The witch population has doubled over the last decade. 

• There are now supposedly more witches than Presbyterians in the U.S.A.
• Statistics are sparse and a bit dodgy but based on a variety of sources, including the Pew Research Center, about 1.5 million Americans identify as Wiccan. A decade ago, that number was closer to 700,000.
• Some think the increase is due to Millennials being brought up on Harry Potter. Others cite yoga and meditation. The pop culture connection I definitely get, yoga – not so much.

Whatever the case, everything related to witches is becoming more popular.

For example:

Google Trends: huge spike in searches for witches over the last month because of Netflix’s “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” starring Kiernan Shipka.

 

Instagram: an infallible barometer of what’s trendy, brimming with witch hashtags:

• #witchesofinstagram has 2 million posts (up from a mere 2000 less than 3 years ago)
• #witches has another 1.4 million

 

Artist Mary Nohl, known as the “Witch of Fox Point,” has been popping up on my radar almost daily since my visit to Milwaukee earlier this month.

• She currently has a show up at the Kohler Arts Center.
• She also has two spectacular pieces at the Museum of Wisconsin Art.
• I may be going out on a limb here, but I predict she will get a major museum retrospective soon. This witch is clearly having a moment!

 

And I’ve also written about witchiness in the past.

• This post from September 2016 details how cool witches have become – and again their strong pop culture and style influences.

Scroll down for more if you’re at all Craft-curious.

 

NETFLIX’S CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA

This series has received very positive reviews, with critics praising Shipka’s performance, as well as the premise, visuals, and directing. A Christmas special episode is set to be released on December 14, 2018.

 

 

#WITCHESOFINSTAGRAM

I’ve been told this hashtag has grown from 2,000 posts to over 2 million in less than 3 years.

 

 

PINTEREST

Here’s a link to the 372 best WITCHES images on Pinterest for 2018 (per Pinterest)

 

 

 

MARY NOHL, THE WITCH OF FOX POINT

I’m fascinated by her. Thank you Steven Hadaway for putting her on my radar.

During Mary’s long and productive life, she filled her home and yard with an incredible array of art.

• Reclusive in her later years, Mary was often called the “Witch of Fox Point,” and legends grew about the artist as she embellished her home and filled her yard with concrete sculptures.
• Since her death, Mary’s property, outdoor sculpture, and remaining art have been transferred to a supporting organization of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center. Not yet open to the public.

 

 

Bottom Line.

I don’t really know why witches and their aesthetic are suddenly so popular. What I do know is, when you google “why are witches so trendy,” you get over 200 million reasons including:

Witches influence on fashion. The top results of my google search come from fashion and style magazines e.g. Why are women turning to witchcraft in 2018 or How witchcraft became a brand.

The millennial embrace is evident e.g. Why millennials are ditching religion for witchcraft and astrology.

Pop culture ties it all together e.g. Coven ready: from Instagram to TV, why are witches so popular or Why the witch is the pop-culture heroine we need right now.

I may need to dig into this more deeply because while it’s clearly resonating, it also seems somewhat superficial. At the moment witchiness is driven largely by the millennial influencers of Instagram and they’re keeping it in the realm of pop culture and fashion. However, based on the few witches I know personally, I think there’s got to be something more to this.