Why Marketing is a Lot Like Magic & How to Defend Against It | A Christian Witch's Magic Tips

Because the last thing we need to do is lose money to junk we don't need.

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Alright, so here's the thing about this week's blog tip: this one isn't really for you to do (though what I'll tell you can absolutely be useful for your own magic!). Rather, this is one for you to watch out for in the world, and that's because whether people call it magic or marketing, the fact is that you are being subconsciously influenced and glamored all the time to give your hard earned money up to the corporations that want it so bad.

And in fact, this is a lesson I teach to my students when we get to the portion about pathos (rhetoric that convinces through emotion). This basically includes a lesson on how language can draw people into an argument, and also how graphic design can subconsciously lure people in, too. For example: when you think of money, or luck, what color comes to mind?

If you said green, you and I are on the same wavelength—along with most other people. And so it's no wonder that banks like Citizen's Bank would choose that (along with green's complementary color, orange, for contrast) to signify that they are a good, profitable bank and therefore a good place to put your money. More than that, there's also the language people use, because the certain words you use have power; as witches, we know this better than anyone, I'd say, and so using words like "pretty" don't have the same impact as stronger language like "bombshell," "glamorous," etc. It's all manipulation. It's all marketing. And under the surface, whether people realize it or not... it's also all magic.

Here's the thing, though: everyone is doing this. All the time. Every time you scroll and see an advertisement, ask yourself: what is it that's drawing you in? Is it really the product?

Or is it something else?

In a time where resources are strapped, and where money is increasingly tighter, the last thing you need is to have some company trying to hook into your subconscious to pry your money from your fingers. So let's talk about signs you may need some warding, and how to fortify yourself against it.

Signs You May Need to Begin Warding Against Marketing

Right away, if you find yourself scrolling on Instagram or TikTok or wherever else you're constantly seeing ads, and you see something that makes you say, "omg I need that," pause real quick. What kind of thing is it?

• Clothing?

• Decorations?

• Stickers?

• Journals?

• Jewelry?

• Skincare?

Remember: like in magic, the objects are only the symbols of the things they're selling you. If they're trying to sell you these things, are they really just selling the physical item, or are they also trying to sell you things like:

• Beauty?

• Power?

• Comfort?

• Stability?

• Wealth?

• Health?

Look at these items you're being sold. Figure out how you're reacting to them, or how you're being pulled to react to them. Pay attention to how those that sell them speak. Are they saying things like how gorgeous, powerful, magnetic they are in a certain outfit? Are they saying how ugly and afflicted they were before they started using a certain facial exfoliator? Are they giving something as simple as a planner or a journal all the credit for "fixing" their disorganized lives? Are they showing images of themselves looking beautiful, happy, and confident in a new dress, and do those feelings seem to reach through the screen to you?

And look deeper. What color are the things being sold? Or the packaging of the brand? What shapes or motifs (flowers, animals, etc.) are involved in a brand's logo? What mood does their website or landing page give off (clean? mysterious? luxury?) and what impression is it trying to leave on you?

As I tell my students all the time: what do they want you to think, based on what you see? And then what do they want you to do?

Sit with it next time those ads pop up. Assess how you feel. If you're feeling like you're automatically imagining a future with yourself and that item (like a dress), or you feel like you see it and immediately think of some "problem" you have (like skin issues, hair issues, organizational issues, cleaning woes), force yourself to pause.

Will these things really enhance your life? If you've got chronic pain, illness, or disability, for instance, then maybe a gadget that helps with certain parts of cleaning your house is necessary and helpful. But if your house already has all kinds of gadgets that you rarely use... maybe adding one more won't help. Maybe it's just the glamors of capitalism trying to urge you to acquire and consume, even when you don't need to. Maybe it's some targeted, powerful language and symbolism trying to find and uproot your insecurities so you'll do anything, buy anything, to bury them again.

Because, you know, that phrase "you're under their spell" doesn't exist for nothing—and you really might just be under a spell of a marketer's making.

How to Ward Against Manipulative Marketing

Now, if you've determined these anxious, icky feelings weren't quite there before, then my honest advice would be to do a couple things:

1. Ground

2. Banish

3. Cleanse

Grounding means that you disconnect. Don't just exit the browser or anything, though; it's not always so easy. Magic is a visual craft, as I've said a thousand times, and so when it comes to grounding, it's better that you put the phone or laptop down altogether, find a mirror or your closet or your pantry, and take an honest look at the situation.

Remind yourself: You already have things that make you feel beautiful, and your closet doesn't have space for more. You already are beautiful: see your eyes, your cheeks, your hair, your nose, and honestly believe it. Find the things you love about yourself and remind yourself of them. Feel your own life energy create the blush in your cheeks and put the stars in your eyes. Take deep breaths and watch your shoulders rise and fall, knowing your frame is sturdy like a tree. And go to your pantry or your closet, look at your cleaning tools, and remind yourself that the tools you already spend time with are ones that know you well and that have been helpful to you all this time; they're already your allies, and adding more to the mix only adds more clutter.

Then, when you're right and grounded, go and close out the app, or maybe add everything to cart that you wanted and tie a string around your phone, signalling that you're "locking" those items in your cart and not allowing them to manifest before you delete them. (Warning: interacting with products at all on places like TikTok shop will make the algorithm push those exact products to you more to get you to try and buy them; repeat exposure is a tried and true tactic for getting conversions. It usually takes seeing something 3 times before people buy. Consider also that hitting "not interested" is in itself a banishing charm.)

And finally, cleanse! Ring a bell and shake the last of those feelings away. Do a smoke cleanse. Wash your hands or your face. Shake out the weird feelings. Anything that signifies getting those icky, implanted insecurities and anxieties out.

Then go about your day with a full wallet and with a house that isn't crammed with junk. This is a test of mental fortitude as much as spiritual, and it's actually a great way to practice identifying outside influences and warding them off/banishing them!

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Sara Raztresen is a Slovene-American writer, screenwriter, and Christian witch. Her fantasy works draw heavily on the wisdom she gathers from her own personal and spiritual experience, and her spiritual practice borrows much of the whimsy and wonder that modern society has relegated to fairy-and-folktale. Her goal is to help people regain their spiritual footing and discover God through a new (yet old) lens of mysticism.

Follow Sara on Tiktok, Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube, and explore her fiction writing here.