Yahoo News 'I get asked to cast spells on cheating husbands'
A real-life witch says she uses her abilities to help others – from performing exorcisms to "empowering" women to leave cheating partners.
Joanne Lindsay, from Gorton, discovered she had a gift following a series of traumatic life events.
The 45-year-old was just a teenager when she was diagnosed with lupus, an incurable condition which affects the immune system.
At the age of 20, Joanne was told she wouldn't be able to conceive and that her condition could have fatal complications.
Despite this, she fell pregnant and welcomed a son seven years later – but a terrifying twist of fate awaited her.
Just one year after giving birth, Joanne’s body “shut down” due to complications from her lupus, leaving her 10 stone heavier and needing to use a wheelchair.
The mum-of-one spent the following decade being looked after by a carer while falling into a deep pit of depression.
Everything came to a head when Joanne sadly tried to take her own life, which she says led to a spiritual awakening which changed her life forever.
Joanne, who now lives in Glossop, says the attempt caused her outlook on life to “shift completely” - later going to see a medium to get answers on her future.
There, the psychic told her she was a 'witch' and asked the mum to read her tarot cards.
Joanne says she successfully did this despite having no previous tarot reading experience, prompting her to start doing readings for friends and family.
Realising there was “a bit of magic there,” Joanne started identifying as a witch.
Through this, she began connecting with spirits, reading tarot cards and healing others through reiki, an 'energy healing' technique that promotes relaxation and reduces stress through gentle touch.
But her gifts mean she’s received many unusual, paying requests over the years, from casting an evil spell on an unfaithful husband to performing an exorcism.
“I look like a typical 45-year-old lady,” she told the Manchester Evening News. “And I am, but I actually class myself as a witch.
“The reason I don’t go to covens is because I don’t fit into any type of box. A lot of covens are restricted in what you can do and what you can say.
“With the witch label, it carries a multitude of things to me – being a healer, reading tarot cards, being a medium and healing mine and other people’s wounds.
“After I first did the card readings, there was something about it I liked. I knew there was magic there but I didn’t know what it was.
“People say, ‘You do black magic, you’ve got a green nose and a big hate like they do on TV,’ but I’m more like Bewitched. I love to spread a bit of magic. Even in the darkest hour there’s a bit of magic there.
“People have asked me to put a hex on their husband because he was cheating. I told them I couldn’t, but I could empower them to leave their husband.
“I’ve done an exorcism on a person. At the time, I didn’t realise what I was doing, but I trusted my intuition. Afterwards, I got all the ramifications of it. What I took away from the person came to me for days.”
Joanne identifies as an elemental witch, a witch who likes to use the elements in her witchcraft.
An average day will see her make a cup of herbal tea in the morning before carrying out a spell. The spell will usually ask for positivity and strength throughout the day.
She will then “smudge” her home, a practice which involves the burning of 'sacred herbs' including white sage to protect herself and rid any negative energy.
She then goes outside to “ground” herself, the art of drawing energy from the Earth in order to stabilise and bring a positive state of being.
Joanne also believes she has been able to see spirits her entire life. “I’ve always seen spirits but it disappeared,” she said.
“I don’t call spirits because I believe it’s wrong. It’s like someone grabbing me out of my front room when I’m resting.
“The spirits will come when someone has come for a reading. I will go towards the clearing and ghost hunt, but I don’t call them. I open myself up and let the universe know I’m ready for the communication.
“I think everyone has the gifts I have, it’s just that I’m aware of them.”
