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Thorn Mooney

@thornthewitch.bsky.social

4.2K followers 210 following 1.4K posts

Religious Studies PhD student: the paranormal, secularism, magic, spiritualism, ethnography. Lit MA. Publishing production day job. Witch author, Gard priestess, guitarist, fountain pen person, Swiftie, probably a werewolf. https://linktr.ee/thornthewitch

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Thorn Mooney @thornthewitch.bsky.social · Nov 15

Hello new platform! I’m Thorn. I’m a religious studies PhD student thinking about magic, modernity, and the paranormal. I publish trade books about witchcraft, and am usually online talking about fountain pens and books. Every now and then, guitars.

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Thorn Mooney @thornthewitch.bsky.social · 1d

This feels like when younger people will say “You know who is underrated?” And then will name someone widely acclaimed.

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Reposted by Thorn Mooney

Maevius Lynn @maeviuslynn.bsky.social · 2d

𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲!

I spent years researching, writing, and combing through archives and private libraries to put together a gem of a book about the holy days of Thelema.

Available for pre-order now at @llewellynbooks.bsky.social #magick #occult

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Thorn Mooney @thornthewitch.bsky.social · 2d

I am exactly like this. I’m genuinely terrified that when I’m elderly I’ll be agoraphobic. So I make myself travel and go out and interact. And I’m great once I’m there. But I hate it. It is so difficult to explain to other people.

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Thorn Mooney @thornthewitch.bsky.social · 3d

Oh my god I would never recover 😭

Reposted by Thorn Mooney

Bookshop.org @bookshop.org · 4d

Can’t decide what to buy on Prime Day?

Try: absolutely nothing, and then go support indie bookstores instead 📚

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Thorn Mooney @thornthewitch.bsky.social · 4d

I’m a fan of the music. As a woman playing music who has worked in teaching women and girls to play, I can tell you Taylor changed the scene, for the better. I can equally tell you that billionaires shouldn’t exist and celebrity obsession is toxic. I don’t have inner turmoil about any of that.

Thorn Mooney @thornthewitch.bsky.social · 4d

A whole lot of people, apparently.

Thorn Mooney @thornthewitch.bsky.social · 4d

We have Big Feelings about Taylor Swift—fans and haters and in between—and it feels disingenuous to frame it in these anti-sex, her-lyrics-aren’t-Shakespeare ways. When we could easily just talk about the really important and totally valid problems around capitalism. Who cares if she says “dick.”

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Thorn Mooney @thornthewitch.bsky.social · 4d

It’s been weird watching us collectively frame these feelings as somehow being about the music itself, when to me it so clearly isn’t. If it were, we’d have had these same reactions to Sabrina, who to me is sonically similar to what Taylor just released. The difference is Taylor isn’t Sabrina.

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Thorn Mooney @thornthewitch.bsky.social · 4d

But there’s also the boring run of the mill misogyny that‘s existed around Taylor Swift since at least Fearless. And the fact that people are still uncomfortable about sex, especially when it’s women talking. I‘m still not sure why Taylor’s sexuality in particular affects people so widely.

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Thorn Mooney @thornthewitch.bsky.social · 4d

Like I really just had a conversation with a classic rock fan who told me this album was ”too crass.” Compared to…what? My NIN-obsessed buddy just told me “Wood” was inappropriate. Um. There are valid critiques we need to make about Swift. Billionaires should not exist, etc.

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Thorn Mooney @thornthewitch.bsky.social · 4d

There are a number of important social and political issues that we need to have looking at the existence of systems that create a Taylor Swift. But it’s been a weird week watching otherwise smart, savvy people focus on…the fact that she swears? That it’s…too pop? That she’s…slutty?

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Thorn Mooney @thornthewitch.bsky.social · 4d

But also I try not to have emotional expectations of celebrities. I think a lot of the discourse I’m seeing—love and hate—is parasocial. The disappointment, the outrage, the adoration. Overwhelmingly it doesn’t feel related to the actual music.

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Reposted by Thorn Mooney

Teacoa R. A. Rushton @teacoarushton.com · 8d

Hello everyone. I need your help. I suffer from diabetic retinopathy. Its a diabetic condition that affects the eyes and is the leading cause of blindness. I need your helo raising money for treatment so I can keep my vision as long as I can. Please share and donate if you can.

gofund.me/c8fa133bb

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Thorn Mooney @thornthewitch.bsky.social · 4d

Also the second we knew it was a Max Martin record? Like, hello. That man made all of the pop songs of my teen years and beyond. I knew what I was getting.

Thorn Mooney @thornthewitch.bsky.social · 4d

I mean, obviously.

Thorn Mooney @thornthewitch.bsky.social · 4d

I could say the same for every musician and band I love!

Thorn Mooney @thornthewitch.bsky.social · 4d

All of them! They all have things that I’ve enjoyed at different times of my life. Evermore, Poets, and Red are probably my most consistently played. Speak Now is my most sentimental. I‘m fond of Debut and Fearless because I taught all those songs so often. But each also has songs I don’t care for.

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Thorn Mooney @thornthewitch.bsky.social · 4d

I got Eldest Daughter ready to fucking go, bestie.

Thorn Mooney @thornthewitch.bsky.social · 4d

And Father Figure is my favorite track.

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Thorn Mooney @thornthewitch.bsky.social · 4d

For the record, as a longtime fan, I love this album. As a musician, I’m excited about the return of a guitar presence and the fun funk-inspired instrumentation. Jacob’s analysis, per usual, is both interesting and actually useful for thinking about fandom and parasocial relatability moving forward.

Jacob Barrett @jakebarrett25.bsky.social · 4d

I have a lot of thoughts about Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl but even more about the discourse about the album! Why are people so worked up? Read my thoughts!

When Intimate Publics Shift: Understanding the Discourse around Taylor Swift's New Album thereluctantamericanist.com/2025/10/06/w...

When Intimate Publics Shift: Understanding the Discourse around Taylor Swift’s New Album

As those who know me well (or, even those who have been around me for any length of time) know, I’m a Swiftie. And I was excited for The Life of a Showgirl like everyone else. I stayed up to …

thereluctantamericanist.com

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Thorn Mooney @thornthewitch.bsky.social · 4d

I just found out the Religion Department has opted to allow late registration since so many are still asking to be admitted! So if you thought you missed out you can still join us. This week we’re talking about
Spiritualism, parapsychology, and Houdini! www.religiondepartment.com/AmericanPara...

American Paranormal with Thorn Mooney

www.religiondepartment.com

Thorn Mooney @thornthewitch.bsky.social · 5d

You can tell it’s late and I’ve been in grad school too long because I don’t even know psych is sike. Anyway here’s Solsbury Hill, everyone…

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Thorn Mooney @thornthewitch.bsky.social · 5d

New plan: apply to do a joint workshop at Mystic South, then be like *psych* here’s six Phil Collins covers.

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Thorn Mooney @thornthewitch.bsky.social · 5d

Ahhh you have a Daisy Rock! I love that atomic pink glitter so much.