By Robin Eggar
Susan Leybourne is a witch. She plies her trade from a room above a
newsagent's In Leeds.
In between clairvoyant readings she will pop into the hairdresser's
across The hall and engage whoever's under the dryers in a discussion about
past Life regression or the colour of their aura, in a Yorkshire accent
so thick it could advertise Tetley's bitter. Susan is a third degree initiate
who was appointed high priestess of her first Coven when she was only 21.
She earns a living as a psychic clairvoyant, but she also heals, teaches
meditadtion, and performs exorcisms.
Very occasionally she casts spells. She helped the police locate missing
money,
Given a talk at the Oxford Union and lectured across America, where
she is an ordained
Minister (a Reverend of the Congregational Church of practical Theology).
She doesn't look like a witch- no black cloaks or black cat perched
on her shoulder.
She's just a slim, pleasant-looking girl of 29 who travels to work
on the bus and calls a
Spade a bloody shovel.
Last year, Leeds university appointed Susan as a Pagan Chaplain, the
first m the
Country. However, any student who thinks he needs a potion to perk
up his love life or fancies cavorting in mystic groves with a bunch of
naked beauties will be in for a disappointment. Susan does not run off
spells by the yard. 'Anyone who wants to can come along and talk to me
about any aspect of their spirituality' she says. 'Some, times I get students
who want to have a reading, or help with their dissertations. If someone
wants to study rune reading or dream interpretation; all those things are
within my domain. Others might be interested in witchcraft. I know who
is genuine, or who's a first-degree initiate, and has no strength behind
their magic.'
'The adopted daughter. of a postman, Susan recalls' seeing spirits as soon as could walk. I used to see elementals and fairy spirits. A monk once appeared in my bedroom walked across and touched my foot, which made me jump.' An epilepsy sufferer, Susan only went to school two-and, a-half days a week and spent most of spare time browsing through books on magic at the local library.
I was bullied tremendously at school because I was a bit strange,' she
says. I would cower in the corner and wait for breaktime to be over so
I could get back behind my desk where it was safe.' She found solace in
the spirit world. I had a set of spirits whom wander into the bedroom and
chat about the same things any child would talk through with a friend.
I had a guide called Jim, one called David, whom died in a car crash, and
Kathleen who'd hang around in the hall and didn't have much to say.
I'd make little spells to ease my school days. I'd do mental or lower
magic where you tie knots, say certain words. At six I'd write out charms,
then throw them down the loo after incanting a bit. The books would say,
'Burn it in a candle at midnight,' and I'd think, ''but I' m in bed by
midnight."
She bought her first pack of tarot cards in Leeds market when she was
nine, and gave her first cairvoyant readings to her grandma, soon afterwards.
She started creeping downstairs at midnight to carry out her rituals' praying
that the candle would burn out before her dad got up to go to work at 4
am When she was 13, she had an out-of- Body experience which resulted in
her predicting every scene in a TV program. then she told her parents that
a Hammer House of Horror magic ritual they were watching was wrongly conducted.
I should have kept quiet,' she grins. 'Dad went, Right no more of them
funny books.' I could have given in and learnt embroidery instead I went
further into meditation to Keep contact with the spirit world I left school
with no O-levels nothing. I Went to me careers adviser and said I want
to do, clairvoyant work. She were at bit gobsmacked really and said, "No,
love, no you can't do that as a real job."'
Susan tried to get a real job. She took dancing classes, ended up working
in a Mexican circus and then a Macao casino. At 20 she knew she didn't
want to be a dancer. Insted she started going to Psychic Fairs. I met lots
of people who were just like me.
One guy had a coven in Lancshire and he asked me along. it was a skycad
[naked]
group which didn't worry me at all I went straight into the circle
I thought I have come
home, I'm happy" If you've gone through 20 years not really having
anybody you can
call a friend and suddenly you meet all these people...' Susan's parents
weren't fully
aware of her involvement in witchcraft. 'My dad was wary that I-might
get hurt sacrificed to Satan or something, so when he thought I was going
to a meditation group,
in fact I was in a temple: above at shop near Bury in Lancashire.
While she is aware of the humor in her in some of her tales, Susan is serious about her profession. Her belief in. magic, that Spirits inhabit the astral plane and the woods and rivers of England are absolute. Her knowledge of magical currents is encydopaedic. While she prefers Egyptians Babylonian or cabalistic rituals, she will happily perform Celtic, Norse or Native American ones. She takes-an ascetic, spiritual approach She won't eat during the day, and instead only drinks hot water. To her it is a vocation in a good week she May earn £100. I love doing it. There is a spiritual fulfillment here. I go home on the bus at the end of the day grinning to myself thinking, "I really helped that lady." Our view is that magic should be given, but we all have go eat, so you may charge a fair price for the service I just say "Make a donation It might be £2, it might be £20 For an exorcism, I do Quote a. specific price, maybe £40 -£50. As I have materials to get incense, candles
There aren't many people Who can do them you must have no cuts on your
hands, you can't be on your period, you cant be tired at all. You mustn't
have any alcohol for the week before, and certainly no nookie.' Susan is
very wary about casting Spells.
On hearing a tale of woe she is more likely to adopt the role of analyst
than reach for a potion 'Bringing back a husband is something you need
to be careful of. if he's just gone off depressed, that might be okay.
All being well, things will fall into Place; If he's run off with the woman
next door and they are having a lovely life it would be unethical to touch
that. People expect me to wave a magic wand and get him back in time for
tea.
I have to warn them that magic which Works quickly may not last. Often
I have to say
'Look at your relationship, do you want him back or is it the bill
money you miss?"
I've done knot magic, candle magic contact healing, money magic, health
magic.
Say you fancy this woman and want me to bewitch her. I could get her
for you but I
choose not to I could tell you how to do it, but one snag is that if
after a couple of weeks
you realise that she is an utter pain in the backside you will be stuck
with her for a
Year and a day, maybe longer I learnt a valuable lesson the hard way.
Magic works on a
Form of payback. You can't do something without they're being an equal
reaction.' '
Surely she must have employed her magical, skills to her own advantage?
'I've been
tempted,' she admits, revealing a success talisman she- made last year
just before her
appointment to Leeds University came through.
MAIL ON SUNDAY
NIGHT AND DAY MAGAZINE
AUGUST 20 1995