It is not surprising to find young people in the forefront of mystic exploration. Young minds are naturally imaginative. There is, however, a deeper reason for their involvement, identified by one of the principal witches in the British Isles, Lois Bourne. In her book Witch Amongst Us she states: “Due to the decline in organised religion, and the fact that science cannot always explain observed phenomena there has been a recent resurgence of interest in the occult and associated world, with people seeking different answers to the same questions. Young people are turning towards paganism in an effort to satisfy their longing for answers to the mystery of life, and it is possible that some of them are being drawn into the vacuum of the seedy fringes of the occult world with all its inherent dangers.”

British premier Arthur Balfour (famous for the “Balfour Declaration” on Palestine in 1917) also conducted such spiritistic experiments for the greater part of his life, following the tragic death of his fiancée.

In the British Isles there are now 6,000 known witches, and one person in 20 is actively connected with occultism.