Taylor Swift is a well-known singer-songwriter who has gained immense popularity worldwide. While she has amassed a large following for her music, there have been occasional speculation and rumors suggesting she may be involved in the occult. These claims are unsupported by concrete evidence and seem to arise from misinterpretations, conspiracy theories, or tabloid gossip. Swift has been known to incorporate symbolism and hidden meanings in her music videos and lyrics, which some individuals may misconstrue as occult references. However, it is important to note that the inclusion of symbolism, conceptually rich storytelling, or visual aesthetics in music is a common artistic practice. Artists often use these elements to enhance the depth and intrigue of their work, and it does not necessarily imply involvement in the occult.

TOP STORIES OF 2023: Taylor Swift Promotes Witchcraft On Tour in ‘Willow’ Performance

Editor’s note: What a marvelous, miraculous and incredible year this has been! To recap, we’re reviewing our top stories of 2023 based on the number of page views. Celebrate with us and enjoy this last week of 2023.

In Taylor Swift’s “Willow” music video, she includes occult worship, a troubling practice being normalized in culture across numerous forms of media.

The “Willow” music video follows Swift as she tries to connect with her lover. Something always stands in their way, and they are forced to escape to different time periods where they attempt to connect again. The scenes for the first two verses find Swift in a forest and a 1920s bar before the third scene takes place during cult worship around a campfire.

This cult worship scene has no relevance to the song, nor does it tie into the scenes from the previous verses. Swift observes the occult ritual taking it in for a few moments before taking her place and joining the dance for the second half of the verse. After, she leaves to travel through time again and continue looking for her lover, whom she eventually convenes with during the final chorus of the song.

The inclusion of the campfire witchcraft scene is confusing, as it was unnecessarily added onto lyrics it has zero relevance to. Nonetheless, it provides another worrying example of the way witchcraft and pagan worship are being pushed into pop culture and becoming normalized.

Swift has continued to tie witchcraft to this song during her Eras Tour, donning ritualistic garb while performing the song, and having her backup dancers wear capes.

Another example of occultism appearing in pop culture comes from Disney’s TURNING RED from 2022. A portion of Movieguide®’s review reads:

TURNING RED sadly includes references to Chinese ancestor worship. At one point, for example, in Mei’s narration, Mei says that her family doesn’t worship any gods, but they do worship their ancestors, especially the family’s grand matriarch. Also, at another point, Mei says that the family’s grand matriarch prayed to “the gods” during a time of war that the gods imbue her with the power of the red panda so she could defend her family.

Ultimately, therefore, TURNING RED has a mixed worldview with pro-family elements and false religion. TURNING RED also has about two overt references to being Zen-like to help her remain cool and control the red panda within her. These moments are references to the Buddhist sect of Zen Buddhism, where the practitioner seeks to clarify the mind, pacify the mind, unite mind and body, and realize the interconnectedness of all things. As with all major Buddhist sexts, Zen Buddhism’s ultimate goal is to recognize “impurities,” such as greed, anger and ignorance, letting them go, and achieving “enlightenment,” which involves a kind of emptiness, purity of desire and action, calmness of mind, perfect discernment of what is true and false and what is harmful and not harmful, and emotional “balance.” As the most recent of many Rimboches said in terms of another sect of Buddhism: “life is a cesspool, so let go.” As I responded to one of his disciples from Harvard, who came to Jesus Christ, “it is a fallen world, but Jesus is reaching out to you to pull you out of the cesspool so you will have a more abundant eternal life.”

The Inclusion of these themes in animated movies and pop music videos is especially concerning, as the target audiences of these forms of media are on the younger side. Disney’s TURNING RED was created for a child audience, and Swift’s fanbase consists of mainly young, teenage girls.

The ideas pushed in pop culture tend to take root in the younger generation and it should concern parents that witchcraft and occult worship are being normalized in the media their children are consuming.

The Bible takes a strong stance against any practice of witchcraft or sorcery and cautions against taking any interest in them.

