by Paige Curtin
When people think witchcraft, they tend to think pretty analog- leather-bound books, flickering bonfires, a circle of skyclad witches in the woods. Ancient knowledge and rites in long-dead languages, passed down to initiates through oral tradition for generations. They don't necessarily think of emojis and intentional passwords... but maybe they should!
Modern mystics are just as likely to tune into a virtual meditation as they are to be an initiate of an IRL coven, and are more likely to have a phone than an ephemeris (or at least, equally likely). Still, a lot of spells start with “put your phone away”, and it’s true that tech can be a detractor from certain rituals. But you know we’re about all magic all the time, and maybe creating distance between our spirituality and these machines we carry around all day isn't always the move! Imagine if you had infinite magickal potential but you were forced to only ever scroll social media? Your phone doesn't deserve that fate either!
So these spells are really about how we interact with technology in our daily lives, and how we can create sacred space in the digital realm. Why resist when you can adapt? Our devices certainly aren't going away.
Digital cleanse: Not only does keeping your devices clear help it to function at its best, it can keep YOU clear of the mental fog that comes from being so intertwined with your tech. How many tabs do you have open right now? How many apps are running in the background, interrupting your virtual circle with location services and other algos that siphon off your real-world energy? How many spam emails are just clogging up your inbox?
It doesn't sound all that magical to just close a tab and call it a spell, but I think of it as setting my sacred space for any digital work. Whenever we open a Secret Circle Zoom meetup I ask guests to make our Zoom window their only window (if possible) and clear the channels for our spellwork. The crystals in your computer will thank you too- anything that ticks is powered by a piezoelectric quartz crystal, and we know that keeping crystals clear is good spiritual maintenance! There are also crystals like Tourmalinated Quartz that you can place around your computer to deflect some energy, or take a couple drops of Selenite essence to clear the electronic fuzz. Your block button is also a great boundary spell... just sayin.
Intentional lock screens/backgrounds- With the number of times we’re all checking our phones every day, why not make your most-seen screen intentional? I tend to forget what my desktop background even looks like until I close all my many windows, so magically charged wallpaper can be a welcome surprise. Our bestie Brenda has some great insight about how digital images can be just as powerful talismans as the crystals on our shelves! Or look at how you can transport yourself with Zoom backgrounds- sometimes you just need a moment on a pristine beach or in front of some ancient ruins to take you out of the mundane and into the magickal realm- this is a great option for anyone who has trouble
The AI of it all- Speaking of digital images... we have to talk about the AI of it all. Obviously the advancement of AI is a threat to professional creatives who are being dropped in favor of the cheaper alternative. Support the SAG-AFTRA strike here! But AI isn't necessarily the problem, because we know the problem is actually (always) capitalism.
A witch from /r/SASSwitches uses Midjourney to create charged art from their dreams. And for those of us with a brain block around creating sigils or writing incantations, generators like this one and Chat GPT can be super helpful and definitely oracle-like! The idea of computers taking on their own form of "natural magick" is a pretty interesting concept.. Will witches in the future honor the SIX elements: Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Spirit, and Code?
Intentional passwords- A password is a portal. Think about it, there are some forms of magic like incantations and sigils that require secrecy. They’re meant to open doors to other worlds. Sounds like a password to me! Obviously you wanna stay secure, so take all the usual precautions when creating your password, but think about what door you’re unlocking on each site: include lots of $$$ in your online banking password for abundance! For social media, maybe something to invoke boundaries or genuine connections (followed by a string of uncrackable characters, obviously). Or if you know the names of your spirit guides and want their presence around when you sign into your work email or your student loans website, build that into your password for spiritual tech support!
Emoji sigils- We all know that emojis are meant to convey the messages that words don't, so why not design your own little emoji spells for special occasions? My personal fave is ✨💖✨ or sometimes I'll replace the sparkly heart with a black heart for statements of witchy solidarity. Actually, any emoji bracketed by sparkles is my favorite way to charge my digital communication. Engagement is the best way to beat the algo and boost visibility on social media, so I like to leave little sigil comments as success spells for my friends who are artists and business owners!
Digi-pet meditation- Self-care is hard… but taking care of a lil digi pet? Game on! Truthfully I’m not much of a gamer with one exception: Stardew Valley. And in Stardew Valley (as in many games, I assume) there are some food items that give you energy but not health, or health but not energy, or a little of both or a LOT of both. There’s a little energy bar that tells you when you’re getting “exhausted” and when that happens you can either eat, visit the hot springs, or go the fuck to bed. Do you see what I’m getting at? When you start to feel “off” take a few deep, grounding breaths and check in with your own health and wellness stats. What would put you at 100%, even just temporarily? This doesn't necessarily call for a phone or computer, but apps like Plant Nanny can help you visualize your inner cute lil sprite who needs to drink water!
Zoom circles- Okay this one is a little bit of a shameless plug, HOWEVER- when we moved our twice-monthly moon circles to Zoom in 2020 we had no idea how powerful virtual gatherings could be. In the three years since, we’ve met witches from all over the world and had regular attendees tuning in from Chicago, Seattle, Australia… we’ve had folks joining in from the front seat of their cars because they can’t get privacy anywhere else. We've met people who admitted they'd never feel confident enough to seek out an IRL circle, or don't have access to in-person events where they live.
With that spirit in mind, we launched the Secret Circle in Spring 2023 to deepen our connections. The Secret Circle is a whole digital coven where we share spells, tarot spreads, and support each other through monthly intentions!
Meeting in the digital realm doesn't feel any less magickal than being in the same room. Instead of feeling distant from each other, our virtual Moon Circles make the world feel a little smaller, like we can see our magick net stretching across the globe. I always walk away feeling activated, validated, and ready to take on the world- and if I find myself in Chicago or Melbourne or Seattle I know which witches to call for recs!
