Witch Aesthetics vs Real Practice: Instagram Culture

By NICOLE LAU

Introduction: The Instagrammable Witch

Scroll through Instagram and you'll find thousands of perfectly curated witch accounts: aesthetically pleasing altars with crystals arranged just so, moody photos of spell jars and tarot spreads, flowing black dresses and dramatic makeup, artfully arranged herbs and candles. Everything is beautiful, mysterious, and utterly photogenic.

But is this what witchcraft actually looks like? Or has social media created a performance of witchiness that prioritizes appearance over practice, consumption over craft, and aesthetic over authenticity?

This guide examines the witch aesthetic phenomenon, the gap between image and reality, the consumerism driving it, and how to navigate the tension between appreciating beauty and actually practicing witchcraft.

The Witch Aesthetic

What It Looks Like

Visual Elements

• Color palette: Black, purple, deep reds, golds, earth tones
• Crystals: Perfectly arranged, often expensive
• Candles: Black, white, or colored, often many at once
• Herbs and flowers: Dried bundles, aesthetically arranged
• Tarot and oracle cards: Beautifully photographed spreads
• Books: Vintage-looking grimoires and spell books
• Fashion: Flowing black clothing, witchy jewelry, dramatic makeup
• Mood: Dark, mysterious, moody lighting

The Vibe

• Mysterious and otherworldly
• Feminine and empowered
• Connected to nature
• Slightly dark but not scary
• Vintage meets modern
• Curated and intentional

Where It Comes From

• Pop culture: Movies, TV shows (The Craft, AHS: Coven, Sabrina)
• Gothic and alternative fashion: Existing aesthetic subcultures
• Cottagecore meets dark academia: Aesthetic trends
• Feminist reclamation: Witch as symbol of female power
• Instagram culture: Visual platform rewards aesthetics

The Appeal of the Aesthetic

Why People Love It

• Beautiful: Genuinely visually appealing
• Identity expression: Way to show who you are
• Community: Shared aesthetic creates connection
• Empowerment: Reclaiming the witch archetype
• Creativity: Artistic expression
• Inspiration: Motivates practice
• Accessibility: Visual entry point to witchcraft

Positive Aspects

• Makes witchcraft visible and normalized
• Creates community and connection
• Inspires people to explore practice
• Artistic and creative expression
• Reclaims witch as positive identity
• Can be genuinely meaningful

The Problems

1. Performance Over Practice

The Issue

• Focusing on looking witchy rather than being witchy
• Spending more time photographing altar than using it
• Curating image instead of developing practice
• Witchcraft as aesthetic identity, not spiritual practice

Examples

• Perfect altar that's never actually used
• Buying tools for photos, not practice
• Posting about witchcraft more than practicing it
• Caring more about likes than results

2. Consumerism and Capitalism

The Witch Market

• Expensive crystals presented as necessary
• Constant new products to buy
• "Witch starter kits" and subscription boxes
• Fast fashion "witchy" clothing
• Influencers selling products

The Message

• "You need to buy these things to be a real witch"
• Expensive = more powerful/authentic
• Consumption as spiritual practice
• Capitalism co-opting witchcraft

The Reality

• You don't need expensive tools
• Found objects and kitchen ingredients work
• Intention matters more than price tag
• Witchcraft can be free or very cheap

3. Gatekeeping Based on Appearance

Aesthetic Gatekeeping

• "You don't look like a witch"
• Judging practice by appearance
• Excluding those who don't fit the aesthetic
• Assuming aesthetic = authenticity

Who Gets Excluded

• People who can't afford the aesthetic
• Those with different style preferences
• Practitioners from different traditions
• People who prioritize function over form
• Anyone who doesn't perform witchiness

4. Superficiality

Depth vs. Surface

• Beautiful photos, shallow practice
• Knowing how to style an altar, not how to use it
• Collecting tools, not learning skills
• Aesthetic knowledge without magical knowledge

The Gap

• Looking witchy ≠ being witchy
• Pretty altar ≠ effective practice
• Expensive tools ≠ powerful magic
• Instagram likes ≠ spiritual growth

5. Homogenization

The Instagram Witch Look

• Everyone's altar looks the same
• Same crystals, same aesthetic, same vibe
• Loss of cultural and traditional diversity
• Western, white, feminine aesthetic dominates

What Gets Lost

• Cultural specificity
• Traditional practices that aren't photogenic
• Diverse expressions of witchcraft
• Masculine, non-binary, and other presentations
• Practices that don't fit the aesthetic

