Good news! The Telegraph reports that "Traumatised Britons are turning to the occult." It's not just the new Master's Degree program in Magic & Occult Science now being offered at the University of Exeter.
According to the article, a 2021 census shows that more Britons identify their religious beliefs as "Wiccan" or "Shamanist" than those who identify as a "Humanist." As author Rowan Pelling explains:
As we recover from the societal ravages of the pandemic and prepare to submit to our AI overlords – a technological revolution many predict will make humanity redundant – the notion of more powerful supernatural forces within the universe feels ever more appealing. A similar surge in occult beliefs was observed after the First World War and the Spanish Flu, when many bereaved adults turned to seances, and Aleister Crowley established his Abbey of Thelema on Sicily. There was another burst of enthusiasm in the 1960s and 1970s, when the Cold War and Vietnam drove hippies to embrace their inner Gandalfs and Morgan le Fays.
Of course, we're also living in a time of rising global temperatures and freak storms caused by manmade climate change, which is why Pelling adds:
This time round there's a sizeable crossover with eco-activists, as Wiccan beliefs tend to dovetail with protection of Gaia. In fact, I'd urge the Just Stop Oil crew to start protesting in cloaks and antler headdresses. It's hard for MPs and judges to maintain righteous fury when people are dressed like extras from Excalibur.
At press time, the Great Wizard of Northampton could not be reached for comment (though I did start reading his new book over the weekend, which I'll review here when I'm done).
Traumatised Britons are turning to the occult [Rowan Pelling / The Telegraph]
