The Future of Witchcraft: Where Do We Go From Here?

By NICOLE LAU

Introduction: At the Crossroads

Witchcraft stands at a crossroads. More visible and accepted than ever before, yet facing challenges of commodification, appropriation, and dilution. More accessible through technology, yet risking loss of depth and tradition. More diverse in practitioners, yet struggling with inclusion and justice.

Where do we go from here?

This final article in our series looks forward, examining the current state of witchcraft, the challenges we face, the opportunities ahead, and the many possible futures. Not to predict what will happen, but to explore what could—and what we can create together.

Where We Are Now

The Current Landscape

Unprecedented Visibility

• Witchcraft mainstream in ways unimaginable decades ago
• Social media brings millions to practice
• Pop culture representation (good and bad)
• Reduced stigma and persecution (in many places)
• Openly practicing without fear (for many)

Explosive Growth

• Millions of practitioners worldwide
• Predominantly young, female, progressive
• Diverse backgrounds and approaches
• Online communities connecting globally
• Witchcraft as identity and practice

Commercialization

• Multi-billion dollar spiritual marketplace
• Witchcraft products everywhere
• Influencers and spiritual entrepreneurs
• Commodification of sacred practices
• Accessibility vs. exploitation

Diversification

• Many traditions and approaches coexisting
• Eclectic, traditional, cultural-specific
• No single "right way"
• Innovation and preservation both happening
• Tension between unity and diversity

The Challenges Ahead

1. Cultural Appropriation and Respect

The Problem

• Continued appropriation of closed practices
• Commodification of Indigenous knowledge
• White-dominated spaces claiming universality
• Erasure of source cultures

The Path Forward

• Centering Indigenous and POC voices
• Respecting boundaries and closed practices
• Supporting source communities
• Education and accountability
• Decolonizing witchcraft

2. Commodification vs. Accessibility

The Tension

• Making tools available vs. exploiting spirituality
• Supporting practitioners vs. corporate profit
• Accessibility for all vs. sacred integrity

The Path Forward

• Supporting ethical small businesses
• Free and low-cost resources
• DIY and traditional methods
• Resisting corporate takeover
• Community over commerce

3. Depth vs. Accessibility

The Tension

• TikTok witchcraft vs. years of study
• Quick fixes vs. deep practice
• Aesthetic vs. substance
• Instant gratification vs. long-term commitment

The Path Forward

• Social media as gateway, not destination
• Encouraging deeper study
• Mentorship and teaching
• Valuing both accessibility and depth
• Multiple entry points, multiple paths

4. Unity vs. Fragmentation

The Tension

• Diverse practices vs. community cohesion
• "No true Scotsman" gatekeeping vs. anything goes
• Tradition vs. innovation
• Infighting and division

The Path Forward

• Unity in diversity
• Respecting different paths
• Common values, diverse practices
• Collaboration over competition
• Building bridges, not walls

5. Technology and Tradition

The Tension

• Digital practice vs. embodied tradition
• AI divination vs. human intuition
• Online community vs. in-person connection
• Innovation vs. preservation

The Path Forward

• Technology as tool, not replacement
• Hybrid approaches
• Preserving tradition while innovating
• Both/and, not either/or

The Opportunities Ahead

1. Global Connection

• Practitioners connecting across borders
• Sharing knowledge and practices
• Cross-cultural learning (when done respectfully)
• Global solidarity and support
• Collective power

2. Reclaiming and Healing

• Reclaiming "witch" as empowered identity
• Healing historical trauma
• Breaking generational patterns
• Personal and collective transformation
• Magic as resistance and liberation

3. Integration with Other Fields

• Psychology and magic (already happening)
• Science and spirituality dialogue
• Social justice and witchcraft
• Ecology and earth-based practice
• Holistic approaches

4. Innovation and Evolution

• New forms of practice emerging
• Technology-integrated magic
• Contemporary expressions of ancient wisdom
• Adaptation to modern life
• Living tradition, not museum piece

5. Accessibility and Inclusion

• More people able to access practice
• Diverse voices and perspectives
• Disability justice in magical spaces
• Economic accessibility
• Truly inclusive communities

Possible Futures

Scenario 1: Corporate Takeover

What It Looks Like

• Witchcraft fully commodified
• Major corporations dominating market
• Spirituality as consumer identity
• Depth and tradition lost
• Profit over practice

How to Avoid

• Support small, ethical businesses
• Resist commercialization
• Practice over products
• Community over consumption

Scenario 2: Fragmentation and Infighting

What It Looks Like

• Communities split into warring factions
• Constant callouts and cancellations
• Purity spirals and gatekeeping
• No unity or collective power
• Eating ourselves alive

