What the hex: The allure of witchcraft, explained
It is marketing’s new magic
Daily rituals these days include drinking overpriced coffee, spending two hours on TikTok, yapping about Moo Deng and most importantly, learning to cast spells. We are heading towards the renaissance of witchcraft.
When the Marvel Cinematic Universe announced Agatha All Along in October 2021 following Kathryn Hahn’s impressive performance in WandaVision, many skeptics shrugged. But fast-forward to last week: viewership of “Death’s Hand in Mine,” episode 7, spiked 35%, scoring a stunning 9.2/10 on IMDb. Both fans and critics can’t get enough of the show. Did I mention there is Patti LuPone who iconically had not seen any Marvel’s project before joining the cast? She really said I am here to get the check (Who cares? She IS Patti LuPone!) Seriously though, maybe you are missing out if you have not watched it.
The witches are carrying the MCU on their backs they will soon need some kind of chiropractic intervention.
Witches are the scene-stealers of the MCU, with Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch and Hahn’s Agatha blazing trails in pop culture. But this witchcraft resurgence goes beyond Hollywood—it’s casting a spell across social media, spirituality and even modern marketing.
WitchTok is bursting with content that is hard to resist; modern Wiccans are on the rise; paganism has become the breakout religion of the decade. The witches have cast their spells.
The rise of spirituality and witchcraft
From good-luck spells to protection potions to perform divination with coins and pendulums to discern your future, WitchTok takes its cues from traditional witchcraft and has taken social media by storm. I mean, there are 7.2 million posts about #WitchTok with billions of views.
The rise of spirituality and harnessing inner peace and power can be explained by the wider tricky social and cultural context. There are literal wars and occupations, climate anxiety, the West on shaky grounds which is interesting to watch, Katy Perry’s album flopped. We feel hopeless and powerless more than ever. Gaining power - or the perception of it - provides a mechanism for us to take back control. Crystals, candles and moonlit rituals are the illusion of order in an increasingly chaotic world.
The witch covens are modern-day communities
It is hard not to mention a sense of connection when discussing witchcraft. An essential part of witchcraft’s appeal lies in its sense of community. Covens if you will. Don’t let any marketing gurus on LinkedIn see this because there will be about a dozen think pieces aiming to explain how communities are so important in today’s digital age. Maybe they - mostly men - will further go on to explain what witch covens from the 17th can teach you about social media strategy for building loyalty programmes.
But yes, WitchTok underscores the importance of connection and community. Humans are a social species after all. We long for togetherness. We’re constantly looking out for those who share our spiritual beliefs. Speak to fans of the Real Housewives franchise and you’ll understand what I’m saying. My spiritual belief is Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.
Just like a witch coven where each is said to specialise in a particular branch of magic, communities help us make sense of our power and empower ourselves. Look at the social unrest! WitchTok serves as a beacon of hope and community, one that provides a gateway for people to come together.
Who gets to join the coven?
The current mainstream infatuation with witchcraft feels significant to a wide range of marginalised groups, including women, queer people and people of colour. To those who are essentially the “outcast” in a conventional, capitalistic and patriarchal system. Society’s fear of witches (witch hunt!?) is connected to cisgender patriarchal ideas about who should have power.
Witchcraft is inherently queer, too. Historically, witches are anyone who threatened the status quo or refused to conform to society’s rules. They are othered, but they also hold power. Witches, both then and now, embody nonconformity, empowerment, and the freedom to explore different identities. It dissolves socially constructed ideas about gender roles. Embracing witchcraft is an act of rebellion against restrictive gender roles, societal expectations, and outdated power dynamics.
If you ask me why I am so obsessed with witches, well, who does not want to dabble in the dark arts? If you ask on a deeper level, it is because I was born to dabble in the dark arts, just like Aubrey Plaza. By dark arts, I mean streaming Lady Gaga’s Disease. Who decides which arts are dark and which are not anyway?
Is witchcraft marketing’s new magic?
As a counter-cultural (?) movement, witchcraft represents a way to reclaim power, challenge stereotypes, and find freedom in self-expression. It is a political and radical act.
I don’t consider myself a marketing guru but maybe breaking society norms isn’t so bad. Just as witchcraft subverts traditional rules, brands are moving away from sanitised images toward values that disrupt the status quo. An ice cream brand seeks to eliminate injustices. A beauty brand advocates for real beauty in the age of digitally altering images. In a world of hyper-curation, there’s an undeniable appeal to tapping into raw, unfiltered power.
Witchcraft is exactly that – rejecting perfection, structure, and traditional rules. Marketing has begun to embrace this ethos, too. Gone are the days when brands only aimed to be pristine and universally appealing; they are embracing authenticity, flaws and values that often challenge societal norms.
In an age where conformity is boring and rebellion is refreshing, brands are taking a page out of the witch’s grimoire.
Witches have a long history of stepping in and out of the shadows, especially in times of cultural upheaval. In a world where traditional hierarchies are questioned, identity is increasingly fluid, and power is redefined by new social movements, our current fascination with them isn't fleeting. The spells are far from broken.