The Witch Economy Is Booming

Summary

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The Journal.

Episode: "The Witch Economy Is Booming"

Hosts: Jessica Mendoza (A), Ryan Knutson
Guests: Javi Lieber (C, WSJ Reporter), Tatiana Fernandez (D, Spell buyer), Carissa Perez (B, Practicing witch)
Date: October 31, 2025

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Overview: Booming "Witch Economy"

This episode explores the surprising rise of the modern "witch economy"—a multimillion-dollar industry thriving online, where real-life witches sell spells, charms, and forms of magical services over platforms like Etsy. Hosts and guests break down why so many people are turning to spells for everything from love to jobs, how the business operates in gray zones online, and what this says about our economic and cultural moment.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Mainstreaming of Witchcraft

• Pop Culture Roots: The episode opens with references to beloved witchy figures from Harry Potter and Hocus Pocus to Macbeth's witches, illustrating how witch lore is deeply embedded in culture.

  • “There is a witch for every personality... For the most part, witches are known to be scary, nightmarish. And this has had some very real consequences.” (A, 00:16)

• Witchcraft's Return: Modern witches have gone mainstream with services online.

  • “Witchcraft is back... you don't need to go into the deep, dark woods or to Hogwarts to find one. Just like everyone else, they're online.” (A, 01:04)

• Huge Online Marketplace: Witches’ services—spells, charms—are offered to thousands online, especially on Etsy and social media.

  • “If you go onto Etsy, you will just find like thousands and thousands of witches… selling all sorts of spells, enchantments, good luck charms, etc., for all sorts of prices.” (C, 02:16)

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2. Who Buys Spells, and Why?

• Driven by Desperation: Many customers are facing tough times—unemployment, failed job searches, romantic anxieties.

  • Tatiana Fernandez, a social media worker laid off in 2025, shares: “It was tough putting out so many applications... after two months or so is like, when I started kind of getting really antsy and anxious about it.” (D, 04:36)

• Experimenting with Magic: For Tatiana, spending $4.95 on an Etsy spell was about seeking any extra help on her job search.

  • “I was like, you know what? It's five dollars. I can spare the five bucks. I know I'm broke, but not that broke yet.” (D, 05:09)

• The Mechanics of a Modern Spell: The process often mixes classic new-age advice (affirmations, meditation) with ritual.

  • “A lot of the people that I interviewed… were equating witchcraft with this concept of manifesting. You envision a positive outcome… and then you just, like, march to it.” (C, 06:51)

• Alleged Results: Tatiana claims that, like magic, her job prospects improved exactly when the witch said they would.

  • "He told me, he's like, be patient. It takes about two weeks to kick in. And like literally two weeks after I started getting requests to interview.” (D, 09:52)

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3. How Witch Businesses Operate Online

• Etsy's Murky Policies: While Etsy doesn’t technically allow sales of “metaphysical services,” spells abound through creative workarounds—physical photos, poems, small gifts, and careful language.

  • “Etsy has… house rules… They don't allow spellcasting or something that will advertise a metaphysical outcome… So how do all these thousands of witches...get away with that?...they all tell their customers that they can never promise an outcome.” (C, 07:51–08:20)

• No Guarantees, No Refunds: Spells come with no warranties. At best, a witch might agree to recast if unsatisfied.

  • “No refunds, no exchanges.” (C, 08:58)

• Untraceable Market Size: No official figures exist, as major platforms ban these services on paper.

  • “Getting an exact figure on this would be a little bit of magic.” (C, 09:15)

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4. Meet a Modern Witch: Carissa Perez

• A New Kind of Witch: Carissa describes herself as a self-taught practitioner, using her childhood exposure to paganism and personal study.

  • “It says Bay Area Witch spellwork products, readings... so that people can find me.” (B, 11:35)

• Inside the Practice: Carissa performs spells with candles, herbs, crystals, and ritual, in a professionalized, almost businesslike way.

  • “Basil is really good for luck. Stinging nettle... for cleansing, banishing. Roses—good for love, self-love.” (B, 11:58)
  • “With the candle, I always like to have the person’s name on there written.” (B, 12:57)

• Lucrative Side Hustle: She makes up to $3,000 per month—enough to live alone for the first time.

