Warning: The following contains SPOILERS for Yellowjackets season 2, episode 3.
An astounding moment in Yellowjackets season 2 sees a flock of birds falling from the sky to their deaths, but when Lottie suggests the group gather their corpses as "blessings," it sets up what will soon be the survivor cult in the 1996 timeline. While there were elements of the supernatural in season 1, Yellowjackets season 2 has dove headfirst into promoting the spiritual realm in the lives of the Yellowjackets teammates in both the wilderness and during their adult lives. Between adult Lottie's bizarre visions increasing and the strange events leading to Jackie being slow-cooked, it's clear the series is trying to paint the "wilderness" as a spiritual entity.
What's even stranger than some of Yellowjackets' most shocking moments is Lottie's growing influence. Now that Jackie is out of the way, Lottie finds herself as somewhat of the proverbial leader of the group. Through her own perceived prowess in the supernatural, Lottie has begun performing her own rituals and spiritual acts with little to no pushback from the rest of the survivors. However, the series has shown that down the line, the group will be divided against itself, with the girls hunting one another. Something that Lottie says in the aftermath of the birds proves that the survivor cult's creation is nigh.
Lottie Calling The Dead Birds A "Blessing" Divided The Survivors In Yellowjackets Season 2
When the girls view the carnage from the mass bird suicide, she says to gather them as "blessings," Based on the girls' reactions, this clearly divides the survivors. When the birds fall around the cabin, Misty offers an explanation that there might be too much iron in the ground that's messing with their navigation. Another girl examines the birds, and Taissa exclaims not to touch them, as they could be diseased. Directly after this, Lottie completely ignores both girls and tells the rest to gather their bodies. Some of the girls do this without question, but others look wary.
This marks the first true sign of division between those who trust Lottie and those who don't. So far, the only survivors who have been cautious of Lottie are Taissa and Natalie. Lottie became a subject of contention between Taissa and Van when Lottie made Van the trinket of protection, but Van was able to soothe Taissa's worries. Natalie openly criticized Lottie for putting the Yellowjackets symbol on Shauna's baby blanket, as well as some of her other "protective" tactics. Ultimately, Taissa and Natalie may not be the only survivors who feel this way. They could just be the only girls to have expressed it openly thus far.
Why Lottie's Survivors Will Form A Cult In The Past Timeline
Lottie's power is only growing in the past timeline, and so far, she has few detractors. During the baby shower, when Natalie argued over the Yellowjackets symbol with Lottie, Mari interjected, "well, I trust Lottie," with most of the other survivors echoing her sentiments. Lottie is starting to be seen as a wise and almost shamanistic leader in 1996, using her powers to do things like stop Travis' panic attacks, bring bears from the wilderness to be slaughtered, and overall grant protection and strength to the rest of the group. Most of the Yellowjackets team seem to be hanging on her every word and direction.
Lottie's cult in the present is probably a continuation (one of lesser violence) of the one she began in 1996. It was shown in the first episode of Yellowjackets that the girls would break off into two groups, a ritualistic cannibal tribe led by the antler queen and those who are hunted by them. It's been made clear that Lottie will be the antler queen and, therefore, the leader of the hunt. Misty is truly the only confirmed member of the cannibal cult, but based on the girls' reactions to Lottie's dead bird "blessings," it's obvious who will stay by Lottie's side and who could potentially defect in Yellowjackets.