Kooky, sexy, cool – the rise of the new witches
Forget Kabbalah – paganism is the hot new religion, and thousands of young British women are embracing it
Witches, covens, dancing around bonfires by the light of the moon and making offerings to goddesses - all the stuff of folklore and fairy tale, right? Wrong.
Welcome to the world of paganism. Walk into any high-street bookshop and, alongside the usual chick-lit best-sellers, there's another set of books flying off the shelves, all about how to find your inner witch. Yes, really.
Hot on the heels of best-selling vampire saga Twilight and new US drama Eastwick, it seems all things weird are wonderful.
Pagan culture has arrived in the 21st century - and young women are behind its growing popularity. Intrigued by its mystery and underlying sexuality, 20-somethings are converting in their droves, making paganism the UK's fastest growing religion.
According to the Office of National Statistics, there were 31,000 pagans living in the UK in 2001. Just eight years later, the Pagan Federation estimates there are now around 360,000.
'THE MORE I LEARNT, THE MORE IT MADE SENSE'
Mum-of-four Amie Roberts converted to paganism three years ago.
"I'd always been interested in nature, and liked reading about tarot cards and collecting herbs for healing," says Amie, 31. "I learnt more about paganism though my partner, Simon. We met in 2002 and he'd been raised a pagan. It fascinated me."
Far from being a niche belief, there are pagans in all walks of life. There's even a Pagan Police Association in the UK - in July, it was reported that they'll be able to take leave to celebrate pagan festivals like the summer solstice and Halloween.
It's a far cry from the 17th century, when suspected witches were burned at the stake or drowned. So what's brought paganism out of the broom closet and into the mainstream?
Bristol University's Professor Ronald Hutton, a leading authority on paganism, says it's partly due to the feminist movement.
"As women become more empowered in their relationships and careers, they've begun to look for a set of beliefs that reflects this," he says. "In paganism, women are given an equal role to men - and in some branches, they're actually dominant. Women want a religion that empowers them."
Amie, who took the pagan name Amia Wolf when she became a witch in 2006, uses chants and spells to enrich her everyday life. Standing in a circle of stones in her moonlit garden, Amie begins chanting, calling on the powers of nature to protect her and her family.
"I don't belong to a coven, I'm a solo witch, so I practise rituals alone," she says. "I'll mark out a sacred circle in my garden, or in the living room if the weather's bad.
It's a protective space - dark influences can't harm you when you're inside it."
Bonkers? Perhaps. But Amie says it's changed her life for the better. "I've never been happier. When I converted to paganism, I felt like I'd come home."
Professor Hutton also believes women are attracted to the fact that paganism can be practised anywhere and at any time, making it easier to fit around busy modern lives.
He says: "Rather than going to church at a certain time every week, and following a set of rules handed to you, pagans can walk their own path in life and not be restricted by laws and traditions. You can adapt paganism to suit your life, which is appealing."
'I RECEIVED DEATH THREATS FOR MY BELIEFS'
But not everyone embraces this new age of paganism. Amie and Simon, 28, had to move from their home after receiving death threats.
"We lived in a small Welsh village and once people realised I was a pagan, the rumours started. People said I was dancing naked in the garden and having sex with animals - it was ridiculous," she says.
"Strangers would shout 'witch' at me in the street when I was out walking with my kids. One man even threatened to kill me."
When her son was picked on because of Amie's religion, the family decided to move.
"We couldn't stay there - we'd been so ostracised," she explains. "Now we live near Glastonbury, which is pagan heaven."
Amie says their shared beliefs add another dimension to her and Simon's relationship that other couples could benefit from.
"When we can get a babysitter, rather than go out for a meal or to the cinema, we go to a forest or a beach - where the elements of earth or water are present - and create a sacred circle," she explains. "We talk about spiritual matters and also personal problems. We do readings from witch's cards for one another. It's very intimate and relaxing, and wonderful to escape together for a few hours."
Professor Hutton also believes paganism's popularity is partly due to our current obsession with the environment.
"People are attracted to the respect paganism gives the earth," he says. "It provides a spiritual dimension to their environmental beliefs."
