Lux Occult 107. MAGA Witches & “Magic Wars” w / Micheal M. Hughes
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Mar 20, 2026 Micheal M. Hughes, writer and practicing magician who authored Magic for the Resistance, discusses his viral 2017 binding spell and the media furor it sparked. He covers the rise of MAGA-aligned occultists and theatrical counter-magic, grift and recruitment in spiritual spaces, consent-centered community work like the Green Mushroom Project, and how ritual sustains activist resilience.
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Why Media Latches Onto Witchcraft Stories
- Hughes and Lex link the mainstream media interest to witchcraft's rising popularity and the spell's novelty as political theater.
- A public ritual that reads like a story (witches binding a president) hits the zeitgeist and draws journalist attention.
Golden Dawn 'Magic Wars' Targeted Hughes
- Hughes received fierce backlash from a Golden Dawn group led by David Griffin and Leslie McQuaid who launched 'magic wars' against him.
- Their videos and public rituals mixed threat language, theatrical props, and conspiratorial accusations aimed at Hughes.
Occult Spaces Can Harbor Political Grifts
- Hughes observed that occult communities are not immune to political grifts and authoritarian recruitment; fascist-aligned figures can monetize esoterica.
- He highlights trademarks, paid courses, and sensational content as components of that grift.
