'Whose curse gave President Trump COVID-19?,' wonder American witches

Social media nearly lost it when news broke earlier this month that President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania tested positive for COVID-19. It was an utter and absolute pandemonium of jokes, bleach memes, fear, Ghanaian pallbearers' coffin dances, and netizens sending their "thoughts and prayers." However, amid the chaos emerged a particularly intriguing theory that the Commander-in-Chief's diagnosis might be the result of witchcraft or some other form of spirituality which people across the world have been practicing on him since the day he took office. It all stemmed from the date on which the news came out — October 1 — and the significance it bore to the Wiccan community.

October 1, which happened to be a harvest moon, is particularly significant to witches due to it's symbolism related to the changing of the seasons. Pamela Grossman, the host of The Witch Wave podcast and author of Waking the Witch: Reflections on Women, Magic, and Power, explained to VICE that the moon itself played a role in the symbolism as it was a harvest moon — which is a full moon and also the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox. She added that many of the rituals that witches have been doing previously fall on the new moon and that the full moon is more about releasing energies and powers that have been growing throughout the waxing of the moon.

"We have two full moons in October, on the first day and the last day, which is rare," said Grossman. "The last day happens to be what people call Halloween, which we in the pagan community call Samhain." Although she feels every month is witchy, she has a soft spot for the month of October as it is the month of Halloween. "I think the symbolism of it starting with a full moon and ending with a full moon also feels really powerful," Grossman added. "It's book ended by these two incredible cosmic moments, and so that feels like a big portal for change and transformation as well."

This is by no means the first time witches and pagans have "used their powers" on President Trump. According to BBC, in 2017, followers of witchcraft across the US performed a mass spell designed to stop the president doing harm. Grossman explained that there is a significant difference between hexes and binding. While spells of binding are about preventing a target from doing harm, hexes are explicitly about doing harm. In Trump's case, however, Grossman believes it's more likely he contracted the novel Coronavirus through his own lax attitude towards the pandemic, masks, and social distancing.

"If I could think of one of the most powerful spells to put on someone like Donald Trump, who has been the source of so much destruction, discrimination and discord, it would be to grant them the ability to truly know who they are and what they have done," she said. "I believe he has made the world a significantly more painful place because of his actions. I hope that he realizes that and has to live with that. And I hope he pays the consequences for it."