Movieguide® has previously reported on the dangers of occultism appearing in children’s media, including research from Movieguide®’s founder Dr. Ted Baehr:

In Deut. 18:10-13, for example, Moses clearly says, “Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before the LORD your God.” Also, in Rev. 21:8, Jesus Himself says, “The cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars – their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” Furthermore, in Galatians 5:19-21, the Apostle Paul says, “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the Kingdom of God.”

All of these biblical passages – and more besides – show us, beyond all reasonable doubt, that God wants us to avoid completely witchcraft and sorcery.

Swift’s “Willow” music video and TURNING RED are just a couple of examples of witchcraft and occult worship being pushed toward younger audiences. Another example is Disney’s HOCUS POCUS 2.

Disney released HOCUS POCUS 2, a sequel to the 1993 Halloween movie, updating the movie’s story to normalize the occult, as well as pagan beliefs.

HOCUS POCUS tells the story of children who must fight the Sanderson sisters, a trio of witches who want to sacrifice children for their magic spells. A portion of Movieguide®’s review reads:

HOCUS POCUS takes places in Salem, Massachusetts. A scary house in the town has been abandoned for about three hundred years. It was the home of the infamous Sorenson sisters, who, according to legend, had been hung for their evil witchcraft and sorcery. An iron fence surrounds the grounds, where many believe that hundreds of sacrificed children lie. Max Dennison, a transplanted California teenager, is new to Salem and scoffs at the tales. However, Max soon becomes intrigued with the Salem witches after reading about “A SPELL BOOK given by the Devil himself” that’s bound in human skin. Later, Max conjures up the witches by following the book’s instructions.

HOCUS POCUS goes downhill after Max performs the occult ritual to conjure up the witches. Although it has some humorous, redemptive moments, it’s marred by too many scenes with strong occult content. Thus, it contains positive references to witchcraft, casting spells and occult rituals. Some of the memorable songs, “I will put a spell on you,” and “Children, I Smell Children, Come Out My Children Wherever You Are — Why Don’t You Stay for Supper?,” reveal the movie’s objectionable, abhorrent content.

In Deuteronomy 18:10-12, God warns us to have nothing whatsoever to do with witchcraft, consulting dead people, casting spells, or interpreting omens. “Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD [to Yahweh],” Moses says.

HOCUS POCUS 2 uses these same occult themes, and adds new ones, like references to crystals, herbs, moon spells, and sacred woods.

Parents are already complaining about the movie, with one mother saying the movie “unleashes hell on your kids and in your home. The whole movie is based on witches harvesting children for blood sacrifices.”

Parents should beware of the normalizing of the occult in children’s programming.

Do you think Taylor Swift practices witchcraft?

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Why is Taylor Swift accused by MAGA Christians of promoting witchcraft and satanism?

Taylor Swift, the popular pop star, has recently faced backlash from conservatives for her vocal support of progressive policies. One of her critics, Hank Kunneman, a MAGA supporter and self-proclaimed "prophet," has accused Swift of being part of a conspiracy involving pharmaceutical company Pfizer.

In a Sunday sermon, Kunneman claimed that Swift promotes witchcraft and satanism and questioned why anyone would want to support her. Kunneman's sermon was shared on social media and has received over 46,000 views. The reaction to his accusations has been mixed, with some defending Swift and others supporting Kunneman.

One user wrote: "Taylor Swift is the best role model for girls in America at this time," while another said, "Taylor Swift is using her celebrity status to help people register to vote, and MAGA Christians are claiming that she's using Satanic power over people going to her concerts." Others criticized Kunneman, calling him a "false prophet" and stating that his behavior is not "Christlike."

Some users were confused by the accusations of satanism, with one commenting: "Can't they come up with anything new? Witchcraft is so 1700s and 1800s." Another user sarcastically remarked, "Well I guess Satanic rituals are loving, kind, and sharing friendship bracelets," referencing the accessories traded by fans at Swift's concerts.

