I’m trying ahead to many and totally different voices including to the dialogue “Social Media Witchcraft: A Group Dialog In regards to the Issues That Divide Us” through the hashtag #OcculTea. The hosts are kickstarting the dialog off with these movies from Ella Harrison, Polish Folk Witch, and The Redheaded Witch.
“All members of the occult & witchcraft neighborhood – not simply content material creators or large names, however everyone” is invited to take part on this dialogue, with the hope that the hosts may later facilitate a stay neighborhood panel.
It’s a little bit of an unanticipated synchronism that simply yesterday I posted my commentary on personal branding pressures on authors and social media, after which at this time I’m posting this. Collective ideas across the similar theme typically floor on the similar time inside a neighborhood, and I feel that’s what’s occurring right here. Ivy The Occultist had posted “Are Modern Witchcraft Books Failing Modern Witches?” on Feb. 12 and this #Occultea open invite on Social Media Witchcraft went out on Feb. 21. I believed that was type of cool timing.
1. Impression on Group
Because the late 90s, all through my time in school and regulation faculty, I’ve wished to share my Taiwanese, Buddhist, and Taoist practices on-line particularly so those that have been looking for that type of data from an own-voices native perspective might have entry. However every time I got here shut, I ended myself. Essentially the most you’d get out of me can be obscure cryptic code-speak.
I struggled more durable than I most likely wanted to with whether or not to publish The Tao of Craft, after which struggled much more with what content material to place in that ebook. Extra importantly, what content material wanted to be unnoticed.
In the end I took a leap of religion, prayed that I might not be led astray and that always can be guided with discernment for what will be put on the market and what’s higher left unsaid. Sooner or later it grew to become clear to me that I wouldn’t be having organic kids to be passing this on to so then the numerous kids of the world grew to become those that I might be passing this Craft on to.
Within the age we discover ourselves in, the optimum medium for all that’s social media.
In terms of platforms, it’s not that I’m clinging stubbornly to the outdated methods… it’s that I at the moment don’t have the time to study new platforms resembling TikTok. So YouTube and Instagram it’s. I do tweet occasionally as effectively. And naturally, most of what occupies my time remains to be this weblog. Again in my day, we didn’t name it social media; it was the blogosphere. 😉 [I published peer-reviewed legal research and analyses on the blogosphere.]
2. Influencer Authenticity
I’m intrigued by the main focus right here on acknowledging how a lot of what we submit on social media is staged. I might say something I’ve posted on social media is “staged” insofar as you straighten out your hair and any wrinkles in your shirt, stand nonetheless, and put in your greatest smile when somebody factors a digital camera at you.
In case you name scripting your movies “staged,” then yeah, I script my movies, however to me, that’s much less of an authenticity query and extra of an “I don’t need to waste anyone’s time” goal. Scripting movies helps me to rein within the scope, group, timing, and effectivity of the content material. Once I don’t script, one thing that oughta take me 5 minutes to say finally ends up taking me 50.
Additionally, I began making my movies earlier than computerized closed captioning, so one other profit to scripting is as quickly because the video is uploaded, I have already got an edited transcript able to go. A big phase of my viewers are those that communicate English as a second language or are a part of the Deaf/HH neighborhood, and so scripting means I can accommodate to that want – you’ll be able to instantly add that transcript for closed captioning.
Nevertheless, apart from perhaps arranging the stuff so it’s neater, dusting the floor as a result of the world doesn’t must know that I don’t mud my residence regularly sufficient, or angling the digital camera for a cooler shot, no, I don’t stage my Instagram pictures. Not one of the pictures of me are staged. Both it’s a bona fide selfie or it’s a trip photograph that the hubby took of me. But additionally I feel that’s fairly apparent as a result of my Instagram pictures aren’t that “witchy aesthetic.”
I suppose you could possibly say I stage pictures after I’m sharing different folks’s books and decks on my Insta. I take objects which are already displayed round my home and extra deliberately prepare them on a studying mat or altar material. However I don’t stage ritual work or stage myself doing fake ritual work.
There was this one video I made during the pandemic that was like a what I do in a day video the place sure, every part I confirmed me doing in a day was real, however the footage itself was staged, and I felt so silly and awkward “performing” for the digital camera that I stated by no means once more.
When it comes to deciphering what’s “applicable” to share on-line vs. what to maintain personal, that’s an ongoing problem. At this level all I can say is I strive my greatest to be intuitive, considerate, and thoughtful about it.
