I understand the appeal of wanting to disappear into a pastoral scene. The hustle and bustle of modern life can make you long for a quieter and more peaceful existence. Imagine not having to work, simply having to exist as a part of nature. I’m sure that’s a dream for so many of us. 

Cottage core fantasies have existed for far longer than you might think. The aesthetic popped up around 2019 or 2020 on TikTok, but writers and artists have been wishing they could live in a cottage in the woods far away from the city for centuries. Going back even further, witchy girls have allegedly been hanging out in bogs and woods since medieval times. Even though this fantasy is not my cup of tea (After my friend got «possessed by the moon» during our Sophomore year of high school, I swore off witchy stuff for good), I respect the cottage core witchy girly community, and I want them to enjoy these pastoral and magical memes.