Joana Martins (She/Her) graduated (2015) and post-graduated (2017) in Anthropology from Iscte – Lisbon University Institute. She holds a PhD in Anthropology (2023, Iscte) and currently is the full-time Post-Doctoral Researcher of ReSpell and a Full Member Researcher at CRIA – Centro em Rede de Investigação em Antropologia.  

She has been researching Contemporary Paganism in Portugal since 2016 and approached British contemporary paganism to an extent during her PhD research. Her research interests focus on the lived religion and spirituality of contemporary pagans, gender, care, environmental and ecological questions, power, politics, and ritual creativity. Her approaches are inspired by feminist anthropological theory and methodology. Within ReSpell, she is researching the use of “Bruxaria” Practices in Contemporary Paganism, particularly those related to well-being and healing through art forms (handcrafts, music, dance and illustration) and the use of plants; and as a form of resistance in a context of social, health and environmental crisis.  

She has organised several events in Iscte and NAR-CRIA (Anthropology of Religion Group at CRIA). Among her publications are: the book chapter ‘“Um Todo Sagrado chamado Natureza”: Paganismo Contemporâneo e os usos e negociações do espaço sagrado Português’, In Pedro Pereira and José Carlos Loureiro, orgs. Ensaios sobre Comida e sobre Religião, 137-148. Viana do Castelo, Portugal: Centro de Estudos Regionais (2023); and the forthcoming article ‘“Connect and Celebrate the Great Mother Online”: The Ritual Creativity of Contemporary Pagans in Portugal and the United Kingdom during the COVID-19 Restrictions’, in Nova Religio (2023); as well as the book review of ‘PALMISANO, Stefania, and Nicola PANNOFINO, Contemporary Spiritualities: Enchanted Worlds of Nature, Wellbeing and Mystery in Italy. Revision Contemporary Spiritualities: Enchanted Worlds of Nature, Wellbeing and Mystery in Italy’, Religion and Society, 12, 1 (2021): 223-225.

Outside the academic sphere, Joana dedicates herself to her artistic interests, primarily drawing, digital art, and Macramé, in which she channels her creativity. These talents and interests are also a constant presence in her academic work since, in most cases, drawing is the only way to register and transpose her experience during fieldwork. She also shares a love for crystals and the medicinal properties of Herbs and plants, which she explores in her free time. She counts with two feline assistants, Mel and Noa, who are coauthors of all her work and assiduous participants in all online meetings.