Witchcraft and spiritualism are often associated with dusty old books, red velvet drawing rooms, and a general sense of old-time curiosity. But thanks to social media, these practices have been given a new lease of life.
In an age of uncertainty, loss and economic turmoil, young people are increasingly turning to astrology and witchcraft for answers.
“Modern technology has made it possible for people around the world to gain access to learning about mediumship and even practice it virtually,” Megan Alisa, an evidential psychic medium with more than 234,000 followers on TikTok, told Newsweek.
Evidential psychic mediums share evidence that they are communicating with the dead by claiming to reveal information that could not otherwise be known by the medium.
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“I use my social media platform to teach about mediumship, the spirit world and to help people tap into their own intuition,” Alisa said. “I also use technology to do all of my private readings via Zoom…[and] do free readings via TikTok live and Instagram Live to help show people that mediumship is legitimate.”
As of October 2022, #WitchTok had amassed over 33.2 billion views globally on TikTok.
“Having the ability to teach worldwide and connect with someone anywhere in the world for a reading has been very helpful for people who would have never had access to this before,” Alisa said.
Joey Xoto, a digital entrepreneur with more than 184,000 TikTok followers, uses the platform to create paranormal experiences for his viewers.
“I would describe myself as an entertainer, using concepts such as mentalism, hypnotism and general showmanship to create paranormal experiences,” Xoto said.
“I have always been fascinated about how our perception of ideas can create all kinds of strange outcomes, many of which can be explained by the power of suggestion in our own minds. Others still have no explanation,” he said.
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In one video, that has been viewed 1.7 million times, Xoto attempts to connect his viewers to a spirit called Le-ah.
In the video, Xoto describes how Le-ah will enter the viewer’s arm and cause it to rotate. His post has received thousands of comments, with many claiming to have witnessed something other-worldly.
“Some were terrified by the things they were experiencing,” he said. “Some had reactions that cannot be explained by science itself.
“Many viewers explained how a purple mark was being left on their hand! I cannot explain how a purple mark was being left.
“I created the parameters of what the experience could be for the viewer, and the viewers have pushed those parameters with their own imaginations. It’s very cool to see but it even creeps me out!”
For Alisa, TikTok is a space where she can not only share her work, but also provides a platform to dispel common misconceptions.
“I debunk a lot of fear-based beliefs regarding spirits and hopefully remove stigma and fear around the work as I do so,” she said. “There is nothing to be afraid of. The spirit world consists of love and it is this world here where we need to be more wary.”
The perception of the paranormal in pop culture is often misleading, she said.
“Many paranormal shows have investigators who are interpreting through a lens of fear and misunderstanding—fear and sensationalism sells.
“I myself am a healthy skeptic and encourage people to be open-minded skeptics because there are a lot of frauds, scammers and people who need development that claim to do this work out in the world.
“I spent several years developing this ability, going to several development circles a week and being very dedicated to the work before ever going public as a medium for others.”
Although she has been met with some skepticism, her response has overall been positive.
“Many people respond positively to my work as a medium and are curious to know more about it,” she said. “The readings where my client goes from skeptic to believer because of the evidence that was provided are some of my favorite readings.
“Those in spirit surprise me every time I work with them and I never know what is going to come through until it does. Every reading I do is important to the person receiving it and I feel truly privileged to get to be a part of it.”