Artists often use these elements to enhance the depth and intrigue of their work, and it does not necessarily imply involvement in the occult. Additionally, Swift's choice of clothing and visual aesthetics, such as wearing dark colors or incorporating mystical imagery in her performances or music videos, has sometimes been pointed out as evidence of her alleged occult affiliations. However, these choices can be attributed to artistic expression and the desire to create a certain ambiance or narrative, rather than indicating involvement in the occult.

This is not the first time Swift has been accused of conspiracy

This is not the first time Swift has been accused of promoting satanism and witchcraft. In October, Kandiss Taylor, a former Republican Georgia governor candidate, claimed that Swift was "influencing innocent minds to be enticed with the dark side of spirituality."

These allegations were in response to an Instagram post by Swift where she thanked fans for their support during her Eras Tour concerts. Hank Kunneman is a senior pastor at the Lord of Hosts Church in Omaha, Nebraska. He runs One Voice Ministries with his wife Brenda Kunneman.

The couple has a YouTube channel where they broadcast sermons to their 82,000 subscribers. Kunneman has previously accused local authorities in Georgia of working for the devil after former President Donald Trump was arrested there.

In conclusion, Taylor Swift's support of progressive policies has led to backlash from conservatives, including accusations of promoting witchcraft and satanism. While some defend Swift as a positive role model and advocate for her political activism, others support the claims made by Hank Kunneman. The controversy surrounding Swift's political stance highlights the polarizing nature of today's political climate.

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Taylor Swift, QAnon, and the Political Weaponization of Fandom

Last week, Taylor Swift was named Time’s Person of the Year. QAnon conspiracy theorists say it’s all part of a psyop to alter the trajectory of the 2024 election.

Taylor Swift on the opening night of "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour" at State Farm Stadium on March 17, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona. Photograph: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Taylor Swift remains inescapable. Tales of her reign are legion, as are her fans. Next to Beyoncé, her power and influence have reached heights so unbridled it’s almost unfathomable. Her Eras Tour made nearly a billion dollars in 2023, and the concert film of that tour has brought in nearly $250 million worldwide. When rumors started swirling in the fall that she was dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, they upended American football. Still, when Time named her Person of the Year, conspiracy theorists saw only one explanation. They allege Swift is a psyop.

If you’ve lived on the internet long enough, you will have heard this kind of thing before. Back in 2016, when she was largely apolitical in her public life, Swift was a hero of the so-called alt-right who some believed was actually red-pilling America to further a racist, conservative agenda. When she piped up about politics in 2018, some people online (somewhat jokingly) theorized she’d been replaced by an NPC. The latest twist? “The regime has plans to weaponize her just in time for 2024,” the @EndWokeness account posted on X Wednesday, adding that if you didn’t find this plausible “you clearly have not been paying attention.”

@EndWokeness has 1.9 million followers, and, as of Monday morning, the post had more than 788,000 views. On Telegram, a QAnon influencer account posted that “we need to wake the next generation up to the occult forces colluding with their favorite celebrities.” Right-wing commentator Jack Posobiec posted on X that “the Taylor Swift girlboss psyop has been fully activated.”

Last week’s Person of the Year honor was also followed by resurfaced allegations that Swift is performing witchcraft to further her success and that the left is using her to influence the 2024 US presidential election. Stephen Miller, a senior adviser during Donald Trump’s presidency, posted a message on X saying that “what’s happening with Taylor Swift is not organic.”

All of this happened the same week WIRED reporter David Gilbert published an investigation into a pro-Russia campaign that used fake Swift quotes in a series of Facebook and X posts attempting to seed anti-Ukraine sentiment, reinforcing—in a totally different way—that celebrity is a powerful tool for manipulation. A few days later, Microsoft researchers revealed a similar effort by an unknown Russian group to alter Cameo videos by celebs like Elijah Wood and Mike Tyson to make it look like they were being critical of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.