6. Misinformation for Aesthetics

Pretty But Wrong

• Crystals in water (some are toxic or dissolve)
• Burning things that shouldn't be burned
• Unsafe herb combinations
• Appropriated practices made aesthetic
• Prioritizing looks over safety or accuracy

What Real Practice Actually Looks Like

The Unglamorous Reality

• Messy workspaces: Not always Instagram-ready
• Practical tools: Kitchen spoons, mason jars, whatever works
• Study and research: Reading, note-taking, learning
• Trial and error: Failed spells, learning from mistakes
• Daily practice: Meditation, grounding, simple rituals
• Ordinary moments: Magic in the mundane
• Internal work: Shadow work, healing, growth (not photogenic)

What Doesn't Photograph Well

• Meditation and inner work
• Years of study and practice
• Relationship with deities or spirits
• Personal gnosis and experience
• Failure and learning
• The actual feeling of magic
• Spiritual growth and transformation

Diverse Expressions

• Kitchen witchery: Cooking, not photoshoots
• Hedge witchery: Spirit work, journeying
• Traditional practices: May not fit Instagram aesthetic
• Masculine witchcraft: Different aesthetic entirely
• Cultural practices: Specific to traditions
• Minimalist practice: Few or no tools
• Tech witchery: Digital, not physical aesthetic

Finding Balance

Aesthetics Can Be Meaningful

• Beauty has value: Creating sacred space
• Intention in arrangement: Mindful altar creation
• Inspiration: Aesthetics can motivate practice
• Expression: Showing who you are
• Joy: If it brings you joy, it has value

When Aesthetics Support Practice

• Creating beautiful space inspires you to use it
• Aesthetics as part of ritual and magic
• Beauty as offering to deities
• Visual reminders of practice
• Sharing to inspire and teach others

When Aesthetics Replace Practice

• Spending more time curating than practicing
• Buying instead of doing
• Performing for others instead of yourself
• Caring more about appearance than results
• Letting aesthetics become the whole practice

Navigating Instagram Witch Culture

For Practitioners

Healthy Relationship with Aesthetics

• Enjoy beauty: But don't let it replace practice
• Share authentically: Show the messy reality too
• Practice first, post second: Or don't post at all
• Your practice, your aesthetic: Don't copy others
• Function over form: When in doubt, prioritize what works

Avoiding Consumerism

• Use what you have
• Make your own tools
• Forage and find
• Resist "must-have" marketing
• Remember: you don't need to buy anything

Authentic Sharing

• Share your actual practice, not just pretty photos
• Talk about failures and learning
• Show the unglamorous parts
• Educate, don't just perform
• Be honest about your experience level

For Beginners

Don't Be Fooled

• Instagram is highlight reel, not reality
• You don't need expensive tools
• Looking witchy ≠ being witchy
• Practice matters more than aesthetics
• Your practice doesn't need to be photogenic

Learn from Multiple Sources

• Books, not just Instagram
• Experienced practitioners, not just influencers
• Different traditions and approaches
• Prioritize knowledge over aesthetics

For Content Creators

Responsibility

• Show reality, not just perfection
• Educate about accessibility (you don't need expensive things)
• Acknowledge privilege (time, money, space for aesthetic)
• Accurate information over pretty misinformation
• Diverse representation
• Don't sell unnecessary products

The Positive Side of Witch Aesthetics

What's Working

• Visibility: Witchcraft is normalized and visible
• Community: People find each other through shared aesthetics
• Inspiration: Beautiful images inspire practice
• Creativity: Artistic expression is valuable
• Reclamation: Witch as positive, powerful identity
• Accessibility: Visual entry point for beginners

Beautiful AND Authentic

• You can have both
• Aesthetics and practice aren't mutually exclusive
• Beauty can be part of magic
• Just don't let aesthetics replace substance

Conclusion: Substance Over Style

The witch aesthetic is beautiful, inspiring, and meaningful to many. But it's not witchcraft itself—it's one possible expression of it.

Key insights:

• Aesthetics can enhance practice but shouldn't replace it
• You don't need to look witchy to be witchy
• Expensive tools aren't necessary
• Real practice is often unglamorous
• Consumerism has co-opted witchcraft
• Diverse expressions exist beyond Instagram aesthetic
• Function over form when in doubt
• Practice first, perform second (or not at all)

Enjoy the aesthetics if they bring you joy. Create beautiful altars, take gorgeous photos, express yourself through witchy fashion. But remember: the magic happens in the practice, not the performance. The power is in the work, not the image.

Your messy, imperfect, unglamorous practice is just as valid—maybe more so—than the most beautiful Instagram altar. Because witchcraft isn't about looking the part. It's about doing the work.

Be witchy, not just witchy-looking.

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.