'I'M NOT AN EVIL PERSON - I'M A NORMAL MUM'
One young pagan who's made recycling a spiritual experience is Emma Reece-Peacock, 26, from Helmsley, North Yorkshire.
"I'm a Celtic pagan, so my beliefs focus on nature and the energies within the earth," says Emma, who lives with her pagan partner Steve, 26, a council worker, and their three-month-old son, Reuben.
"Simple, everyday actions like recycling, buying organic and treating the earth with respect are all spiritual."
Both Emma and Amie are in the throes of planning their weddings for next year - or hand-fastings, as they're called in pagan circles, because the couple's hands are tied together during the ceremony.
Both are planning outdoor ceremonies officiated by a high priest and priestess, using pagan vows they'll compose themselves. Emma's gown will be green "to symbolise new beginnings", while Amie has plumped for a purple medieval-style dress, followed by a hog roast on the beach. Conventional it isn't - but if paganism continues to grow, hand-fastings could be the next big thing.
Both Amie and Emma say they won't force their beliefs on to their children.
"Of course, my four children - Jake, 12, Ben, 10, Sophie, nine, and Cari, four - are exposed to paganism, but we'd never insist they become pagans too," says Amie. "Jake is showing an interest though, and recently asked for an invocation - like a prayer - to protect him during his teenage years."
Emma used her beliefs to prepare for giving birth to Reuben.
"It was very important for me to have a natural birth and rely on energies within myself rather than drugs," she recalls.
Like Amie, Emma has also experienced negative attitudes from other people.
"I have a dear friend who's a Christian," says Emma. "She thinks I'm a lovely person but has told me I'm going to hell. Knowing she believes that is sad, but I hope that if I have to go before a Christian god when I die, he'll know I lived a good life and won't punish me. And once, when I worked in a bar, a woman refused to be served by me - she saw my pentacle tattoo and said I was a devil worshipper.
"Incidents like that are upsetting, but I know I'm not an evil person. I'm a normal young mum, who likes fashion and make-up, going out with my friends and caring for my baby. I just happen to be a pagan as well."
'I'M MISUNDERSTOOD BUT LOVE BEING A PAGAN'
Kim Huggens, 25, is an author and part-time receptionist from Cardiff.
She says: "I believe in magic, but that doesn't mean I think rabbits can be pulled out of hats or evil spells cast on people! I think everything comes from the same divine energy source, which means everything is sacred and should be treated with respect.
I practise vodou (pronounced voo-doo), one of the lesser known branches of paganism. When I tell people, they think of voodoo dolls and black magic - it's very misunderstood. It means I believe in a number of gods and spirits and say prayers and carry out rituals to celebrate them - some by myself, some with other practitioners.
In vodou, we take a symbol of something we want - for example, a new car or job - and focus our thoughts and energy completely on that symbol. We believe that by channelling that energy into what we want, our goals can be achieved.
Paganism encourages a sense of personal responsibility. You're forced to decide for yourself what is right and wrong, and work out your own values, as opposed to just being told and not exploring it for yourself.
I do think that independence from a strict set of rules is very attractive and could be one of the reasons for the growth in paganism in recent years. People today like finding their own way in life, not just being told what to do."
WHAT IS PAGANISM? Modern paganism started in the 16th century, when people in Europe became aware of the pagan gods and goddesses who had been worshipped in Ancient Greece.
Paganism is a diverse collection of spiritual beliefs, all based on a deep respect for nature. Druids, wiccans, heathens and shamans all make up the pagan community, along with people practising many other beliefs.
To find out more, visit Paganfed.org.
PHOTOGRAPHY: SYRIOL JONES, ALICIA CLARKE, STUART GLOSSOP HAIR & MAKE-UP: TALLY BOOKBINDER AT NEMESIS, KELLIE MITCHELL STYLING: LUCIE CLIFFORD AMIE WEARS: DRESS, OASIS; SHOES, PRIMARK KIM WEARS (THIS PAGE): DRESS, OASIS; NECKLACE, LIMITED COLLECTION AT MARKS & SPENCER; SHOES, RIVER ISLAND (NEXT PAGE) DRESS, OASIS EMMA WEARS: TOP AND SKIRT, OASIS; SHOES, NEW LOOK
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