The Sorcery of Likes: Modern Witches and the Commodification of the Wild Woman Aesthetic on Social Media.

Abstract

The infamous witch hunts preyed on women who exhibited a sense of freedom that far exceeded the expected normalcy and were portrayed as ‘hysterical’ women who were assertive and emotionally unstable. The modern women who could not be subdued into their desired roles mimic the trend of the wild women aesthetic of barefooted, trope-defying women promoting a life of rituals, healing mantras, and a popular, merchandisable lifestyle. The advent of different social media platforms has seen women carving out a relatively safe space for them to let their inner “witch-selves” run free. Such portrayals of women always show them as a higher feminine self, a holistic spiritual healer, and such.