It's common for cults to start as a community - that is what they're marketed as.

Camp Averno was a fictional world created online from 2019 - 2021. The fanbase grew - the goal was to create a world for connection, in the midst of the pandemic and lockdown.

"According to official content, Averno was created when an Evangelical preacher burned down the cottage of Aster, a witch, killing her daughter. Aster's magical rage "ripped open the fabric between the worlds."[12] This created Averno, a haven for women and queer individuals to find community."

- Wikipedia

They would add to their fictional world and pretend it was real, no harm, no foul. While everyone made content, only things made by the leader were considered true to the story, including a private school in the fictional Virginia town that was Camp Averno. This school had different departments, including the Department of Cults and Mysteries (DCM). This is similar to CTWS as their creator, Gigi Jarvis, has a degree in sociology (which involves knowledge of human behavior and society, which includes cults).

Camp Averno snowballed and had a creator team of over 60 people at the end of its run. People from all over the internet had joined in on the fantasy, creating fan theories and playing along; the creative team even had a musical in the making.

Camp Averno is the perfect example of a new cult boom, mimicking the 1970s. Averno bloomed in COVID, carried out by teens looking for connection and community in the midst of lockdown, so why has it happened again?

Олег Мороз from Unplash

Children Of The Waning Star

Gigi Jarvis posted a TikTok on July 11 2025, titled "Starting a Cult Day 1." On day 4, she posted about picking a name, and she chose" Children Of The Waning Star" (suggested by a commenter). Soon after, she accepted another commenter's proposal, choosing the trademark URL emojis "🫆𖤓".

Much like Camp Averno - she's taking advice and fan theories from "members" and making them canon to the cult lore. She recently started creating a "Entity," claiming members have seen it, and they are playing long, adding to its features and behavior, and wishing each other the ability to meet the entity.

On TikTok, you can see videos of "alters" people have made, featuring hand-drawn sigils and even "blood," though the legitimacy of the redness is up for questioning. The rumors of animal sacrifice and self-mutilation are growing, yet there is little proof. Only satire posts seem to exist, and the whole situation reeks of ragebait and jokes in poor taste.

People heard the rumors and ran with them, and posters are getting death threats because of it. One incident featured a video of someone pretending to sacrifice their dog for the cult, but many people believe they were simply "fishing for clicks" as it was poorly edited and there was no proof the dog was harmed.

"Following the obvious backlash, Gigi recanted her earlier statements by rejecting the label of cult. Instead, she referred to the group as a “community” or safe space. Even after Gigi Jarvis's first TikTok about the Children of the Waning Star, which has since amassed 1.9 million views, former cult victims began to speak out on the dangers of such rhetoric. They warned that these things have a habit of getting out of control.

One person said on TikTok: “I’m speaking out because The Children of the Waning Star is far more dangerous than people realise. What’s happening under the guise of a ‘community’ is deeply disturbing — individuals are sacrificing animals, carving symbols into their bodies, and participating in increasingly violent and harmful behaviour. Despite the leader, Gigi Jarvis, claiming this isn’t a cult, these are exactly the kinds of warning signs we see when cults begin.”

- The Tab

It's rumored that people are getting CWS symbols tattooed, but it's clear that the photos include eyeliner and pen handy-craft.

A creator (who I will keep anonymous) posted a slideshow of "Why to join CWS", including points such as "Gigi and the entity will protect us!!!" "Gigi will lead us down the right path to be accepted by the entity," and "We are a family and accept everyone." The caption is more disturbing, stating "We aren't forcing anyone but we do encourage you to join for your safety, as Gigi and the entity are the only ones who can protect us all from harm. May the stars guide you." The creator later logged off, stating "The hate for the community and the death threats are starting to impact my mental health."

After all this, things on Gigi's side have simmered down.

On Thursday, Gigi posted a lengthy statement to her TikTok apologizing for the hurt she caused.

“I started what was meant to be a fun, creative community by kickstarting a voting-style choose-your-own-adventure game. I genuinely didn’t realise how hurtful the word ‘cult’ could be to some, and although I wish I knew sooner, the last thing I wanted was to cause pain. I am very sorry for my insensitivity.

“Once I learned, I immediately ended the series. I never supported any harmful behaviour. I’m sorry if anyone was hurt or impacted; that was never my intention. Moving forward, I will be using my platform to raise awareness by sharing resources for cult survivors and mental health.

“This whole experience happened very fast and was difficult to figure out while receiving harassment and having my personal info leaked. I appreciate those who’ve been kind and patient while I navigate through this. I’m committed to learning and doing better.” - Gigi Jarvis, TikTok

Unfortunately, all the videos are still up on her page, and the members of the cult don’t seem to be listening to their leader. It’s still going, and TikTok is yet to act."

