquity of enchantment in living, modern Greece.

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Pots: A huge public ritual unique to Corfu and nearby regions, every Easter Saturday locals hurl ceramic pots from windows in a tradition believed to exorcise evil and signify rebirth. Originating in funeral practices it echoes the ancient Anthesteria (vessels are smashed once libations are poured). Photo taken just before throwing the pot from the window in 2019.

Snakes: Several churches consecrated to Panagia (Mary), these snakes (Mediterranean cat snake, harmless to humans) appear around her icon. Their arrival is announced through the jubilant ringing of bells, and locals flock to worship and petition them as they are believed to have miraculous healing powers. Legend has it that they are nuns transformed into snakes to guard the churches.

Coby Michael is an occult herbalist and magical practitioner specializing in the ritual use of poisonous and psychoactive plants. He studied religion at Arizona State University and has been a folk herbalist since a young age. He owns and operates The Poisoner’s Apothecary, an online shop and educational resource for The Poison Path. Coby has been blogging since 2016 and is a prolific writer including articles for This Witch Magazine, The Witches’ Almanac, and Alraune. Coby is author of The Poison Path Herbal, The Poison Path Grimoire and the forthcoming title The Poison Path Oracle. He is also co-author of Leo Witch. Coby is the founder of Botanica Obscura Conference, an annual gathering of magical plant practitioners from around the world sharing their plant spirit knowledge. He currently resides in St. Petersburg, Fl and travels the country teaching people about plant magic, the Poison Path, occult herbalism and plant medicine.

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