  • “She can make up to $3,000 a month on witchcraft. And that's helped her afford to live by herself for the first time.” (A, 12:09)

• Memorable Quote:

  • “Their energy flows like water. Clear, calm, and irresistible. They are a mirror of beauty and enchantment.” (B, 13:36 – reading spell)

• Addressing Criticism:

  • “Everyone has their own opinions, own religions, and I respect that… But I am a witch, and this is just what I practice. And... that's not like the most important thing to me here. It's what I do for my clients.” (B, 14:28)

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5. Skepticism & the Cultural Context

• Skeptics Abound: Not all are convinced—some call it a scam, others “devil’s work.”

  • “If you can order a spell through a website, there’s an issue going on because I’m abracadabra, not impressed.” (B, 15:08)

• Reporter’s Perspective:

  • “I'm a religious person, so I don't believe in witchcraft. But… if somebody wants to put their belief in another being… I shouldn't judge.” (C, 15:22)

• Magic vs. the Market:

  • “I feel like it points to desperation...if the job market or the dating apps or the rising rents are not working...then maybe, you know, why not swing the other way and try something just completely abstract.” (C, 15:49)

• Internet Influence: Social media trends, influencers, and algorithms accelerate the spread.

  • “I think the algorithms are totally responsible for fueling a lot of this. When your favorite influencer is posting on TikTok that they are hiring a witch… it sort of fuels the fire and becomes trendy.” (C, 16:46)

• Enduring Appeal:

  • “Witchcraft is centuries old. It's always been here, and I feel like it will probably never disappear.” (C, 17:16)

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Viral Witch Trends:

  • "Etsywitch has become a viral trend. These online witches are making their magical services available to anyone willing to pay for them." (A, 01:59)

• On the Spell-buying Experience:

  • “No refunds, no exchanges.” (C, 08:58)

• On Earning a Living as a Witch:

  • “I am a witch, and this is just what I practice. And I've financially belonged. And, you know, it's funny enough because that's not like the most important thing to me here... but it definitely has brought me to where I am now, and that's what I'm very grateful of.” (B, 14:28)

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Timestamps for Major Segments

| Time | Segment | |-----------|----------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:06–01:59 | Pop culture witches; witchcraft goes mainstream, online | | 03:45–10:40 | Tatiana's story: buying a spell for her job search | | 11:35–14:53 | Inside a witch's business: Carissa's practice and spellwork | | 15:01–17:45 | Skepticism, social trends, and the economic context |

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Takeaways

• Witchcraft is now a mainstream, internet-based business, much of it operating in a regulatory gray zone.
• Young, often desperate consumers are seeking spells as both hope and a form of self-empowerment.
• Many practitioners earn significant income, and social media trends fuel the market’s growth.
• This movement is both a reflection of previous cultural fascinations and a commentary on the anxieties of today’s economy.
• Despite skepticism (or because of it), the witch economy shows no sign of vanishing anytime soon.

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Transcript

[A]

My favorite witch. Don't we all have one? Is probably Hermione from Harry Potter.

[B]

It's Leviosa, not Leviosar.

[A]

But there is a witch for every personality. There's the kooky sisters of Hocus Pocus. I put a spell on you.

[C]

And.

[A]

Now you're my or. For our more sophisticated listeners, how about the three witches in Shakespeare's Macbeth?

[C]

Fair is foul and foul is fair.

[A]

Hover through the fog and filthy air. For the most part, witches are known to be scary, nightmarish. And this has had some very real consequences. Throughout history, tens of thousands of people, mostly women, have been burned at the stake or otherwise executed for being accused of witchcraft. But today, in this economy, witchcraft is back.

[C]

It seems like the business of witchcraft is pretty mainstream at this point. I think people are really interested in magic as a whole.

[A]

My colleague Javi Lieber recently wrote about witches and she says that these days you don't need to go into the deep, dark woods or to Hogwarts to find one. Just like everyone else, they're online.

[C]

They are on Instagram or Shopify or TikTok, but I think Etsy is really the go to. I hired an Etsy witch and it 100% worked. And here is my true story.

[A]

Yesterday morning at 8am I paid an Etsy witch.

[C]

She casted four spells for me.

[A]

If I could have someone cast a spell to hopefully speed my manifestations and.

