#neo ouija | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

deepestarbiterkid · 3 months ago

Text

4.) Séance session

It's s cold and unforgiving nigth and the moon was full and shiny in the night but this is not just normal night no no no. It's a night when all ghoul and ghost will coming out the grave and haunting everyone and it's a perfect night for Séance session neo for neo trio and they did every oktober night but nothing is work but they don't care if it's working they doing for fun and it's a tradition for them but until one night the Séance session willl be different.

One night the neo trio walking to the same haunted house and they holding all Séance session tools and they talking each other and wondering which ghost they going to summon.

Molly, so trixie🙂 what we going to summon now🫤

Phoenica, and i hope it's not a scary one😰

Trixie, no no no😄 this time we not going to summon a scary one😌 today we going to summon a ghost named lily smökret😀 Lily smökret is a explorer and she love exploring and finding some mythical creature who lived in the earth but one day she saw something interesting of a book of wild north and she reading of a monster named james mckoko and she was fascinated because people on wild north reporting of many people dissapered in the snowstorm and everyone say it's was james mckoko who killed and eat the lost traveler in the snowstorm storm and she was so fascinated that she travelling to a mountain of wild north and it's was a strong snowstorm and the snowstorm came no where until she saw her own eyes. People on wild north was right, james mckoko is real but the problem is he is real and she become a prey to him and then he running to her and james start killing and consuming her and then she killed by the wild north boogeyman😄

Molly, that's sound horrible😰

Phoenica, and sad😢

Trixie, but don't worry😄 we going to summon her so that we can hear her story of adventure or mabye we can send her to heaven if we can help her😁

Molly, that sound pretty good idea😀

Phoenica, I love it😃🤩

Trixie, come on girls😄 we have a ghost who need a help😁

When the neo trio is in the same haunted house thet perparing of séance session so that they going to summon lily smökret and when they are finish of séance session the neo trio sitt in circle and Surrending the table and now they are perparing to summon the ghost of lily smökret and now they talking together to summon the ghost.

The neo trio, we have gather to summon the ghost of lily smökret. We want to summon lily smökret so that we can help her to move on. We want to summon lily smökret to make her suffer to end.

Trixie, LILY SMÖKRET😫 SHOW YOURSELF😫

After trixie yell her name everything goes silence till they laughing so much because it's still not working but they don't care because it's fun to hang out together and everyone laughing together so much but until Phoenica stop laughing and she look shocked.

Phoenica, uhhh molly, trixie😰

Trixie, what😂 huh😧

Phoenica pointing at ouija and when molly and trixie look at ouija they was shocked like phoenica because the planchette start moving and stopping for a letter and trixie was shock that she actually summon lily smökret.

Trixie, quick molly write that down😨 write that down😨

Molly grab her paper and pen inside her bag and start writing quickly till the planchette stop moving.

Trixie, so what does it say😟

Molly, it's say😦 give me some booze😐🤨

Phoenica, booze😐

Trixie, booze🤨

Trixie know what booze because them's father have a cabinet with full of booze and he told his children that no one will ever take is booze.

Trixie, wait a min😧 lily never drinking some booze🤨

Phoenica, but If she don't drink some booze😟 what did we summon then😰

Trixie, I don't know but I think we need to leave now😰

But the door close and locking itself and neo trio hear a eerie voice that sound not like lily smökret, It's sound like a ghostly dark voice and he sound very grumpy and thirsty.

Unknown ghost, GiVe Me ThE bOoZe!

Molly, but we can't give you a booze we are a kid😟😰

And when molly say that everything goes shaking like a earthquake and all object start floating around and throwing everything and a one bottle throw at phoenica but molly catch it with her great reflex.

Phoenica, molly😦 you😧

Molly, I know😄 I just train a little😅

But it's still contuning throwing everywhere and and the house start shaking even stronger and neo trio can hear a anger voice.

Unknown ghost, GIVE ME THE BOOZE!!!!!!!

Molly, trixie make it stop😰

Trixie, I CAN'T😰 only a ghost can but he can stop only he want something😰

Molly, he want booze but how do we get some boo-

Phoenica can't take it anymore and she start yell loud.

Phoenica, OKAY WE WILL GIVE THE BOOZE YOU WANT BUT PLEASE JUST STOP ALREADY😫😭

And then everything goes stop and and all object falling down ans everything goes silence.

Trixie, Feenie😦 WHY DID YOU DO THAT😡

Phoenica, I don't😟 it's just😰 i🥺😢

Phoenica start falling apart and start crying and having mental breakdown anf trixie was silence and realize what they did and start regretting what they done.

Trixie, feenie😟 i'm😰 i'm so sorry😞 I didn't mean that😢

Trixie hug phoenica gentle and molly joining to hug them gentlely and they start crying until they hear a hard landing at the table and they look at the table and there a hourtime start flowing down.

