1. The Use of Social Media by Contemporary Witchcraft Communities
Michael Haverty Marty Laubach

2. Who is a witch?

3. Witch Definition
Merriam-Webster: 1: one that is credited with usually malignant supernatural powers; especially :  a woman practicing usually black witchcraft often with the aid of a devil or familiar : an adherent of Wicca
Most common response: someone who identifies as a witch
Not all Wiccans are witches; not all witches are Wiccan.
Working definition: someone who self identifies as a witch, someone who manipulates symbols or objects with symbolic significance as a way to manifest their will

4. Community
Internet creates and solidifies minority communities (DiMaggio 2001)
This “observation might be extended to people with unusual religious or spiritual identities as well.” (Jenson 2008)
Not all witch traditions have covens or family groups.
Magazines, newsletters, pamphlets

5. Festival Gatherings
Events where NeoPagans, witches, and people of various New Age beliefs can gather
Berger and Pike
Vendor stalls
Workshops, education
Rituals
Community
Music and art
Mundane and Sacred

6. Hypothesis
Social media, particularly Tumblr, acts as a cheap, year-round alternative to gatherings.
Debate
Education
Buy/sell goods and services
Music and art
Community
New form of sigil magick – emoji spells

7. Methods
Qualitative Survey posted on Tumblr and Facebook Responses - >550 finished communal-independent attitude towards spirituality history with witchcraft and social media opinions on the Tumblr witchcraft community
Voluntary follow-up interviews conducted through Tumblr messenger
MU Sociology & Anthropology Department’s Spring quantitative general education survey

8. Patterns
Introduced to witchcraft through friends, family, media, own research
Used Tumblr for research, community, to buy goods and services including art “Being able to compare your craft with other practitioners is helpful because by seeing different methods, you may discover a new way of doing something. Also, just knowing that there are other practitioners out there, and being able to see some of what they do is always so exciting! Humans are communal creatures, and it's great to be able to connect to other people who are similar to yourself.”
However a tendency to be both “useful” and “toxic” – a result of diversity and debating

9. Emoji Spells Witchcraft uses symbols
Tradition of sigils as mnemonic devices turned magick
Is witchcraft nature-based?

10. Offline Community
Few have witches or NeoPagans in their local community.
Many report conservative Christian communities and families.
“There's not a lot of good ways to meet people in the rural south in the first place, let alone for people in the witchcraft community.”
“I also know a lot of people that are Very Christian that really prevent me from being as open as I'd like.”
“Well, I'm a chemist. I was in a PhD program for chemistry so it would pretty much invalidate me as a scientist if anyone knew.”
About being taught witchcraft by uncle “My parents were very against any sort of non- Christian anything. If he had tried, they probably would have cut all contact.”

11. Capstone Survey Questions
Agree
Disagree
Wicca and Witchcraft are associated with the devil.
46.4%
51.5%
People who say they ‘do witchcraft’ or ‘magic’ are playing make believe.
45.0%
52.2%
Some “religions” really shouldn’t qualify for First Amendment protection.
19.3%
78.6%
I have conducted research about my spirituality online.
26.7%
62.7%

12. Evangelicals – 41.8% Non-Christians = 23.8%
Evangelical Christian
Non-Christian Religions
Spiritual But Not Religious
No Religion
Wicca and Witchcraft are associated with the Devil.
.237
-.212
-.108
-.297
People who say they “do witchcraft” or “magic” are playing make believe.
.096
-.080
-.201
-.121
Some “religions” really shouldn’t qualify for First Amendment protection.
.133
-.016
-.069
-.001
I have conducted research about my spirituality online.
.011
.238
.276
-.018

13. Conclusion
Tumblr and other forms of social media provide a platform for community and education for spiritual minorities, specifically practitioners of witchcraft. Diverse views lead to debate and growth, including new versions of old magick (emoji spells); goods and services can be bought and sold; connections can be made between like-minded people who may be in offline communities that do not accept their practices.
Social media only requires an internet connection, allowing for a pseudo- NeoPagan Gathering year-round.

14. References
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University of South Carolina Press.
Black Moon. (2016). Black Moon Archives. Retrieved from Black Moon: Magic de la Nuit: blackmoonpublishing.com/archives
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Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 16(10),
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