What about opinions and authenticity? A remaining level value exploring right here that’s tangentially associated to the subject heading is reviewing and endorsing books, tarot, or oracle decks. When approached to evaluation or endorse a inventive product, I meet the content material the place it’s and assess it primarily based on the target requirements that take advantage of sense for what that content material is making an attempt to attain and who that content material is for.
As an alternative of utilizing my subjective, typically irrational tastes as the usual, I attempt to concentrate on that product and its creator. What’s that product and creator making an attempt to attain and has it achieved its personal said goal? Meaning generally the reply to that query is sure, however the product itself may not be aligned with my very own tastes or my private values. If folks learn that as being inauthentic, effectively, that’s attention-grabbing.
3. Imposter Syndrome and FOMO
It may be powerful as a creator to look at what you understand to be creators who prioritize aesthetics and recognition over substance rise to the highest, whereas the creators who don’t have the abilities to curate their aesthetics however have an vital voice that we should be listening to not get the visibility and publicity they deserve… heck, that we deserve? =) We can be those benefiting from their visibility, benefiting from the data they’re sharing!
I prefer to observe witchy content material creators whose paths and traditions are very totally different from my very own. That’s the content material that broadens our minds and world views. It’s inspiring to see various approaches to witchcraft and core shamanism.
I don’t evaluate my craft to what I see different folks do on-line — and neither do you have to (!!) — as a result of it’s apples to oranges (do not forget that!) so recognize what another person has shared on its face, however don’t let it distract you.
Nevertheless, on a superficial and not-spiritual-related degree, certain, I completely discover myself tempted to match my social media output with different folks’s social media output. For example after I see flawless, hermetic private branding through lethal constant aesthetics, I’m not fascinated with my craft vs. theirs, however I am considering, “sizzling rattling, this particular person is incredible at images!”
There may be one level of reflection that isn’t categorized as imposter syndrome or FOMO, however may belong below Subject 3, and that’s how observing social media witchcraft has brought on me to distance myself from figuring out as a witch. That’s due largely to the witchcraft neighborhood right here in america — witches and pagans within the US don’t at all times make folks like me really feel welcomed or a part of their neighborhood.
On the similar time, I don’t have the posh to distance myself from the label, as a result of then witchy Asians and Diasporic Asians who lean occult received’t have the ability to discover my work and uncover one thing which may higher resonate with them than what’s at the moment accessible below the hashtag “witch.” Rightly or wrongly, I typically really feel like I don’t need to present up on social media witchcraft circuits however I’ve to.
4. Capitalizing Off Group
Perhaps it’s my Gen-X/Millennial cusp bias, however no, I don’t take into account on-line communities to be equal to in-person communities. Each are legitimate. In numerous methods. With totally different execs and cons. They’re every legitimate in their very own methods however they don’t seem to be interchangeable and one can’t exchange the opposite. Some issues will be executed in particular person that can not be executed on-line. Some issues, if you really want to do it on-line and you’ll’t do it in particular person, then the strategy you’re taking will probably be totally different. Metaphysically they don’t seem to be the identical.
From a ritual and ceremony perspective, I feel fundamental ranges of qi cultivation means in an in-person setting, most practitioners have the facility to alternate and alchemize their qi with others within the circle, however not as many practitioners are adept at working with qi throughout a digital international decentralized community of digital gadgets. Positively not saying it can’t be executed; simply mentioning that it’s gonna be more durable.
Additionally, all we have to level out is the extent of grace the typical particular person is prepared to increase to everybody round them in-person vs. the extent of grace the typical particular person is prepared to increase to everybody round them in a web based neighborhood. There may be an intimacy to in-person gatherings that I’m not saying can’t be replicated in on-line gatherings, but it surely’s one thing we as a technologically evolving society are nonetheless determining.
Okay, now let’s discuss grifters. It’s not even simply the binary of grifters vs. non-grifters within the occult/witchcraft communities. I fear that there are many well-meaning good folks in between these extremes who’re un-intentionally leveraging different folks’s struggling and insecurities for simple cash. They’ll persuade themselves that they’re doing it for others, however actually? At $500 per head for a few movies about your private non secular practices and a few quasi-motivational manifestation how-to handouts? When members of our neighborhood begin to mimic prosperity gospel televangelists, we have to ask ourselves if that is getting in the precise route and if we are able to merely stand by whereas we watch our neighborhood members get baited in to these schemes.