[C]

My wishes and my dreams along, I'm here for it.

[B]

I paid $14 and it was the best $14 I've spent.

[A]

Etsywitch has become a viral trend. These online witches are making their magical services available to anyone willing to pay for them. Want a boyfriend or a job or a clear sky on your wedding day? There's a spell for that.

[C]

If you go onto Etsy, you will just find like thousands and thousands of witches or people who say that they're witches and they are selling all sorts of like, spells, enchantments, good luck charms, et cetera, for all sorts of prices. It looks like it's a witches market.

[A]

Welcome to the Journal, our show about money, business and power. I'm Jessica Mendoza. It's Friday, October, 30. Coming up on the why it pays to be a witch. Hey, it's Jess from the Journal. Thanks for being a listener of our show. If you're looking for more deeply reported stories like we share every day, consider becoming a subscriber to the Wall street journal. Visit subscribe.WSJ.com thejournal to subscribe now. In thinking about the business of witchcraft. One of my first questions was, who is actually paying for these spells? So I talked to Tatiana Fernandez. She's 33, lives in Los Angeles and works in social media. And for a long time, she, like me, was witch curious.

[D]

I was raised in the era of, like, the craft and teen witch. And like, yes, I've always wanted to be a witch.

[A]

Same.

[D]

I'm also scared. Everyone's like, whatever you do comes back to you in threes. And I'm like, okay, I'm not gonna do any of it.

[A]

Well, can you tell us what led you to buy your first spell?

[D]

I started a job last year in like, the middle of summer, so 2024. And then I got laid off from it in March of 2025.

[A]

I'm sorry.

[D]

Like, I was so confident just because, like, I've always gotten so many replies from, like, any job applications that I put out. Recruiters have always been hitting me up. I've never struggled to get a job ever in my career.

[A]

But to her surprise and disappointment, the weeks became months, and still no jobs were coming through.

[D]

It was really. It was tough putting out so many applications out there, endlessly fixing my resume, just not getting any replies back after two months or so is like, when I started kind of getting really antsy and anxious about it. Yeah, in this country, we only get unemployment for like, X amount of months. So I'm like, the time is ticking for sure.

[A]

Tatiana was getting desperate. Finally, she thought, why not? She gave in to her witch curiosity and bought a spell paying a witch $4.95 on the online marketplace Etsy.

[D]

So I was like, you know what? I've been already praying about it. Like, what would some, you know, a little bit of reinforcement that wouldn't hurt. And so I was like, you know what? It's five dollars. I can spare the five bucks. I know I'm broke, but not that broke yet.

[A]

Okay, so in your head, you're like, well, why not get a little reinforcement? How did you decide which spell, who to reach out to? Which witch? Which witch?

[D]

It's funny because for this, I kind of was just like, whatever, I'm just going to go on Etsy and whoever is really winning the SEO ranks here is going to get my. My five bucks. And so, like, I think I clicked probably, like the first one. And I was like, okay, he's got good reviews. And like, it was specifically a career spell. Cause he had different offerings at the time. And I was like, all right, let's give it a go.

[A]

Here's what Tatiana's 5 bucks got her first a message from the witch saying he had cast an initial career and job success spell for her and that he'd recast it every night for 30 days. He also gave her some homework. He told her to write down on a piece of paper some symbols, which he called a sigil, and to keep it with her at all times. Tatiana did that and slipped the paper into her cell phone case. The witch also told her to get into a meditative state before she fell asleep that first night, which she did while thinking positive things about her job search.

[D]

Okay, I can do this. Like, okay, I'm gonna have a job, and, like, I'm inviting this opportunity in. And that's exactly what I did that night.

[A]

Reciting affirmations, meditating, positive thinking. These are pretty standard practices in the spellwork marketplace these days. Here's my colleague Javi again.

[C]

A lot of the people that I interviewed for my story were equating witchcraft with this concept of manifesting. You know, you envision a positive outcome or something that you want to happen, and then you just, like, march to it. So you are reciting, you know, these affirmations, and you're doing things that sort of like get you to your goal.

