TikTok witches are fighting for the online future of witchcraft
In the 1600s, witches were burned at the stake, drowned in rivers, hanged at the gallows and beheaded for their perceived sorcery.
In 2020, witches go viral for "hexing the moon" on a platform the US president wants to ban, facing mockery and criticism from both inside and outside the TikTok community.
Whether you believe in magic or not, the online witchcraft community is real. Very real. In recent years, witchcraft and magic has transcended into a cultural phenomenon that is spreading over the internet. There are countless witches all over the world, working jobs like nurses, teachers and accountants. They just happen to burn sage and post magic-inspired videos to the internet as well.
And the community is growing rapidly. More and more "baby witches" are spending hours exchanging tips, tricks and ideas with like-minded witches in virtual family-like groups, known as covens, on platforms like TikTok and YouTube.
It's this influx of witches using social media and technology that has brought increased attention to the witchcraft community – but with a significant amount of double, double, toil and trouble. Social media has created a schism between the tech-friendly young witches and the older witches who remain worried it might set the community back centuries of progress.
"We've been working on trying to rebuild witchcraft's image and make it seem less ludicrous," said one older witch, who asked to remain anonymous. "Then these 'fake witches' come along and take us 10 steps backwards. It's wrong and they shouldn't be encouraged."
But modern, online communication methods have also allowed new witches to connect with one another and find solace in a burgeoning community. And they don't have any intention of stopping.
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"For witches that practice in groups, being able to socialize and connect with their peers is very important to their craft," she said. "Having the option to connect virtually makes the whole practice much more flexible and will have its uses well after quarantine is over."
And TikTok is the ideal platform for it.
more:
https://www.cnet.com/news/tiktok-witches-fighting-for-the-online-future-of-witchcraft/