I additionally make a distinction in the case of paid programs for technical abilities. Paying to be taught technical abilities is cheap. Paying to take part in rituals, paying to expertise divinity, for computerized divine downloads and empowerments, or membership charges to affix in sacred circles — none of that sits proper with me.
As for my responsive ideas to the opposite questions on the Subject 4 listing, my opinions are going to be controversial on this capitalist world that encourages faith and spirituality to be capitalized on. But additionally, these are simply my opinions. I might by no means and don’t impose my opinions on what others need to do.
Conclusions
I like that conversations like #OcculTea are occurring. I additionally marvel about what the web witchcraft neighborhood is doing, actively, for variety, fairness, and inclusion. As a result of scrolling via the Insta pages of @ella.harrison, @polish.folk.witch, and @the.redheadedwitch, there’s a sure palpable homogeny to the presentation of witchcraft aesthetics and what it means to be a witch. And if one has a big platform with an influential voice, will we then have an affirmative social accountability?
Seems to be like I wasn’t the one one with ideas…
It wasn’t my impression in any respect that the three hosts have been centering themselves as leaders or because the exemplars of authentic witchery. So I don’t suppose the harshness of these feedback was honest. There’s a response below a type of above feedback that remarks on how the feedback have been being unnecessarily divisive, and I agree.
The wording of the feedback got here off as a bit imply, however I can sense the place they have been coming from, as a result of that was my intestine commentary, too — and what I imply by that’s the intestine commentary of a little bit little bit of an unintentional standardization of how we’re representing witchcraft. And so even if you happen to use the phrase “invite,” entire swaths of people that determine as witches or occultists most likely don’t really feel all that invited.
This circles again to an earlier rumination. In case you have been granted a sure elevated place by your society, do you then, due to who you’re and the place you’re positioned, have an affirmative social accountability?
And so I ponder if or when fashionable content material creators come collectively, that the mere act of doing so triggers an affirmative social accountability, which suggests being actively conscious of implications and appearances, and thus ensuring they’re setting a optimistic precedent of variety and inclusion?
EDIT: To be clear, I got here away with the sense that the organizers have been sharing in good religion, and had no intentions of setting themselves up as the usual bearers of recent witchcraft. I’m grateful that they’ve began this crucial dialog. Maybe I’m asking for an excessive amount of, however I suppose I simply want there was a little bit bit extra mindfulness from the onset to make sure that the invitation name itself would have really impressed everybody to really feel invited.
As for some witchy YouTubers I feel you’ll love, try:
- The PopOcculture sequence on Lilith Dorsey‘s channel. Dorsey is the creator of Orishas, Goddesses, and Voodoo Queens: The Divine Female within the African Non secular Traditions. I used to be fortunate sufficient to preview her forthcoming ebook, Tarot Every Witch Way, which is AH-MAZING, ahhhh, I can’t wait so that you can have it!
- Shamanic Arawak Priestess is a blessed useful resource for ATR and Taino native spirituality.
- Adunola the Oracle has some nice movies on African and Indigenous syncretism alongside loads of normal curiosity witchy academic content material.
- This is a superb educational tackle Alchemy, Witchcraft, and Trans Identity via theologian and educator arsyn0w.
- Over on TikTok. Try Mudang Jenn and Chaweon Koo.
- You’re going to like Aly Kravetz’s “Better Witch” podcast via BeyondBronxWitch previously often known as the BronxWitch.
- Try this interview on “Better Witch” with David Shi, creator of Spirit Voices: The Mysteries and Magic of North Asian Shamanism.
- This was such a enjoyable group dialogue to take part in with three folks I like so, a lot (and also you’ll discover shout-outs to all three of them on the Acknowledgements web page of I Ching, The Oracle): Can Asian-Americans be Witches?
- Thorn Mooney is a incredible mannequin of what I might need to see extra of by way of witchcraft being represented in social media.
- Jack Chanek doesn’t submit regularly sufficient however when he does, it’s an actual deal with!
Polish Folks Witch has compiled the #OcculTea video responses conveniently into a playlist repository here.
In case you’re like me, then for the previous week, you’ve had that playlist working in your cellphone when you gardened, cooked dinner, did the dishes, ran on the treadmill, and through your commutes to and from work. =)
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