[A]

The rise of modern witchcraft coincides with a broader cultural interest in tarot crystals, astrology, or what skeptics might call woowoo. Javi says today's witchcraft is not all about positivity, though. You can also buy curses or hexes, though they're often more expensive. And some witches say they won't dabble in the dark arts for a client for ethical reasons. But it isn't necessarily the practice of black magic that can get a witch in double, double toil and trouble. It's website user policies. Etsy, where a lot of witches set up shop, technically doesn't allow the selling of spells.

[C]

Etsy has a page of house rules where they say that they don't allow metaphysical services. So they don't allow spellcasting or something that will advertise a metaphysical outcome. And they specifically list attracting wealth, love, luck, more business, employment, relationship situations. So Etsy says outright that this stuff is not allowed.

[A]

So how do all these thousands of witches.

[C]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

How do they get away with that?

[C]

Yeah. So important to know. Etsy declined to comment for my story, but the witches that I spoke to did tell me that they all tell their customers that they can never promise an outcome. So just because you're buying a love spell does not mean you're actually gonna get love.

[A]

Kavi. Also says that some witches will include a photo or a physical gift. When customers buy a spell, they'll get.

[C]

A picture of, like, candles and crystals and, like, you know, sometimes like, a little poem. Even though they're not really paying for the item, they're paying for the spell.

[A]

Right. If you're not happy with the outcome of your spell, can you get a refund?

[C]

No refunds, no exchanges.

[A]

Ha. Interesting. However, some witches will offer to recast a spell if the buyer feels like it hasn't worked after a period of time. How big has this industry gotten?

[C]

Honestly, it's impossible to tell. Like I said, Etsy doesn't really condone this market, and so they aren't really aggregating data about it. So getting an exact figure on this would be a little bit of magic.

[A]

And there's certainly a lot of paying customers out there who want to believe in magic. Many of them are Gen Z or millennial women, like the spell buyer. We talked to Tatiana Fernandez. Tatiana says things started to change in her job search after she bought the spell from her witch. Did it work?

[D]

Oh, yeah. It was wild. It was day and night. He told me he's like, be patient. It takes about two weeks to kick in. And like, literally two weeks after I started getting requests to interview and I was kind of like, I have good jobs that I would like to take. If any of these would be, like, a blessing. And I landed one of them, I actually had to, like, project the other two kind of like, in the middle of the process. Yeah.

[A]

What made you feel like it was the spell and not something that you did or even coincidence?

[D]

I honestly think it was the timing.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

And, like, the fact that kind of to the T of like, when he told me things would start working, they did. I have nothing but great things to say about it.

[A]

After the break.

[B]

Hi, my name is Carissa, and I'm 23. I am a witch. Welcome to my home.

[A]

We go to meet a witch. Hey, it's Jess from the Journal. Thanks for being a listener of our show. If you're looking for more deeply reported stories, like we share every day, consider becoming a subscriber to the Wall Street Journal. Visit subscribe.WSJ.com TheJournal to subscribe now, Carissa Perez doesn't live in a gingerbread house in the woods. She lives in an apartment in Fremont, California. And she doesn't own a black cat or a magic wand, but she does have a business card. It says she's a witch.

[B]

It says Bay Area Witch spellwork products, readings, and it has my Instagram name so that people can find me.

[A]

Carissa says she got into witchcraft because she was close to a pagan family growing up. But she's mostly a self made witch. She's been reading spellbooks since high school, and she started her witch business four years ago.

[B]

Basil is really good for luck. Stinging needle, you can use that for cleansing, banishing roses, good for love, self love, things like that. Everything has its purposes.

[A]

Carissa has another job. She also works at a pizza restaurant. But she says she can make up to $3,000 a month on witchcraft. And that's helped her afford to live by herself for the first time. Her new apartment is where she practices her spell work. She gave one of our producers a tour of it. All.

[B]

Right, to start, this is one of my altars, first altars. I like to have it out here in front of the house. I do have a bunch of my products here, a lot of where I do.

[A]

Carissa has three of what she calls altars in her home. Small tables filled with candles, shells, crystals and herbs.

[B]

These ones I make.

[A]

Carissa offers spells for things like seduction and glamour, reconciliation and new opportunities. And she charges between $35 and $120 for her spellwork.

[B]

So for this one, I am using as an example. With the candle, I always like to have the person's name on there written.

[A]

Carissa sits at one of her altars, where she starts to cast her most in demand enchantment, which she calls under my spell. It's basically a love spell meant to make her client more alluring to those around them.