Molly, uhhh guys😟

Trixie, I think we need to hurry😰

Molly, why😰

Trixie, because if the hourtime run out we all be haunted forever till we died😰

Phoenica, hunted😟 forever😰

Trixie, yea if you don't get some booze right now😰 we all screwed😰

And after that the neo trio start running and they start searching of a shop that sell some booze before the hourtime running out but they don't know where they can find it.

Molly found one beer in a supermarket and she took one beer and try to leave but she got caught by employer and she use her epithet to dumber the employer and then she escape with the beer.

Phoenica try to sell a whole box with full of whisky but how much money she going to give the cashier refuse to sell a beer for children so phoenica just give up.

Trixie try to stealing father's cabinet with full of booze but them was caught by father and she was in trouble.

The neo trio was about to give up and have no hope until they see a light shining their face and they see nothing but a miracle. There's a alcohol shop with all beer, whisky, booze and every alcohol you can buy it and the neo trio start running to alcohol shop and when they are inside the alcohol shop.

Alcohol shop owner, what do you want kids😒😑

They was just silence and didn't know what should they say until phoenica walk to the alcohol shop owner and she ask to him.

Phoenica, hello my gentleman😄 can I buy your shop and I will sell you one million dollar😊

Alcohol shop owner, ............ deal😐

After that the alcohol shop owner sold is shop for one million dollar but he don't care of if kids get drunk of his alcohol he just go away with all money and molly and trixie was silence while phoenica feel proud of her.

Phoenica, you welcome girls😉

Molly, well that was uhhh😦

Trixie, okay we have no time for think😟 we have all booze we needed so let's go😠

The neo trio grab all box full of beer, whisky and booze and return quickly back to the same haunted and when they are arrived they look terrified because the hourtime is almost run out.

Trixie, quick we must give all alcohol to ghost before it's too late😰

The neo trio start laying all box of alcohol quickly and then they are done they start having goosebumps and they feel someone looking at them behind and when they look at behind there's no one is behind them and when they look at forward they was scared because they see a ghost with black cloak that look like a grim reaper and they was paralyzed of fear and then when the ghost slowing to the box if all alcohol and Suddenly came a thunder from nowhere and everything goes dark in 15 second until everything is back to normal but the ghost and the box are gone and the sun start rising up and the neo trio walking back to home and they all are terrified yet tired.

Trixie, so😟 do you all believe ghost now😰

Molly, I feel i will never sleep again😰😓

Phoenica, me too🥺😢😭

Trixie, same😔

Meanwhile on the top of the tallest building there's a same ghost with black cloak just sitting there and watching the sun shine start rising up of morning and when the ghost with black cloak take the cloak of and it's revealed that it's was B.E: G who haunting neo trio and told them to bring some booze or they will be haunted forever but we wasn't alone because he got helped by epithet who was camouflaged whole time so that he can use his telekinesis to make everyone floating and shaking.

B.E: G, thank for the help epithet😉

Epithet, na😈 i'm just want make everyone traumatized because it's fun😈

B.E: G, so what are you going to do now🤨

Epithet, I going to scare some child and adult for fun so bye😜

Epithet start camouflaging and disappearing and B.E: G was silence in min till he contuning to relaxing of watched sun rise and he open the box and grab some flask with whisky and drinking all of it and throwing the flask out of the building and he contuning drinking it.

B.E: G, man😄 i love séance session prank😁

(The end)

#epithet erased #epithet #B.E: G #BIO.EPITHET: GHOST #neo trio #molly blyndeff #phoenica fleecity #trixie roughhouse

3 notes · View notes

kwangyadetective · 1 year ago

Text

🗄️ Mystery in Seoul Teaser Thoughts Part 1

Part 1 of my initial thoughts of what happened in NCT 127's Mystery in Seoul teaser series before the MV release. I divided this into two parts and two member units,

Reality (Nighttime)

Taeyong, Doyoung, and Haechan

In Between

Taeil

Dream (Daytime)

Johnny, Yuta, Mark, Jungwoo, and Jaehyun

Read the Dream (Daytime) unit here.

Explanation on why Dream is daytime and Reality is Nighttime etc.

Also!! Note that I will focus on some members more than the others because of their character significance and mostly on whom I have more ideas on. Hence, some would only have brief overviews or combined in one paragraph so that this note won’t be too long to read too.

Taeil

I wanna start off with Taeil, which I found the most interesting.

Initially I thought Taeil was in the Reality (as shown to be in the night in the very beginning). But then I realized that to indicate where he really is is by looking at the lighting color, which is actually the Reality to Dream Transformation Color Scale.

