TWH – We begin by underscoring two important points.
First, The Wild Hunt condemns violence in the strongest possible terms. Second, what follows remains a developing story. Sharing this with our readership has been a difficult editorial decision.
Second, under ordinary circumstances, we would not cover this type of news, both because of our limited resources and because our focus is on issues directly affecting the Pagan community.
As widely reported in mainstream media, conservative activist Charlie Kirk, age 31, was killed today. Kirk was the CEO and co-founder of Turning Point USA, a national conservative youth organization. He was shot in the afternoon while attending an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
News of his death was first confirmed by former President Donald Trump in a post on Truth Social. “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie,” Trump wrote. “He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!”
At the time of publication, law enforcement was still searching for the suspect. According to the mayor of Orem, an individual initially detained at Utah Valley University was later released and was not considered responsible for the shooting. It remains unclear whether authorities are still focused on the campus itself or have broadened their investigation.
As noted earlier, The Wild Hunt does not normally report on political figures or acts of violence that fall outside our core mission. However, as the day progressed, members of our community began raising concerns about a recent article in Jezebel and its potential to become entangled with this tragedy.
For context: Jezebel is a U.S.-based online magazine launched in 2007 as part of the Gawker Media network. Founded by Anna Holmes, the publication became known for its mix of sharp cultural criticism, celebrity and fashion coverage, and political commentary through a feminist lens.
On Monday, September 8, 2025, Jezebel published a piece with the provocative headline: “We Paid Some Etsy Witches to Curse Charlie Kirk.” The subtitle read: “If the far-right misogynist with a bad haircut wants to villainize independent women, Jezebel is more than happy to be the hag of his nightmares.”
The article itself blends Jezebel’s usual satire, cultural critique, and feminist focus with commentary on the online marketplace for Witchcraft, as well as the marketing strategies there. The author described commissioning a “powerful hex spell” on Kirk through Etsy, providing his date of birth as part of the process. The practitioner’s reply was quoted: “I just completed your spell, and it was successful. You will see the first results within 2–3 weeks. However, I did notice disturbances… negative energy not only from you, but projected at you. Likely from toxic family members, co-workers, or new acquaintances.”
We know nothing about the practitioner other than, as Jezebel reports, they used the title of “witch.”
While the tone of the article remained consistent with Jezebel’s irreverent style and critique of misogyny, the piece closed with a questioning note: “So, did my Etsy curses work? Time will tell. The forces move in mysterious ways, and as the Priestess reminded me, ‘Spellwork is a collaboration between the caster, the client, and the universe itself.’ For now, we can only trust in the timing of the great unknown.”
Since news of Kirk’s death broke, the article has drawn intense attention. Its comments section quickly overflowed, prompting Jezebel to restrict public responses. The magazine has also added an editorial note to the already published article: “This story was published on September 8. Jezebel condemns the shooting of Charlie Kirk in the strongest possible terms. We do not endorse, encourage, or excuse political violence of any kind.”
In light of these developments, The Wild Hunt felt compelled to inform our readers. The story appears to have gained traction in some conservative media already.
The intersection of Pagan identity, perceptions of Witchcraft, and mainstream political discourse can shape public understanding of our communities.
Jezebel’s satirical piece, while consistent with the magazine’s brand, and especially in the context of today’s events, risks stoking backlash against our community by invoking old, unfounded stereotypes and long-standing suspicions about Witchcraft.
For this reason, and with deep concern for how such narratives may be weaponized, we believe it is important to bring this matter to our community’s attention.
This is a developing story. TWH will provide updates as they become available.
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