Trend Exploder: Celebrating the Witch
October 28, 2026
by
Insights from 1021 Creative
Our debut Trend Exploder explored why tactile puppet creators were dominating social feeds with nearly a billion views. For our second edition, we turn our lens toward an entirely different cultural fascination: modern witchcraft.
Over the past twelve months, video content tagged around witchcraft, Wicca, and spellcraft has accumulated over 60 billion views and 855,000 uploads across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitch.
The craft has expanded far past seasonal October intrigue. The current resurgence represents an everyday lifestyle movement and aesthetic force, spanning 90s-inspired whimsigoth wardrobes, apothecary visuals, and collaborative digital spaces.
Audiences are gravitating toward esoteric rituals as practical frameworks for personal agency and structured mental wellness. In an era shaped by social, political, and institutional uncertainty, rituals like tarot reading, botanical self-care, and crystal healing offer structured routines that foster emotional clarity and a renewed sense of control.
At the same time, digital spaces like WitchTok and WitchTube have transformed solitary traditions into thriving digital covens. Online spaces combine folk herbalism and community care with feminist activism, creating hubs where creators with varied backgrounds - from chemical engineers to religious studies scholars - demystify ancient practices for hundreds of thousands of followers. Meanwhile, blockbuster productions like Wicked ($1.3B box office) and Emmy-winning series like Widow’s Bay demonstrate how deeply the occult has re-entered the mainstream cultural conversation.
Our October 2026 report explodes’ this macro cultural movement into its key components. Inside, we examine the human drivers behind its popularity, highlight the creators leading the space, and provide strategic takeaways for brands looking to understand where community empowerment and lifestyle aesthetics intersect.
You can download the full Trend Exploder report right now - and be sure to spin 1021’s custom “Witches Brew” playlist while you read.
