The rise of modern day witchcraft and the hidden influence of manipulation and selective targeting across institutions
Explore modern day witchcraft as a metaphor for manipulation and selective targeting in workplaces, politics, families, and communities, backed by real data and cases.
Modern witchcraft in today’s world is often misunderstood. Popular culture paints it with mystery, drama, and dark symbolism, yet the reality behind contemporary paganism and Wiccan spirituality is far more grounded, structured, and anthropological. Modern witchcraft refers to a constellation of spiritual practices rooted in neo-paganism, Wicca, traditional folk magic, Celtic belief systems, and nature-based rituals. Practitioners, commonly called witches, engage in disciplines such as spell-casting, meditation, herbology, symbolic rituals, and divination with tools like tarot, crystals, pendulums, or astrological charts. These practices emphasize self-expression, personal empowerment, creativity, and ecological harmony. They diverge sharply from the medieval caricatures of malevolent sorcery or demonic pacts.
The largest identifiable branch, Wicca, follows ethical principles such as the Wiccan Rede “An it harm none, do what ye will.” This moral anchor frames their practice as self-directed but non-harmful. Sociological data shows that these movements have grown steadily. A Pew-aligned 2022 survey estimated more than 1.5 million Americans identify as pagan, Wiccan, or witch-adjacent, with much of this growth attributed to social media communities, digital covens, and the popularization of authors like Starhawk, whose The Spiral Dance continues to influence seekers.
But deeper research framing takes the conversation in a different, symbolic direction, one that many churches, psychologists, and anthropologists recognize: witchcraft not as ritual magic, but as manipulation, domination, and covert control used to intimidate others. This metaphorical definition aligns closely with ancient biblical language and modern organizational behavior research.
In Scripture, witchcraft (pharmakeia) appears in Galatians 5:20 alongside jealousy, division, and hatred. The context is not cauldrons or curses but the misuse of influence to bend others’ will. This interpretation defines witchcraft as any practice be it spiritual, emotional, political, or relational that weaponizes fear, deception, favoritism, or intimidation to dominate. In other words, witchcraft becomes a metaphor for unethical power.
When someone in any place of authority selectively targets certain individuals they fear, envy, or cannot manipulate, that behavior reflects this “spirit of witchcraft.” Instead of using transparency or fair systems, they rely on covert pressure, public shaming, inconsistent enforcement of rules, or emotional manipulation or blackmailing. This is not literal spell-casting, but the effect is the same: it binds, controls, and silences. Guess what? you can silence the courageous who know their God and know themselves.
Below are documented real-world examples across society where selective targeting mirrors this symbolic witchcraft, the kind embedded in systems, organizations, and relationships.
1. Workplace Bullying and Retaliatory Leadership
Organizations often struggle with leaders who discipline outspoken employees while protecting compliant ones. Research by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (2023) shows that approximately 40% of workplace harassment filings involve retaliation, where whistleblowers or ethical dissenters become targets for exposing wrongdoing. Managers may apply rules unevenly, hide behind policy language, or use procedural loopholes to punish specific individuals.
This selective targeting erodes psychological safety and suppresses ethical behavior. In organizational psychology, this is known as abusive supervision, a pattern that mirrors the biblical idea of manipulative witchcraft because it seeks control through fear rather than lawful authority or the use of their thinking faculty to make quality decisions.
2. Political Persecution and the Weaponization of State Power
Governments sometimes use selective enforcement to maintain political dominance. During Russia’s 2022 anti-war protest wave, over 15,000 individuals were detained for dissent, often based on fabricated or disproportionate charges. Reports by Human Rights Watch documented how identical actions by pro-government supporters were ignored. The pattern is clear: the law becomes a tool of intimidation rather than an instrument of justice.
This behavior aligns with the symbolic idea of witchcraft because its purpose is not order but control disguised as legality a deliberate manipulation of power to silence those who refuse compliance.
3. Corporate Favoritism and Strategic Blindness in Auditing
Large corporations are not immune. Enron’s 2001 collapse remains a defining example. Arthur Andersen, its auditing firm, selectively ignored accounting irregularities that would have been aggressively scrutinized in other clients. This selective blindness produced one of history’s largest corporate failures, erasing $74 billion in shareholder value. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission fined Andersen $7 million for obstruction.
The dynamics behind such scandals often involve fear: fear of losing a major client, fear of exposure, or fear of internal conflict. It is strategic favoritism, not objective oversight. This is organizational witchcraft: hidden manipulation with damaging consequences.
4. Spiritual Communities and Inconsistent Application of Discipline
Even religious institutions can fall into patterns that mirror manipulative control. A 2021 Australian Royal Commission investigation into the Jehovah’s Witnesses reported 1,006 allegations of child abuse that went unreported to law enforcement. Instead, internal disciplinary measures often targeted those who raised concerns rather than the perpetrators.
This dynamic of protecting the compliant whilst punishing the courageous reflects a deeper misuse of spiritual authority. It becomes a form of psychological and communal witchcraft because it relies on fear, shame, and silence. In many congregations, research in organizational psychology and church leadership studies shows that unhealthy power groups form quiet alliances. They plant individuals who subtly undermine the work of sincere ministers. These saboteurs create friction, spread distrust, or weaken morale. Their goal is to frustrate progress and dilute the influence of genuine leadership. Sometimes they organize themselves to withhold support from the local assembly, especially during important projects or seasons of expansion. Their unity is not built on love or mission, but on personal loyalty to those who offer them status. They lift voices for the people who flatter them, yet withdraw strength from the place that nurtures their spiritual growth.
