Bewitched: Why Croydon is Actually a Witchy Place

Croydon, one of 11 metropolitan areas in Greater London, home town of comedian Ronnie Corbett, illusionist Derren Brown, England football manager Roy Hodgson… and the UK centre of witchcraft.

Upon hearing the word ‘witch’, you might imagine a crooked-nosed old lady with a broomstick or wand-waving people spouting Latin spells in ancient buildings or wild forests. One would definitely not imagine that Croydon— London’s small market town turned metropolis, actually houses the highest number of witches in the country. How can this be?

According to the Office for National Statistics’ religion census in 2011, Croydon contains more Wicca believers than anywhere else in the country. Wicca is the religious belief based on the practice of witchcraft, which means that Croydon has the highest concentration of witches living in the area. Why? This is because Croydon has been a home for the largest witchcraft festival, Witchfest International, for thirteen years.

Wolfs Head and Vixen Morris

Credit: Witchfest.net

 

The first Witchfest was held in November 2002 in Croydon’s Fairfield Hall and since then has been recognised as the largest witchcraft event in the world, attracting up to five thousand visitors every year. The festival includes talks from experts in Witchcraft and Wicca, workshops including subjects such as wand workshops, spell crafting, and education on Wicca. There are also entertainment including bands, singers, and DJs.

The upcoming Witchfest is going to be held on 14 November in Croydon. The confirmed line-up of speakers includes writer and Wiccan high priestess Kate West, UK’s history expert on Witchcraft Professor Ronald Hutton, medium and astrologer David Wells, and many more. There is also a high expectation on the workshops topics and live entertainment.

Lucya Starza, who writes in her blog called A Bad Witch’s Blog about her day-to-day experience of being a witch in England, goes to the Witchfest regularly and describes going there as always being the highlight of the year for her. She also points out her favourite parts, such as meeting up with many friends, enjoying the talks, workshops, and shopping at the stalls—which sell witch wares from clothes to candles, books, and even broomsticks.

Witchfest

Credit: Witchfest.net

 

The Wicthfest is held by an organisation called Children of Artemis, a UK non-profit and volunteer based organisation. It was founded in 1995 and has now grown into a large organisation with over six thousand paid members. It also publishes witchcraft’s best-selling magazine called Witchcraft & Wicca and operates numerous websites including witchcraft.org, witchfest.net, and witchdating.com.

Their objectives are to promote an ethical approach to Wicca, present an accurate view of it, and promote understanding of witchcraft.

“Children of Artemis was originally a small ritual working group which evolved into a membership organisation because of demand,” says Merlyn Hern, one of the founders and organisers of Witchfest International. “There was a lot of pressure to do something which has made the organisation grown rapidly into what it is today.”

Despite of the stereotypes of witches in the media, modern practising witches are in fact quite different from how they are being portrayed. Hern describes being a witch as practising magic in the form of spells, in tune with the cycles of nature.

“Anyone can learn to be a witch,” he explains. “It’s a matter of practice, with training sessions, workshops, self-learning, or asking other experienced witches for advice. Being a witch in modern times also differs from how it was decades ago. Witchcraft was recreated in mid 1950s and from then on has been recognised as modern witchcraft, which is slightly different form ancient witchcraft.

Opening Blessing - Witchfest

Credit: Witchfest.net

“The difference in the daily life of a witch compared with other people would be how they tend to be more in tune with nature, which affects their attitude. Witches are less commercialised and less consumer driven, because they realise that there is a price to pay to the environment. They think of the nature as a sacred place and therefore are usually active in charities related with nature.

“These kinds of modern witches are whom you could expect to find in Croydon. Influenced by the Witchfests over the years, Croydon has become a popular residence for witches and Wiccan believers. “There is a vibrant witch community in Croydon with the local gatherings operating for over ten years. Croydon is not exactly a place you’d think of as being witchy, but because of the Witchfest it has surprisingly become one, indeed.”

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