He was in a nightclub but in his own world. Contrasting to the club music, he appears to be surrounded by classical music. Plus he is on his own, sitting down with tea, as if no one notices him. Whenever he is shown in individual shots, the lighting is Green, hence he is in between Dream and Reality. Then he moves on to the Dream stage by entering another room (Red lighting). There, he was greeted by a bald man who then offered him a cup of tea. The bald man seemed to be expecting him already and offered him a handful of sugar and a green folded note on top of it. I have my suspicions about this bald man because FIRST OF ALL there is a SNAKE tattoo on his head.

It may not be Black Mamba since aespa defeated them but Taemin’s Criminal did hint at the existence of 3 snakes, this may be one of them. Plus the presence of a snake in the Neo’s Universe had been around since Favorite.

The tattoo ‘Real Eyes, Realize, Real Lies’ was also on the man’s head; considering that Taeil had been in his own world this whole time, does he actually know where he is? What if the dream he was in is actually a corrupted dream (a lie?)? Did the snake set him in a trap or is it setting all the members in a trap through the message given to Taeil? Well, I hope the MV will reveal something about this. Honestly, it is weird too that Taeil was grinning along with the man..

Nighttime (Reality) Members

Starting with Doyoung, he appears to be working in an aquarium shop. This is HIGHLY fitting for the lore because recently Doyoung has always been associated with water, which is supposed to represent Ether. This goes way back from NCT2021 in YearDream: Stage 1 - Seeing Myself in a Dream and even in Golden Age MV (water falling out of a glass in between DY's piano scenes). He closed his eyes for a moment then there were flashes of scenes of buildings and a passing train, the fishes, and more(?). As if he was given glimpses of the future? But note that this scene is pretty similar to the YearDream video. In a theory post I wrote of the YearDream, I speculated that someone was contacting him because Ether is a medium that connects people. So is this a similar situation?

As for Taeyong and Haechan, there isn't much that I want to talk about. Taeyong's situation was confusing because I still don't know why he appears to be working as a money changer and is seen slacking off. But one important thing to note in his teaser was the part when he was given a key, reminding me of Golden Age MV. The person that gave it to him was apparently one of the queueing customers and wasn't shown anything significant? Though the key got me thinking that perhaps it is used to open a room to this?

This is a mobile filing cabinet that has wheels on the side to lock it. We have an Exhibit & Storage ver. pictures, so perhaps it has something to do with that?

Haechan seemed to be constructing a device similar to a laptop.

Looking at the screen, especially the Ouija and the Validation screen, the device is like a computer but specifically to look up answers and check the validity or accuracy of something? Literally 'Factchecking'. Perhaps what makes it different than regular computers is its ability to look from deeper sources?? In the end, he received an email from a still unknown source (probably from the others for a meeting?) and he left like Taeyong. Now that I think of it; Haechan also received a message like Taeil, but unlike him, Taeil's source is questionable.

That's all that I have for this unit! I will wrap up this teaser series' thoughts in the next post. The final conclusion of the theory will of course come after the release of the MV.. and that also depends on whether it has a plot or not...

(Part 2) Read the Dream (Daytime) unit here.

#nct 127 #fact check #taeyong #haechan #doyoung #nct #nct theory #mystery in seoul

3 notes · View notes

maggotwithanf · 1 year ago

Text

hey i'm maggot with an f this is my pinned

get the fuck out of my mall: minors, terfs, swerfs

things i post:

fallout

wasteland weekend + neotropolis

bioshock

red dead redemption

dragon age

bg3

adult animation (daria, downtown, clone high, archer, etc)

goth bullshit

dishonored

text posts tagged #maggotposts

wasteland weekend + neotropolis irl tags: #wasteland weekend #neotropolis

WW/neo tribe/faction tag: #bonertown tag and/or #tribe operation dessert storm

Aggressive Top Fighting League: #atfl

golden age of air travel/avgeek/planeposting sideblog: @whambampanam

"kinda scary, hard to read, like a ouija board" - cardi b

#maggotposts

4 notes · View notes

mr-sir-galahad · 3 days ago

Text

Kirsch (2000) - The Response Set Theory of Hypnosis, Lay Summary

Summary:

The author inverts the traditional model of volition. We don't mistakenly see hypnotic responses as automatic. We mistakenly see everyday actions as voluntary.

Terminology:

Research into suggestibility finds the top 3 predictors of responsiveness are:

Non-hypnotic suggestibility (do they comply in a non-hypnotic context)

Response Expectancy

Motivation (Do they want to comply?)

Response expectancy?

Humans evolved to rapidly predict events to respond more quickly so we don't just deal with "stimulus" and "response." We prime rapid responses responses with 'stimulus expectancies' (our prediction of what we expect to perceive) and 'response expectacies (our prediction of how we're going to respond.

Stimulus expectancies accelerate response to ambiguous situations by:

Predicting reality (baseball players predict the ball path before the ball has left the pitcher's hands by how they throw)

Preframing meaning: It puts novel situations in a familiar 'box' we know how to handle.

