A Spiritual Shift Taking Root Across Canada
Once the stuff of Halloween costumes and fairy tales, witchcraft is having a serious cultural moment in Canada — and practitioners say it's long overdue.
From self-described witch schools operating out of living rooms to a new wave of 'witchfluencers' racking up millions of views, academics and witch communities alike say interest in spellcasting, herbalism, and spiritual practice has exploded since the COVID-19 pandemic. What was once whispered about in private circles is now openly celebrated — and increasingly mainstream.
"We've really come out of the broom closet," said one practitioner who runs an online witchcraft course with students across Canada and the United States. "The pandemic forced a lot of people to slow down and ask bigger questions about meaning, connection, and what they actually believe. Witchcraft gave people an answer."
Why Now?
Researchers who study new religious movements say the timing isn't surprising. Periods of collective uncertainty — economic instability, health crises, social upheaval — have historically driven people toward spiritual practices that offer a sense of agency and community.
Witchcraft, with its emphasis on personal ritual, nature connection, and intention-setting, checks all those boxes. Unlike many institutional religions, it requires no middleman. You set the altar. You write the spell. You decide what it means.
For younger Canadians especially, that autonomy is part of the appeal. Social media has accelerated the trend dramatically, with hashtags like #WitchTok and #ModernWitch generating billions of views globally. Canadian creators are a significant part of that ecosystem, sharing everything from moon-phase rituals to crystal recommendations with audiences who are hungry for something that feels both ancient and entirely their own.
More Than a Trend
But practitioners are quick to push back on the idea that this is a passing aesthetic phase. Many identify as serious students of Wicca, eclectic paganism, or earth-based spiritual traditions with deep historical roots — traditions that predate their Instagram presence by centuries.
"There's a stereotype that it's all candles and aesthetics," said one Halifax-based community organizer who facilitates in-person circles. "But the people I know are doing serious inner work. They're studying herbalism, learning about land and ancestors, building real community. It's not cosplay."
Academics studying the movement agree there's substance beneath the surface. Interest in plant medicine, seasonal rituals, and animist worldviews is growing in parallel — reflecting a broader disenchantment with materialism and a hunger for practices rooted in the body and the natural world.
Navigating Misconceptions
Despite growing acceptance, witches in Canada still navigate significant stigma — particularly in more conservative or religious communities. Many practitioners use the word 'witch' deliberately, reclaiming a term that was historically used to marginalize women, herbalists, and anyone who didn't fit social norms.
"The word has always been political," noted one academic who researches contemporary Paganism in Canada. "Reclaiming it is part of the practice for a lot of people."
What's clear is that the communities forming around modern witchcraft — online and off — are offering something many Canadians feel they're missing: ritual, belonging, and a framework for engaging with the unseen forces of everyday life.
Whether you call it a revival, a trend, or simply a return to something older than organized religion, the brooms are out — and they're not going back in the closet anytime soon.
Source: CBC News