[B]

And now we're opening that one up. Just spreading it right on the candle. Perfect.

[A]

Carissa lights a homemade candle in the shape of a woman's figure, which she douses in oils and herbs.

[B]

And what I like to say is, now we are in session.

[A]

Carissa reads off the words of the spell.

[B]

Their energy flows like water. Clear, calm, and irresistible. They are a mirror of beauty and enchantment.

[A]

Then she concentrates on the candle's flame.

[B]

It's just having truly that patience with it and just genuinely being present with it the whole time.

[A]

When the candle has burned all the way through, the ritual is over to end it.

[B]

I just kind of, like I say, cleanse again and allow the wax to dry up. And then it's complete.

[A]

Carissa updates her clients to let them know that the spell has been cast. She does not offer refunds, but she says her clients keep coming back. She says she's heard criticisms of witchcraft before. And she's aware that some people call what she does a scam or even devil's work.

[B]

Everyone has their own opinions, own religions, and I respect that and I am open to all of that. But I am a witch, and this is just what I practice. And I've financially belong. And, you know, it's funny enough because that's not like the most important thing to me here. It's what I do for my clients. But it definitely has brought me to where I am now, and that's what I'm very grateful of.

[A]

Still, lots of folks don't think anyone should pay for so called magic. People who see the rise of online witches as more of a trick than a treat.

[C]

So I hired a witch and she.

[A]

Was supposed to help with our infertility.

[C]

And spoiler alert, it didn't work.

[B]

Okay, if you can order a spell through a website, there's an issue going on because I'm abracadabra, not impressed.

[A]

My colleague Javi, like any good reporter, is a bit of a skeptic herself. Do you believe in magic, Javi?

[C]

Ooh, I'm a religious person, so I don't believe in witchcraft. But, you know, at the same time, like, if somebody wants to put their belief in another being, like, you know, I shouldn't judge.

[A]

What sticks out to you about, you know, this industry and how all of that relates to the economy.

[C]

Yeah, I think my answer is a little bleak, but I feel like it points to desperation. I think it sort of indicates the moment that we're in in terms of our economy and all of the, you know, current factors that young people are facing. You know, it seems like for a lot of the sources that I talk to, they are trying all of the regular avenues and that doesn't work. So if the job market or the dating apps or the rising rents are not working in their favor, then maybe, you know, why not swing the other way and try something just completely abstract.

[A]

Javi says that a lot of the people buying spells aren't the type to go into a psychic or palm reading store. But the anonymity and convenience of online shopping lowers the barrier to entry. And the magic of technology doesn't hurt either.

[C]

I think the algorithms are totally responsible for fueling a lot of this. When your favorite influencer is posting on TikTok that they are hiring a witch, and then you have all these people commenting like, hey, I tried it, or like, you know, why not? Then it sort of like fuels the fire and becomes trendy.

[A]

You've covered a lot of trends in the reporting that you've done over the years. Is this trend going away? Hmm.

[C]

I feel like it's not gonna go away because, you know, right now it's Etsy and like, in a couple years, who knows what it will be? But, like, you know, witchcraft is centuries old. It's always been here, and I feel like it will probably never disappear.

[A]

That's all for today. Friday, October 31 the Journal is a co production of Spotify and the Wall Street Journal. The show's made by Kathryn Brewer, Pia Gadkari, Rachel Humphries, Isabella Japal, Sophie Codner, Ryan Knudson, Matt Kwong, Colin McNulty, Annie Minoff, Laura Morris, Enrique Perez de la Rosa, Sarah Platt, Allen Rodriguez Espinosa, Heather Rodgers, Pier Singh, Jeevika Verma, Lisa Wang, Katherine Whalen, Tatiana Zemise and me, Jessica Mendoza. Our engineers are Griffin Tanner, Nathan Singapak and Peter Leonard. Our theme music is by so Wylie, remixed for today's episode by Peter Leonard. Additional music this week from Katherine Anderson, Peter Leonard, Billy Libby, Bobby Lourd, Emma Munger, Nathan Singapok, Griffin Tanner, so Wiley and Blue Dot Sessions. Fact checking this week by Mary Mathis. Thanks for listening and happy Halloween. See you on Monday.