Swift exists as a unique example of the intersection of celebrity and politics, and how it operates globally, says Jonathan Dean, a professor of politics at the University of Leeds. “An important feature of culture and politics over the past 10 years, certainly in the UK and the US and I think probably more broadly as well, is that there’s been a significant convergence in the grammar and style and mode, if you like, of pop culture fandom and political citizenship,” he says, referencing the similar ways fandoms and political parties can operate. “Taylor Swift is interesting in that sense because I think she’s a real embodiment of those convergences.”

Why You Can’t Remember That Taylor Swift Concert All Too Well

T hree days after Jenna Tocatlian saw Taylor Swift perform at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, she was still on cloud nine. But something felt weird when she tried to relive the memories: in her mind, where vivid specifics of the concert should have been playing on loop, there was just a blank space.

“Post-concert amnesia is real,” says Tocatlian, 25, who lives in New York. She got to hear her top choice for one of Swift’s nightly “surprise songs”—Better Man—and the experience still feels surreal. “If I didn’t have the 5-minute video that my friend kindly took of me jamming to it, I probably would have told everyone that it didn’t happen,” she says. During the hour-long wait to exit the stadium, she started re-listening to the setlist, asking her friends: “Did she really play that? How much of it did she play?” Tocatlian chalks it up to sensory overload—and the fact that she had been dreaming about the big night for so long, it was difficult to grasp it was really happening. “It’s hard to put together what you actually witness,” she says. “You’re having all these emotions while your favorite songs are playing, and you’re like, ‘Wow, where am I?’”

From March until August, hundreds of thousands of people are packing stadiums across the U.S. to watch Swift’s hugely popular, three-hour Eras Tour. Many later take to social-media platforms like Reddit to describe their inability to recall small details or even large parts of the show. One person wrote that they had waited six months for the concert—and after it ended, their brain tried to convince them they hadn’t been there. Another wondered if they had dissociated during it, and described feeling guilty about not leaving with more vivid memories.

That resonates with Nicole Booz, 32, of Gettysburg, Pa., who attended Swift’s May 14 show in Philadelphia. Looking back, it feels like “an out-of-body experience, as though it didn’t really happen to me,” she says. “Yet I know it did, because my bank account took a $950 hit to cover the ticket.”

So what’s going on? For starters, people might simply be too excited, explains Ewan McNay, an associate professor in the department of psychology at the State University of New York at Albany. “This is not a concert-specific phenomenon—it can happen any time you’re in a highly emotional state,” he says. People getting married, for example, often say they can’t remember their first dance, or if their Aunt Josephine was there. As the body’s stress levels increase—in response to exciting or distressing factors—the neurons associated with memory start firing indiscriminately. That makes it “really hard” to form new memories. “If you’re slightly on edge, with a little bit of excitement, you’ll actually remember better,” McNay says. “But too much excitement pushes you over the edge in terms of memory formation, and you’re unable to make memories.”

There’s a scientific, biological explanation for exactly what happens when you get this excited (which the body sees as a state of stress). It starts pumping out glucose—the brain’s favorite molecule for fueling memory, thinking, and learning—from your liver into your bloodstream. Imagine you ran into a bear in the woods, for example: “You want that fuel for your muscles to go and fight the bear or run away from the bear,” McNay says, not wasted on something like memory formation. At the same time, your vagal nerves—which regulate internal organ functions—become stimulated. “You’re saying, ‘Hey, we’re really stressed out: we’re running away from the bear, or we’re watching Taylor Swift.’”

This response causes your amygdala—the part of the brain responsible for emotional processing—to release a neurotransmitter called norepinephrine. It helps tag memories as having high emotional content, enhancing the likelihood that they’ll be saved vividly in your mind. But McNay describes the process as an inverted U: A little bit is good; too much is bad, he says. Plus, if you add caffeine or alcohol to the mix, you’ll likely push the curve even further to the right, which means your brain will have a tougher time creating and saving new memories.

