With the attack upon Christianity gaining strength in the cultural revolution in the West of the 1960s, there was an exploration of various pagan religious themes. We saw the Rolling Stones dabble with Satanism, to define themselves as the bad boys of rock, to distinguish themselves from the rival Beatles. Thus, we had songs expressing sympathy for the devil and satanic majesties. This theme was continued through bands like Kiss, but more so in black and heavy metal, which was openly Satanic. Today, the Satanism theme, is common in modern popular music; the woke liberal Taylor Swift in her recent Eras tour had a segment where she was wearing a black robe, surrounded by female dancers also wearing black robes, and not much else, bowing down worshipping her. This is witchcore.
Witchcore has become popular with young feminist women, and is now featured in glossy magazines, or their e-versions. Witchcore ranges from dressing in clothing which expresses a pagan theme, to outrightly practicing black magic, or so they think. The occult has been made mainstream and commercial. No doubt, this is to cash in on the latest consumer craze, to make a fast buck from the gullible, but such occultism fits well with modern globalism. It is no coincidence that the Church of Satan in Americas is a leading supporter of abortion. It is but a heartbeat or two away from child sacrifice.
"Paganism has been on the rise in the Western world for some time now. More and more people are abandoning their religious upbringings and rejecting the Judeo-Christian values of the West. While some have opted to adopt agnosticism or atheism, others, especially Gen Zers, have chosen to replace Christianity with a different set of beliefs and practices rooted in paganism. Ranging from engaging in actual black magic to just dressing in dark, edgy clothing, witchcore is the newest fad among the rising generation.
Unlike the colonial days when witches were so feared that even the town spinster had to watch her back, today, witches and witchcraft are embraced by society.
Allie Beth Stuckey points to a recent magazine in a grocery store checkout lane titled "Witches: Discover their secretive and mysterious practices" as an example of how mainstream the occult has become. The magazine, which features a woman clad in black robes and a pointed hat holding a cluster of burning red candles, sits adjacent to gossip columns and rows of candy as if it's just another mundane object.
"This is clearly a glorification of witchcraft," says Allie.
While the magazine features a traditional-looking witch, the majority of today's witches look like "your normal suburban mom."
"Even if someone is not wearing a pointy hat and walking around with their black cat, they might be imbibing and emulating [and] exhibiting aspects of witchcraft," says Allie.
Further, modern "witchcraft doesn't necessarily always look like a Ouija board or like dying your hair black and casting spells," she explains. It often looks like "manifesting," "transcendental meditation," "burning sage," "using crystals," etc.
Modern witches weren't ushered into the dark arts because they happened to stumble upon a group of women chanting incantations in the forest either. Most of them were introduced to new age concepts in the growing realm of "self-help" and "self-empowerment" guides. Allie explains that things like "a Cosmo article," "astrology," or the idea of tapping into your inner "goddess" is all it takes for someone to set off down a path of darkness.
A recent British Vogue article even spoke on the subject of witchcore and admitted that although the fad aims to "merge romantic mystical vibes with grungy Gothic undertones," the "witchcore aesthetic is influenced by ancient rituals and practices, from potion making and herbalism to tarot card reading, sage burning, and crystal healing."
"It's not just about following a trend that you saw that you think is cute," says Allie. Even things that seem benign, like a specific clothing aesthetic, are rooted in the incredibly dark idea of unleashing "a woman's darker side."
Artists like Taylor Swift are heavily responsible for viralizing the witchcore trend.
Allie plays a video of Swift performing on her Eras tour in a black robe surrounded by a circle of female dancers who are also clad in black robes. They essentially bow down to the pop icon who stands in the center of the dark ring.
"That is clearly demonic," says Allie.
What's perhaps even more disturbing, however, is the number of Christians who don't recognize that these new age concepts and practices are satanic in nature. Some even try to engage in certain aspects of new ageism while maintaining their Christian faith.
"That's called syncretism," says Allie.
"In the Book of Revelation, one of the things that [Jesus] condemns is syncretism — trying to wed light and darkness."