--- title: The Rise of the Etsy Witch description: "Hiring an Etsy witch has become a commodified exchange—often for social media clout," writes Taylor Crumpton. canonical: https://time.com/7307401/rise-of-etsy-witch/ author: Taylor Crumpton article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2025-09-02T10:05:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-03-11T01:37:32.111Z article:section: Ideas og:title: The Rise of the Etsy Witch og:description: "Hiring an Etsy witch has become a commodified exchange—often for social media clout," writes Taylor Crumpton. og:url: https://time.com/7307401/rise-of-etsy-witch/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4cd50e917bfa8378/6998c963f1b082c9d46f1a30/The-Rise-of-the-Etsy-Witch.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2400 og:image:height: 1350 og:image:alt: The Rise of the Etsy Witch og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The Rise of the Etsy Witch twitter:description: "Hiring an Etsy witch has become a commodified exchange—often for social media clout," writes Taylor Crumpton. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4cd50e917bfa8378/6998c963f1b082c9d46f1a30/The-Rise-of-the-Etsy-Witch.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  IDEAS Time ideas # The Rise of the Etsy Witch > Sponsored content. 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There is no cost and no subscription requirement. by [Taylor Crumpton](https://time.com/author/taylor-crumpton/) ## Taylor Crumpton Sep 2, 2025 10:05 AM UTC  Photo-Illustration by Chloe Dowling (Source Images: Valiantsin Suprunovich—Getty Images, Oksana Lyskova—Getty Images, hzechphotography/Getty Images, Halfdark/Getty Images, glegorly/Getty Images, AnthonyRosenberg—Getty Images via Canva, beachboy via Canva) by [Taylor Crumpton](https://time.com/author/taylor-crumpton/) ## Taylor Crumpton Sep 2, 2025 10:05 AM UTC Jaz Smith, a New York City-based influencer, hired an Etsy witch to ensure she had [good weather](https://www.thecut.com/article/jaz-smith-influencer-tiktok-wedding.html) on her wedding day. The wedding, which was covered by multiple media outlets, was deemed the "pinnacle of wedding content creation." Since then, many have followed in Smith's footsteps and hired Etsy witches to help with job assistance, relationships, love, and to remove obstacles in their path. Although the practice of witchcraft is not new—people have long turned to the occult for cosmic intervention during difficult times—this trend is unique because the practice of hiring witches to do spellwork is no longer considered taboo. The online marketplace Etsy has evolved into the go-to site for spell casting services. And although Etsy [banned the sale of such services](https://www.vice.com/en/article/etsy-explains-why-it-banned-magic-spells/) in 2015, spells can still be purchased on the platform under “entertainment services.” Witches offer protection spells, soulmate drawings, and of course, perfect wedding spells. Prices range from under $10 to over $200, depending on the practitioner. Etsy shops, like CrystalConjureMagic, are inundated with [positive reviews](https://www.etsy.com/shop/CrystalConjureMagic#about) and happy pictures from smiling brides about the perfect weather on their big day. According to Henry Mason, owner of CrystalConjureMagic, customers typically purchase spells for friends, family, or events that are important to them. In June, a client asked if he could tailor the perfect wedding spell to create ideal conditions for a child’s birthday party. Mason complied, and now, his perfect weather spell has exceeded the perfect wedding spell in popularity. According to Mason, the trend is about less keeping up with the Joneses, and more about buying spells in support of their loved ones. The recent actions of the Trump Administration have caused a shift in what clients are looking for from spiritual practitioners as well. [Immigration raids](https://time.com/7280107/trumps-attacks-on-immigrants/) have resulted in an increased demand for protection spells, says Tee, owner of [SpellboundByTee](https://www.etsy.com/shop/SpellboundByTee#reviews), a shop that provides candle services and spiritual readings on Etsy. In conjunction, spells related to housing and employment, as well as court cases and legal proceedings have been on the rise, she says. When asked about the perfect wedding spell trend, Tee remarks that customers still ask for love spells, but the impetus is more often a desire for retention, since [financial stress](https://www.marketwatch.com/financial-guides/banking/financial-stress/) can negatively affect romantic relationships. Mason and Tee have decades of experience in spell-casting services, which extend beyond Etsy. For instance, Mason also sells products on Amazon. And the majority of Tee’s clients comes from word-of-mouth. But she says that the platform has allowed her to connect with new clients outside of Alabama, where Tee is currently based, to customers throughout the United States and around the world. ## A brief history of witchcraft How did we get here? Look no further back than at the Salem Witch Trails to see when hiring a witch was perceived to be an act against God. Today, hiring an Etsy witch has become a commodified exchange—often for social media clout. To be sure, the usage of witchcraft by the elite class hails from a rich, long legacy. In 19th century Brazil, members of the country’s [upper and middle classes](https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/posts/brazil-s-invisible-spirits) participated in [Spiritism](https://library.brown.edu/create/brasiliana/espiritismo/), also