The girls of TikTok are buying spells from the witches of Etsy Despair or undeniable power of the collective mind?

Some time ago, lifestyle magazines reported - half amused, half surprised - the rise of the TikTok witches. And let me tell you more: to write a piece on the subject back in January 2020, I reluctantly (and belatedly) gave in and downloaded the short-video app, which soon became my love-hate companion through countless sleepless nights, endless scrolling sessions, and even work-related research. Because we all know, every trend starts there, even the negative ones. Even the witchy ones. Now, alongside witches and tarot readers, we also find stories of users buying spells from witches on Etsy. Yes, really.

Witchtok: who are the TikTok witches?

Let’s take a step back and frame the phenomenon. On TikTok, the #witchtok community has been thriving for years, made up of people fascinated by the occult who read tarot cards, communicate with a wide range of pagan deities, and perform rituals. They light specific candles, burn particular herbs, practice the ancient art of manifestation, divine the future, read runes, and cleanse the energies of their crystals under the moonlight. These users share their discoveries and practices, engaging with a community of enthusiasts. Some, like Kiley Mann, even built real careers out of it. Over the years, the content has shifted: no longer just potions, but snippets of life and creativity, advice on embracing personal freedom, and poetic reflections on the divine feminine.

Spells and magic for sale on Etsy

The next step? After months - years, even - of watching witches and wizards mix herbs, oils, and rainwater to manifest a radiant future, unshakable self-confidence, and a passionate lover, the obvious conclusion was this: buying spells on Etsy. Or rather, paying so-called witches on the platform to cast a spell (not the kind issued by the tax office) in our name. The phenomenon isn’t entirely new: Etsy has long offered spells for purchase (and even curses, for that matter) but the number of people discussing it has certainly grown. One striking example? A bride-to-be who, afraid of bad weather, paid for a spell to guarantee sunshine on her wedding day. And yes, it worked.

Why we seek control through magic

It’s up to you to decide whether you believe in magic, whether you’d be willing to spend money (prices range from $5 to $130, so there’s something for every budget) to get revenge, attract wealth, or whether you’d steer clear of such practices. Still, it’s hard not to ask what’s behind this spell inflation, this sudden surge of Etsy witches in public discourse. What surfaces is an overwhelming desire for control. In a historical moment when the big picture feels more out of control than ever (rising fascism, wars and genocides, climate anxiety, Donald Trump and civil rights) we turn our focus to the small. We control how hard we work, where we travel. We make sure everything is perfectly photogenic and shareable, we turn to filters and cosmetic surgery to control our image and what time leaves on it. Even spontaneity and ugliness are codified. Nothing should be cringe; everything must align with micro-trends. In this context, we convince ourselves we can influence things that - by nature - are beyond our control: whether our crush likes us back, how the life of someone we resent is going, or the weather itself. To make matters worse, this obsessive need for control can never truly be satisfied, no matter how many spells we cast or how much money we spend on them. In the end, it may be wiser to focus on what we can change and, above all, to accept what we cannot.