How to Avoid

• Unity in diversity
• Compassion and nuance
• Focus on common ground
• Transformative justice
• Building, not just destroying

Scenario 3: Dilution and Loss

What It Looks Like

• Witchcraft becomes meaningless aesthetic
• All depth and tradition lost
• Just another trend that fades
• Knowledge and wisdom disappear
• Superficiality wins

How to Avoid

• Value depth and study
• Preserve and teach tradition
• Mentorship and lineage
• Substance over style
• Long-term commitment

Scenario 4: Thriving Diversity

What It Looks Like

• Many traditions coexisting respectfully
• Innovation and preservation both valued
• Accessible yet deep
• Inclusive and just
• Technology integrated thoughtfully
• Global connection, local roots
• Witchcraft as living, evolving tradition

How to Create

• This is the goal—let's build it together

What We Can Do

As Individuals

1. Commit to Depth

• Study seriously, not just scroll
• Read books, find teachers
• Practice regularly
• Go beyond surface level

2. Practice Ethically

• Respect cultural boundaries
• Support source communities
• Give credit, acknowledge sources
• Do no harm

3. Stay Grounded

• Critical thinking alongside magical thinking
• Discernment and wisdom
• Balance enchantment with reality
• Integrity in practice

4. Build Community

• Connect with others
• Share knowledge generously
• Support fellow practitioners
• Create spaces of belonging

5. Keep Learning and Growing

• Lifelong practice
• Openness to new perspectives
• Willingness to be wrong
• Continuous evolution

As Communities

1. Create Inclusive Spaces

• Welcome diverse practitioners
• Address barriers to access
• Center marginalized voices
• Justice and equity

2. Preserve and Teach

• Pass down knowledge and tradition
• Mentorship programs
• Documentation and preservation
• Honoring lineages

3. Innovate Responsibly

• Create new forms while respecting old
• Adapt to contemporary needs
• Technology as tool
• Living tradition

4. Hold Accountable

• Address harm when it happens
• Transformative justice
• Community standards
• Compassion with accountability

5. Connect and Collaborate

• Build bridges between traditions
• Collective action
• Shared resources
• Solidarity

As a Movement

1. Resist Commodification

• Practice over products
• Support ethical businesses
• Free knowledge sharing
• Anti-capitalist witchcraft

2. Decolonize

• Center Indigenous voices
• Address appropriation
• Reparations and reciprocity
• Dismantling white supremacy

3. Integrate Justice

• Witchcraft and social justice
• Magic as resistance
• Collective liberation
• Intersectional practice

4. Protect the Earth

• Ecological witchcraft
• Sustainable practices
• Climate action
• Earth as sacred

5. Build the Future We Want

• Vision and intention
• Collective manifestation
• Creating, not just critiquing
• Hope and action

A Vision for the Future

What Could Be

Imagine a future where:

• Witchcraft is respected as valid spiritual path
• Diverse traditions coexist with mutual respect
• Knowledge is accessible to all who seek it
• Depth and tradition are valued alongside innovation
• Cultural boundaries are honored
• Communities are inclusive and just
• Technology serves practice without replacing it
• The earth is honored and protected
• Magic is integrated with justice and healing
• Witches are empowered, grounded, and wise

How We Get There

• One practitioner at a time
• One community at a time
• One choice at a time
• Together

Conclusion: The Magic Is Ours to Make

The future of witchcraft is not predetermined. It's being created right now, by every practitioner, every choice, every action. We are the ancestors our descendants will honor—or question.

What legacy will we leave?

Will we commodify the sacred or preserve its integrity? Will we appropriate or respect? Will we fragment or unite? Will we stay surface or go deep? Will we consume or create?

The answers are up to us.

Witchcraft has survived persecution, suppression, and centuries of darkness. It's thriving now in ways our ancestors couldn't have imagined. But survival isn't enough. We have the opportunity—and the responsibility—to shape what comes next.

So let's build a future worthy of the craft:

• Accessible yet deep
• Diverse yet united
• Innovative yet rooted
• Empowered yet humble
• Magical yet grounded
• Individual yet collective
• Ancient yet evolving

The future of witchcraft is a spell we're casting together. Every action is an ingredient. Every choice is an incantation. Every practitioner is a co-creator.

What will you contribute to the magic?

The cauldron is bubbling. The circle is cast. The future is waiting.

Let's make it powerful. Let's make it just. Let's make it ours.

So mote it be.

NICOLE LAU is a researcher and writer specializing in Western esotericism, Jungian psychology, and comparative mysticism. She is the author of the Western Esoteric Classics series and New Age Spirituality series.

This concludes the Controversial Topics in Modern Witchcraft series. Thank you for reading, questioning, and growing with us.