Although less than 1% of American adults identify specifically as Pagan or Wiccan, interest in occult and New Age practices is exploding.

According to a Pew survey, nearly one-third of Americans believe that spells, curses, and other forms of magic can influence people's lives. The same percentage consult astrology or horoscopes, tarot cards or fortune tellers at least once a year.

Twenty percent of American adults said they engage in the practices mostly for entertainment. But another 10% said they do it because they believe the practices provide helpful insights. Six percent said they rely on what they learn from astrology, tarot cards, or fortune tellers when making major decisions.

Modern witchcraft has found an especially receptive audience with young people on social media.

"WitchTok," the section of TikTok devoted to witchcraft, Paganism, spells and related practices, has attracted billions of views. Videos using the #WitchTok hashtag have accumulated nearly 50 billion views as of August.

The content ranges from discussions about crystals and rituals to the use of hexes and curses. Some have even held “ethics” discussions regarding how to determine when using magic to harm someone else is justified.

The interest in witchcraft has also entered the ecommerce arena.

Etsy officially prohibits metaphysical services such as spell casting. However, the online marketplace permits the sale of supplies related to spell work, including herbs, crystals and candles. Tarot and psychic readings are also permitted when buyers receive a physical or digital copy of the reading.

Products associated with witchcraft are easy to find. Jewelry and candle searches turn up items marketed for spell work, spiritual protection, curse removal, and other occult practices whether someone is looking for them or not.

The renewed fascination in witchcraft has even spilled into fashion. In September, Vogue highlighted what it called a "witch-inspired aesthetic" for fall, influenced partly by the new witch movie starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, Practical Magic 2. The magazine connected the trend not only with fashion but also with ideas of empowerment and spiritual expression.

As Max Berlinger, the senior fashion news editor for Vogue put it, “…you can see a strong sense of the supernatural present in subtle shades ranging from the magical to the macabre.” Another fashion writer, Kristen Bateman, put it even more bluntly, “I feel like people are embracing their darker… sides more than ever.”

America's fascination with witchcraft doesn’t get packed away with costumes and decorations. The people consulting tarot cards, following astrology, watching WitchTok videos, and experimenting with spells are all around us.

The witch can now be a movie heroine, an influencer, or an online seller. Tarot readings and horoscopes are available with a few taps on a phone, while social media gives practitioners an enormous audience for introducing others to evil.

This is more than a troubling cultural trend; it is a mission field. And often a hidden one. We may not know who is dabbling in witchcraft when we pass them in the store, at the gas station, or in the workplace. That’s why it’s vital that we’re faithful to share the gospel with everyone we meet.

Keep Chick tracts handy and look for opportunities to give them out. The cashier at the store, the server at a restaurant, or the delivery driver at your door may be one of the millions looking for answers in the wrong place. A simple tract can point them to the One who has the answers they are searching for.