Christian F. Brunner

Class – Alpine Witchery: Traditional Magic from the Witch Trials

Time and Room Not Chosen Yet for This Class

Bio for Christian F. Brunner

Christian Brunner was born, raised, and went to school in a small town nestled into the Eastern foothills of the Alps. The area has been settled since the Bronze Age and as a child, Christian played with his friends on ramparts of a nearby prehistoric dwelling. Only much later, he could fully appreciate that where he played catch and hide and seek, children like him and his friends may have done the same thousands of years ago right there as well, while their fathers stood guard on the walls, forged copper--bars of which have been found there--and tin into bronze weapons and tools, and their mothers grew simple crops and baked that into hearty bread.

The Romans named the settlement Aquae, which translates to "Baden" in German and "Baths" in English, respectively. The name refers to several hot sulfur springs found there. The Romans also began to plant wine there and the town is to this day surrounded by vineyards.

Growing up in such an historical place, Christian felt he had no other choice than connecting these voices of old with modern life and spiritual practice. This sparked his studies of ancient healing methods and of pagan life, and he has done exactly that for over forty years now. Early on, while working with fellow naturopaths in Vienna, Austria for several years, a deep fascination for the lore and traditions in his native country developed.

While this work also included some training with Siberian shamans from Tuva, the search for the pagan roots of his own, Alpine customs never stopped. Given that the area he grew up in was once inhabited by Hallstatt Era Celtic tribes, this led him to also explore that culture's spiritual expression and through that he studied to be a Druid within the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids in England. In this role, Christian became a celebrant for funerals and is also ordained to officiate weddings in the US Commonwealth of Massachusetts, where he lives today. Beyond being a ritualist, he is a certified Death Midwife in his current home state.

Since the path of Druidry also includes Magic, the urge to explore traditional witchcraft coupled with Christian's interest in history, sociology, and the Craft itself culminated in writing his latest book "Alpine Witchery", where he explores not only the socio-economic situation that caused, to a great extent, the witch panics and hunts, but also the unadulterated magical practice of his ancestors as it was revealed in witch trials in the Alps during the Renaissance and the early Age of Enlightenment.

Many a spell that found its way into the book included herbs as ingredients, and, to write more knowledgeable about that, Christian became a certified herbalist and is currently studying to receive yet another certification in that field. With herbalism having played such a predominant role in Witchcraft for centuries, Christian enjoys making tinctures, oils, and salves from organic plant matter for all kinds of ailments and other purposes.

In his never-ending curiosity in old and--even more so--pagan traditions, Christian has submitted another book on this topic to his publisher. In it, he explores, together with two Austrian friends, a number of Alpine traditions during the dark half of the year. Krampus and the dark creatures of the Wild Hunt roaming the land during the nights of Yuletide are a particular focal point in this book.

Visit Christian F. Brunner online at christianbrunner.com