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Meet the witch who communicates with ancestors at Halloween

A coven leader who purports to communicate with ancestors at Halloween through a silent meal, using tarot cards and pendulums, insists witches are "just normal people" who "believe in spells". Julie Aspinall, a 61 year old security dog trainer from Coventry, discovered her "true identity" as a witch at the age of 14, after finding a book on witchcraft and believing she could conjure money for herself. She practised spells and manifestation covertly, until launching her own online witchcraft community in 2015 and establishing an in-person coven in 2018 – the group now shares spells on TikTok to a following of over 845,000. READ MORE: Trucker transporting flammable liquids caught eating on motorway while holding cup and spoon READ MORE: Chilling motive of husband who stabbed wife to death then claimed she took own life revealed Each Samhain, at the end of October, when "the veil" between the spirit world and the living is at its "thinnest", Julie and her coven claim to connect with their ancestors. Julie explained that they do this by using tarot cards and a pendulum and hosting a dumb supper – a silent meal to honour deceased ancestors and loved ones. They also visit a cemetery to place flowers on graves without any, to "show respect" for those who have "passed on". Speaking to PA Real Life, Julie said: "Witches do have broomsticks, but we use our broomsticks to sweep our energies out. "We don't have pointed hats, we're not in old clothes. "We're just normal people that believe in spells, but people go off what films and the media portray us as, and kids are brought up thinking a witch is some old person that might kidnap you or shove you in an oven like in the fairy tales!". At the tender age of 12, Julie began to suspect she might be a "special child of God", convinced she could conjure up things for herself, like money to buy her mum a Mother's Day gift. Fast forward two years, and a chance encounter with a book on witchcraft at her local library led her to discover her "true identity". From then on, Julie started practising spells and manifestation techniques in secret, a practice she maintained even after tying the knot and having two children, well into her 20s and 30s. Reflecting on those times, she suspects her late husband – who passed away nearly 19 years ago – had an inkling that something "was going on" but chose to "leave (her) to it". In 2015, Julie took the bold step of setting up a Facebook group for witches, and three years later, she established an in-person coven named the Coven of Gaia, which currently boasts 19 members. As an elder of the group, Julie is backed by a council of five mentors who provide guidance to the other witches. Come summer 2023, the group ventured into the world of TikTok, creating an account under the handle @coven_of_gaia. They share spells for prosperity, abundance and sleep using herbs and chants, and their account has since amassed a following of over 845,000. Julie revealed: "People love dark spells on our TikTok, they always want to hex somebody!". One of their most sought-after spells, designed to induce nightmares in someone, involves the use of a black candle, an ovenproof dish and a piece of paper. She detailed: "You write the person's name on the paper, think about what they have done to you, and say, 'Hypnos god of dreams, make them dream of horrible things for one week' before ripping the paper, burning it with the candle, and placing it in the dish." The coven congregates in Julie's garden room, which is adorned with several altars dedicated to Mother Earth, Gaia and Odin, along with crystals, candles and herbs. Every May, they organise an annual Festival for Pagans and Witches to educate others about witchcraft, as well as marking Samhain at the end of October. Samhain, a Gaelic festival signifying the end of the harvest season and the onset of winter, is acknowledged among witches as the period when "the veil" between the spirit world and the living is at its "thinnest". "We enter into a meditation, and once we've clearly visualised what we want to let go of or bring into next year, we jot it down and burn it in the cauldron," Julie explained. They also host a dumb supper – a silent meal to pay tribute to deceased ancestors and loved ones. Julie further added: "We will bring something with us that reminds us of our ancestors – it could be a photograph or an object. "We will set them a place opposite us at the table and will serve some food and sit in silence throughout the entire meal, because we will be conversing with the ancestor that we brought to the meal with us." To communicate with their ancestors, they "ask for a message" through tarot cards, or use a pendulum to pose yes or no questions. In the past, Julie alleges she has made contact with her grandparents, father and brother. She stated: "Normally, when they come through, it's to tell you that they are with you, that they watch over you, that they love you. "It does make you feel emotional and like you are connected to them. "I'm not afraid of death now." Following the supper, the coven will pay a visit to a graveyard to place flowers on graves that lack them, to "show respect" for those who have "passed over". "We think it's a nice thing for us to do, and to just connect with more people who have passed over – it feels great to add things to the graves that people don't tend to visit," Julie expressed. Addressing sceptics, Julie said: "There's so much going on in this world that we don't understand how it works or why it works, and I think witchcraft is the same as that. "I truly believe that in the future we'll have explanations on how witchcraft works ... just like how we do with science."

