These days, astrology and witchcraft have become the new trending topic on every social media platform. There’s even a hashtag on TikTok rightfully named ‘witchtok’ which consists of witches, near and far, providing their advice on practice, those that read tarot, create self-love spells, and even some who mess around with darker magick thrown into the mix of things.
Witches aren’t just a fad for Halloween anymore. It seems like everyone and their sister have suddenly declared themselves as a ‘witch.’ And I am no different — I have since taken the self-title in the past year or so.
My theory is that, as a whole, we are awakening to something bigger than what we were once told. Last year is when I noticed the swift change the most. With all of the uncertainty during the pandemic, a lot of us turned to astrology as a way to find some sense of guidance. We want to understand, and more than anything, we want to be understood.
Astrology has trended for awhile now, but I’ve noticed more and more people who can list off their “big three,” (Sun, Moon, and Ascendant signs,) by memory. Just as those do with religion, they are looking for an answer. “Why is this happening?” “What is the purpose of life itself?” “What is good versus evil?” The answers may be similar in tone for the religious and the non-religious — one just puts more trust into the Universe than a God in the sky. I have distinct memories of my Nana telling me to ‘let go, and let God.’ Basically, in a time of high stress, you should let go your worries, and just let God come in to clean up the mess, and guide you. ‘Everything happens for a reason,’ right? Well, in the witchy, astro world, that goes the same. The universe has already mapped out how things will go. You’re just along for the ride. When things go South, you can ‘let go’ and let it work itself out, and trust that this is just a learning experience. You can also choose to alter the path altogether, because as humans with free-will, we are able to do this. At the end of the day, though, it is accepted that this is just the way it was meant to happen.
A lot of witches I’ve come to know have turned to the practice out of not only curiosity, but from desperation. And I don’t mean that in a bad way. When the going gets tough, we are instinctually driven to find a solution. Why not light some candles, burn sage, and create a little spell in your studio apartment? Not all witchcraft is what it is made out to be in films — although the hexes and other dark magick does occur, there have been more and more positive takes on the spells, divination, and as a whole. Today’s witches aren’t the ugly, evil, or vengeful people we thought of as a kid. They have become idolized as the awakened, the in-touch-with-the-universe, and these beautiful magickal beings.
Tarot, psychic readings, crystals, and spellwork have become mainstream in the young Millennial and Gen Z population. More and more people are turning into it, learning for themselves, or otherwise, just really interested.
First date questions aren’t ‘What are you looking for’ anymore. They are ‘So, what’s your sign?” You’ll get it and quickly plug it into an Astrology website to check the compatibility that the Internet somehow puts together in a swift second. That may or may not influence whether you put more effort into the conversation and a chance at a relationship. Some people have bought themselves a deck of Tarot cards, tuning into the divination. Some have self-taught themselves to read auras. Crystals line nearly every young 20-something year old’s windowsill, and more and more shelves have been dedicated as an altar space. There is no denying that interest for the occult has taken off. Meditation and self-care rituals are wellness trends made popular by the witch community in the recent years. To take care of oneself, physically, and mentally, is a practice in itself. To take care of others, as well, is another. More and more have tuned in with their own healing properties, turning it not only into themselves, but onto others. There has been a change from personal satisfaction, to a collective responsibility to band together, to continue to be conscientious about our time here on Earth, and about the connections we make. And rather than making witchcraft about creating a spell to have someone fall in love with them, the act of self-love, health, spreading positivity, and protection has become more prevalent in the spell workings of witches today.
The younger generation is turning away from established ideas and religions, and putting more belief into spirituality. A study from Pew Research Center found that most Americans believe that it isn’t necessary to be religious, or believe in God, to have good values or be a good person. This generation was built on the destruction the global environment, toxic social structures, anti-feminism, and big-industry capitalism. They are taking into their own hands and changing it for the better. Tuning into the divine, we can begin to make sense and a change in our lives and the world. It has also become the way to ‘heal.’ Heartache, traumatic experiences, and insecurities are inevitable as humans, but having the ability to alter these thoughts into a much more understandable, put-into-words experience, can lift some weight off our shoulders. Along with personal healing, there are also more witches in tune with healing the society around us. Manifestation has become a tool many have began to use for their personal gains, along with societal. Many believe that we hold the power to change our lives, and the world.
This new age belief has grown from the desire to understand the workings of the universe, to also being understood. Being able to take on a certain pathology, to tell you, and others, why you are “the way you are” makes you feel not so alone in the world. Not only your astrological sign, but what kind of witch are you, what is your human design, what’s your life path number? (Cancer, Cosmic, Manifesting Generator, and 8, thank you very much.) When we have these certain labels and explanations, it’s easier to navigate our inner-selves, our desires, and how we deal with certain things. Deeming yourself as a witch can have many reasons, but it all falls into two things at the end of the day: understanding and navigating. The meaning to be a witch has begun to evolve into something bigger than what we once knew it to be. Simply put, it is to be the embodiment of your own philosophy and your truest self — with or without the jars of herbs and cool hat.
