Macabre London is expanding its storytelling with a year-long series exploring belief systems and the occult in the capital.
The new run, titled Belief & The Occult In The Capital City, will see writer and presenter Nikki Druce trace how religion, folklore and mystical practice shaped London’s social and political life.
Launched in 2017 by Nikki, Macabre London focuses on true crime, paranormal accounts and lesser-known stories from the city’s past. In 2025, the show won an Independent Podcast Award for Best Use Of Video.
The new series follows last year’s Crime and Punishment In The Capital City, which examined the origins of law and order in London. This time, Nikki will explore belief from the Bronze Age and Roman invasions through to medieval witch trials, Victorian occult societies and the Second World War.
Episode one travels back to early London, while episode two examines Boudicca’s destruction of Londinium and her devotion to the goddess Andraste.
Later episodes will cover the influence of Christianity, witchcraft trials and the Hermetic Order Of The Golden Dawn, whose most famous member was Aleister Crowley, as well as the Elizabethan occultist Dr John Dee.
For the first time, the podcast will feature expert contributors alongside Nikki’s solo narration.
“I am so excited to launch into this new series exploring the occult,” says Nikki. “In 2025, I delved into a yearlong series called ‘Crime and Punishment In The Capital City’ which took a look at the origins of law and order in London but now in ‘Belief & The Occult In The Capital City’, I’ll be uncovering exactly how the city came to have the belief systems it does today.”
She adds that bringing in specialists felt timely. “I’ve been presenting Macabre London on my own since 2017 and so it felt like the right time with a series about belief to bring in experts and to operate in community.”
The series launches today, Tuesday 17 February on podcast platforms and YouTube, with additional experimental content available via Patreon.
