Grimoire & Book Binding Worksh0p
Join Alabama based cunningman Matthew Howl to learn the history and art of book binding. This three hour evening will begin with a discussion on the rich histor yof bookbinding and paper making, and the craft’s connection to early magical texts. We will then be guided through the process of a coptic bookbinding -- one of the oldest forms of bookbinding.
The process will include
- gathering materials
- selecting threads and wood to be used with various magial purposes and intentions
- selection of herbal washes & waxes to use in your process
- group ensorcelling of materials
- binding of the books!
Mr. Howl offers a sliding scale ticket that includes all materials to craft your own grimoire or book. He also offers two additional add on's to your ticket:
(1) Charmed Tool Set: In addition to your book, take home ritually charmed tools to continue your practice: a scapul, bone folder, needle, and additional spool of thread. You may decide to add this on upon paying for your ticket or during the class.
(2) Exotic Woods: Paduk, purpleheart, oak, or mahogany woods are available to use as the front and back of your book. These have additional cost and require payment 1 week in advance of the class to secure.
About Your Facilitator
A cunningman hailing from the Gulf Coast in Mobile, AL, Howl comes from a line of several rural South generations with predominant British Isle, Iberia, and Bavarian Alps European land ties before his ancestor’s migration to Turtle Island. He has moved around from a young age learning from various mentors and master’s of their crafts — mathematics, land husbandry, herbcraft, occultism, nature attunement, ancestral & survival skills, culinary arts, book arts, various fighting and physical arts, woodworking, among many others. All these influences allow him to approach each situation at the liminal space betwixt modern, natural, etherical, spiritual, and philosophical realms. Having dedicated himself to the Teutonic Nature Current, his main tools of the trade revolve around rewilding, nature focus, great present presence, along with our other-than-human kin.
Howl ramped up his magical journey and practice while living in New Orleans in 2017. This was shortly after a dramatic health crisis in New York City which led him to leave his finance and mathematical career behind and begin searching for meaning. His interests quickly led him to books which were no longer in print -- small batch runs, old books never reprinted, ancient manuscripts, etc. Thus, the kindling of becoming a bookbinder was assembled and set aflame! He started unschooled printing books at random and clumsily sewing them together just to have a copy bound to be worked with and to feel the energetics of the pages come alive! Peacock's Bolt started its first zine and early publications in 2019 while in Austin, TX. Howl had then been trained at the Austin Book Arts Center and began working with clients to create custom grimoires, sketch books, journals, and specialty singular printings of out of print works. He also partnered with Austin Poetry Brothel and a horror writer to publish poetry and novelas.
In 2020, Howl decided to ramp up his growing herbalism and natural living studies over book arts. He had the privilege to meet and get to know the wonderful women at Hedgerow Herb Co through Corinne Boyer's classes becoming fast friends in 2023. He's finally decided to revamp Peacock's Bolt not only as a small one man publication house, bindery, but also as a practitioner servicing the greater Central Alabama area of the Coosa River Valley on the historic lands of the Creek Confederacy.