Consider the class old/young woman illusion. If you stand in a gallery titled "pictures of young victorian woman" and see the image briefly, your mind will rapidly filter the 'off' details to see a young woman and miss the ambiguity (you could also see an old woman).

Response expectancies accelerate response by pre-initiating conditioned reactions. If I take a pill, I expect to get better, meaning:

I'm more likely to take the pill (I expect good outcomes)

I generate physiological changes and behaviors in line with expectation (I expect the pill to reduce pain, and I feel less pain)

@binaural-histolog uses Simon Says to describe (in part) hypnosis, and I see the connection here. It's a balance between using stimulus and response expectancies to condition rapid response (so you get the point) but engaging inhibition quickly enough to stop yourself if Simon Doesn't Say.

What is "Volitional?"

This is unstated in the text, but there is a background understanding of a naive model of action: that we either choose to do something (volitional) or we're triggered to do something (automatic)

The author provides evidence against "State" theories of hypnosis and classes himself with the Sociocognitive Non-State theorists, who believe that hypnosis isn't an abnormal state but an unconventional use of otherwise normal mental processes (expectancies being a big one) that convinces us that a response is automatic (not-volitional, coming from "outside" or "within" or "from the unconscious).

Neo-dissociation-ists posit multiple 'parts of mind' and believe that the hypnosis response is volitional, but the part that is doing the choosing is hidden from the part that is 'aware'

Spanos (another sociogonitive researcher) suggested that hypnotic responses are volitional, but we hide our intention from ourselves (without explaining how)

The author suggests that all activity is initiated automatically, and we only decise in context whether it was 'our choice' or not

So if we previously intended to do something, it's in line with our self-definition and previous actions, socially accepted, and we like the outcome, we're more likely to look at the event and say "I did that" as opposed to "that just happened."

In everyday examples, I'm reminded of very young children who clearly take an action, are chastised, than say: "It was an accident."

And we have parallels in common experience. If someone puts themselves in all the preconditions to do "Bad Thing X," don't intend to do it, but then do it... they say "It wasn't me, I didn't mean to..." but we understand at some level that it kind-of is.

The authors give various examples of complex behaviors like "facilitated writing" that are entirely self-generated (think Ouija board) but we don't think so. Just like Ouija boards, the initiation comes from us, but we don't inhibit it and pre-contextualize it as coming from 'outside of us,' and so the movement feels possessed.

He then proceeds to tie in 'dual-aspect monism,' that eveyr psychological event has a physiological mirror—they're too sides of the same coin—so by changing expectancies and beliefs, we change something physiologically that has effects that are real but incredibly subtle and difficult to separate.

My Lay Hypnotist Take

I don't know if I'm convinced of the 'hard' take on this approach, but it better-explains what I've seen in hypnosis. The common practice of doing 'set pieces' (magnetic hands and fingers, etc.), then, isn't about 'warming up' a state but creating the frame that "My body can be affected by suggestions." It's about creating stimulus expectancies ("He's going to do something that puts me 'in trance'", then using their response to shift that frame through "I can be hypnotized" to "I am hypnotized" to "in hypnosis, I do X."

Looking forward to reading more.

#hypnosis #hypnokink #kink education #hypnoresearch #researchreview

1 note · View note

8dpromo · 24 days ago

Text

Animal Friend - Stokin (Green Gorilla Lounge)

8DPromo · Animal Friend - Stokin (Green Gorilla Lounge)

Animal Friend's "Stokin" takes on new dimensions in the hands of San Francisco production duo Sleight of Hands, who transform the original's indie-disco framework into something altogether more expansive. This remix package, released via Green Gorilla Lounge, showcases the source material's strength and the remixers' deft touch at reconstruction. The Sleight of Hands remix maintains Kazuko Anne Kimura's haunting vocals while building new sound architectures beneath. The duo's production style shines through in the careful layering of breaks and house rhythms, creating dance floor momentum without sacrificing the original's psychedelic undertones. What's particularly striking is how the remix honors Animal Friend's evolution from an 80s-inspired rock outfit to electronic innovators. The original mix, included in the package, provides context for this transformation and highlights how Kimura and Jasper Speicher have developed their distinctive voices in San Francisco's electronic music landscape.

Jon Wesley (Insomniac) – “I love the Slight of Hands remix. It reminds me of Plastic Dreams a bit. Love the vocal too. Great San Francisco-style house.” Juan Moreno (Neo Ouija) – “Nice. Perfect track for the night.” Luis Machuca (Friskybeat Records) – “New funky wave vibes.” Ket Shah (Mucho Soul) – “The Original Mix is a Strong Dancefloor tool.” DJ Morpheus (Lysergic Factory Radio Show) – “Excellent track and remix by Sleight of Hands! I dig it very much.” Simon Kirk (Proton Radio) – “This is pure class. Stokin original mix is my fav, the punk influenced vocal against that backdrop of bass, keys and swirling pads! 10/10.”

