Season of the witch: Why are women embracing paganism?

As instability rises, and patriarchal societies begin to hold less weight, an intrigue in the occult has risen for Irish women, Kate Demolder writes

Phoebe O'Regan burns sage to clear the energy within a room and the energy around a client's body. Picture: Norel Sweeney

Witchcraft – and the embrace of “magical” practices, such as reading tarot cards, willing happenings into being and creating tinctures — has recently experienced a resurgence of sorts among young, creative, politically engaged women.

This is largely reflected in niche corners of pop culture; Charlotte Tilbury recently released a fragrance entitled Cosmic Power; Bambie Thug, Ireland’s most recent Eurovision entry, was lauded for their era-defining look and sound (self-described as ‘ouija pop’), while Cecelia Ahern, on the publicity trail for her new book, said paganism was one of the key themes that found its way into her latest release, Into the Storm.