I paid an Etsy witch to cast a spell, and it worked (I think)

I would describe myself as a bit woo-woo. I know my zodiac signs (yes, there’s more than one), I never skip my weekly horoscope, I don’t journal when there’s a full moon, and I find a way to blame most flaws on the alignment of the planets.

I recently started dabbling in tarot cards and it led me down the internet rabbit hole of Etsy witches.

I’ve never considered using a witch in person before, but for the incredibly low price of $2.93, one online could change my life, or so they claim. Surely it was worth a try, right?

A search for “witches and magic” on the popular craft site Etsy returns more than 1,000 results. From overly obsessive love spells to revenge karma spells to fair weather spells, you can find almost anything on the platform.

I booked the Story Bridge sunset climb and paid an Etsy witch $11.58 to cast a beautiful weather spell for the evening.

The process was simple; The witch only needed a few minor details (passport number, credit card information, mother’s maiden name…). I’m joking, obviously.

But they needed my name, my date of birth, and the weather description I wanted. Within a few hours, I received photographic proof that my spell had been cast and a lengthy description of the candles and herbs chosen.

“To the beautiful Neesha Sinnya,” Etsy witch Serena began her message. Flattery is always welcomed, so naturally I warmed up instantly. Beautiful Serena.

“Rose petals have been used to soften the atmosphere and invite beauty into the experience. They achieve pleasant, aesthetically pleasing results, which in your case means a gorgeous sunset,” he wrote.

He then described the two candles he lit as part of the ritual. As they burned, he imagined the sky clearing and the winds calming.

“The wax melted smoothly, without chaotic dripping. This indicates to me that the process would unfold naturally without dramatic intervention. The energy did not feel resistant. I felt receptive,” he wrote.

The morning of my climb was overcast, with dark clouds threatening to overshadow my climbing experience; But I had faith.

By 6pm I was geared up and ready to climb and the weather looked ideal for a perfect sunset.

At the top of the bridge, Brisbane’s skyline looked spectacular. The guide noted that we could even see the Glasshouse Mountains, which he said was rare.

I couldn’t help but wonder… maybe my Etsy witch was onto something?

Hoping for good weather and getting it isn’t exactly groundbreaking, but the process of paying a witch to see the spell and watch it happen? This felt like magic to me.

Etsy’s rabbit hole is fascinating

I spoke with Professor Emeritus Philip Almond, who is very knowledgeable about witchcraft, demonology, New Age movements, and mystical experience.

According to him, nothing can be turned into a commercial opportunity.

“People either do these things because they really believe in it, or people are exploiting some sort of quasi-religious movement to make money,” Almond said.

While many basic Etsy spells cost no more than $10, there are some spells advertised for much higher prices.

The “make them suffer” spell, which promises to deliver karmic justice and a powerful spell, costs $209.75. For another $332.34, users can add a “powerful and unbreakable empowerment” spell that promises to speed up and strengthen the initial spell.

On an even more ridiculous scale, users can pay a whopping $2976 for the “blessing of immortality” – unless they can get it specially for $1041. There is only one review of this spell, from February 2025, and the user claims that it makes her body “so young and radiant.”

Jake Blatchly, a member of the Ipswich Spiritual Society Facebook group, said suspicions about witchcraft were “well and truly justified”.

“There are plenty of charlatans, scammers and fraudsters out there who are willing to take advantage of people’s hopes and fears to line their own pockets,” he said.

So where does Etsy stand on witches? He thinks paying for magic is overrated when you can use the tools yourself.

“Paying a witch to cast a spell on you on Etsy is the equivalent of paying a television preacher like Joel Osteen to ask God to do something for you,” Blatchly said.

Even though she’s studied witchcraft for decades, Almond doesn’t think Etsy witches, or any witches, have real value.

“I think 99 times out of 100 [using an Etsy witch] “It won’t do any harm,” said Badem.

“I say that because it won’t help either. Because I’m in a position where I don’t believe it works.”

Why are people interested in witchcraft?

Witches may conjure up images of pointy black hats, broomsticks, and bubbling green cauldrons. But the essence of modern witchcraft comes from neopaganism, which uses nature at its core. Think: lunar cycles, crystals and herbs.

“So modern witchcraft, or wicca, is a revival of this kind of idea of ​​neopaganism, which is essentially focused on the worship of nature, and nature is often personified,” Almond said.

“In the modern world, people are drawn to it because traditional religion has fallen by the wayside; people no longer want to be involved with organized Christian religion in the West.”

The number of Christians in Australia has fallen by more than 1 million since the 2016 census, with 10 million reporting no religion, according to the 2021 census.

“They are looking for some kind of personalized religion — a religion for themselves — that will give everyone a personal understanding of who they are,” Almond said.

Witches in our own backyard

Rachel Johnson, owner of West End store Spellbound Society, has been selling witch-related products for half a decade.

“In that case [of opening]I had just finished writing and illustrating my first oracle deck. “The launch of Spellbound Society was an outlet for me to share my artwork and love of wizardry,” he said.

Johnson first became interested in spirituality as a child.

“[There are misconceptions] “The purpose of witchcraft is to cast spells, but for me personally, it’s about tapping into our own magical power and creating the life of our dreams,” he said.

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