It can be surprising and disappointing not to remember everything you think you should about a big event, says Robert Kraft, a professor of cognitive psychology at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio. “We paid a lot of money, we’re looking forward to it, and afterwards, we want to luxuriate in our memories of the concert,” he says. “But our expectations are too high. That’s not what memory is—it’s not a recorder.”

One of the core misconceptions many people have about memory, he says, is that they think of forgetting as a deficiency. In reality, we’re simply not designed to remember everything. Situations in which we explicitly focus on remembering are typically limited to stuff like studying for an exam or memorizing a presentation. “We don’t set out to remember our lives—we set out to experience them,” Kraft says. “Not remembering is actually a tribute to being in the moment and enjoying it.”

Still, if you’re adamant that you want to better remember an important event, a few strategies can help. The first is a purely mental approach, McNay says: You can try to achieve a “semi-meditative state,” perhaps by telling yourself to chill out and be present. Or, consider a more physical approach. Your brain monitors your body to figure out what emotional state you’re in, he explains. Running away from a bear—or screaming at a concert—tells it that you must be scared. If you commit to standing still, in a relaxed state, on the other hand, you’ll send a message to your brain that there’s no need to get too excited. That can help encourage memory formation.

Kraft, meanwhile, prefers to remove any pressure from the equation, and to simply focus on having a great time. He’s a Swift fan, but like many of us, wasn’t able to secure tickets to the Eras Tour. If you’re in the same boat, take comfort: “I’m sorry that we both aren’t going,” he says. “But we would have forgotten it anyway.”

Swift's personal life and public image have also been scrutinized for any signs of occult involvement. Some individuals point out her association with other celebrities who have been speculated to be involved in the occult, or her use of specific symbols or signs that are historically associated with occult practices. However, these connections are often based on circumstantial evidence and do not provide definitive proof of Swift's alleged involvement. Furthermore, paparazzi and gossip media often fuel these speculations by publishing misleading stories or manipulating images to create sensational narratives. Swift's privacy and personal life have been heavily intruded upon by the media, leading to the spread of baseless rumors and wild speculations. In conclusion, the claims of Taylor Swift's involvement in the occult are largely unsubstantiated and should be taken with a grain of salt. It is important to critically evaluate the sources and evidence supporting such claims before drawing conclusions. Swift's success and talent as a musician should be acknowledged and appreciated separately from unfounded rumors about her personal beliefs or affiliations..

Reviews for "Taylor Swift and the Occult Renaissance: How She Has Helped Popularize Mysticism"

- John - 2 stars - I was a big fan of Taylor Swift's music until I stumbled upon this "occult" phase she's going through. It feels like she's lost touch with reality. Instead of focusing on creating great music, she's promoting a strange and unknown ideology. It's disappointing to see a talented artist like her getting involved in such bizarre themes.

- Sarah - 1 star - I've always enjoyed Taylor Swift's music, but her recent obsession with the occult is just bizarre and off-putting. It feels like she's trying too hard to seem edgy and mysterious, but it just comes across as forced and inauthentic. I miss the days when her songs were relatable and heartfelt, rather than this weird and confusing imagery she's now trying to cultivate.

- Mark - 2 stars - Taylor Swift's venture into the occult is a major departure from what made her popular in the first place. I can understand artists wanting to explore different styles and themes, but it feels like she's doing it solely for shock value. The occult references in her music and visuals come across as gimmicky rather than thought-provoking. It's disappointing to see an artist I once admired succumb to this type of superficiality.

- Emily - 1 star - The whole occult vibe that Taylor Swift is currently embracing feels like a desperate attempt to reinvent herself. It's clear that she's trying to distance herself from her country-pop roots, but this new direction feels forced and contrived. The music she's released during this phase lacks the organic and authentic feel of her earlier work. I hope she goes back to making music that truly resonates with her fans, instead of diving into this strange and off-putting aesthetic.

The Dark Side of Taylor Swift: Exploring Occult Rituals in Her Music Videos