Etsy has been a haven for online witches and witchcraft since 2012, when eBay banned the sale of spells and charms. A year ago, however, Easy banned the sale of spells and shut down several shops run by witches as well. Since then, the community has found ways to thrive regardless of these bans, which many see as discrimination against witches.
Before the ban, it was possible to purchase a witch’s ‘services,’ where they would cast a spell for you remotely. This is no longer allowed, so spells, charms, and curses must be accompanied by a physical item in the listing. You can buy a satchel of magical herbs, with the convenient ‘add-on’ of a spell, but not just a spell.
For anyone curious about the world of witchcraft, Etsy remains a fantastic place to get started. With the right search term, you can avoid all Matilda and Harry Potter themed novelties and get straight to authentic products made and curated by witches from around the world.
To get started in witchcraft, here are a few essentials every witch needs:
Grimoires (spell and guide books)
These are an important part of a witch’s education. You can buy large handmade spell books with everything you need to know for $287.79 as well as PDF’s to print and create your own grimoire. PDF’s are usually sold in packages or single sheets ranging in price from $1.00 to $10.00.
Starter Kits
Everyone dipping their toes into witchcraft needs a starter kit. The witches of Etsy make starting out incredibly easy, providing a huge variety of starter kits. This kit from HarmoneesCreations includes everything you need to get started as a witch for $105.61, including a bottle of graveyard dirt and a white peacock feather. Other starter kits are based around herbs, like this one from CaterpillarQueen, priced at $48.24.
Altars
An altar or shrine is an essential part to every wiccan ritual. These are very similar to meditation spaces, and most witches use a small table or stump to house their grimoires, crystals, wands, crystal balls, tarot cards and herbs. Etsy has a lot of altar kits, such as this beautiful one from RainwolfCoven for $43.13. This is a mini or travel altar, but can easily be used to create a home altar.