Available Now From: Beatport, Traxsource, Apple Music, And Spotify.

#Indie Dance #Nu Disco #Animal Friend #Sleight of Hands #Green Gorilla Lounge #DJ M3 #San Francisco

0 notes

trevlad-sounds · 2 months ago

Text

Invisible Club 38

06.11.2024

Intro 00:00 Frunk29–Endless Siesta 00:59 Essential Key–Cold City 04:12 Tim Koch–Bloom 07:36 Severed+Said–Diminished Eternal 15:53 Ghostwerk & Zebra–Hm.It 21:43 VED–Univerb 25:14 Lyonel Bauchet–Ptix 30:37 The Utopia Strong–Lamp of Glory 34:13 Paddy Steer–Several Times 40:53 Clemens Acidus–Cold Cycles 45:38 Ekoplekz–Dirtbokz 50:37 The Cromagnon Band–Mandelbrot 55:27 Time Rival–Baltica 1:00:14 Paul Ellis & Pabellón Sintético–First light of the last day 1:04:37 Hidden Orchestra–Scatter 1:13:26 ATW–Wolfgang Dub 1:18:23 Outro 1:19:53

2 notes · View notes

witchblr-historian · 1 month ago

Text

Why Witchblr?

Topic Selection

Do you wish you could influence the world around you with nothing more than candles, crystals, and intention? Have you ever considered reblogging a series of emojis that could change the weather? When presented with the opportunity to analyze a niche culture within the nooks and crannies of the internet, the first people that came to mind were witches on the social media platform Tumblr. As an active participant in the community for over a decade, I have always found that the group has pros and cons, and I am familiar with the outsider’s mostly negative opinion of the average Tumblr user.

Often, “witchblr” is considered to be shallow and insular, with priorities warped by aesthetics rather than an interest in genuine practice. Tumblr lends itself to easy mocking, as it is the self-proclaimed home of the weirdos, where its users operate under pseudo-anonymity and rarely link their blogs to their other social media accounts that have their real names and faces. It is because of this back-alley atmosphere that Tumblr provides that witchcraft has flourished within its algorithm. Even in 2024, the practices of witches is considered a taboo topic, and thus users tend to be more willing to discuss it openly if their true identity isn’t linked in any way to the conversation. Using the perspectives of Kyle Chayka, Walter Benjamin, and Marshall McLuhan, I intend to dig into the culture and find a conclusion as to whether or not the witchcraft practiced on the platform is genuine, or if it is a trendy fad that has, for the most part, waned in its authenticity.

Theoretical Background

To determine whether the practices undertaken on Tumblr are legitimate, first, we must investigate the origins of witchcraft. Genuine historical witchcraft is something many of us are vaguely familiar with the American Salem witch trials, African witch doctors, as well as the global influences of paganism in many of its forms. The term witchcraft has largely been used by those outside of the practice to define that which differs from their customs, thus the term is loaded with implications of that which is evil and unnatural. However, in the 1990s, American culture found itself entranced by the aesthetic of witchcraft following the popularization of Wicca, a Neo-Pagan religion founded in the early 20th century. This is evident in the production of media such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997), Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996), The Craft (1996), and Hocus Pocus (1993), as well as paralleling the rise in the alternative feminist culture, defined by engagement with that which was rejected by “mainstream society”, embracing the taboo that had been discarded by the larger cultural zeitgeist. By the time Tumblr debuted in 2007, the 90s fad of witchcraft had died down, but left an unmistakable mark on American culture, seen by the Ouija Boards™ and tarot decks being sold in Barnes & Noble to this day.

“Historically speaking, Witchcraft tends to peak in mainstream popularity during periods of unrest or other forms of cultural change. [...] Witchcraft tends to attract young people, more specifically young women. If offers these seekers a path or find and to embrace a personal agency that they might otherwise lack. Sometimes these explorations into the occult serve as a way to rebel against the status quo, or serve as a way to find oneself (Greene.)”

