Emoji Spells

2015image macrodeclining

Emoji Spells are strings of emojis arranged by self-identifying witches on social media, mainly Tumblr, to magically bring about outcomes like getting over an ex or calming anxiety. The format traces to an October 2015 Vice/Broadly article by Tarin Towers and peaked in 2015 and 2016 with dedicated Tumblr accounts and viral spell posts.

tumblr memesemoji origin memesparticipatory ritual memesmid 2010s memes2015 memes

Overview

Emoji Spells are strings of emojis arranged by self-identifying witches on social media to magically bring about a desired outcome, such as getting over an ex or calming anxiety3. On Tumblr, where the format took hold, posts often instruct viewers that likes "charge" the spell while reblogs "cast" it, turning ordinary engagement into ritual participation2.

The practice draws a direct line to traditional witchcraft's use of sigils, unique visual symbols meant to turn an intention into an image, but swaps handmade drawings for pocket-sized pictograms2. Individual spells have covered targets as varied as cursing Donald Trump and blessing pets, framed by their creators as visual sigils that can be cast at scale through social sharing2.

How It Spread

After Broadly's piece, witches on Tumblr picked up the format and built a shared ritual grammar around it, with dedicated accounts and hashtags forming within months2. A widely-shared spell posted on Tumblr to take down Donald Trump collected over 18,000 notes by September 30, 20162. Related posts included a pet-protection spell that passed 99,000 notes and a save-the-bees spell that crossed 40,000, with accounts like emojispells4u and emojispellz forming specifically to create and share new spells3.

On April 10, 2016, Bustle ran Gabrielle Moss's first-person experiment using emoji magic to improve her love life over the course of a week1. Mic followed on August 17, 2016 with a broader explainer connecting the practice to the older sigil tradition and quoting witches who mixed emoji spells with tarot, pendulum, and rune readings2. Coverage in Teen Vogue and other teen-marketed outlets pushed the format further into mainstream feeds4. Some in the wider witchcraft community pushed back on the "like to charge" mechanic, arguing that passive social media engagement was disingenuous compared to hands-on ritual work3.

How to Use This Meme

Emoji Spells typically pair a short caption stating the intent with a line of emojis chosen for symbolic meaning, for example flames for banishing or hearts for love work1. On Tumblr the common convention is to tell viewers that liking the post "charges" the spell and reblogging "casts" it, so audience engagement is baked into the ritual2. Some witches also type spells into phone alarms or send them through Snapchat and text as private casts2.

Frequently Asked Questions

Emoji Spells

2015image macrodeclining

Emoji Spells are strings of emojis arranged by self-identifying witches on social media, mainly Tumblr, to magically bring about outcomes like getting over an ex or calming anxiety. The format traces to an October 2015 Vice/Broadly article by Tarin Towers and peaked in 2015 and 2016 with dedicated Tumblr accounts and viral spell posts.

tumblr memes emoji origin memes participatory ritual memes mid 2010s memes 2015 memes

Overview

Emoji Spells are strings of emojis arranged by self-identifying witches on social media to magically bring about a desired outcome, such as getting over an ex or calming anxiety3. On Tumblr, where the format took hold, posts often instruct viewers that likes "charge" the spell while reblogs "cast" it, turning ordinary engagement into ritual participation2.

The practice draws a direct line to traditional witchcraft's use of sigils, unique visual symbols meant to turn an intention into an image, but swaps handmade drawings for pocket-sized pictograms2. Individual spells have covered targets as varied as cursing Donald Trump and blessing pets, framed by their creators as visual sigils that can be cast at scale through social sharing2.

How It Spread

After Broadly's piece, witches on Tumblr picked up the format and built a shared ritual grammar around it, with dedicated accounts and hashtags forming within months2. A widely-shared spell posted on Tumblr to take down Donald Trump collected over 18,000 notes by September 30, 20162. Related posts included a pet-protection spell that passed 99,000 notes and a save-the-bees spell that crossed 40,000, with accounts like emojispells4u and emojispellz forming specifically to create and share new spells3.

On April 10, 2016, Bustle ran Gabrielle Moss's first-person experiment using emoji magic to improve her love life over the course of a week1. Mic followed on August 17, 2016 with a broader explainer connecting the practice to the older sigil tradition and quoting witches who mixed emoji spells with tarot, pendulum, and rune readings2. Coverage in Teen Vogue and other teen-marketed outlets pushed the format further into mainstream feeds4. Some in the wider witchcraft community pushed back on the "like to charge" mechanic, arguing that passive social media engagement was disingenuous compared to hands-on ritual work3.

How to Use This Meme

Emoji Spells typically pair a short caption stating the intent with a line of emojis chosen for symbolic meaning, for example flames for banishing or hearts for love work1. On Tumblr the common convention is to tell viewers that liking the post "charges" the spell and reblogging "casts" it, so audience engagement is baked into the ritual2. Some witches also type spells into phone alarms or send them through Snapchat and text as private casts2.

Frequently Asked Questions