The Guardian

'Waking up to our power': witchcraft gets political

One eve of Witchfest event, radicals say they believe magic and occult are natural extensions of feminism and eco activism
Grace Gottardello, 27, is a self-described witch. Photograph: Christian Sinibaldi/The Guardian

The south London borough of Croydon, often derided as the capital’s most unloved suburb, is the birthplace of dubstep and London’s modern tram network. But the area now lays claim to a new title: the UK’s witch capital.

On Saturday, about 4,000 pagans and witches will descend on Croydon to delve further into the occult. While many are simply drawn to the aesthetics of being a witch, there are a growing number of radicals in the country who believe

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