Modern witchcraft on Tumblr is primarily expressed as rebloggable spells, entries about spirit interactions, virtual offerings for (usually) pagan deities, and tarot readings done through the ask box. Chayka’s discussion of the Mechanical Turk in his book Filterworld seems ironically similar to the idea of finding a blog of an individual claiming to be a grand oracle and petitioning them for an energy reading. Oblivious to the true inner workings, users find comfort in that ambiguity, trusting the diviner to uncover a truth about the querent by engaging in the mystic arts. By not looking under the hood to see the reality of a relatively ordinary person shuffling cards and drawing one whose prewritten description will influence the choices the querent makes, we are more willing to believe in the extraordinary. Like the Mechanical Turk, part of us wants to be fooled into believing in a more whimsical world where there is such a thing as the unknown where impossible things seemingly occur. Tumblr witches, however, have turned the vagueness of these interactions into a form of religion. It is almost impossible to question, as a core belief of the Tumblr witch is that everything happens for a reason. There is the thought that you were always destined to pick that specific card you chose during the reading and that any reflections that may seem inaccurate might not have happened yet, or could be from another’s perspective. There is always a way to twist a reading to fit the querent’s unique situation, and I say this as someone who has been reading and authentically believing in tarot since 2017. There is inherent manipulation occurring, however innocent the intentions, which is why I see this as a modern representation of the Mechanical Turk. We��re willing to believe in something we logically know to be highly unlikely, and, so long as we aren’t presented with the blueprints behind its function, we will buy into it over and over again. From the perspective of Walter Benjamin, however, he would likely scoff at the ease of replication of content. The auras he discusses in The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction are produced by original material, which is watered down by how many instances of the material occur. The value of knowledge is decreased by how many people know it if we are to believe Benjamin’s theorems. This is true to an extent, but I disagree that the sharing of information is to its ultimate detriment. According to a survey I conducted within the witchblr community, 68.2% of active users primarily utilize the community for education (2024 Tumblr Witchcraft.) The dissemination of knowledge is invaluable, and in the modern day, more accessible than ever. While Benjamin might object to this, saying there is more value in quality over quantity, I do not believe those correlate to the same extent in the modern era. If all the information was coming from one source, perhaps that might be true, but given the number of users, the quality of posts isn’t related to the quantity being produced. Then, that high-value content is circulated by those who reblog it, educating themselves and their followers in the process. For a community like witchblr which prides itself on its ability to see auras, Walter Benjamin’s anticipated perspective of them is dated and inaccurate. Marshall McLuhan brings a unique take to the conversation, with his well-known mantra of ‘the medium is the message.’ In his book Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, McLuhan investigates the understanding of why content was delivered through a specific platform, rather than valuing the content itself all too highly. Tumblr is unique in this regard, as it has numerous functions that differentiate it from other platforms. When asked ‘Why is Tumblr home to such a substantial witchcraft community? What is unique about the platform that is beneficial to witches?’ numerous self-proclaimed Tumblr witches gave incredibly insightful takes.

“Tumblr has a sort of unique atmosphere that reminds me of alleyways that exist between communities and cultures. Tumblr is a sort of catch-all for those who don’t quite fit neatly into any one box, or have such a hyper-specific niche box they fit in that Tumblr is the only place online that has other like minds.” “Tumblr as a platform is, to me, a very even mix of text, photo, and video posting, making it extremely practical for those who wish to create all kinds of posts. (Further, the text customization options aid peoples’ aesthetics in ways no other platform does). As well, the crowd on Tumblr is naturally a ragtag bunch of queer, marginalized, and otherwise othered people, which I believe makes witches feel right at home.”

So Tumblr provides a space where text isn’t limited, customization is expected, and mainstream folks are the outliers. The medium is defined by its impracticality and stands almost as a contradiction to modern society’s need to boil down information to the bare minimum to make it as clickable and shareable as possible. Due to this, Tumblr as a platform is almost impossible to define by McLuhan's hot mediums vs. cold mediums theory. It straddles the line due to the effort that can be put into posts, and the minimal effort required to interact with said posts, but also fosters subcommunities of high activity and allows for two-way interaction through content creators and their followers, both cloaked in the safe veil of a charmingly funny username. McLuhan would likely see that the form of witchcraft practiced on Tumblr is defined by the medium, by the ability to write a lengthy blog detailing the difference between using cinnamon or salt in a ritual, and other users’ ability to reblog that lengthy post to their blog, and, by extension, their followers, with a single tap.

