Dabbling in Darkness: Gen Z and the Occult

By looking at her, you wouldn’t know Mazie Dwyer is a witch. No pointy black hat, no warts, no broomstick.

Mazie is an attractive young woman who sells her spells on Etsy – the online sales portal for handmade jewelry, vintage clothing, and scented candles.

Interest in witchcraft has skyrocketed recently, thanks in part to a TikTok influencer who told her followers that she paid an Etsy witch to cast a spell that would ensure she had perfect weather on her wedding day. But those who engage in witchcraft — and those who seek them out — are playing a dangerous game.

A Verboten Practice

For a Wall Street Journal article, “Etsy Witches Charge for Jobs, Sunshine, and Knicks Wins,” Chavie Lieber interviewed both Etsy witches and their customers and found that spell-seekers pay anywhere from a few dollars to $250 for “protection spells,” a raise, or for a former lover to return.

Customers sometimes complain that the spells didn’t work: They didn’t get the job, their acne did not clear up, their girlfriend’s Rottweiler still hates them, and Taylor Swift has not agreed to sing at their birthday party.

But the point is not whether the spells work; it’s whether anyone should be seeking out witches for help in the first place. Holy scripture strictly forbids it.

In Leviticus 19:31, God warns, “Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them.” Leviticus 20:27 reads: “A man or woman who is a medium or spiritist among you must be put to death. You are to stone them; their blood will be on their own heads.”

In Deuteronomy 18:10 we read, “Let no one be found among you who … practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord…”

The Apostle Paul forbids the practice of witchcraft in Galatians 5:19. And in Revelation 21:8, we find a final, terrifying warning: “Those who practice magic arts … will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

Seeking the Supernatural

In his book Living in Wonder: Finding Mystery and Meaning in a Secular Age, Rod Dreher writes that many Millennials and Gen Zers, having lost interest in Christianity, are eagerly embracing the occult: In 1990, only 8,000 Americans identified as Wiccans; today, some one million identify as witches and neo-pagans. Within the occult, Dreher writes, they find “the mysticism and community that they could not or would not locate in Christianity.”

Dreher quotes religion scholar Tara Burton, who says that while Christianity demands we surrender our wills to God, “Occultism tells practitioners that they can use higher powers to impose their own wills on the world.” That’s exactly what those who contact Etsy witches desire.

Dreher tells the story of “Jonah,” a recovering occultist who was raised in a Christian home. But while in college, he joined an occultist community. He became “a ritual worshiper of demons,” Jonah recalls. Eventually, Jonah realized that “he was being manipulated by the entities with whom he was communicating, and that these were beings that wanted to destroy humanity.”

Sometime after I began practicing intense psychedelic ritual magic in earnest, the spiritual realities I had been foolishly playing with and dabbling in for years revealed their true face to me,” Jonah told Dreher. “And it was satanic … I felt the horrors of possession, my bodily will stripped from me in a manner meant to terrify and humiliate. I felt the absolute loathing for humanity from these demonic entities.

Dreher also interviewed an Orthodox priest. “The occult is being normalized in our society” and is supported “by the media, big corporations, politicians, and our government,” he said. “Every person is being softened, chastised, or assaulted daily with the occult. And many, if not most, people have no idea what is occurring to them, their children, or their grandchildren.”

Widely Available

For example, a generation of Americans has grown up with positive portrayals of witchcraft through TV programs like Charmed, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and The Vampire Diaries, or films like Hocus Pocus and the Harry Potter franchise. On sites like Etsy, one may purchase crystal balls, statues of a demonic idol named Baphomet, and satanic bibles. Even “family friendly” Walmart carries books on black magic and witchcraft.

Even when people engage in seemingly innocent activities — such as consulting an astrologer or palm reader, or using tarot cards, crystal balls, or Ouija boards — they risk opening themselves up to the demonic. They are, in effect, rejecting God, who sent His Son to be tortured, killed, and resurrected for our sakes, and instead seeking help and wisdom from entities that despise God and His followers.

Tragically, few church leaders today preach about the occult, which means their congregants are dangerously ignorant of the inherent danger of experimenting with witchcraft and other occultic practices. As far back as 2009, Barna research revealed that a shockingly high percentage of those who identify as Christians don’t believe either Satan or the Holy Spirit even exist. And last April, Barna’s American World Inventory 2024 showed that about 15% of people who regularly attend evangelical churches nationwide say they sometimes cast spells on other people.

One of the customers Lieber interviewed was Taylor Hamm of New York City, who was brought up in the Episcopalian Church and says she still prays “a good amount.” And yet, she asked an Etsy witch to cast a spell on her behalf, one that she credits with bringing her both a boyfriend and a tax refund.

Clearly, Hamm and others like her need to spend more time searching the scriptures; one cannot be a Christian, asking God for help one day, and then seek out the forbidden assistance of witches the next.

If members of their flock express an interest in occultic activities, pastors and other teachers need to warn them that they are exposing themselves to evil forces.

So the next time you are anxious about the future — whether you badly need a better job, a new love interest, or perfect weather for your wedding — instead of asking a witch to cast a spell, ask a friend to say a prayer.

Anne Morse is the author or coauthor of 10 books. She lives in Maryland with her husband.