Navigating the Turning of the Wheel in the Digital Age
(This first appeared in the Litha 2025 issue of the CWPN (Connecticut Welcoming Pagan Network) lovingly reshared here.)
The sun stands at its apex, high in the sky, as the land shimmers with heat, the grasses are soft beneath your feet, and the forests are swollen and lush with foliage. It is the Summer Solstice, and in this beautiful golden moment on the longest day, our ancestors have gathered around the standing stones and sacred groves, leaping over the bonfires or leaving offerings at sacred wells. Indeed, this is what I love about witchcraft. The heady swell of energy from throwing myself into celebration. We are a set of spiritualities that demand full participation. We engage with nature, the universe, and each other.
In the digital age, many witches find themselves weaving their magick through fiber optic threads, pixels, and code as opposed to under open skies, clasping one another’s hands in sacred dance.
However, still the wild remains!
So, this Solstice, I invite you to consider what it means to be a wild witch in a wired world.
We live in a time of paradox, and honestly, one I am surprised to find myself in. Our technology connects us across vast distances, however, we still can feel isolated and alone. Algorithms feed us curated lives, while the land outside our door waits quietly, full of stories, spirits, and sun-warmed soil. We as witches, shapers of reality and walkers between words, are uniquely positioned to bridge this gap.
Fire was the first technology. With it, our ancestors could warm and feed themselves, they could transform an area or signal across long distances. Today, our “fire” is digital screens that glow in the night. Our messages flung great distances across the globe. Yet a fire is still a fire, and a spell still a spell. Cast in a forest or a coded digital sigil magick still resonates.
So, how do we stay wild? How do we still honor the sun, the land, and each other in this world of shifting code and exploding technology?
Here are a few suggestions for Solstice magick in the digital age:
Rise with the Sun, no phone, no feed, just you and the rising light. Whisper your intentions to the dawn.
Plant something, a real seed in real soil. Name it for a goal you wish to grow. Get your hands dirty!
Use tech as a tool, not a tether. Let your camera capture the Solstice firelight, then step away and dance in it.
Host a virtual ritual, gather witches from every time zone. The circle is flexible, the connection real.
Offer something analog, write a spell by hand. Craft a talisman. Bake bread. Touch the world.
The Summer Solstice is a moment to celebrate both radiance and responsibility. The Earth is alive. Our spirits are aflame. The digital world is not our enemy, but it must not become our cage.
Stay wild, witches.
Stand barefoot on the Earth.
Raise your hands to the sun.
Cast your circles with fiber and flame.
And remember: the real magic was never in the tools.
It’s in you.
If this reflection spoke to you—whether you’re dancing around a bonfire or casting spells through glowing screens—I invite you to stay connected.
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Stay wild. Stay lit. And remember: the real magic was never in the tools.
It’s in you.
Where the Blackthorn Grows Wild 