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Paper short abstract

This paper examines how WitchTok creators use moon and sun symbolism to frame enchantment, transformation, and identity. It argues that celestial aesthetics form a digital narrative where lunar-solar cycles guide spiritual creativity and belonging.

Paper long abstract

This paper explores the role of celestial aesthetics in structuring enchantment, transformation, and identity within the online witchcraft community known as WitchTok.

Lunar motifs, such as phases, eclipses, and moonlight, often embody intuition, mystery, and emotional authenticity, resonating with themes of concealment and cyclical renewal. Solar symbols, by contrast, convey illumination, empowerment, and revelation, aligning with narratives of clarity and order. Together, these motifs function as a dynamic "pendulum" that organizes temporal, moral, and aesthetic dimensions of vernacular spirituality online.

The paper situates this celestial symbolism within broader discussions of digital folklore and vernacular religion, suggesting that WitchTok constitutes a contemporary "mythic" environment where enchantment and disenchantment coexist. By tracing how lunar-solar dualities are visualized, remixed, and presented in TikTok videos, the study aims to reveal how practitioners use symbolic and aesthetic forms to negotiate identity, creativity, and belonging. Ultimately, WitchTok’s celestial imagery offers a glimpse into how digital media enable new narratives and meaning in online magical practice.