Now Available!
If you’ve been looking for the gateway into the Spiral Castle Tradition (ie, American Folkloric Witchcraft as written about and taught by Laurelei Black), then you’ve found the portal.
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 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, private Facebook group, videos, merchant discounts, freebies, etc.
- 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
- Optional Goodies — like printed course manuals & BoS pages; RTA Retreats, Sabbat Gathering, and Initiation Weekends (when such things are safe again); member discount programs, etc.
Before you sign up for the first course, take a look at these materials:
(They’ll give you some insight into the scope, style, and system before you make any commitment.)
Spiral Castle Tradition 