Casa Julfa Presents….
Earth Magic: Wild clay, Magical objects and Ancestral fire
Samhain / Toussaint - October Thurs 29th - 3rd November 2026
Participation fees: €2495 per person - Trip is limited to 6 people .
Includes accommodation at Casa Julfa (private room & ensuite ) + half board
Led by Casa Julfa founder Corinne Aivazian and residency curator Blue Firth, there will be wild clay foraging, masterclasses in magic, a moon-lit wood firing and much more.
Shrouded by the medieval town of Montmorillon we will explore how to implement magic and ritual into our lives through the objects we make use whilst exploring ancient ceramic techniques.
For seasoned practitioners or beginners alike there is no creative experience required.
If you work with magic or have been drawn to start a magical practice, if you want to learn or deepen your understanding of ancestral pottery this trip is for you…
Whatever your level of experience…you will leave with a beautiful collection of objects that will act as magical anchors to your practice or daily routine including:
Amulets created from clay dug with your own hands
A chalice or cup from local historic Limoges (porcelain) clay
A portal (wall candle holder) in wild clay
A magic wand created using an ancient recipe
A magical plaque created through a collective weaving spell.
On our final evening, Corinne will lead us in a magical evening wood-firing to complete the final transformation of all our pieces from clay to ceramic.
There will be additional support on how to go forth and cast magic long after your stay including:
A Mirror magic workshop by Blue
An introduction to amulet-making in the tradition of Corinne's Armenian ancestors
An exploration of Candle Magic, including divination techniques.
Blue will also share some very special Incantation, and spell creation methods.
Corinne will give an individual coffee reading to each participant.
You will also receive a workbook of suggestions of how to use the objects that you have made within a magic or ritual practice long after the retreat has finished, and a reading and watching list themed around the region and its folklore and witchcraft to be sent out ahead of your arrival to get you in the mood.
More about your hosts…
Though Corinne and Blue´s path´s seem to have been intertwined since forever, they finally first met in person when Blue came to do a residency at the Casa in 2021, it was the beginning of an ongoing collaboration and a life long sistership.
In a former lives they both made large scale site specific artworks, and moved in the same circles in the contemporary art world.
See more about their individual practices and interests below.
Blue Firth is a potter, designer and a witch. She is a graduate of the Royal Academy schools, and in a former life made large scale site specific artwork but now works on a much smaller scale from the pottery. She has Russian Ukrainian heritage and grew up playing stone circles in the Orkney islands. She has been Casa Julfa´s residency curator since 2020.
Her other outputs include Dohm ceramics, podcasts on witchcraft, tarot readings and bespoke rituals. Her work has been featured in publications including, World of Interiors, Homes & Garden, Country Living and Elle Decoration. She lectures part-time in Graphic Design at Nottingham Trent University and writes about art and interiors for TAT London.
Corinne Aivazian is Founder of Casa Julfa & Terra Ancestral, she is an artist , writer and researcher who works with clay to investigate historical narratives that have the power to insight change in the present. Her work is heavily informed by her Armenian heritage and the pre-christian cultural and spiritual practices of her ancestors practised in their indigenous lands of the fertile crescent and SWANA region.
Her work has been commissioned by organisations including The British Ceramics Biennial (UK), Palazzo Grassi (Italy) and Inhotim (Brazil) and held in collections including The Tate Archive (UK). In recent years her practice has focussed more on reclaiming lost ceramic and magical practices/techniques and paving a way for others to do the same.
“Casa Julfa is the perfect place to reflect, learn and transform. I could retreat and rest or participate whenever I needed. The setting is so beautiful, like going back in time… I learnt so much, I know i’ll always be very glad I got to experience the magic and pure peacefulness and ease of this stay ”
Alex Nowicki (Nottingham, UK) - Retreat Participant Autumn 2023