TWH – Claims of being a witch or the practice of Witchcraft can have severe consequences in different parts of the world. In many places throughout Africa and Asia, witchcraft accusations can lead to ostracism and in some cases, death at the hands of the local community. Members of minority religions are regularly advised to be aware of local laws and customs. There are, for example, countries where Witchcraft is a punishable offense: Gambia, India, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Most of the time, and certainly within the protection of some nations offering religious freedoms, accusations rarely gain traction. They are often the subject of ridicule, especially when celebrities are involved; though, celebrity itself offers no protection against spurious allegations.
Just yesterday, pop-icon singer Taylor Swift was accused of practicing Witchcraft. As is usual with most things related to the underbelly of Twitter, the accusations gained some traction and turned into a bizarre online movement.
One conservative Christian Twitter user named “Matt,” wrote about Swift’s Eras Tour commenting, “Never liked Taylor Swift, but now I definitely have a reason to. [I] just saw a video of her witchcraft/ritual performance on someone’s Insta story. Nope! Get that evil out of here.” He then added: “Believers should not listen to this.” Matt’s profile quotes Psalm 54:4 “Psalm 54:4 – Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life.”
The stream of tweets and comments connected to Matt is the usual fanfare about the Christian god and a continuous stream of Bible-based quotations.
Matt’s tweet then received some traction from “Bob the Unvaxxed Tomato,” commenting “She’s been a witch from the start,” followed by a note that Swift’s manager appears to be Jewish.
Not to apparently be outdone and raising the stakes to a more serious level, another Twitter user added, “I have a simple solution to #TaylorSwift witchcraft and negligence of starving families. #BringBackTheWitchTrials.”
Taylor Swift’s Eras World Tour accused of promoting Satanism and Witchcraft On Stage (Photo Credit – via Instagram)
Fortunately, there was some swift trolling. One Twitter user took it upon themselves to offer a solution that spared others from the evils of Witchcraft, “Hey guys, so apparently, Taylor Swift’s ‘The Eras Tour’ is using witchcraft and dark magic in an attempt to convert you all into satanists [sic]. It’s in your best interest to not attend these shows and instead please give all your tickets to me to keep yourselves safe please.”
But the bizarre series of accusations did not end there. It moved to Tiktok. On that platform, one content creator noted that watching Swift’s performance of Willow “hurt her soul” because in the song they are “legitimately playing to witches.” The TikTok account “setapart_andchosen” then added that what we are seeing in Swift’s performances is nothing less than a ritual of demonic spirits.
Another TikTok creator, tallahoffical, noted, “This is Taylor Swift’s song ‘Willow’ where she is a witch during rituals,” the account holder said. “The first video you saw was taken by a fan the other night at the concert, and he says, ‘yes, summon the demons b***h!’ The worst part is that [Swift] commented twice [on the video]. [Swift] said: ‘This is the new ‘one, two, three, let’s go b***h’,” the woman explained.
“So what she’s saying is ‘summon the demons’ is the new crowd chant they all say when she does his witchcraft ritual. Then she commented, laughing emojis,” the person said noting that witchcraft along with astrology and crystals are being shoved down Christian throats.
tiktok accuses taylor swift of promoting witchcraft 🥱 pic.twitter.com/EPpA5um3IC
— Annabel ♡ (@fearlesslyread) April 3, 2023
Then the woman really went off the deep end by giving her explanation as to why people seem to hate Christianity so much.
“It’s because the demons get angry every time you mention God. Every time you mention Jesus, they start foaming at the mouth. They start screaming, and they start manifesting demons,” the narrator said. She then added,” the demons don’t want to hear about Jesus. That’s the only name they’re afraid of. That’s the only name they have to answer to. That’s the only name that sends them to hell.”
Why this laughable exchange regarding Taylor Swift is important is that in other parts of the world charges of witchcraft lead to horrifying consequences. Adults and children who have never practiced any form of witchcraft let alone the form found in modern Neopaganism are regularly murdered.
Organizations like Basic Rights Counsel Initiative (BRCI) in Nigeria are working to rescue children who are accused of being witches and then abandoned by their parents after subjecting them to all manners of exorcism called “deliverance sessions.”
Another nonprofit organization called “Street Priests” says about two out of every three street children have been labeled as witches. The organization brings them meals and helps them build skills and offers them an education. According to Reasons to be Cheerful, the organization has helped more than 200 children to enroll in school and served over 17,000 meals since 2015.
Just a few days ago, seventy-year-old Gauri Tudu was brutally attacked and killed by a youth on suspicion of practicing black magic. Two others Kuni Tudu, 42, and Kalicharan Tudu, 47, were critically injured. The attack took place in India in Kainal village in Jualibhanga panchayat under Morada police station limits in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district.
On Friday night in Nigeria, Ogochukwu Ozoemena was forced to carry the body of her daughter and then beaten by village youths who accused her of witchcraft and killing her own daughter. The following day conflicting information regarding Mrs. Ozoemena were reported, with some stating her as having either died of her wounds or missing. Her brother and a self-proclaimed pastor accused her of witchcraft while under the influence of the “Holy Spirit.”
These are just two recent examples of killings that stem from accusations of “witchcraft” which happen on a much too regular basis in many countries around the world. While Swift is extremely unlikely to face a physical threat of being beaten to death by a mob, every day people in countries live with the knowledge that such an accusation of “witchcraft” can result in their death.
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