- The Tab

On 7-14, she posted a new TikTok titled "starting a community day one <3", and asked "if we wanted an accessory to spot other people from our community, what do we want it to be?

On 7-26, she posted another TikTok, "Addressing everything pertaining to the cult children of the waning star," imitating comments and responding to them.

"Cult is a bad word, and you should have known better." Ok, well, I didn't. And the second I did get informed, I immediately changed everything to community because that's what it''s always been. And if it's common sense, then why did 150,000 people also put the lil emoji in their name tag?" - Gigi Jarvis, TikTok, 7-16

This sentence is an insult to cult victims around the world, and to sociology itself. After the Manson Family, it's common sense that cults are not to be joked about, especially as a sociology major on a large platform. As a sociology major, she knows very well why 150,000 played along into her "community," so her saying this is very suspicious and jaw-dropping, especially for someone who even made the dean's list. While she was at Kenneshaw state, what was she even learning, if not how humans function in society, and do what they do?

If you view her Linkdin, you can see "Kennesaw State University. Bachelor of Science - BS Sociology and Marketing Senior. 2018 - 2022"

She allegedly made the dean's list in 2022, and I was able to find a "Gigi Jarvis" on the website, though keep in mind it's possible there is another Gigi also majoring in sociology.

"June 14, 2022

Gigi Jarvis of Acworth has been named to Kennesaw State University's Spring 2022 Dean's List in recognition of academic achievement.

Majoring in Sociology, Jarvis is among the nearly 6,800 students named to the Spring 2022 Dean's List. To qualify, students must earn a grade point average of 3.5 or higher and complete a minimum of nine credit hours."

- Pulled From the Kennesaw 2022 Deans List

Many people are taking this newfound revelation and running with it, even accusing her of this being an attention-seeking stunt. She is a beginner actress and model, she has a large platform, and she started a cult despite her sociology education. All signs point to this being a stunt, or perhaps a social experiment.

Maybe Gigi had fallen victim to romanticization culture, maybe she did really want to make a safe community, or maybe it's a stunt. But it doesn't matter, because the wrong kinds of people got involved, and she needs to take accountability because she clearly knew it was wrong.

Take the Quiz: If you were a Never Have I Ever character, which one would you be?

Are you Crazy Devi, robotics queen Fabiola Torres, or maybe popular jock Paxton?

What Is A Cult?

"cult, usually small group devoted to a person, idea, or philosophy. The term cult is often applied to a religious movement that exists in some degree of tension with the dominant religious or cultural inclination of a society. In recent years the word cult has been most commonly used as a pejorative term for a religious group that falls outside the mainstream and, by implication, engages in questionable activities. Many new religions are controversially labeled as cults."

- The Britannica

It's up to interpretation if Children of the Waning Star could qualify as a cult. Their leader and creator is Gigi, and creating an entity could qualify as mythology.

Gigi has clearly developed a mass following, with people stating "Praise Gigi" and "may the stars be with you." It's clear what people believe, and even Gigi has now started calling CWS a "community" instead of a cult.

This What Is A Cult recourse is shared by an organization supporting cult victims, including information on Online Cults.

Alexander Andrews from Unplash

The Phenomenon Of Aesthetics And Romantization

Children of the Waning Star came to my attention when I saw an aesthetic slideshow on TikTok ;"Cult girl summer," featuring pictures of foggy days, dreary willow trees, women holding hands, and spinning on an overcast afternoon. It gave the energy of a haunted doll house.

Gen Z is deep in aesthetic culture, everything has a theme. It seems this causes some separation between the "aesthetics' of a cult (community, foggy days, witchy and hunted things, devotion, admiration) and the severity (and reality) of it. We like the idea of it, the vibes, and we mistake the aesthetics for reality. We don't include cult survivors in our mood boards.

A good example is the generation-wide fascination with the 80s. We love the fashion, the vibes, landline phones, and hairstyles. We fawn over 80s summer camps and horror novels.

But we separate these things from the reality of the times. The homophobia, gender roles, sexism, and political climate are separated from the aesthetics so that we can enjoy it freely without having to think about the turmoil. People say "Vintage style, not vintage values," Now people seem to be saying "Cult bonds, without cult experiences"

It could be satire gone wrong, a joke in bad taste, innocent people looking for community, who didn't realize what cults entail. Whatever you think of this situation, it started on TikTok. These things tend to snowball, and this day and age is the perfect time for another cult boom like in the 70s. And it all starts with romanticization and ignorance.

The 1970's Cult Boom

CWS is yet another sign of a cult boom - but people on TikTok aren't making the connection. TikTokers are focusing on the immorality of the situation, but not the signs of what it is becoming. They say cults aren't something to be joked about - but maybe they aren't joking.

