'Weird and spooky': Meet the Leeds witch shining the spotlight on city's occult link
Leeds has always had a unique relationship with the occult.
From the association that sites like the River Wharfe and the surrounding countryside have established with spiritualism to the goth scene in the 80s when the city became the mecca of the counterculture movement, Leeds has been a haven for those enchanted by the dark side.
And while the mention of the word ‘witch’ may bring about images of broomsticks, cats, cauldrons and Macbeth to many, local Leeds witch Emma Swailes insists that the lifestyle is a lot more spiritual and down-to-earth.
“It’s very much about being grounded”, she said. “There are spells but it’s also about noticing patterns in nature, celebrating the seasons and considering our impact on and relationship with the earth.
“It’s about living mindfully with life. It’s very positive.”
The practice and popularity of witching has grown significantly in recent years - as evidenced by the number of specialist high streets stores - and Emma says that since converting nearly 10 years ago she has made it an intrinsic part of her daily life.
The eco-friendly living and holistic practices that being a witch involves, such as magic, spellcasting and occultism, are all topics that she talks about with others in the community on her popular, award-winning podcast ‘The Bell Witch Podcast’, which she has now been running from her home in West Leeds for three years.
With Halloween just around the corner, Emma opened up about her life as a witch, what she has learned through her podcast and how Leeds and Yorkshire are key spots for those in the community.
Describing herself as always having been “weird and spooky”, with hours spent outside the Corn Exchange when she was a goth growing up, the idea of being a witch seemed to make perfect sense when Emma came across it a decade ago.
She said that she received a witch-themed subscription box that contained a cauldron, book about witches and spells and other items while in a group of mothers 10 years ago that captivated her straight away.
“The floodgates were opened then”, she said. “Everything just made complete sense.”
Emma already had an interest in Tarot Cards and was spiritually inclined, so spending time with other witches came easily.
“It’s an awareness of everything around us and relationship with energy and manifesting”, she said. “It’s magic and spells as well but that’s only part of it.
“It’s not a religion but a practice. There’s so much positivity there.”
There is still a lot of work to be done to make the image of being a witch positive to those uninitiated though, with many still associating witches with being burnt at the stake or in the roles of evil sorcerers in Disney films.
“None of it’s true”, said Emma. “We’re a really friendly bunch. We look after the earth and try to tap into its energies to cause good and happiness.
“It used to be done in private in the dark ages but it’s a lot more popular now as people are starting to understand more. It still attracts some negativity though.”
But, she added: “There are definitely some out there who will put hexes on people and cause harm but I’m not up for that. I couldn’t live with the consequences!”
Emma said that the idea to launch ‘The Bell Witch Podcast’ came like an apparition in its own right when, four years ago, a podcaster who she followed religiously decided to stop broadcasting. When she contacted her directly to ask why she had stopped so abruptly she was challenged over why she didn’t start running one herself.
Emma was working through a creative course at the time and, despite her lack of experience, enthusiastically took on the challenge.
Emma said: “I didn’t have a clue what I was doing but now I absolutely adore it. The whole thing of meeting people and editing the episodes and designing the posts to promote it.
“When you edit your own voice you start to heal in a weird way. You hear your voice and mannerisms and start noticing things you wouldn’t otherwise.
“It’s totally magic.”
After battling through the first few podcasts the series is now popular among the witching community, with 2,000 followers on Spotify and a number of dedicated followers contributing funding.
“It took eight hours at the beginning to do one episode”, she said. “Now I’ve got a backlog of episodes to edit and people waiting to be featured which is an amazing feeling.
“It’s a true labour of love.”
Emma releases an episode every other week, one of which involves her talking to the audience about the witch lifestyle and another where she speaks with guests about their experiences and specialities, such as Tarot card readings, divination, astrology and reiki.
Among her guests, some of whom have joined from America and Australia, have been Dr Phil Legard from Leeds Beckett University, who spoke about the city’s history with the occult both from olden times of paganism and more recently when zine culture and shops like The Sorcerer’s Apprentice in Burley made occultism a major factor in Leeds life in the 1980s.
In the last year she has received three awards from independent broadcasters and she is now nominated for the Lifestyle Award at the Independent Podcast Awards.
With Halloween around the corner it seems the perfect time for Emma to be flying her witch flag. She said: “I love Halloween and I love seeing the kids dress up as witches. It doesn’t offend me, though I know some of my friends are insulted by the green facepaint.”
She said that the holiday season ties in well to the life of being a witch as it was traditionally a chance to celebrate the years’ harvest and say goodbye to the summer season.
She added: “The veil is thin at this time of year too so it’s a good time to honour your ancestors.”