Mystic South

Fossilized remains of long-dead plants and creatures have sparked the imagination and fueled controversy for nearly half a million years. The inherent strangeness of fossils has long imbued them with mystical power, leading to their use as talismans to draw luck, apotropaics against evil, and vehicles of benediction and healing worldwide. Join award-winning author and mineral expert Nicholas Pearson on a tour of the myth and magic of fossils. Participants will: • Reconstruct the meaning and magic of the earliest fossil collectors • Learn how fossils received folk names like snake-stones, fairy loaves, witch's tongues, and devil's toenails • Survey the uses of fossils in traditional witchcraft and magic • Learn to create spells and rituals that harness the magic of formed stones
Nicholas will draw from his decades-long study of rocks, minerals, and geomythology to reveal the power of fossils.