Digital Witchcraft 2.0: Digital, spiritual and resistance

This introductory article analyzes the contemporary transformation of witchcraft in the age of digital cultures. Rooted in the field of digital religion studies, online witchcraft transcends the institutional religious framework to engage with lived spirituality, identity, and social action. Social media fosters the emergence of cyber-covens, the viral spread of rituals, and the rise of feminist, queer, and environmentalist figures of resistance. Situated between traditional heritage and technological hypermodernity, these practices reconfigure the relationships between the sacred, subjectivity, and technology. The article highlights the role of algorithms and platforms in the visibility and standardization of these practices, while emphasizing the rise of a ‘witch economy’ based on the commodification of rituals, content, and applications. Finally, the authors stress the ambivalence of this digital witchcraft, which is both integrated into platform capitalism and a channel for new forms of cultural and political protest.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Social Compass
Published
2026-06-29
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/00377686261446177
Primary Topic
Media, Religion, Digital Communication
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Digital Witchcraft 2.0: Digital, spiritual and resistance

Olivier Servais, Lionel Obadia
Social Compass
Media, Religion, Digital Communication
article

Digital Witchcraft 2.0: Digital, spiritual and resistance

Olivier Servais, Lionel Obadia
article en

Abstract

This introductory article analyzes the contemporary transformation of witchcraft in the age of digital cultures. Rooted in the field of digital religion studies, online witchcraft transcends the institutional religious framework to engage with lived spirituality, identity, and social action. Social media fosters the emergence of cyber-covens, the viral spread of rituals, and the rise of feminist, queer, and environmentalist figures of resistance. Situated between traditional heritage and technological hypermodernity, these practices reconfigure the relationships between the sacred, subjectivity, and technology. The article highlights the role of algorithms and platforms in the visibility and standardization of these practices, while emphasizing the rise of a ‘witch economy’ based on the commodification of rituals, content, and applications. Finally, the authors stress the ambivalence of this digital witchcraft, which is both integrated into platform capitalism and a channel for new forms of cultural and political protest.

Social Compass
Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (FR), Belgian Road Research Centre (BE)
Openalex Percentile: Top 2%
Media, Religion, Digital Communication
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.