I paid $18.65 for an Etsy witch spell in hopes that 'extreme luck' could help me land an NYC apartment with laundry
Sure, my seatmate on a recent flight made the regrettable decision to eat a whole fried chicken, but she doesn't deserve supernatural torment. It also wasn't worth the $40 price tag.
I'm admittedly new to commissioning magic off of Etsy, a website I typically browse to pine after expensive home decor. I'm not big on ghosts, paranormal activity, or superstition.
I am, however, curious.
The Etsy witches are busy these days. Social media is peppered with people offering spells, testifying about their successful spiritual cleansings, and parodying mystic rituals. The US psychic services industry was worth over $2 billion last year, and that's projected to grow to $4.5 billion by 2033, largely due to online interest. If that projection is right, it's more than Americans spend on dog walking services today, but less than they spend on nail salons. While the recent success of digital hexes could be a sign that people are bored and leaning into internet trends, it also hints at something more serious.
"Magic is among the things that people turn to when things are becoming uncontrollable, when things are becoming uncertain, when you know the normal methods you use to shore up your life and provide some certainty don't seem to be working anymore," Michael Bailey, a history professor at Iowa State University who specializes in medieval Europe and witchcraft, told me.
I can empathize with that. I, too, have a lot of worries about my future and the world. So I spent $18.65 (plus tax) on a spell to bring me extreme luck. I'm not feeling especially unlucky right now — I have many people that I love, and my boss lets me write things like this during work hours. But it seemed like a reasonable price for some extra good fortune, and I would really like a New York City apartment with laundry in the building.
Etsy witches work their magic on your career or love life for prices ranging from $4 to $400
Jamie Mejia, 31, lives in Miami and swears by her Etsy witch results.
About a month ago, she enlisted one for a reading about her love life, which cost her about $5 for each question she asked. Mejia had sensed that her partner wasn't ready to commit to a serious relationship, a feeling the witch validated. She said it brought her the closure she needed to end things. When she returned for a second reading, Mejia received good news: 2026 will be a big year for her career and personal life.
For prices that range from $4 to $400, the Etsy witches offer anything I might need. I could increase my chances for long-lasting beauty, a dream job, money, protection, warm weather, a perfect wedding, or a loyal sugar daddy. I could inspire an ex to call me or motivate a crush to ask me on a date. Curses were also on the table, including promises of "revenge, pain, and suffering" for my enemies, along with the aforementioned demonic misfortune.
Most of the spells, including mine, had extra-long wait times due to a "high volume of requests." I chose to ignore the flood of AI-generated images of the alleged witches: several silvery-haired wrinkled women that didn't look quite human, videos of a sage cleansing ritual where the hand had extra fingers, and perfectly-arranged altars that were too good to be true. It seemed weird that many of the spells were on sale — is it possible to find your soulmate at a discount? For the purposes of this story, it was important that I trust the process.
It's worth noting that magic has been banned on Etsy since the mid-2010s. Most of the sellers have disclaimers that their work is for entertainment purposes only. A representative for Etsy didn't respond to my request for comment. Based on the thousands of positive reviews and plentiful social media testimonials, however, there are true believers among the internet-magic curious.
"Part of me obviously has lost faith when it comes to relationships, so knowing that it gave me a little bit of hope," Mejia said, adding, "I don't think it's fake, I think it's real."
Turning to the mystical when other avenues to success seem blocked
Meija told me that she's turning to witches to manifest companionship and job security in a tough market for both. Assuming most of the Etsy reviews are written by real people, she isn't alone. Many of the sellers have thousands of reviews and average between 4.5 and 5 stars. Some happy customers said spells helped them pass an exam, land a new role, dismiss a traffic ticket, have a sunny bachelorette weekend, or feel a little bit less stressed. Most said they are still eagerly awaiting their results.
In the most recently available 2017 Pew survey of American adults, 41% of respondents said they believed in psychics, 42% said they thought spiritual energy could be located in physical things, and 29% said they believed in astrology. A 2019 IPSOS survey also found that nearly half of respondents said they believed in ghosts. My colleague Emily Stewart wrote about this last summer: It isn't new that people are willing to shell out money on magic.
But the latest success of Etsy witches may be a sign of the times. Americans of all ages have told Business Insider in recent months that they're frustrated by long job searches, feeling nervous about finances, or holding off on big life decisions like having babies and starting a business because the economy feels unpredictable. Consumer sentiment markers dipped in July, and employees are less confident in their companies lately. Another Pew survey conducted last September found that 16% of adults feel lonely all or most of the time, with higher rates among Gen Z and millennials. Bailey said he isn't surprised that people are keen for an extra chance at financial stability, love, and relationships right now.
"When you're feeling particularly uncertain, you're more inclined to the 'try anything' approach," he said, adding that magic has long been a way people try to "swing the odds in their favor."
Thirty-six hours after I submitted my order, my witch sent me photo proof that my spell had been cast: an altar with a brightly-lit green candle, some crystals, and a couple of tarot cards. Over DM on the Etsy website, she told me I have "powerful support from the Universe," and the "The Luck Alignment Ritual" has been activated, "so it is done, Amen."
All she needed from me was my birthday, two sentences about my intention, and a working credit card. We never talked, and I don't know what she looks like. That seems to be the case for most witches: you can order luck off the internet with a transaction that looks a lot like buying a Shein haul or bowl of DoorDashed pad thai.
The whole thing felt spooky, and I'm not convinced Etsy magic is the healthiest way to cope with anxiety. But if I find an affordable apartment with laundry, I might be willing to credit divine intervention.
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