When New York-based content creator and fitness instructor Katie Begley spent $60.76 on a bundle of spells from an Etsy witch, she didn’t expect a call the next day from a Caesars commercial that would feature Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley. Begley, 25, had been waiting for work opportunities and turned to an online marketplace known for personalized party swag and vintage clothing for a bit of ‘good juju.’ She purchased a soulmate attraction spell, a powerful obsession spell, glamor magic and a wealth and prosperity casting. The call came the following day, and Begley laughed, saying, ‘Of course, my head was like, ‘Oh – it was my witch.”
Begley’s Lucky Spell
Begley’s story exploded on TikTok, where she posted two videos that together attracted millions of views. She described how the spells were listed as an ‘entertainment’ service after Etsy banned metaphysical services in 2015. The spells were priced between $7 and $50, and she paid $60.76 for the four. Her commercial booking, featuring Barkley, arrived the next day, making her a living proof of the phenomenon.
The Rise of Etsy Witches
The surge in spell purchases began in 2025 after several influencers praised their results. According to Emily D. Crews, executive director of the Martin Marty Center for the Public Understanding of Religion at the University of Chicago Divinity School, institutional religion is in steady decline, with the religiously unaffiliated making up roughly 28% of the U.S. population. She said, ‘This is the context in which people are buying blessings and curses from witches on Etsy.’ She added, ‘It makes sense, in this kind of religious landscape, that someone might just as easily seek help from a witch than from a priest or a rabbi or a sacred text, even if they were raised Christian or Jewish or some other more conventionally recognizable religion.’
Notable Stories and Controversies
Jaz Smith, a New York City-based content creator, posted a video in May about hiring an Etsy witch to cast a spell for good weather at her influencer-studded wedding. The event saw blue skies, which led followers like Begley to rush to the witch’s storefront. Four months later, Becca Bloom, who has 4.9 million TikTok followers, posted a video saying, ‘Etsy witches worked,’ as she announced her perfect wedding. Emily Hanan, the U.K. witch and tarot reader known online as NaturalisticBlessingStore, had been offering services for almost two decades but opened her Etsy storefront in early 2020 during the pandemic. After Smith’s video, her custom ritual for good weather became her most requested offering, and she said, ‘2025 has been by far my most in-demand year.’ She closed her Etsy shop and now takes requests on Instagram, announcing she is closed for the rest of the year to work through a massive backlog. She also described a surreal experience when a crowd at a wedding chanted her name after a successful spell. Rohit Thawani, 44, advertising agency employee in Los Angeles, learned about spellworkers from a coworker and paid an Etsy witch $8.48 for a New York Knicks win ahead of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals in May, using discount code BLESSINGS2025. The Knicks won, and the spell drew attention from basketball analyst Stephen A. Smith and Desus Nice. Thawani bought a second spell for Game 6, but the Knicks lost. He said, ‘We have no control over anything around us, and so in many ways, witchcraft feels like a lottery ticket. There is a chance you might win, and if you don’t, you’re not missing out on anything.’ Two days before conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated at a Utah college campus in September, Jezebel published a satirical story about hiring three Etsy witches to hex Kirk, including one to ‘make everyone hate him.’ Jezebel removed the article and issued a statement condemning Kirk’s death and any political violence, but the piece sparked a larger debate. Emily D. Crews added, ‘Selling religion is nothing new,’ she said. ‘People have been paying religious specialists to cast spells or do rituals or hold funerals for pretty much as long as humans have existed,’ she said. ‘And if you can find a boyfriend or an apartment or a nail salon online, why not a witch?’
The Experiment
The author of this report decided to test the claims by purchasing two spells this month for a total of $37.61. The first was a weather spell costing $13.90; the witch requested the author’s name, birthday and a request for snow on Christmas Day in the tri-state area. The second was an abundance, wealth and success ritual candle for $23.71, which also asked for the author’s astrological sign. Three days later the witches sent messages that the rituals were completed, though neither promised results. The weather witch described the candle catching quickly, the flame steady and the smoke lifting clean, and instructed the author to crack a window, step outside, take three slow breaths while picturing the desired weather and thank the sky. The author performed the ritual in pajamas and, the next day, New York City experienced its first snowfall. Snow also fell in New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire on Tuesday, and again on Christmas Eve, though on Christmas itself the forecast only mentioned snow for Friday and the weekend. Regarding the abundance ritual, the witch sent affirmations, photos of a paper with the author’s name and birthday burned in a candle, and told the author to remain positive, open and ready to receive blessings. She added, ‘Trust that what is meant for you is already on its way. You can also light a white candle as you speak the words, inviting clarity and divine guidance into your space.’ The author noted that the experience felt more like setting an intention than buying magic, offering a ritualized pause and a sense of control during uncertain times.
What It Means
Begley’s story and the author’s experiment illustrate that the popularity of Etsy witches is part of a broader shift toward personalized, low-stakes spiritual practices. Emily D. Crews explained that many Americans are seeking help from a witch as easily as from a priest or a rabbi, especially amid economic uncertainty, burnout and political division. The phenomenon shows how online marketplaces can provide spiritual services that fit modern lifestyles, even as Etsy itself banned metaphysical services in 2015. While some critics point to the lack of empirical evidence, the continued viral success suggests that belief and intention play a central role.
Key Takeaways
- Katie Begley’s $60.76 spell purchase coincided with a Caesars commercial, sparking a 2025 Etsy witch craze that influencers, athletes and even events are now using.
- Etsy witches have seen a surge in 2025, with spells priced $7-$50 and listed as entertainment after Etsy’s 2015 ban.
- Influencers, athletes and even political events have used or referenced these spells, highlighting the cultural reach of online witchcraft.
Begley remains optimistic, noting that her career momentum continues even though the soulmate and obsession spells didn’t deliver as expected. She says the experience feels as normal as journaling or other TikTok-approved wellness practices. The growing trend shows that many people are turning to online witchcraft for quick, low-cost spiritual support in a world that feels increasingly uncontrollable.