Methodology

As mentioned, I developed a survey and distributed it on Tumblr under all the relevant witchy tags I could think of. I kept it open for a week and ultimately received 44 responses. Knowing the predominant demographic of Tumblr skews young and female, I first asked general questions to see how the witchblr community in specific would differ from Tumblr at large. To the question of gender identity, I discovered that the majority of witches on the site are non-binary, though they are closely followed by cisgender women. Additionally, while the majority of users identified themselves as between the ages of 16-21, the majority also favored users who have been on Tumblr for ten or more years. Three-quarters of the users surveyed identify with the term witch, which means there is a not insignificant portion of the community who feel they are outsiders, even within this group defined by being outliers, though this may be concerning the gendered nature of the term ‘witch’ and the skew in gender identity leaning towards non-binary. In my investigation into the motivations of Tumblr witches, I asked about their religious beliefs as well. The majority of respondents indicated that 65.9% are some variation of pagan, second place being a surprising Christianity, with 56.8% saying that their religion is indeed relevant to their practice. The other percentile likely approaches the craft more as a hobby than a religion, which is also an authentic way to engage with the topic as far as I am concerned. In regards to the creation of content, 58.1% of users mainly reblog content created by other users, with only 16.3% of the surveyed witches producing original material. The remaining 25.6% did an equal mix of both. This indicates that Tumblr does trend towards an echo chamber effect, where a smaller percentage generates the material that is further circulated by the majority. A community with some similarities to witchblr exists on the app TikTok, endearingly referred to as witchtok after the same naming convention. To analyze what overlap existed within these communities, I found that 59.1% of Tumblr witches do not use TikTok, with 31.8% sharing that they are active on witchtok, with the remaining 9.1% saying they are active on TikTok, but don’t engage with witchtok. I theorized that because of Tumblr users’ anonymity, this is a large reason users find it easier to discuss taboo topics such as witchcraft. This was supported by evidence from the survey, saying that the majority of users do have other social media accounts, but that they only post witchcraft-related content on Tumblr. Also surprising was that 55.8% of users claimed they were already practicing witches by the time they first started using Tumblr, with the remaining percentage saying they began practicing as a result of seeing others’ posts on the topic (2024 Tumblr Witchcraft).

Creative Expression

My creative expression was to create the survey and engage with the witchblr community by creating a blog called the @witchblr-historian to host and distribute the survey. In addition, this paper will be published on that blog for any curious Tumblr witches to read through. The survey revealed many insights, but some of the responses that I felt resonated most distinctly were from the long answer questions. Here are some responses I felt were poignant.

Why did you start practicing witchcraft?

“For myself, to feel as if i’m have a sense of control in regard to my life” “To hopefully provoke good things in my life (make my illness feel less painful, make others happy, have good luck, etc)” “To cope with grief from the sudden unexpected death of my maternal Gramma.” “I was feeling powerless over my own life.” “It felt like a natural progression given my preexisting faith” “A way to gain control over my very out of control youth” “It was a way to feel powerful and in control of my power when i was in an abusive home.” “I read Scott Cunningham's Wicca for the Solitary Practitioner and went ‘yeah, that makes sense.’”

How did you get started using Tumblr?

“I have experience with being cyber bullied on social media so I made a Tumblr as a way to keep my online communities without feeling exposed or unsafe.” “I rediscovered it; I used to have a blog as a teen but made a new one for my magical studies.” “Before I had made a tumblr, I used the website to study and learn about divination and witchcraft, basically anything occult related. I made an account to have a digital collection of my findings” “Discovered some cool friends (who are witchy-esque themselves) from Livejournal moved to Tumblr so I followed them.” “Heard about it for awhile, joined after seeing some interesting links on google during research”

Why is Tumblr home to such a substantial witchcraft community?

“The lack of a forced algorithm allows for a community of choice, you only have to see what you're looking for without other stuff being shoved in your face. That and tumblr has for a longtime been a place for people outside of societal norms to carve out a chosen community.” “Tumblr seems more welcoming to the obscure and has somehow miraculously managed to maintain its sense of community (regardless of random/area of interest).” “Good for archiving and recalling multiple types of resources, can function as a journal or log, feels like one might be able to connect with others like them, inspiration” “The fact that almost closeted witches won't have their relatives seeing their posts in Tumblr because it's a more obscure forum, maybe?” “The same reason why other communities thrive here: the platform allows for long text content all while allowing for social interaction. - Traditional blogs are more self-contained -> the social dynamic isn't as strong - Tiktok isn't ideal for long, sourced content + it's video based - Youtube is better for long video essays, but the video format makes it more difficult to keep for later as reference (lack of reblog on a personal space) Tumblr hits that sweet spot where you can easily curate your experience, bookmark/reblog what you want to keep, create your own content and share/interact with a community.”

What have you gained as a result of joining the witchblr community?

“I gain more confidence, and knowledge” “I have gained a few new friends and perspectives” “I’ve learned more about my own and other’s religious practices.” “I can teach baby witches! This give[sic] me so much happiness. And i can engage with others that worship the same gods as i do” “I married someone from it who reached out offering a tarot reading for a tarot reading. The witchblr community has probably the biggest hearts and the least judgmental attitude of any community on Tumblr.” “Resources, and tidbits of information not found in books - mainly first-hand accounts of thoughts and experiences of actual practicioners[sic] that can't be sanded down into generalized, mass-marketable content, along with stories of "simplified" versions of spells and rituals that likely don't sell well because it's not Aesthetic or awe-inducing. There's less pretentiousness (?) or overglorification [sic] of stealing from Jewish culture - generally much more mindful of cultural appropriation.” “Ideas on how to practice without necessarily breaking the bank”

What are some of the negatives of the witchblr community?

