Category: Research

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Census Update Research

The Witchcraft Census: Round 2

102 magical practitioners took the Witchcraft Census 2.0. The census was open from August 2021 to August 2022. I’m closing this round of the census and will soon start contacting those who indicated that they’d be open to being interviewed.

The methodology for this census was by no means perfect, and you should view this information knowing the flaws involved in gathering it. It was circulated through online witch communities, specifically those most likely to be interested in answering these questions, including attendants of SASS Witch Con, at which I presented. Clearly this is not a proportionally representative sampling of witches, even in the US, from which most participants hail.

In this round of the census I gathered more data from participants, and more of the questions were freeform instead of multiple choice, allowing for more precise and varied answers than WC1.0. I recommend viewing this data in conjunction with WC1.0, as the two studies compliment each other, with answers and feedback from 1.0 informing the questions and structure of 2.0. At a later point I may do another round of questions using feedback from participants, but for now, enjoy the Witchcraft Census 2.0 in its complete form.

witchcraftcensus2.0The Witchcraft Census
Categories
Census Update Research

The Witchcraft Census: Round 1

Over 600 witches answered the first round of our Witchcraft Census and dozens of people wrote us with input on further questions. The Census was open from March 27th to May 24th, 2021. I’m now closing this set of questions in order to revise some questions and add others.

The methodology for this census was by no means perfect, and you should view this information knowing the flaws involved in gathering it.

  1. It was circulated through online witch communities, specifically those most likely to be interested in answering these questions. Clearly this is not a proportionally representative sampling of witches, even in the US, from which most participants hail.
  2. In a number of cases, particularly the question involving religious identity, I added a number of religions as I was reminded of them. Since the app I was using had no write-in option, this means that data is particularly skewed, as not everyone had the complete list you see in the results.
  3. Finally, this first round of questions was written on a whim, in a few hours, and reviewed by no one but me (I was expecting maybe 20 participants, not over 600). The multiple choice answers are by no means exhaustive, merely a sampling of the most common views I’ve personally seen expressed in or about witchcraft circles, which is of course limited to my personal experience. Further rounds of the census will involve more planning.

Nevertheless, I think even this first round of questions beings to illustrate the breadth and depth of beliefs within witchcraft. I hope it can be used to correct some misinformation about witchcraft for practitioners and nonpractitioners alike, and to sate curiosity. Thank you to everyone who participated or expressed interest. Here are the results, in image and PDF format.

Census Question 1 PDFDownload
Census Question 2 PDFDownload
Census Question 3 PDFDownload
Census Question 4 PDFDownload
Census Question 5 PDFDownload
Census Question 6 PDFDownload
Census Question 7 PDFDownload
Census Question 8 PDFDownload
Census Question 9 PDFDownload
Census Question 10 PDFDownload
Census Question 11 PDFDownload
Categories
Census Update Research

The first 24 hours of the Witchcraft Census

I am overwhelmed to have gotten 200+ responses to the Witchcraft Census overnight! When I wrote those questions yesterday, I thought I might get a couple dozen responses, if I was lucky.

Thank you to all the magical practitioners who have answered, and the folks who reached out with thoughtful suggestions about wording or choices. Keep reaching out if you have ideas for further questions or choices to add, or if you’re interested in taking part in the cataloging and research part of the project.

It’s just been me so far, so the current questions and collected artifacts are the result of my curiosity. I’m ecstatic that others are also interested in this project, and look forward to widening the scope of research to include others curiosity.

Without further ado, here are the results of the Witchcraft Census, as of 2 PM PST, March 28, 2021.

I’ll do updates on the Witchcraft Census when I see significant increases in total answers, or when there are new questions to answer.

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Research

Why start a museum about contemporary witchcraft?

One of the things I love about witchcraft is how differently everyone does it. Witches have opinions. Lots of opinions. We’re a rebellious bunch, and I love that. I don’t want everyone to practice magic the way I practice magic, anymore than I want everyone to paint the way I paint. The joy of any art form is in variety and experimentation. And to me, witchcraft is first and foremost an art.

Which is the main reason I’m starting the Museum of Contemporary Witchcraft. I’m slowly collecting witchcraft zines, books, and artifacts, with an emphasis on DIY and handmade artifacts instead of the mass-produced items. I’m also getting ready to ask a lot of witches a lot of questions, starting with the Witchcraft Census, a short survey you can fill out here. 

I don’t have a huge budget for this, but currently I’m buying zines and small magical items from folks who would normally be selling at events. Once the world gets less distant again, I’m planning on taking my show on the road, doing outreach at witchy events, trading zines and spells, soliciting donations of old spells folks want to be rid of, interviewing witches, etc.

So with that, welcome! I hope you’ll join me on this journey!