From ‘spiritual mentors’ charging £1,500 for a tarot reading to gurus who claim to dabble in the occult, witches have gone mainstream in the Goop-sphere. But real witches are claiming it makes a mockery of their beliefs, writes Olivia Petter
In 2024, it’s officially cool to be a witch. It only took several centuries. If that’s a sentiment that causes you to raise your eyebrows – or question my sanity – you clearly haven’t been spending enough time online. Today, witchcraft is everywhere on social media, but particularly Instagram and TikTok.
From the spiritual gurus promising to change your life by way of crystals and spells, to the actual self-identifying witches who genuinely purport to practise in the occult – and can teach you how to do so as well – there is a litany of spellbinding stuff around right now. But engaging in some of it could set you back several months of your salary.
Well, that’s if you seek out the witch du jour, Kate Tomas, a 43-year-old “professional witch” and “spiritual mentor” whose clients include Lena Dunham and the Will & Grace star Megan Mullally. She also happens to be going out with Andrew Garfield, which might also be why her name rings a bell. Tomas works with people in myriad ways but mostly conducts readings involving tarot cards. These sessions last 45 minutes and cost – wait for it – £1,500. The price also includes two days of conversations on WhatsApp to further discuss the reading, and is usually followed by a six-month minimum “spiritual mentorship” contract for £4,000 per month. “Magic takes time,” Tomas told The Sunday Times in a recent interview. “It can’t happen overnight.”
No, it can’t. But does it really have to cost about as much as a secondhand car? The suggestion that it does has provoked criticism, and a suggestion that witchcraft is just the latest component of spirituality to have been co-opted by the wellness industry.
Tomas is far from the only practitioner capitalising on her gift, either. There are endless spiritual healers scattered across the country promising to change your life with some sort of witchy practice, whether it be via tarot readings and moon rituals or spell ceremonies and shamans. There is psychic-to-the-stars Fleur Leussink, who is based in Lisbon and charges $700 (£586) for a 45-minute reading – she also has a five-year waitlist. Then there’s Princess Diana’s go-to medium Sally Morgan, who tours the country giving readings to the masses.
Elsewhere, there’s the internet subculture known as WitchTok, in which people (and usually young women) talk passionately about spells, rituals and the basics of magic. In one clip, a woman runs down some of the apparent signs that a person is “a natural witch”. They include “feeling like an outsider most of your life”, “having a strong intuition” and having animals be “drawn to you”. Well, if she’s right then I’m probably a witch, too.
The rise of platforms like TikTok and Instagram played a significant role in making witchcraft more visible and accessible. This is a positive development. However, it’s crucial to approach these practices with respect and awareness of their origins and meanings
One quick deep dive into all this, though, suggests that the word “witch” – while trendy – is being used a little flippantly online. Is Tomas a witch purely because she says that she is? Or because she can read tarot cards? And does that give her the ability to charge thousands of pounds for her services? Am I a witch because I feel like an outsider and cats like me? Could I also be charging people thousands of pounds to chat to me about their lives? Am I missing out on a business opportunity here?
“Witchcraft has definitely been co-opted by the wellness sector,” says Michael Cardenas, head witch at Olde Ways, an internet hub for mystical information, magical services and apothecary goods. “It is actually having an incredibly negative cultural impact on witchcraft practices, watering them down and ‘normalising’ them to the point that the term ‘witch’ has started to lose its meaning.” Cardenas offers various services to clients, ranging from clairvoyance and tarot readings to medium sessions and spellwork consultations.
A witch today, he explains, “is someone who is actually taking an empowered approach to life by tapping into the cycles of nature (moon, sun, seasons, planets), aware of their ability to manifest their needs by using magic, someone with heightened psychic abilities, and who aligns themselves with gods, spirits and ancestral veneration practices”. Of course, this is a definition that varies depending on who you ask. “Personally, I feel that my witch energy is very much connected to my spirituality and my feminist beliefs,” says Semra Haksever, who calls herself an “eclectic witch”.
“So I bring together different practices and elements across the crafts and find inspiration in many ancient traditions.”
