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Marilyn Clarke is a real live witch. Nigel Bell finds out whether she has a black cat, flies on a broomstick and casts spells.

Marilyn on being a witch:

As a child I knew I could make something happen by thinking about it a lot.

What got you interested in being a witch? Should I be scared sitting here talking to you?
I don't think I'm particularly scary. It all goes back 15 years - not so much the witchcraft but getting into paganism in general.

I've always been drawn to natural forces and nature. I love beautiful scenery, animals, all natural things... As a child I knew I could make something happen by thinking about it alot... Which is quite spooky at times.

This is sounding very much like Harry Potter!
I'm a great believer in the power of thought. It's what people call prayers. If you want something badly enough then it seems to change in your favour.

Marilyn on spells:

You have to focus on one particular thing very hard.

What the difference between a spell and a prayer?
Spells you always do for one particular thing. A prayer for a single thing is the focus of any spell.

What do you do as a witch?
These days we do advertise openly about our pub moots. We've also got a group that meets every month. We meet in a hall on Maid Marian Way. The last talk was about UFOs and most of the people who go are pagans. That's a really good way of meeting people.

We really are cross-fertilising here. Witches talking about UFOs?
We do tend to be interested in all sorts of off-beat subjects.

Just explain what a moot is?
A moot is an old fashioned word for meeting.

Marilyn on becoming a witch:

I do believe that it is something that is within you anyway - it's not something you really learn to be, it is something that you realise that you are - and then you find the means just to hone that.

And is this where you went when you decided to be a witch?
We trained within a coven (gang of witches). But there aren't many covens around these days.

These days there are so many books around about witchcraft and there are organisations such as the Pagan Federation... you can quite easily get in touch with people and to some degree you can train yourself... but I do believe that it is something that is within you anyway - it's not something you really learn to be - it is something that you realise that you are - and then you find the means just to hone that.

Given that, what kind of training do you have? Are there exams to be a witch?
As far as covens are concerned you get to take part in all the rites, you do the spell work, you study, you learn such things as the eight main festivals of the year, about the god and goddess, about nature... you don't so much have to do exams but the one we were in we had to write little essays to show that we did understand what we were being taught.

And then when we'd been doing it for a year and a day we were then initiated to the next degree - the next level. We were learning from the people who had been doing it for many years and we were learning together.

Marilyn on her broomstick:

I do have one.

Now you see, this just isn't sounding like fun anymore. You should be on your broomstick, whizzing around, casting spells and here you are, you're having to learn and remember things and you're taking exams. It sounds very heavy.
It is serious at the end of the day. It isn't something you muck about with. It isn't fun as such. But you do find that witches and pagans have a great sense of humour. A lot of rituals do have humour in them. But there is a lot of hard work involved as well. It is a very serious business.

Marilyn on cats:

I have got cats but they're not black.

Right Marilyn, I am going to be totally unserious now and get the daft questions out of the way. Have you got a broom?
I have.

Do you fly it?
Er. Only when I run out of petrol.

Do you cast spells?
I do.

Now what kind of spells?
Mainly when people come to me with problems. Like if they are desperately short of money for something. I've not won the lottery for anyone yet but you can usually do something to help people find the means.

What sort of success rate have you had?
90-95%

I'm keeping your number. Can you remember what the first one was?
Now, I'm going back some years. I think it was when I did a spell to help a friend find a job and he actually got three job offers within three months.

Marilyn on spells:

Just thinking about it is enough... as I've said. the power of the mind is often enough without any paraphernalia.

So, when you're doing this spell what do you need? Do you need the hair of that person gathered at midnight?
No. As long as I've got a mental picture of that person in my head and what it is that they want.

I do try and incorporate things - perhaps the correct phase of the moon. I will use candles of the right colour - red for love - green for money - and I also carve peoples names on the candles.

But really just thinking about it is enough... as I've said - the power of the mind is often enough without any paraphernalia.

Have you got a black cat?
No, I haven't. I used to have one. And I have got cats but they're not black.

Do you have to have a cat if you're a witch?
Goodness, no. But a lot of witches do have pets - either cats or dogs normally. But no, it's not compulsory.

Marilyn on black magic:

With magic there is no black or white... Magic is neutral. It is what you use it for that counts.

What about the differences in witches. Black witches, white witches. Good ones, bad ones. Do they exist or are they all rolled into one?
With magic there is no black or white. It all comes from one source. It's all neutral. It is what you use it for that makes it black or white. So you don't have black witches and white witches. You do things that are sometimes in the grey area. I once knew of someone who called himself a rainbow witch, which I thought was rather good. But magic is neutral. It is what you use it for that counts.

But are there bad witches around?
Um. I've come across one or two people who do do slightly dubious things to get their own way but I don't condone that at all.

So you don't get into casting spells against each other if you think somebody is bad?
We do. One of my favourite spells that works well is something called a binding spell. That actually stops somebody causing problems for somebody else. It doesn't actually harm them but it stops them creating problems and that works very well.

Marilyn on a witch's life:

I find personally, that when people find out I'm a witch they are usually quite fascinated.

So even if you dislike somebody or if somebody came to you and said - I'm being bullied at work - you couldn't do a spell in that instance because that would be bad.
No, I could possibly do a binding spell on them. As I said, that wouldn't be doing them any harm at all but it would prevent them carrying on with the bullying and I do think that that would probably work.

What about Halloween? Is it extra special for you?
It's special in the way that it is one of the eight pagan festivals of the year.

So, in this day and age how do people look upon you if they happen to find out that you are a practicing witch?
I find personally, that when people find out I'm a witch they are usually quite fascinated. I've never really had anybody back off and be scared.

You don't go up to somebody and say hello I'm Marilyn and I'm a witch, the same as you wouldn't go up to someone and say hello, I'm Philip and I'm a Christian.

When you get to know people it tends to come up in conversation at some point or they hear about it as a rumour and ask you whether it is true. But by that time they know you as a person which is more important and they realise that you are still the same person.

I'm certainly not ashamed to be a witch.

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Want to find out more about witches in our county - read our Witches Guide To Nottinghamshire.