Jayne Thomson,Molly Powell PA Real Life •
Meet the witch who communicates with ancestors at Halloween

A coven leader who purports to communicate with ancestors at Halloween through a silent meal, using tarot cards and pendulums, insists witches are "just normal people" who "believe in spells". Julie Aspinall, a 61 year old security dog trainer from Coventry, discovered her "true identity" as a witch at the age of 14, after finding a book on witchcraft and believing she could conjure money for herself. She practised spells and manifestation covertly, until launching her own online witchcraft community in 2015 and establishing an in-person coven in 2018 – the group now shares spells on TikTok to a following of over 845,000. READ MORE: Trucker transporting flammable liquids caught eating on motorway while holding cup and spoon READ MORE: Chilling motive of husband who stabbed wife to death then claimed she took own life revealed Each Samhain, at the end of October, when "the veil" between the spirit world and the living is at its "thinnest", Julie and her coven claim to connect with their ancestors. Julie explained that they do this by using tarot cards and a pendulum and hosting a dumb supper – a silent meal to honour deceased ancestors and loved ones. They also visit a cemetery to place flowers on graves without any, to "show respect" for those who have "passed on". Speaking to PA Real Life, Julie said: "Witches do have broomsticks, but we use our broomsticks to sweep our energies out. "We don't have pointed hats, we're not in old clothes. "We're just normal people that believe in spells, but people go off what films and the media portray us as, and kids are brought up thinking a witch is some old person that might kidnap you or shove you in an oven like in the fairy tales!". At the tender age of 12, Julie began to suspect she might be a "special child of God", convinced she could conjure up things for herself, like money to buy her mum a Mother's Day gift. Fast forward two years, and a chance encounter with a book on witchcraft at her local library led her to discover her "true identity". From then on, Julie started practising spells and manifestation techniques in secret, a practice she maintained even after tying the knot and having two children, well into her 20s and 30s. Reflecting on those times, she suspects her late husband – who passed away nearly 19 years ago – had an inkling that something "was going on" but chose to "leave (her) to it". In 2015, Julie took the bold step of setting up a Facebook group for witches, and three years later, she established an in-person coven named the Coven of Gaia, which currently boasts 19 members. As an elder of the group, Julie is backed by a council of five mentors who provide guidance to the other witches. Come summer 2023, the group ventured into the world of TikTok, creating an account under the handle @coven_of_gaia. They share spells for prosperity, abundance and sleep using herbs and chants, and their account has since amassed a following of over 845,000. Julie revealed: "People love dark spells on our TikTok, they always want to hex somebody!". One of their most sought-after spells, designed to induce nightmares in someone, involves the use of a black candle, an ovenproof dish and a piece of paper. She detailed: "You write the person's name on the paper, think about what they have done to you, and say, 'Hypnos god of dreams, make them dream of horrible things for one week' before ripping the paper, burning it with the candle, and placing it in the dish." The coven congregates in Julie's garden room, which is adorned with several altars dedicated to Mother Earth, Gaia and Odin, along with crystals, candles and herbs. Every May, they organise an annual Festival for Pagans and Witches to educate others about witchcraft, as well as marking Samhain at the end of October. Samhain, a Gaelic festival signifying the end of the harvest season and the onset of winter, is acknowledged among witches as the period when "the veil" between the spirit world and the living is at its "thinnest". "We enter into a meditation, and once we've clearly visualised what we want to let go of or bring into next year, we jot it down and burn it in the cauldron," Julie explained. They also host a dumb supper – a silent meal to pay tribute to deceased ancestors and loved ones. Julie further added: "We will bring something with us that reminds us of our ancestors – it could be a photograph or an object. "We will set them a place opposite us at the table and will serve some food and sit in silence throughout the entire meal, because we will be conversing with the ancestor that we brought to the meal with us." To communicate with their ancestors, they "ask for a message" through tarot cards, or use a pendulum to pose yes or no questions. In the past, Julie alleges she has made contact with her grandparents, father and brother. She stated: "Normally, when they come through, it's to tell you that they are with you, that they watch over you, that they love you. "It does make you feel emotional and like you are connected to them. "I'm not afraid of death now." Following the supper, the coven will pay a visit to a graveyard to place flowers on graves that lack them, to "show respect" for those who have "passed over". "We think it's a nice thing for us to do, and to just connect with more people who have passed over – it feels great to add things to the graves that people don't tend to visit," Julie expressed. Addressing sceptics, Julie said: "There's so much going on in this world that we don't understand how it works or why it works, and I think witchcraft is the same as that. "I truly believe that in the future we'll have explanations on how witchcraft works ... just like how we do with science."

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