By "cult boom," we're referring to the 1970s, an infamous time of blooming cults run by power-hungry acid trippers.

“In the 20th century, there was a watershed moment that really erupted in the ‘60s. But it goes back a decade before that, when in the midst of really great national success, at least for white folks, there was the idea that there was a rising middle class, that one could achieve the American dream, that there was education, and that poverty was being slowly alleviated.

The children of these groups [said], ‘Oh, see, I can go to college, I can get a house. I can have two children, a white picket fence, a dog, and a good job. But is that all there is in the world?’ And we start to see breakaway cultural movements, starting with the beatniks, then the hippies, the broader counterculture, and a lot of these end up coalescing into intentional communities."

- Ben Zeller, KCRW

Much like today, the 70s were rife with turmoil and uncertainty, it makes sense that Hippies would ban together in their own communities, finding a new person to guide them. The 70s revolved around the Vietnam War and fear mongering - cults promise safety and connections.

The turmoil of the political climate and the war made people scatter from politics and societal rules, and it was doomed to the taken advantage of by evil people. It's similar to the modern idea of choosing to live off grid, make your own medicine and and follow your own rules. They wanted a safe space away from being drafted, away from Reagan, to be with nature without bloodshed....so they formed communities and cults. Of course they started out as a safe space, a community, but these things go sour; and It's happening again.

Cult Booms Now

Two back-to-back "Choose your own adventure" cults raise the following question: What's happening now that makes people want to escape so badly? The answer is clear. The pandemic, economic turmoil, country allies are unstable, and relationships are being threatened by tech.

This Tumblr post sums up the current world state very well:

"i mean that conditions are perfect for the formation of cults right now.

• high unemployment and a lot of underpaying, pointless jobs = people are looking for things to do with their life, a purpose
• skyrocketing cost of living = most young people will not be able to live on their own, meaning some will end up in a group living situation with people interested in recruiting them it's a time of great cultural and political upheaval, nothing feels real, people are desperate for meaning and human connection. cults promise that
• there is a new wave of acceptance and understanding for ways of life outside the norm, which is great! ...except for when cult leaders tell you abusive and controlling practices are just their culture, their religion, their lifestyle, their beliefs, their tradition, and if you disrespect it you are the problem
• social media influencers have already shown us how easy it is to build a cult of personality and attract people from anywhere in the world who are interested in the exact brand you are selling
• spirtuality is having a boom, as are things like astrology, crystals, tarot, meditation, energy... those things aren't bad on their own but they are often used as tools of cult spaces
• wellness. i think a lot of people are already in wellness cults. you can make people do a lot of things in the name of "wellness" and a big factor of maintaining a cult is keeping members in a state of decreased cognition..... like say, with regular fasting
• i think people are just unaware in general of how cults function, especially because the satanic panic was a big stupid false alarm that convinced the youths that dungeons and dragons or doom were gateways to cults, which are scary evil child murdering, satan-worshipping gangs. people don't know how to spot them in real life."

The state of the world is like a warm, wet pot, and cults are starting to sprout and thrive in the uncertainty and lack of connections.

"New Age" religions are sprouting once again, often involving neurodivergent people being written off as aliens or "Starseeds." While this topic is a whole other article, New Age has risen in this new boom as well, and it's worth noting.

Aldebaran S from Unsplash

Final Thoughts

People took it too far, as most do, this playfully cult like community turned sour. I believe Gigi Jarvis is guily ot starting this "community," and needs to take accountability. I believe her followers should take accountability as well for perpetuating rumors that lead to people getting doxxed.

Cults and no joke, and if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and flies like a duck, it's probably a duck. It's important to learn the telltale signs of all cults and unsafe environments, so I've listed some resources for education and cult victims. Most cults don't outwardly call themselves cults the way Gigi Jarvis did; most call themselves "communities" or "families." The Manson family called themselves a family; Heaven's Gate was Heaven's Gate. You may think that mentioning these dangerous, traumatic cults in an article about an online "cult" is dramatic, but it's not. You may notice that some of the resources include serious stories, cults, and descriptions of traumatic environments. This is because cults are no joke. Yes, the rumors of people carving CWS symbols into their skin and sacrificing their pets are lies. But people have done that for other cults. There aren't "good cults" and "bad cults," only cults.

Educational Resources

Online Cults & Online Drift - Made by People Leave Cults

People Leave Cults - Support and educational resources for cult survivors (and anyone looked to learn, like you!)

Signs And Symbols of Cultism - an article by Ryan Hillard, hosted by People Leave Cults

The Cult Education Institute- "CEI's mission is to study destructive cults, controversial groups and movements and to provide a broad range of information and services easily accessible to the public for assistance and educational purposes online through the Web."-CEI