Witches still exist: Get to know the modern witches who heal instead of casting curses

Did you think witches no longer exist in 2022?

You were wrong.

About 2,000 witches and pagans from across the UK meet annually at the Coventry Festival and participate in magic, magic and wand ornaments workshops.

Here is what some of them had to say about life as witches in the modern age

Not to be missed

24/04/2022

Sunday, 24 April 2022, 23:56

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Stripper turned into a sex witch - who increases orgasms with the help of magic (Edit: Snir Dabush)

Last month Scotland's first minister, Nicolas Sturgeon, issued an apology to thousands of women persecuted as witches in Scotland, stressing that the deep misogyny that fueled this 'colossal' injustice is something women today still have to live with.

When responding to a petition demanding more than 4,000 people in Scotland - the vast majority of them women - who were accused, convicted and often even executed under the 1563 Witchcraft Act, the first minister told the Scottish Parliament she recognized "this terrible historical injustice" and issued an official apology to all Those who suffered from it.

While the witches of yesteryear were persecuted and forced to hide, their modern counterparts have replaced the frightening stereotypes at festivals and social networks.

Last year, 2,000 witches and pagans from across the UK took part in the Cove of Gaia Festival in Coventry.

There, they took part in workshops covering every area of ​​their occupation, from magic to wand decoration.

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The Mirror spoke with some of the witches operating in 2022 to see if we still have reasons to fear them.

Julie Espinal, who works for a security dog ​​company, swears by the power of magic and spells.

The 57-year-old claims that she healed her broken foot with a spell.

She began researching the world of witchcraft for the first time in her early 20s and learned how to cast spells.

She says: "When I was in my teens, I knew I was different. I was pretty popular, but I knew I was not really suitable for anywhere. People used to say I was the luckiest person they knew - if I wanted something or wanted something to happen, most of the time it would happen. "I felt like I was somehow special because things just always went well for me."

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To the full article

Witches still exist, but they will not use their power to harm you.

No more. (Photo: ShutterStock)

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After the Lewis Island scandal in 2005 - when eight islanders were falsely accused of abusing children during "black witchcraft ceremonies" - Julie was reluctant to tell people she believed in witchcraft.

"One day, my older daughter said, 'Mom, you don't have to hide anymore, you know.'"

From that point on, Julie began to talk publicly about being a witch and claims she has the ability to "make things happen".

She added: "If I liked someone, I could make them like me back. If I needed money, something would happen within a day, like a new job or winning a prize."

Julie's home now has a special magic room where she conducts ceremonies that are in line with the seasons and lunar cycles, like the Ostra (Easter) Viol, the Southern Inversion Celebration.

It also has a summer house in the garden that serves as a "herb room".

It is loaded with hundreds of bottles of herbs alongside a puffy folder of recipes for various potions and solutions.

Julie says: "Spells and potions can be used for everything from healing to abundance. I once went to a hospital with a broken leg. While waiting to see a doctor, I healed the fracture myself. An x-ray showed she was broken and I would not have to step on it for six to eight. Weeks, but I left the hospital and went back for a walk with my dogs an hour later. "

The witch Julie Espinal

Julie and the Tim Van Edge duo

Julie's home is also the meeting place of the Coven of Gaia Festival, which she founded three years ago.

The convention has 16 members - men and women alike - from different backgrounds, and professions such as teaching, programming and money management.

They meet to hold ceremonies in the evenings and at night, put on their robes and light a sea of ​​candles around an altar in Julie’s garden for the occasion.

They have no bad intentions.

They usually try to help people in poor health.

Julie, from Pilongli, Works, also uses her magic to be successful at work.

She hangs a broomstick over her front door, which she and her staff touch when they need luck.

Julie says: "It happened so many times that something bad happened, like for example we lost a contract, and then I touched the broom and we won a new one the very next day."

Julie insists she is not using magic in a negative way, but admits there are some cards up her sleeve, including an effective "freezing spell" made in a jar put in the freezer - and actually "freezing" a certain person from your life.

She says: "I do magic two or three times a week for different things. Magic is not just sitting comfortably and waiting ... you have to do what you can to help it happen."

From the things you can find at the festival:

"Kids spit on me"

Married couple Tim Van Edge believe they have found themselves in each other's arms thanks to their beliefs and that "there is no such thing as a coincidence."

The couple has four altars at their home in Birmingham, where they pray, cast spells and perform daily blessings.

Office manager Ann, 48, claims to have "experienced an astral journey" during her childhood.

On her altar you will find candles and a statue depicting the forest guard - her chosen deity - while Signs, 54, has a portable altar in his work van.

Ann says: "I was a lone witch for a long time. I would not leave the house and I had a boss who always kept away from me. He was afraid to 'upset the witch'."

The mother of three admits that she "never felt comfortable anywhere" and added: "I just felt like I would rather be in nature, hug a tree or feel my bare feet on the ground. When I grew up I realized I could make things happen - I would think of something and it would happen. I would come. "To people's homes and knows exactly where to find something even though I've never been there before. It was because I was there in my dreams. I would go out of sleep. My dad found me at the bottom of the house a few times."

The man who spent a whole day in the company of witches:

Alyssa Gray, a teacher by profession, said she faced bullying as a child because of her belief in witchcraft.

The 54-year-old first realized she was "channeling natural magic" when she was 8 and saw herself "connected to the spirit."

She says: "If we were planning to go somewhere, I would be afraid it would rain and then it would rain. When I grew up I understood how it works. I would play with the weather ... I had a lot of fun doing it."

While her gypsy father understood her, Alyssa admits it was not easy growing up in the 1980s when witchcraft and paganism became associated with devil worship.

Alyssa says: "I still think there are people out there who really think this is the case. When I was a girl I was bullied by kids waiting outside the only store in my area where you could buy crystals. They pushed me, called me a freak and spat on me."

The history of witches:

Even as she grew older and began working in the teaching field, Alyssa sometimes found herself pushed into a corner because of her passion for witchcraft.

She says: "There were looks, faces, heads lowered as you walked into the teachers' room, the whispers ...".

Alyssa, who lives in Glastonbury, Somerset, believes there is a big difference between "bored housewives with a crystal ball" and real witches, who she says "do amazing things."

She adds: "Witches should not wear pointed robes and hats. They do not cast spells on people. There is no need to be afraid of us. We are all adults. There are also young witches in Tiktok, but most of the people I know are in their 40s and 50s. We "Do not fly on brooms and witches people. It is childish."

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