True spiritual authority builds, heals, equips, and protects.
False authority manipulates, divides, and suffocates growth. - modern day witchcraft
Wherever intimidation replaces accountability, and wherever loyalty to personalities replaces loyalty to Christ Jesus, a toxic environment forms. Scripture warns us about such realities, urging believers to watch, pray, and remain grounded in truth (Acts 20:28-30, 2 Timothy 3:1-5, James 3:14-16).
5. Family Systems and Manipulative Favoritism
In homes, selective targeting often appears as gaslighting, inconsistent discipline, or favoritism. A 2019 study in the Journal of Family Psychology noted that 25% of adults report lasting emotional distress tied to childhood experiences of sibling favoritism. Parents sometimes reward obedience but marginalize independent or truth-telling children.
This is manipulation through emotional currency, a domestic version of witchcraft because it shapes behavior through fear, not fairness.
How to Recognize and Counter Selective Targeting
Selective targeting prospers in Nigerian settings where rules are easily bent to suit personal preferences, especially within public sector bureaucracies. Here, officials routinely alter procurement guidelines to benefit their allies, subtly undermining the fairness of the process. This pattern also emerges in state assemblies, where power is concentrated among a few, such as governors, who dominate loyalists whilst pushing aside independent voices. The environment becomes even more favorable for selective targeting when governance lacks transparency, which can be seen in complex and opaque oil subsidy agreements that deliberately shield well-connected insiders from meaningful scrutiny.
This pattern also emerges in church councils or jama'ats, where power concentrates among a select few “Yes People”, such as senior prophets or ulemas, who dominate sycophants whilst marginalizing dissenting voices that question decisions and other opacity in the system. The environment grows more fertile for selective targeting when spiritual governance lacks transparency, evident in convoluted prosperity gospel schemes or zakat distributions that deliberately shield well-connected insiders from congregational audits.
The phenomenon intensifies when expressing dissent is risky. Whistleblowers and journalists who expose embezzlement or misuse of public funds in local administrations often face punitive actions, including unlawful arrests, which send a clear warning to others who might challenge the status quo. This impedes democratic accountability and emboldens further manipulation.
To defend against selective targeting, it is critical to document patterns meticulously. By systematically recording incidents, dates, and inconsistencies in a secure journal or digital platform, individuals can create a detailed account of abuses. Such documentation can reveal how, for example, selective enforcement tactics like targeted tax audits hit rival businesses whilst sparing those close to influential actors.
Building alliances is equally vital. Across workplaces and communities in Nigeria, isolation strengthens abusive systems, making it easier for manipulators to thrive. Forming discreet networks with like-minded colleagues or respected community leaders acts as a stabilizing buffer and can transform private conversations into effective collective advocacy.
Escalation to impartial authorities also helps counter selective targeting. Bringing evidence to regulatory bodies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), or to independent ombudsmen within labor unions establishes oversight and can prompt investigations with broader reach and legitimacy. Civil society watchdogs play a crucial role by maintaining public pressure and ensuring transparency.
Maintaining integrity amid manipulation is essential. Abusive systems in Nigerian politics and organizations often feed off emotional reactions, hoping to destabilize and silence opposition. Responding to adversity with calm, fact-based assertions helps disrupt their tactics and protects personal dignity.
Finally, safeguarding mental and emotional well-being is indispensable. It is wise to seek support from professionals, such as counselors affiliated with the Mental Health Foundation Nigeria, as well as faith leaders or trusted mentors in guilds outside your religious system. These resources preserve clarity and resilience against covert tactics like smear campaigns and intimidation in the disguise of carrying out their duty.
Selective targeting, far from being mysterious, avoids complexity: its impact on dignity, personal identity, and agency resonates as a spiritual and social trial within corrupt institutions or rigged elections in Nigeria. Naming it, exposing its workings, and methodically challenging it becomes an act of both resistance and restoration.
“I am not in this world to live up to your expectations of me but to live up to mine” … Bruce Lee
About The Author:
Dr. Ohio O. Ojeagbase is a leading authority in Debt Recovery, Private Investigation, Business Turnaround, and Corporate Governance across Africa especially in Nigeria. Widely regarded as the foremost advocate for integrity in business culture within the continent’s financial security landscape, he has built a career centered on restoring trust, enforcing accountability, and strengthening sustainable business practices within the lending and borrowing space. With a strategic mind shaped by years of field experience, Dr. Ojeagbase has guided emerging organizations, Ultra-HNIs, and financial institutions through complex debt portfolios, corporate risk exposures, and governance challenges.
His work through KREENO Consortium continues to redefine ethical debt recovery, investigative precision, and practical governance solutions. Known for his unwavering emphasis on responsibility, loan transparency, and repayment of debt excellence, he has become a trusted voice in shaping Africa’s evolving credit culture and institutional discipline. Dr. Ojeagbase also serves as a mentor, speaker, and writer, empowering businesses and individuals to pursue long-term stability, operational integrity when taking credit, and generational wealth built on sound financial behavior.
Contact: report@probitasreport.com
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