Witchcraft is trending on TikTok, but is it real or just a fad? Hanna Borgstrom spoke to a real-life witch to find out.
Witchcraft seems to be on the rise, with people all over TikTok claiming that they are one. Using the #witchtok, people share all sorts of spells and tarot card readings, producing personalised messages and predicting future job opportunities and romantic relations to the thousands of people they reach. Is this really what a modern-day witch is? What about brewing potions and secret affairs with the devil? To find out what a modern-day witch is really like, I spoke to one.
Wendy Witch has been in business since the year 2000, though she has been a white witch all her life. Wendy is a blonde, sweet lady dressed in colourful, flowy clothes with lots of jewellery. She lives with her husband and dog on a narrowboat near Milton Keynes. When she isn’t busy reading tarot cards or performing different ceremonies for customers, she spends her time gardening on the boat’s roof or setting up a table by the side of the canal to drink tea and eat cake with friends.
When I asked how one can tell they are a witch, Wendy paused a second before explaining that no one is born with specific magical powers. It’s simple: if you practice witchcraft, then you are a witch. “It’s not like you must be the seventh daughter of the seventh daughter. You don’t need to be born with particular powers; you practice them over time. Just like with any craft.”
But Wendy was born into a family where nature was always at the centre – while her mum was Christian, her dad practised paganism, which resulted in a very eclectic childhood. Being a pagan means you don’t believe in a traditional God, but it is also highly connected to the appreciation of nature. They celebrate the seasonal sabbath, like the summer or winter solstices.
“Most modern witches just want everybody to be happy”
This naturalistic view is still reflected in her now; Wendy tells me that most of her beliefs as a witch stem from the idea that everything in the world is connected. We are connected with the earth, the trees, the animals, the sky, moon and the stars. When she casts a spell, she is very aware of the power that surrounds her. It’s all about pushing out one’s intentions into the universe and using that power to manifest real things into life. Through her website, you can book different services, like baby naming and handfastings (weddings,) which are all pagan-style ceremonies. But she is most sought after for tarot card readings, which can help people figure out what path to take in life. “Most modern witches just want everybody to be happy; we do nice things for ourselves and others, help people heal and look at the positive side of life. What we actually do is harness the power that’s within the world. That can be done through tarot card readings or helping people perform different spells.”
If we go back to the internet’s obsession with witchcraft, what seems to be most popular is finding some sort of quick fix to what we all desire most – love. But Wendy tells me that one can’t just demand love like that. “Love spells are quite tricky. A lot of witches get asked about love spells because it’s an important part of people’s lives. They are tricky because everybody has free will, you can’t force someone to love you.
But you can do spells in order to become more attractive, and then the right person will come and find you. Carrying rose quartz with you helps since it attracts love; it could also be shells and flowers. Witchcraft is a tool that helps you focus on what exactly it is you’re trying to achieve. But having said that, the universe works in mysterious ways.”
So, the witch profession isn’t all that the movies and fiction tell us. They are neither dark nor scary and don’t summon evil spirits and demons that cause harm to others. Wendy says that more people are aware that a modern witch is far from fiction and that it is becoming more normalised nowadays. She would never fear telling someone she is a witch, even though she knows that isn’t the case for everyone.
According to the United Nations Human Rights Council, the 2023 Annual Report estimated that hundreds of thousands of people around the world get abused or killed because of their beliefs and the performing of witchcraft. On International Women’s Day in 2022, Scotland’s then-Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon gave a national apology to all those accused of witchcraft between the 16th and 18th centuries. “Back then, women were treated very badly – if the crop failed or if your animals died and people went hungry, they would blame the local woman who happened to be a bit different… or she might not even have been that different; just any local woman,” Wendy says.
The witch trials stopped with the Age of Enlightenment when people dropped their beliefs around magic and religion and its effect on nature and life. Maybe that bad crop had to do with all the rain that fell last year and not that lady who looked at you weirdly? The Italian American feminist writer Silvia Federici argued in her book, Caliban and the Witch that the witch hunts were a form of social control used to suppress women’s independence and reinforce capitalism. Wendy agrees that we could look at the witches back then as a form of gathering.
“I think it did have something to do with feminism, even if they didn’t see it as that. Back in those days, they used to have these little signs and symbols that they would pass on to each other. Even today, we have them, little signs that say, ‘I am a witch.’ If I believe someone to be a fellow witch, I’ll just say blessed be, and she will know exactly what I am talking about. I could also give her an acorn, another symbol of the witch-sisterhood. But I don’t think that back then it was the witchcraft that brought women together, I think it was the fear of the men. But nowadays, even though some are still scared, it’s more about our mutual interest that brings us together.”
Witchcraft really is like any hobby or interest, and it’s a community for women who share this interest to come together. Witchcraft isn’t about causing pain or trouble for someone else; it’s about appreciating ourselves and the world we live in. Wendy has noticed that there has been a rise in the interest of witchcraft in recent years, which is nice, even though it’s important to remember it isn’t just a trend – for many it’s a lifestyle they have practised most of their life.
“People treat it like a fashion item; like spirituality is trending right now. Being a witch is a lifestyle, something that I will always be. But it is nice seeing the public gaining a bigger understanding of what it is. I have more people coming to me wanting to do tarot card readings; they often want to talk about what spells they can do. It doesn’t have to be complicated or serious – just use what you have at home. Witchcraft is very accessible; it’s all about learning how to do it.” While the internet has brought witchcraft into the mainstream, making it more accessible than ever, Wendy reminds us that being a witch is not just a fleeting trend—it’s a way of life. Modern witches are not the dark, mysterious figures of folklore but people who embrace nature, spirituality, and personal empowerment. So, the next time someone greets you with “Blessed be,” you might just be in the presence of a modern-day witch—one who, like Wendy, is more likely to offer you a cup of tea than a secret potion.
To read more about witches, check out Witch Trials as a Form of Violence Against Dalit Women in India