Vanessa Winley, group partnerships director at Spark Foundry Australia, spoke to Stacey Demarco, a modern-day witch.
Modern culture has elevated a very specific archetype: the hustler, fixated on linear progress and constant acceleration.
Output, optimisation and urgency are prioritised above all else. But this framework is ultimately failing us.
Burnout is rising. Trust in institutions is eroding. Consumers are growing sceptical of systems that promise control but deliver exhaustion.
Into this tension steps an unexpected guide: the modern witch.
Plagued for millennia by stereotypes of fear, fetishisation or fantasy, witchcraft isn’t a rejection of modern life. It’s a practical operating system for navigating it more intentionally.
Speaking with Stacey Demarco, a modern-day Witch, it becomes clear that witchcraft today isn’t about spells or magic. It’s about cycles.
Reflection, intentional action and the compounding power of small, repeated choices.
The original meaning of wicce, ‘weaver’, is instructive here. A witch doesn’t escape reality; she weaves past and present, purpose and practice, habit and meaning.
In a culture obsessed with linear growth, cyclical thinking offers something radical: permission to pause, reassess, and realign.
A reframe on power
Demarco’s philosophy is disarmingly simple. Witchcraft, she argues, isn’t about escapism or blind belief. It’s about rebuilding power from the inside out.
When our esteem hinges on external validation, as is key to hustle culture, we become fragile, reactive and easily manipulated.
In contrast, when we cultivate inner confidence, tracked through tangible personal successes, routines and self-knowledge, we become, in her words, “extremely powerful.”
Such power is built cyclically. Demarco describes working with the moon, not through a mystical framing, but as a discipline. The phases become a structure for preparation, reflection, adjustment and accountability.
A Dark Moon for release, planning and rest; a New Moon for beginnings; a Full Moon for goals. A waxing cycle for building, and a waning cycle for clearing obstacles.
It is strategy wrapped in symbolism. A way to break big ambitions into seasonal micro‑shifts that make progress feel manageable, not overwhelming. A process that sharpens focus, replaces hesitation with momentum, and inspires decisive action.
An antidote to the modern condition
The resurgence of witchcraft is in response to a world that feels increasingly extractive – of time, attention, energy and identity. Demarco argues that if more people lived this way, we’d see a society less driven by fear, comparison and conformity. One that’s harder to manipulate, quicker to support others and more willing to take meaningful risks.
That’s why this philosophy feels so timely. In an era defined by algorithms, constant refinement and pressure to perform, cyclical thinking restores something we’ve lost: trust in our own judgement.
The modern witch, then, isn’t an archetype to fear or romanticise. She’s a reminder that real, lasting power comes from turning intention into action, cycle after cycle, until your life reflects what you value.
For brands, this philosophy challenges the idea of a formulaic, perpetually optimised always‑on customer experience and invites a rethink:
- Brands that prioritise depth and long-term value over superficial, immediate solutions are poised for future success. Westpac’s ‘Catch & Keep’, which provides fans the chance to take home a match ball when it gets kicked into the stands, proves that when brands create something worth participating in, attention follows.
- Brands with established heritage can remain highly relevant by leveraging their historical strengths. They don’t need to constantly reinvent themselves if they’ve built something enduring. Revlon is a prime example given its long-term commitment to beauty for all. This has created both consistency and credibility in a category known for rapid change.
- Brands that form meaningful connections with the natural world and its patterns offer unique value, such as Voyages Tourism Australia. By anchoring in cultural engagement and a deep, authentic understanding of the places they operate in, Voyages have developed a strong connection not just with the ‘who’ but with the ‘where’ and ‘why’ of their brand purpose.