“I fear that because I don’t align with everything that others believe that I will be shunned” “You can't trust everyone, and every bit of information must be fact checked.” “so far I've seen misinformation (some of it a potential safety risk e.g. burning respiratory hazards for spells or immersing reactive crystals in salt water), a lot of art theft (and apathy towards art theft) and a surprising lack of knowledge among americans of like, basic modern american folk magic. people who want to feel connected to their roots end up looking near-exclusively to european neopaganism, and while there's nothing intrinsically racist or sexist about these religions or their gods, it's easy to fall into white supremacist spaces if you approach these practices from a place of ignorance.” “A lot of racism and stealing of closed cultural practices” “its kind of… focused on aesthetics and “oooh spooky” from what ive[sic] seen rather than actual witchcraft.” “People love to spread misinformation. Also infighting” “I dont[sic] think there is one” “some people think they know everything about everything and everyone. they read not-so-old books written by white, eurocentric authors and try to shove the ideals of those same authors down everyone's throats, as if they were an absolute truth. witchcraft has existed for much longer than one can even imagine, wanting to standardize it based on anything whatsoever is completely meaningless” And, lastly,

What is your overall impression of witchblr?

“Much more community based than anywhere else I've looked online, even if I have yet to feel that sense of community myself. There's an abundance of personal experiences, theories and historic findings (even if sources aren't always made clear). Overall I feel it's a safe space for folks just getting into witchcraft to be open publically if they so choose. Unlike sites like Reddit, folks on Tumblr don't seem as quick to judge.” “It's a sort of insular community that is quick to judgement, but in its better moments tries to be an open and welcoming space” “i like it a lot :) i love our community, especially since i dont[sic] have one irl, and its been so important to me & my craft in learning and evolving” “Vast, welcoming, and beautiful.” “I'm quite jaded about it nowadays. I feel like it can be a great community to kickstart a practice, to have an introduction to concept one wouldn't necessarily think about researching, but it is not the end all be all of the backbone of a practice. I think too many people get caught up on the social media/influencer/ aesthetic aspect of the community and forget to actually do the work. It's not a coincidence that a lot of experienced practitioners become less active or move on once witchblr no longer serves them.” “Witchblr is a collection of mostly like minded people. There are different branches, but I think that the majority understands that each person’s craft is their own. Many of the blogs are baby witches, which is great to see people starting on their journey. The blogs from more experienced and knowledgeable practitioners are the true gems to me.”

Final Thoughts

Ultimately I would argue that Tumblr’s unique brand of witchcraft is entirely legitimate. If the medium is the message, as McLuhan says, Tumblr as a platform is a perfect medium for witchcraft to thrive and existed in the perfect era for it to reach its peak in 2017(Tiffany). Chayka himself couldn’t ridicule the simple algorithm that users understand how to utilize. Benjamin, perhaps, would double down insofar as to say that the ease of practicing witchcraft now, if your standard is a virtual altar and reblogging spells to cast them, is virtually null, but I have to disagree. Seeing the responses received, I am inclined to believe that these Tumblr witches take their craft seriously, and are indeed an authentic modern incarnation of the practice. They use intention and energy, they read tarot, commune with spirits, make potions, cast spells, meditate, and live the lifestyle they feel is most correct regarding their beliefs. I see this as a valid form of self-expression, and, should one choose for it to be considered as such, it should be treated no differently than other religions. There are the inherent cons of the community, with a tendency to jump to conclusions and occasionally go on witch hunts of their own, doxxing canceled bloggers. But what community is this not the case for? I��ll leave you with this last quote from the survey conducted, a respondent whose nuanced opinion encapsulates the community as well as provides some worthwhile advice.

“Oddly inviting and yet also rather toxic. Though that's what naturally happens when multiple niches come together. Tumblr both sickens me sometimes, and yet it can be quite comforting and I learn a lot here. If I do get bothered, I'll take a break.”

Works Cited

Benjamin, Walter. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. Translated by J. A. Underwood, Penguin Books, 2008. Chayka, Kyle. Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture. Doubleday, 2024. Clements, Mikaella. “A Brief History of the Tumblr Witch.” Medium, The Establishment, 14 Mar. 2018, medium.com/the-establishment/a-brief-history-of-the-tumblr-witch-8f30657849f. Greene, Heather. “Tumblr’s Witch Community Appears in Site’s Top Rankings for First Time.” The Wild Hunt, 6 Dec. 2017, wildhunt.org/2017/12/tumblrs-witch-community-appears-in-sites-top-rankings-for-first-time.html. McLuhan, Marshall. Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man. MIT Press, 1994. Tiffany, Kaitlyn. “How Witches Took over Tumblr in 2017.” The Verge, 12 Dec. 2017, www.theverge.com/2017/12/12/16766260/witchblr-tumblr-trends-2017-witchcraft-crystals-fan-tarot.

#witchblr #witchcraft #survey results #academic papers #academic witch #student witch #this is for a grade

1 note · View note