Witches Lead A Charming Life

It is 10.30am on a sunny Saturday morning and in a darkened vault below Glasgow Central station, out of view of the unsuspecting shoppers above, two men and three women in flowing cloaks and dresses of black, white, and green take to the stage carrying elaborately carved staffs and a huge animal horn.

After sipping mead from the horn and invoking the gods of the earth, moon, sun and the waves, an audience of several hundred people join them chanting: “Hail Clutha! Hail Clutha! Hail Clutha!” Holding it aloft, a former doctor — a hulking bearded man known as DC — implores the crowd to “enjoy your day and honour your gods as you do so”.

So begins Witchfest Scotland, the country’s biggest festival of witchcraft, sorcery, magic and all manner of new age mystery. Full Story

Related: religion, wicca, pagan, spells