known as Espiritismo, a religious practice which emphasizes resurrection from the dead founded by Allan Kardec. The French educator believed that being in communication with spirits and the dead, through mediumship, seances, and meetings with fellow believers, would result in improvements to spiritual and physical health. He viewed Jesus Christ and his resurrection as an ideal for all those to follow, thus incorporating the teachings of Christ, alongside scientific and philosophical thoughts on evolution and reincarnation. Spiritism is still widely practiced today. [Professional soccer teams and politicians](https://www.christianitytoday.com/1985/12/brazil-land-where-spirits-thrive/) have been known to work with spirits to ensure a favorable outcome. Kardec was not alone, nor was he the first to engage in this kind of practice. Physicists, biologists, psychologists, and even royalty (in the case of [Queen Victoria](https://www.bowdoin.edu/news/2018/01/victorian-spiritualism-when-ghosts-and-objects-collide.html)) interacted with the para-psychological phenomenon of Spiritualism. Its classification as a field of scientific study attracted members of the aristocracy towards it. At the height of its popularity, war and high child mortality rates resulted in the [conversion](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/05/31/why-did-so-many-victorians-try-to-speak-with-the-dead) of “affluent and progressive mothers and fathers who were desperate to communicate with sons and daughters who had died too young” to Spiritualism. For instance, after the loss of her second son Willie, [First Lady Mary Lincoln](https://www.whitehousehistory.org/seances-in-the-red-room) held séances in the White House to communicate with him. The First Lady’s use of the practice heightened after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, which prompted her to commission a spiritual portrait of her husband. Spiritualism provided comfort and solace to members of the high society in The United States, Latin America, The Caribbean, and Europe in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Reports of scandal and fraud later resulted in the decline of Spiritualism. The famed illusionist [Harry Houdini](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/harry-houdini-skeptic-spirits-mediums-fraud) spent the last years of his life exposing mediums as phonys. But the widespread usage and popularization of occult practices and beliefs found a second life in the counter culture movements of the 1960s, which gave rise to the [Satanic Panic](http://time.com/archive/6815485/the-occult-revival-a-substitute-faith/) of the 1970s and 1980s. By the 1990s, witches had bewitched mainstream Hollywood—but weren’t portrayed villains. Films and television programs like _Hocus Pocus_, _Sabrina The Teenage Witch_, _The Craft_, _Halloweentown_, _Charmed_ ,and _Practical Magic_ reintroduced the practice of witchcraft to the American public through depictions of adolescence, sisterhood, and family. Witches were no longer solely perceived as agents of Satan, but cool girls and women who had agency and autonomy over their lives. As cultural and societal norms evolved in the United States and abroad, American pop culture used witches as a way to reflect this evolution and to depict themes such as grief, friendship, and courage. Recent examples include Wanda Maximoff and Agatha Harkness in the [Marvel Cinematic Universe](https://time.com/7160807/agatha-all-along-billy-maximoff/), or acceptance, such as Glinda and Elphaba in [_Wicked_](https://time.com/7177201/wicked-grimmerie-origins/). The portrayal of witchcraft in the 21st century is expansive and multi-dimensional. There is no singular way to be a witch. On TikTok, witches have gained a new level of notoriety—and commercialization. The social media platform allows witches to connect with consumers from all over the world who are curious about the occult practice. The "[witchtok](https://www.the-independent.com/life-style/witchcraft-wellness-witchtok-kate-tomas-b2585162.html)" online community has become a hub for those interested in witchcraft to connect with one another. And this network has resulted in billions of views of hashtags such as #witch, #witchtiktok, and #babywitch. Plus, this online subculture today often coincides with the wellness industry. Spiritual practices, such as affirmations and manifestations, are commonly incorporated into wellness influencer’s approach to achieving a cleaner and healthier lifestyle. Now, it is not uncommon for individuals to hire an Etsy witch as part of their wellness routine. But unlike in years past, where Spiritism was used by the highly-privileged for spiritual and physical health improvements in private, the hiring of an Etsy witch has become a mass-market social media trend, rather than an explicitly religious act. As the nation transitions out of wedding season into the fall, where witches will receive another boost of popularity in conjunction with Halloween, the practice of hiring a witch for services will remain. The Etsy witch is the latest iteration of people looking for assistance from the divine in a period of unrest. To be sure, this human phenomenon is not unique to Etsy, and has existed since the beginning of the time. The new development is the addition of technology and social media, where witches have found a new domain online. [TIME Ideas](https://www.time.com/ideas) hosts the world's leading voices, providing commentary on events in news, society, and culture. We welcome outside contributions. 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