22/02/2026
Happy Birthday Sybil Leek!
Happy Birthday Sybil Leek (22nd Feb 1917 – 26th Oct 1982) 🎈
🐦⬛ Sybil Leek was a renowned British author, astrologer, and self-styled witch, whose life bridged the worlds of folklore and the occult. She was a prolific writer, with some of her early books such as ‘A Fool & A Tree’, ‘A Shop in the High Street’, and ‘Diary of a Witch’ written as reflective memoirs including her time in the New Forest.
🐦🔥 Born in Staffordshire, Sybil’s early years were shaped by a strong maternal lineage and a family deeply rooted in the superstitions of the West Midlands. Her grandmother played a pivotal role in nurturing Sybil’s fascination with the esoteric, and Sybil also believed herself to be descended from the famous Molly Leigh, the ‘Burslem Witch’. Historical evidence for a direct link remains elusive, yet these experiences - whether embellished or factual - would contribute to her reputation and sense of identity.
🐦⬛ In the New Forest, Sybil is best known for her time spent in Burley, where - with her jackdaw companion Mr Hotfoot Jackson - she ran an antique shop. The store stood at The Cross (next to the old Post Office) and for a period of time Sybil lived in accommodation behind the shop, immersing herself in village life. Sybil did however, quickly bring national attention to Burley as the ‘home of witchcraft’ and would later describe her involvement with the secretive New Forest Coven known as Horsa.
🐦🔥 Although Sybil didn’t own the famous Coven Of Witches shop, she did have a hand in naming it. The village was already starting to experience an increased footfall to the village because of her newfound fame, and the owner of the shop – who was in the process of ‘rebranding’ - asked Sybil what she thought the shop should be called. Her answer was ‘A Coven of Witches’.
🐦⬛ Sybil would become a prominent media personality, especially after emigrating to the United States. Yet even after her departure, Burley’s reputation as a place of witchcraft and legend endured. Today, Burley’s identity as a ‘witch village’ owes much to Sybil’s legacy, blending history and modern legend together in a way which continues to draw tourists and spiritual seekers alike.
The truth behind her story is certainly a debated one, but her life remains a testament to resilience, reinvention, and endurance.
Do you remember our Sybil? We’d love to hear from you if yourself or any of your family crossed paths with her. She is certainly an example of a modern character who has very quickly passed into the realms of contemporary folklore.
Photograph: Sybil outside here Burley antique shop, 1963 - photograph courtesy of Graham & Jenny Tucker.
© Vikki Bramshaw - The New Forest Folklore Society
