*The course manual and BoS is a digital (PDF) download from Etsy and contains the info for the online students community. (Our community is available ONLY through the free app.) You are purchasing a digital course with *optional* interactive online features. THIS IS THE SECOND YEAR OF THE COURSE WORK. You'll want to complete the Year 1: Foundations course before getting started on this Year 2 course.
Please read the full listing description here and the FAQ and samples available at https://spiralcastletrad.wordpress.com/red-thread-academy/
THERE ARE NO REFUNDS AFTER THE PDF FILE HAS BEEN DOWNLOADED BY YOU (OR EMAILED TO YOU).
NOTE: A paperback copy of this Course Manual can be purchased IN ADDITION TO this PDF instant download via Amazon.
Do you feel drawn to Traditional Witchcraft -- something different from the ceremonial neo-Wicca you have seen online and at local gatherings? Have you gotten a glimpse of the Crooked Path blogs and authors like Raise the Horns, Robin Artisson, American Folkloric Witchcraft, New World Witchery, and Sarah Anne Lawless, but you'd like a teacher to help you bring the different pieces together in a way that makes sense for you? Do you crave the kinship of like minds and the direction of a knowledgeable guide as you find your own way between the Light and Shadow of the Witchwood? Do you feel the call of Initiation at the hands of the Mighty Ones? The Red Thread Academy of Traditional Witchcraft may be what you seek.
I am Laurelei Black (L.M. Black), co-founder of the American Folkloric Witchcraft Tradition and author. After years of working solely with students in person, I have decided to open a path to online study for the seekers who have come to me asking for a deep-dive exploration of Traditional Witchcraft. The Red Thread Academy is the online school where truly dedicated Cunning Men and Women can learn these Artes.
The Red Thread Academy is a self-paced teaching and learning system that aims to transmit the same teachings, principles, and even the keys to the Mysteries to which you would be exposed if you were studying within a local coven in the Spiral Castle Tradition (ie AFW). The biggest differences are that instead of learning within a primarily oral framework at weekly coven classes and monthly rituals, you will work at a self-guided pace through a course guide (PDF or print version), engaging in solo rituals, and connecting with peers across the country (and globe) online for mutual support. This is somewhat new territory, but it is my goal to keep the connection genuine and the learning authentic as we walk this Path together — even from a distance.
The coursework is structured into 3 parts, each intended to take at least one year, though it could potentially take a student longer than a year to complete, depending on other life circumstances. The course material is very rigorous — a fact for which I make absolutely no apologies. Anyone drawn to this path may already have knowledge and skill, but if you are here, you are seeking TRAINING — and perhaps INITIATION. Neither of those comes easily or without cost. There is no magic without sacrifice. Some lessons will come easily to you. Others will be very challenging. If you find yourself spurred on by this challenge, excited and intrigued by it, ready to grasp it and prove yourself ready for it, then you are very likely feeling the pull of the Red Thread — the blood tie that links you to the Family of the Old Craft.
The 3 courses take the student from Dedicant to Initiate — through the Foundations, Practicum, and Mastery that are the hallmarks of each course title. At the end of the 3rd course, the student is fully trained in the Tradition — which means they can undergo in-person initiation with other Trad members, and they may freely participate in teaching the Tradition — including offering mentoring within RTA/SCT.
What is included in each course?
- Complete digital (PDF) collection of weekly study notes and assignment guides. (It is RICH with information, activities, rituals, and resources.)
- Related Book of Shadows pages from Asteria Books (as sold at Blade & Broom — all by Laurelei) to add to your personal Book of Shadows.
- The (totally optional) *opportunity* for personalized feedback and mentoring on your assignments, projects, and exams by Laurelei and other members of the RTA community, when you post in the RTA Community Group
- Access to RTA Community sites throughout duration of study (Mastery students are given lifetime access) — additional content, member forums, videos, merchant discounts, freebies, etc. (Another optional/bonus feature!)
- Detailed self-elevation/initiation rituals at the end of the course (along with more BoS pages related to Initiation recipes, ritual, vows, etc)
- Printable certificates upon course completion
- EXTRA Optional Goodies — like printed course manuals & BoS pages; RTA Retreats, Sabbat Gathering, and Initiation Weekends; member discount programs, etc.
If you still have questions, take a look at the materials available on the Spiral Castle/RTA website (FAQ, Sample Lesson, How to Use the Manual, Full 3-year Curriculum Map). They’ll give you some insight into the scope, style, and system before you make any commitment. https://spiralcastletrad.wordpress.com/red-thread-academy/
DISCLAIMER: As a protection for my own safety and sanity, I reserve the right to approve/deny access to 1-on-1 mentoring, DM communications, retreats, initiations, etc. This is at my sole discretion. Refunds will not be provided in cases where you have received the materials (via download, email, file-sharing, shipping, etc), but are denied access to the *optional* interactive features.
