Halloween is here, and many of us will be marking the occasion with costumes, pumpkins and a horror movie marathon.
But for Inbaal Honigman, October 31 is a more serious occasion because, as a real-life witch, it’s a time to cast spells for her future.
‘Halloween is the New Year for witches,’ she tells Metro. ‘It’s a special day, and it signifies endings.
‘This is the season of death, when nature has withered, plants, fruits and blooms won’t appear for months yet.
‘So, for witches, Halloween is seen as the time when the veil between this world and the mystical one is the thinnest, and can see into each other.
‘This makes Halloween a great time to do psychic and tarot readings, and it’s also the best day of the year to cast spells.’
Inbaal, 50, says that she found a love for the spiritual world and witchcraft in her early 20s, after first discovering tarot cards in the mid 90s. She then took a witchcraft course in London, and was invited to meet other witches at a ‘ritual’ – a gathering in a woodland where they learnt and cast spells. She soon met a friend, who became her mentor, known as a ‘High Priestess.’
It was her mentor who taught Inbaal to cast her very first spell – a love spell. She wanted to meet a man ‘with fair skin and red hair’, and within 24 hours, she says she found him. But, she soon learnt he was moving back home to New Zealand, and so Inbaal tried again.
‘I realised I had to spell out exactly what I desired, so I cast another love spell on Halloween 2004.
‘I meditated on the idea of a man who works in a suit, has a sharp sense of humour and red hair. I took a ritual bath and used rose and geranium essential oils to promote love.
‘I even put a statue of the Greek love goddess Aphrodite by the side of the bath. I met Sean soon after, a businessman with red hair who is extremely funny.
‘We’ve been married for almost 17 years.’
Inbaal and husband Sean are proud parents to four children, Tove, 14, Vigo, 12, Zevi, 9, Ludo, 7. But the journey to parenthood wasn’t without its challenges, and Inbaal says she again turned to magic to help her conceive.
‘With my first child, I received a spell from a witch who said I had to read a series of affirmations aloud. I also had some ribbons to tie into knots – knot magic is an ancient practice with incredible powers.
‘I cast the spell on the summer solstice, which also fell on Father’s Day, and our daughter was born exactly nine months later.’
Inbaal used witchcraft again to conceive her second child: ‘I went to a witch’s shop and was given a spell to read out loud three times a day, as well as a specially brewed potion to place by my bed.
‘Once again, it worked a charm and I was soon pregnant.’
While neither her husband nor her children practice magic, Inbaal insists her loved ones are always supportive.
‘My husband Sean is not a witch, but I never received any unkind comments from him, his relatives or friends.
‘Even though my in-laws aren’t believers, they absolutely live and let live. My three sons think it’s so amazing that I’m a witch but my teenage daughter isn’t always impressed. Her friends think I’m cool and she hates that!’
Witches haven’t always earned the best reputation in popular culture, with connotations of evil cackles and harmful magic.
But Inbaal insists the practice is more about peace and a love of nature, revealing it’s actually forbidden to cast negative spells on your enemies.
‘Witches believe in the law of threefold return, so anything you put out, you’ll get back three times as much. For this reason, I would never curse anyone, and I don’t have enemies.
‘The spells I tend to cast on a day-to-day basis are for things like motivation, good luck and positive mindset. Spells that can encourage the power of positive thought.
‘I do love cats though and I have owned a broom, so those are the clichés I’m willing to accept about witches – although I don’t buy into the I don’t buy into the pointy hat and cauldron.’
With spells and magic enriching her life in so many ways, Inbaal believes the practice is a wonderful one to discover, and says that if a person feels drawn to the spiritual world, they may already be a witch.
‘I’ve cast spells to create my dream life and I think it’s a wonderful.
‘Witches are born, not made, so if you feel drawn to the witchy way of life, you probably are already a witch and just need the help and mentoring of another witch to guide you.’
‘You can join an online community or find meet-ups in person. They exist all over London. Most of my friends in the city are witches.’
Sadly, since moving to the countryside, Inbaal says her social circle has decreased: ‘I’m currently a solitary witch and practice magic alone but once my children are older, I can’t wait to meet up with my witchy circle.’
Speaking on behalf of tarot and psychic reading platform Tarotoo, Inbaal adds that she’s looking forward to celebrate today.
‘During the day, I’ll be a typical mum. I’ll get my kids dressed in fun costumes and take them trick or treating,’ she explains.
‘But as soon as everyone is asleep, I put on my ceremonial robes, light a candle and start casting spells for the year ahead.’
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