Magical Destinations #02 - 2nd Oct 2024
If you consider yourself to be a witch or a follower of witchcraft, then you might be looking for some magical destinations around the world to travel to. Witch lore pops up all over the world and sometimes those places can be very surprising in modern day holiday destinations.
Have a look at these 5 destinations with a rich history of witchcraft, a thriving tradition for healing or just its pure amazing energy.
The Brocken, which the highest peak of the Harz mountain range in Germany has a long association with witchcraft and folklore, there has even been documentation and suggestion around it being the associated sacrificial site to the ancient Saxon god Woden , who was the equivalent to Odin in Norse belief systems. The Brocken is also said to be the meeting point for witches on Walpurgisnacht (30th April) If you haven’t seen the Walpurgisnacht dance being performed on Beltane Eve, you are missing a trick.
Lima in Peru has a long history and deep roots in shamanism, and is thought to have emerged in tandem with the culture of building magnificent temples all around the country. Traditionally, shamans will use natural hallucinogens to cross the veil and speak to the the spirit world, elementals and gods and you too can experience this as many tour companies will offer to connect you with a shaman and a safe space give it a go. There is a Witches Market underneath the Gamarra Station where you can buy folk cures and lots of different herbs and other spiritual items. (Most of which you won’t be able to bring back to the UK)!
Siquijor in the Philippines is considered he ‘Island of Witches’ by the 1600’s Spanish colonisers, it still maintains a very strong tradition for local healers and hexers. Who hold a huge Healing Festival the week prior to Easter, it culminates in seven weeks of gathering natural ingredients every Friday during Lent. The result is the ever-popular love potions or healing herbs, rituals, readings and loads of fun are also on offer at the event, alongside fabulous food.
Bla Jungfrun Island is an uninhabited island in Sweden. It still maintains an air of foreboding for many who visit it and everyone must be off the island before nightfall and are instructed to stick to the paths while there. It’s also forbidden to take any of the stones from the island, an act which is also said to bring you bad luck. This island is where witches convened and for many years offerings were left on the shores in the hope of appeasing the spirits and spiritual animals that lived here. Archaeologists have recently found evidence of prehistoric altars and rituals in some of its caves and it is now a National Park.
Catemaco, Mexico. Alongside Catemaco's beautiful waterfalls and untouched beaches, the main tourist attraction is their long history of sorcery which is mainly practiced by male brujos. Both black and white magic are practised throughout the year, although they are considered to have shamanic beliefs. If you can make it for Ceremonias y Artesanías Mágica, which is a 3 day gala that starts on the first Friday of March with a ‘black mass’ near the town’s lake, attracting tourists and purveyors of fortunes, spells and potions.
Maybe you want to stay closed to home and in that case a visit around England will keep you busy with Glastonbury Tor, Stonehenge, Castle Rigg, Pendle Hill, Arbor Low, Mother Shipton Cave in Yorkshire, Colchester Castle is connected with Mathew Hopkins the Witch Finder General, Boscastle homes the Witchcraft museum, Long Meg and her daughters in Penrith and so many other wonderful and quirky witchy places.