Ever since I was little, I have always had an idea of what witchcraft is. I was raised with the
belief that perhaps witchcraft is real. Growing up in a family with strong connections and
ancestry to Ireland, Celtic folklore and legends such as The Hag of Beara, Selkies and Irish
Fairies were commonplace in my house.
I have always been interested in witches. I would see them in television and movies like Buffy
the Vampire Slayer and Practical Magic, and I instantly became hooked on the world of
witchcraft. This soon led to collecting books on witchcraft and having my friends run around on
Halloween in witch costumes.
Recently, I have seen a fad of people flocking to online spaces such as Etsy to order the
services of witches to cast spells for them. Despite Etsy banning services categorizing anything
metaphysical, these online witches are offering an abundance of spells via online platforms by
listing their services as a form of “entertainment.”
Witches always existed around the world, and now you might even meet one in your local
bookshop. Even though I have personally always been surrounded by witchcraft, I have noticed
its presence is making a comeback with the general public on social media platforms such as
TikTok.
This new corner of social media, dubbed WitchTok, revolves around witchy content. Whether
you are looking for how to cast a spell, dress like a witch or find witchcraft-related books, that
corner of TikTok will have the answers for you.
I personally love being part of WitchTok, I think it’s fascinating. Despite not being an active
member of the practicing witchcraft community, I appreciate that you can go online or to your
local bookstore instead of having to find a coven like you would have had to do centuries ago, to
practice witchcraft.
Chris Miller, a postdoctoral fellow of contemporary paganism at the University of Toronto, shed
light on the context of the rise of witchcraft through millenials. “Think about all these things —
The Craft, Sabrina, Buffy, Charmed — all being popular during adolescence,” he said. “Now
those people are in their 30s and 40s.” In the Washington Post, Kate Morgan described this new
movement of witchcraft as quite profitable. “They’re fueling a retail industry worth more
than US$2 billion, both online and off; metaphysical shops and apothecaries are thriving across
the United States,” Morgan said.
Even though I have never hired an Etsy witch to cast spells for me, I’ve always wanted to. I feel
like it would be therapeutic to have a witch curse someone for me, or just put out good energy
into the universe.
Even though Etsy witches have become a recent fad, I believe the fundamental basis of
practicing or studying witchcraft is a desire to feel more closely connected to the earth and the
things we may not be able to see.
