T ‘I’M A REALLIFE WITCH’

hink witches belong only on the pages of storybooks or the big and small screens? Not anymore. There are thousands of real-life, spell-casting witches all over Australia – and 47-yearold Lizzy Rose is one of them.

‘We’re everywhere,’ professional witch and high priestess Lizzy – a mum-of-five – tells New Idea. ‘You could be sharing a desk with one of us, or living on the same street.’

The Victoria-based mum’s own path to ‘the craft’ began very early. Raised on a farm in South Australia by her Seventh-day Adventist mother, Lizzy knew that she was destined for an other-worldly career from a young age.

‘I’ve been able to hear, feel and speak to spirits for as long as I can remember,’ she recalls. ‘As a child, I didn’t know what they were – all I knew was that my abilities seemed to scare and upset the other children at my small country school, so I learnt quickly to keep them to myself.’

A chance encounter with an elderly neighbour would set her on a journey to understand why she was different.

‘She would teach me about growing herbs and working with energy,’ she says. ‘And would talk about ghosts, past lives and astrology. I never once heard the words “witch” or “witchcraft”, I was never

THIS MUM-OF-FIVE IS CASTING HER SPELL ON AUSTRALIA

told there was a label for what I was learning, but it resonated with my soul. It just felt right.’

Leaving home when she was 14, Lizzy began to work as a professional psychic, before achieving high priestess status. And in a career spanning over 30 years, she’s built a reputation as a skilled enchantress.

Demand for her services is so great that she even has a designated temple room in her home specifically designed for magical spells.

‘You would think a love spell would be the most requested,’ says the witch of her customers. ‘But these days, the most popular spells are for money. I don’t see money as being evil, but it is sad that love is being pushed further down the list.’

Of course, while there are good spells, there are also bad ones. ‘Black magic and curses are real,’ she says. ‘However, a witch knows there is a consequence for every action. The threefold law of return means that you get back what you send out, times three.’

But it’s not only witchery that’s in Lizzy’s repertoire, she’s also a professional exorcist – a sideline that has seen her banish more than 5000 entities and demons.

‘In some cases, I’ve seen a human levitate and speak in unnatural languages,’ she says matter-offactly. ‘I’ve been bitten and scratched, I have seen blood flow down walls and windows shatter with no human assistance.’

Of course, Lizzy’s day job means that her five sons are very accustomed to the daily supernatural goings on, and