What being a witch is not, Cardenas says, is merely going on a “glorified meditation retreat with juicing, journaling, and intention-setting on a gentrified island somewhere”. Nonetheless, if you search through WitchTok long enough, you’ll find representations of this exact thing rather quickly. The majority of them will also be trying to sell you something. “You do not need anything to be a witch,” says Gabriela Herstik, an author and witch based in Los Angeles. “You do not need $1,000 readings or a $75 crystal. Witchcraft is a way of living in and working with your power, but it has been co-opted by being commodified as a cure-all. Breathwork, meditation, movement, affirmations, working with the cycles of the sun and moon… this costs nothing.”
Part of this conflation – and the rising interest in witchcraft – could be down to the wider wellness boom more generally. For the better part of the last decade, there has been a surging interest in the pursuit of living well, whether that be through trends such as “clean eating”, which has since fallen drastically out of fashion, or by adopting trendy new ketogenic diets and overloading yourself with supplements and superfoods. “This phenomenon highlights a growing interest in holistic and alternative approaches to health and wellbeing,” says Emma Griffin, author of The Witch’s Way Home, a beginner’s guide to modern witchcraft.
For many, this interest began percolating during the pandemic. “During the lockdown, people began exploring new ways to reconnect with their true selves and manifest their desires,” adds Griffin. “The rise of platforms like TikTok and Instagram played a significant role in this surge, making witchcraft more visible and accessible. This is a positive development, as it provides a wealth of resources for learning and inspiration that were not available before the internet. However, it’s crucial to approach these practices with respect and awareness of their origins and meanings.”
Of course, few contemporary practices carry the centuries-old, misogyny-laden history of witchcraft. According to English Heritage, somewhere between 30,000 and 60,000 people were executed during the era of witchcraft persecution, which began in the 15th century and carried on until the 18th century. In England, the majority of those accused of witchcraft were women; it’s not hard to see how this has been weaponised both in popular culture and wider society ever since.
The most famous cultural example might be Shakespeare’s weird sisters in Macbeth, who are described as hideous “midnight hags”. Then there’s the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz. More recently, these stereotypes have been modernised and subverted through cult shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Charmed. But “witch” is still a word used to oppress, belittle and diminish women; Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi and Theresa May have all been labelled as such.
“It has been great to see there is an increasing awareness of the history and misogyny after years of only seeing witches depicted as evil women who put curses on people,” says Haksever. “I think that most people who are drawn to the witch archetype have experienced some kind of persecution in their life. I hope that with increasing interest that the true history of the witch is better known, which I really do believe would help women’s rights and equality and what we are facing right now.”
Still, growing awareness isn’t exactly dismantling the misogyny that society attaches to witches and anything related to them. This brings me back to Tomas, who was forced to remove a “seduction masterclass” from her website because of, as she explained on her podcast, “horrific accusations that were levelled at me that I’d used magic to seduce my partner”. An article has since been published clarifying that “Andrew Garfield’s Girlfriend Swears She Didn’t Cast a Spell on Him”.
This mentality, Griffin believes, could be rooted in the past. “There is a concept known as the ‘witch wound’, a collective trauma believed to be inherited from the historical persecution of witches,” she explains. “This idea suggests that many people carry an unconscious fear and judgement towards witchcraft, stemming from the violence and oppression of the past. Healing this ‘witch wound’ involves overcoming these deep-seated fears and judgements, and fostering a more open and accepting view of witchcraft today.”
Ultimately, while things are definitely changing, and people are becoming more open-minded to the idea of witchcraft and what it may entail, clearly we have a way to go if we’re to really grapple with what it is, to what extent it can (and should) be commodified, and how we perceive those who practise it. “In essence, while the perception of witches is changing, there remains a need for greater understanding and acceptance,” adds Griffin. “By educating ourselves and challenging media portrayals, we can continue to heal the historical wounds and appreciate the diverse practices and beliefs within modern witchcraft.”
Comments
I really think this rather flippant, superficial and casual attitude towards witchcraft has really done a huge disservice to ti.
It reminds me of years ago when I was on pagan sites, far, FAR too many people were there and donning the witchcraft emblem because it was either cool or because supposedly a family member was a witch so they mistakenly think they are one just by ancestry and/or, like was mentioned earlier, thinking that just because one read a tarot card/books or made an altar that it makes them a witch.
