MEET A REAL-LIFE WITCH
LIZZY IS USING THE SPOOKY DAY TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT
Pumpkins ready to be carved, kids picking out costumes for a night of trick-ortreating ‒ yes, it’s Halloween time. But while many people will be scaring themselves silly with a horror flick, or gorging on lollies, for modern-day witches, Halloween is a key festival in their faith.
“It’s an exciting, magical time where I will gather my coven members together outdoors,” professional witch and high priestess, Lizzy Rose, tells New Idea. “There will be dancing, drumming, chanting, and feasting.”
It’s a far cry from black cats, pointy hats and devil worship. But then, these are just a few of the misconceptions about witches and Halloween that real-life witch Lizzy is on a mission to dispel.
Stretching back to ancient times, the origins of Halloween are far removed from the commercial event of today. Based on the Celtic festival of Samhain, which marked the end of summer and the beginning of the new season, it was celebrated from October 31 to November 1. During this time it was believed the souls of the dead could return to visit their homes.
“Samhain is one of the eight ‘sabbats’ ‒ or celebrations ‒ in a witch’s calendar,” explains Lizzy.
“However, as we’re in the southern hemisphere, the calendar is the opposite to that of the northern hemisphere, so rather than Samhain here in Australia, we’re celebrating Beltane, which is the festival of love and purification and the welcoming of the long summer ahead.
“We’ll have merriment, music, a dance around the maypole and a bonfire, which we jump or run around to represent cleansing anything that we’ve been holding onto and no longer serves us. At this time witches will often tie multicoloured ribbons on a tree in their garden to represent seasonal change and the celebration of fertility and lovers.”
Again, it’s a far cry from dancing naked with Beelzebub or engaging in animal sacrifice. It’s still a very common misconception that witches are in league with the devil.
“The devil wasn’t a part of the Samhain festival celebrated by the Celts,” says Lizzy. “In fact, the devil is an entirely Christian invention, not a Celtic or pagan one. Witches like myself don’t believe in the devil, nor hell or heaven, for that matter.”
In a career spanning more than 30 years, Lizzy has built a reputation as one of the most skilled witches and high priestesses in the country. She works as a professional psychic and even has a designated temple room in her home specifically designed for magical spell work.
“The ability to work magic is often assumed to be evil and negative,” she says. “And while curses and hexes are as much a reality now as they were thousands of years ago, a witch knows that there are consequences for every action. The law of threefold return means that you get back what you send out times three. Overall, the essence of witchcraft is healing. But in general, casting spells is only a small part of being a witch.”
Another misnomer is the witch as an ugly, hooked-nosed hag ‒ certainly pretty, bubbly blonde, Lizzy couldn’t be further from this stereotype.
“Sadly the ugly old witch tag seems to have come about centuries ago when single or widowed women ‒ who were quite ordinary in their appearance ‒ were quietly going about their business as natural healers, curing the sick with plants and herbal cures,” explains the Melbournebased mum.
“With the uprising of Christianity they were vilified by male clergy who wanted to remove these wise women from their positions in the community, so they were branded ‘witches’.”
Given her passion, Lizzy’s greatest wish is to dispel the misconceptions that people have about both her and her fellow witches ‒ and Halloween is the perfect time of year to get her message out.
“The antiquated image of witches is still in many people’s minds when they hear the word ‘witch’,” she says. “And while it’s easier to come out of the broom closet in 2019 than it was 10 years ago, we still have a long way to go.
“For me, being a witch makes life exciting and vibrant. I’m certainly wiser and it helps me to be a better person.”