assignment 1 podcast witchcraft

Witchcraft, popularized through TikTok and other online platforms, is gaining popularity due to its anti-institutional nature. People are seeking guidance and empowerment, taking control of their own bodies and spirits. Crystals and singing bowls provide a sense of control and confidence. Witch talk may have a point, as it brings a sense of calm and magic. Lisa, who works at the Ananda Spiritual Living Store in The Hague, is giving me a sound bath. These are called wind chimes. They're maybe what your grandmother used to have in her garden. It's super peaceful, and they all also have their own tuning. With TikTok, or better said, Witchdok, as its main platform, witchcraft is now gaining popularity at a faster speed than more traditional religions, like Christianity. Lisa's colleague Fleur explains. I think, mainly because TikTok is such a booming thing, and especially children see it on the internet, on TikTok, whatever, and they come in the store, and they just say, oh my god, I saw this stone on TikTok, and it does this and this. They also know what they actually do, and what they stand for, and I'm like, they're so well informed. But it also accounts for the tarot and the oracle cards. Everyone nowadays knows a friend who knows how to read tarot, and it sparks this interest, and then other people start to... Lisa explains to me that witchcraft is basically a cry for guidance of some sort, and that it's gaining popularity due to its anti-institutionalist nature. People are longing for a different world. People are starting to take back ownership over their own bodies and their own spirit, and people are trying to find ways to gain empowerment over themselves, but also to take charge of their own life path. While Lisa is talking, I notice a necklace. It's a string with a big, dark stone attached to it. I decide to ask her about it. So this is a golden obsidian. It's actually volcanic glass. It's not really a stone, but it's very intense, very protective. The crystal on Lisa's necklace is not the only one in the store. There's a massive collection of all kinds of crystals that Ananda collected within its two years of existence. Their healing powers provide their owners with a sense of control, of confidence. Lisa wants to show me one more thing. Singing bowls. I listen as she carefully plays the gold instrument, her eyes closed. So the bigger the singing bowl, the deeper the sound, the deeper the working on the body. As I leave the cloud of incense and step into the fresh air, I feel calm. Maybe witch talk has a point. Maybe that calmness I am feeling is actually a tiny bit of magic.