Say Hello to the Modern Day Witch

Meet the glamorous, social media savvy, radically anti-trump, it-girl witches of modern society. With 4.4million posts under the #witchesofinstagram, the modern-day witch is a trendy Instagram influencer who will tell you your horoscopes, post memes, and create magically themed makeup tutorials.

Seventy years ago, witchcraft was illegal. Witches used to be warty, green-skinned women who lived in the depths of the dark forest. Witches used to get persecuted because they had knowledge that challenged the status quo and communicated with gods and spirits outside the confines of the Church. If you were a witch, you needed to be hidden and kept secret.

Haven’t you heard of the Salem witch trials? Death will be knocking on your door before you know it!

Fast-forward to 2020, and the modern witch is out-spoken, popular, and has a huge Instagram following. I’m sure it wasn’t exactly what the ancestors had in mind, but here we are, casting spells and predicting the future on the internet. Whether it's tarot card readings on your lunch break, checking whether your new lover is compatible with your star sign, or meeting your gal pals at a New Moon ceremony aimed at career success, magic is everywhere. It’s no longer a mysterious middle-aged woman checking her crystal ball but a world-famous blogger giving you daily updates on what to expect.

Medium is the message, after all.

Helen Berger, a sociologist at Brandeis University and the author of “Solitary Pagans: Contemporary Witches, Wiccans, and Others Who Practice Alone,” revealed why the rise of the witch is so prevalent in today's society, “We’re in a period of great transition, we’re all very aware of it: There’s an increase of globalization, an enormous amount of polarization, and for many of these young people, this spirituality is speaking to them,” she said. “It’s giving them autonomy.”

But just because witchcraft has made a comeback doesn’t mean it’s without fault. Older, more traditional witches have been disgusted at the commercialisation and trend that has become attached to it. With makeup tutorials and branded cosmetics, an originally highly political and subversive practice became just another costume. Witchcraft has a long history of religious persecution, it wasn’t for luxury beauty retailers to claim. We mustn’t forget the ethos which ruled the US government and defined or ended, countless innocent women’s lives.

Autumn was declared ‘season of the witch’ by Publishers Weekly predicting that at least a dozen new witch books have or will hit the market, ranging from politics to self-help. J.K. Rowlings Harry Potter series took the world by storm, and fantasy novels were added to everyone's Wishlist. The political climax in America left people eager to educate themselves, delving into Lindy West’s “The Witches Are Coming” that tackles misogyny in a Me Too era.

The owner of an esoteric bookshop in London, who describes herself as a third-generation witch, who as noticed an increase in younger female customers says, “The bestselling fictional wizard has made all sorts of things entirely legitimate now”, she suggests. “Once upon a time, parents didn’t want their kids coming into the shop; now, they’re entirely happy.” Society wants to know more. They want to delve deep into witchcraft traditions. Nielsen Book Research says that UK sales of books on mythology and the occult have doubled in the past five years, while sales of books in its “Alternative Belief Systems” category rose by 13 percent in the same period, double the growth of general book sales.

Modern witches can be visible, connect, and have their voices heard like never before. They are waving their magic wand and remaking the world every day. Whilst it might not be the cursing presidents and turning people into toads, we are reminding society of the limitless potential we have.

Yes, we can be scary and loud, but that’s because we bloody well have a right to be!