It no more makes them a witch than reading a book on surgery makes me a surgeon.
What i would like to see is people actually taking the time to learn, to read and delve into the craft and adopt, adapt and adust things to their needs and nature. Far too many I have encountered online feel that following a book to teh letter without going out eventually on their own to customize their spells makes them a seasoned witch, it can takes years to become seasoned and if one refuses to put in the effort then nothing will happen. Equivalent Exchange, if you will. You cannot gain without giving something in return. It doesn't have to be big but it does need to be genuine and sincere.
Magic can help and assist but it cannot, on its own, fix a problem especially if it can be fixed without it. In fact using magic to compel someone to act against their nature or force someone -any being really- to do something they don't want to do or to do something illegal is a sin in and of itself.
In regards to tarot card readings, one thing I have learned is that ones own mindset can either be a foundation or a roadblock; many years ago my dad and I were in this metaphysical shop and there was this woman in the shop giving tarot readings. The problem was that she was biased against men and she knew it too which made me wonder if she understood that her mindset, if not controlled, will most undoubtedly taint the readings she rends. I mean, yeah..it is sad that she had a bad experience with her ex and it hurts but despite that she needs to keep those things out of the readings.
That brings me to another issue is so many people do not want to examine their own mindsets, especially biased attitudes and this can have rather disastrous results with a reading, spells or rituals. To keep those thoughts from interferring with your works takes time, effort and a sincere wish to try and put them behind you.
Sorry..I am rambling and I do not mean to.
I have talked to people online who were asked how their craft has changed them or their thinking and more than one had replied that they did not see why it should change or affect their thinking, attitude, philosophy or overall way of doing anything. What they did was admit, unknowingly, that they viewed their craft as nothing more than a game, a role-playing adventure where they go though all the motions, say all the scripted words, light the prescribed candles, etc then when they are done they go back to doing what they have always done before the craft.
If they were predjuduced before then they still are regardless what their path teaches, if they are cruel to animals then they will still be so regardless of what their craft teaches. In short, a belief system should be there to help you relate to life in a different, more compassionate manner, help one to see that no matter who we are or where we are, we are all a component of nature and regardless of position, when the great 'game' of life has come to an end, you will all go back into teh same box.
Ok..enough noise out of me, gonna make a cup of coffee or something.
Well said, it took me years to get to where I am today. Offline I don't go around calling myself a High Priestess but I can't run away from it either because every reader pulls up on it. I just rather be humble and grounded since there is just too much negative stigma that has now resurfaced again which is quite sad really. I don't know what else to say about it but I hope the karmic retribution doesn't bite them too hard on the backside, I don't think they realise what they are doing and what kind of responbilities they are taking on nor the spirits they are up against and especially the dark. I don't like how these people are using the craft to make money off other people's insecurities and problems that most likely need real help and many would be extreme cases and why they reach out to mediums as this even though it's wrong. When I was younger I opened my eyes up really quickly to this world and hence why I decided to become a witch and never would think I would reach or be seen as a High Priestess, never my intention really. I understand why people go these new age guru's because they don't like it when you tell them how it is and that their life won't miracously get fixed over night. Pisces is the worst sign in the zodiac for this because they are such dreamers and love to live in their own fantasies - so they would be the first to be sucked in a money grab.
I hope you enjoyed your coffee..
I just don't know how the craft, including the tarot has turned into almost like church. Fixing this and fixing that spiritually. It's nice to be fixed but it's just about turned itself into nothing "but" spirituality. It feels like church and driving me crazy.
I know exactly what you mean, it's worse when they try to play God. I noticed that a lot of the readers on YouTube parrot themselves, some will come out and say they don't care - so meaning you must take what they say as Gospel and if it doesn't "resonate" then it's your tough luck. Wow is all I can say to that. I have had to start listening to the German readers on YouTube because they seem to be a bit more realistic even if it's just a general reading. I have noticed that now all this has started and going on that no one reaches out for readings anymore. I say that because I use to read for people and never charge - I actually care and I enjoyed doing it. I love to help people.
:)))