I’m actually wanting ahead to many and completely different voices including to the dialogue “Social Media Witchcraft: A Neighborhood 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 group – not simply content material creators or huge names, however everyone” is invited to take part on this dialogue, with the hope that the hosts would possibly later facilitate a reside group 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 immediately I’m posting this. Collective ideas across the identical theme usually floor on the identical time inside a group, and I feel that’s what’s occurring right here.
1. Affect on Neighborhood
For the reason that late 90s, all through my time in school and legislation faculty, I’ve needed to share my Taiwanese, Buddhist, and Taoist practices on-line particularly so those that have been trying to find that form of info 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 was imprecise 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 e-book. Extra importantly, what content material must be unnoticed.
In the end I took a leap of religion, prayed that I’d not be led astray and that always could be guided with discernment for what may be put on the market and what’s higher left unsaid. Sooner or later it turned clear to me that I wouldn’t be having organic youngsters to be passing this on to so then the various youngsters of the world turned those that I’d be passing this Craft on to.
Within the age we discover ourselves in, the optimum medium for all that’s social media.
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’d 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 digicam at you.
Should 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 wish to waste anyone’s time” goal. Scripting movies helps me rein within the scope, group, timing, and effectivity of the content material. After 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 major phase of my viewers are those that converse English as a second language or are a part of the Deaf/HH group, and so scripting meant I might accommodate to that want.
Nevertheless, apart from possibly arranging the stuff so it’s neater, dusting the floor as a result of the world doesn’t have to know that I don’t mud my house steadily sufficient, or angling the digicam 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.” There was this one video I made during the pandemic that was like a what I do in a day video the place sure, the whole lot 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 digicam that I mentioned 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.
A remaining level price 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 attempting to attain and who that content material is for.
As an alternative of centering myself or valuing my opinions and my subjective tastes, I attempt to heart that product and its creator. What’s that product and creator attempting to attain and has it achieved its personal acknowledged goal? Meaning typically the reply to that query is sure, however the product itself won’t be aligned with my very own tastes or my private values. If folks learn that as being inauthentic, properly, that’s attention-grabbing.
3. Imposter Syndrome and FOMO
It may be robust 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 talents to curate their aesthetics however have an essential voice that we have to be listening to not get the visibility and publicity they deserve… heck, that we deserve? =) We could be those benefiting from their visibility, benefiting from the information they’re sharing!
I don’t examine my craft to what I see different folks do on-line — and neither must you (!!) — as a result of it’s apples to oranges (keep in mind 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, positive, I completely discover myself tempted to check 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 eager about my craft vs. theirs, however I am considering, “sizzling rattling, this particular person is unbelievable at pictures!”
There’s one level of reflection that isn’t categorized as imposter syndrome or FOMO, however would possibly belong beneath Matter 3, and that’s how observing social media witchcraft has brought about me to distance myself from figuring out as a witch. On the identical time, I don’t suppose I’ve the posh to try this both, as a result of then witchy Asians and Diasporic Asians who lean occult gained’t have the ability to discover my work and uncover one thing that may higher resonate with them than what’s at present accessible beneath the hashtag “witch.” Rightly or wrongly, I usually really feel like I don’t wish to present up on social media witchcraft circuits however I’ve to.
4. Capitalizing Off Neighborhood
Possibly 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. Each aren’t equally legitimate. Equally legitimate? I don’t know what that’s implying.
All we have to level out is the extent of grace the typical particular person is keen to increase to everybody round them in-person vs. the extent of grace the typical particular person is keen to increase to everybody round them in an internet group.
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 units. Undoubtedly not saying it can’t be finished; simply mentioning that it’s gonna be more durable.
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 straightforward cash. The target for the pay-to-play information is to not advance a better good, however the true goal is that content material creator’s personal monetary achieve. They’ll persuade themselves that they’re doing it for others, however actually? At $500 per head for a few movies about your private spiritual practices and a few pdf handouts?
I additionally make a distinction between a paid course for technical abilities versus paying to listen to about any individual else’s unverified private gnosis. Paying to study technical abilities is affordable. Paying to take part in rituals, paying to expertise divinity, none of that sits proper with me.
As for my responsive ideas to the opposite questions on the Matter 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’d by no means and don’t impose my opinions on what others wish to do.
Conclusions
I like that conversations like #OcculTea are occurring. I additionally surprise about what the net witchcraft group 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, can we then have an affirmative social accountability?
Appears to be like like I wasn’t the one one with ideas…
It wasn’t my impression in any respect that the three hosts had been talking for any explicit group and they didn’t heart themselves as leaders or because the exemplars of reliable witchery. So I don’t suppose the harshness of these feedback was honest. However I can sense the place they had been coming from, as a result of that was my intestine commentary, too — and what I imply by that’s the intestine commentary of just a little little bit of an unintentional same-sameness to the illustration of the witchcraft/occult group that was being offered to us. And so even should you 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. Do I wish to present up on-line, put in all of the work that must be put in to create instructional content material to have my traditions be uncovered to the general public? No. I don’t. Do I really feel an affirmative social accountability to facilitate entry to those traditions since I don’t see anyone else who’s a local practitioner doing it? Sure. I do. Demonstration of real love in your group means you’re keen to hold the burden. It means acknowledging that possibly, due to who you’re and the place you’re positioned, you’ve got an affirmative social accountability.
As for some witchy YouTubers I feel you’ll love, take a look at the PopOcculture collection on Lilith Dorsey‘s channel. Dorsey is the writer of Orishas, Goddesses, and Voodoo Queens: The Divine Female within the African Spiritual Traditions. I used to be fortunate sufficient to preview her forthcoming e-book, 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. It is a nice tutorial tackle Alchemy, Witchcraft, and Trans Identity via theologian and educator arsyn0w. Over on TikTok, take a look at Mudang Jenn and Chaweon Koo. Thorn Mooney is a unbelievable mannequin of what I’d wish to see extra of by way of witchcraft being represented in social media. Jack Chanek doesn’t submit steadily sufficient however when he does, it’s an actual deal with!
Trending Merchandise
