⏳ 3 minute read.
TikTok is home to a growing community of ‘baby’ witches, but not everyone is so welcoming. With over 5.1 billion view, #WitchTok is becoming a hot topic.
In this article – you will learn:
- Who ‘baby’ witches are and why they are upsetting the the established witchcraft community.
Let’s set the scene, here’s a TikTok baby witch using ‘mind control’ (or just her breath)?!
Click on the Tik Tok video to view. Watch at your own risk!
Click here if the video isn’t working.
What’s the problem?
- TikTok has created a divide between the social media savvy ‘baby’ (inexperienced) witches and the older established witches who are worried the TikTok witches might set the community back centuries of progress.
What are ‘baby’ witches and why are they causing a stir?
- ‘Baby witches’ are younger, inexperienced witches. They use TikTok to exchange tips, tricks and tutorials on how to perform spells.
- Under the #WitchTok hashtag, you’ll find everything you might associate with witches, from people putting curses on their ex-boyfriends, summoning the wind gods, good luck spells to live-streams tarot readings.
- The below shows a witch summoning the wind:
Click here if the video isn’t working.
- The #WitchTok hashtag has been viewed 5.1 Billion times and the #babywitch hashtag has been viewed 773.0M times.
Here’s a few more TikTok baby witches in action:
Click on the TikToks to view:
Click here if the video isn’t working.
Click here if the video isn’t working.
#WitchTok is even fighting racism
- Earlier this year, TikTok user Mikayla Pevey cast protection spells alone in her room for the Black Lives Matter protesters. As she lit candles and recited chants, 5,000 people were watching.
- Pevey’s livestream gathered fellow #WitchTok creators together during the full moon to cast protective spells and raise money. It was one of many events that has helped turn the #WitchTok community into an organised movement for fierce political mobilisation.
- The #witchesforblm has 39.4M views to date.
Click here if the video isn’t working.
Why are experienced witches so angry?:
- Traditional witches are worried that these trend-hopping ‘baby witches’ are diluting the practice and using the craft as a way to get more followers. (See quote below).
- An anonymous witch, quoted in CNET, said: “Whether it’s stunts like hexing our moon or making a mockery of the rest of us by posting clips with crude sounds and effects, the whole thing sets us back.”
“We’ve been working on trying to rebuild witchcraft’s image and make it seem less ludicrous. Then these ‘fake witches’ come along and take us 10 steps backwards. It’s wrong and they shouldn’t be encouraged.”
Cnet – anonymous established witch
Despite the drama, why is #WitchTok still flourishing?:
Platforms like TikTok are making it easier for niche subcultures to flourish as it offers a safe-haven for people to make deeper connections with others who share the same interests.
🎃 Happy Halloween!
@DigitalVinGill 