From Ritual to Digital

In this fast-paced digital age, the emergence of virtual fortune-telling practices on TikTok reflects how traditional magical practices are being transformed through technology and social interaction. This study analyzes how the meaning of "magic" is constructed and redefined in this digital environment. Guided by Peter L. Berger and Thomas Luckmann's social construction theory and Michael D. Bailey's framework on the meaning of magic, this research examines how authority, belief, and the effectiveness of rituals are produced through online interactions. Data were collected through direct observation using ethnography of five TikTok accounts that were active in five live-streaming sessions per account, totaling twenty-five sessions, that regularly host live fortune telling sessions, involving symbolic rituals such as tarot readings, spiritual attire, and audience participation through comments and digital gifts. Findings show that TikTok's algorithms and community dynamics transform fortune-telling into a performative and participatory form of "digital magic," where belief and legitimacy emerge through emotional engagement and algorithmic visibility, rather than through supernatural powers. This study contributes to contemporary discussions on digital magic and religion by showing how digital platforms reconstruct spiritual meaning and blur the boundaries between the sacred and the profane.

algorithmic visibility · Audience participation · Live Streaming · online religion · Ritual · sacred and profane · tarot reading · TikTok · Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies · Media, Religion, Digital Communication · Religious Studies and Spiritual Practices