Podcast: Spells, Scams & Etsy Witches

In this episode of Wonderfully Witchy, we’re taking a closer look at the world of Etsy witches, paid spellcasting and the sometimes questionable business of selling magic online. From beautifully photographed altars and glowing five star reviews to mass produced rituals, AI generated spells and promises that sound a little too good to be true, how do we tell the genuine practitioners from those simply looking to make a quick sale?

I share my own experiences of buying spellwork online, including one genuinely lovely experience with a UK practitioner and another that left me feeling thoroughly deceived. We’ll talk about Etsy’s policies around metaphysical services, the ethics of AI generated spiritual content, pricing, transparency and why vulnerable customers deserve honesty rather than extravagant promises.

This episode isn’t about shaming witches who charge for their work, or those who choose to pay for spiritual services. It’s about recognising the difference between a genuine exchange and someone selling you the illusion of certainty. Your magic doesn’t disappear when your altar is packed away, and your power was never something you needed to purchase in the first place.

For more, visit Wonderfully Witchy Web or find me on Instagram.

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Key Takeaways

Not every online witch is what they seem
Beautiful altars, glowing reviews and impressive sales numbers don’t automatically mean someone is a trustworthy practitioner. Look beyond the presentation and consider what the seller is actually promising and delivering.

Paid spiritual services aren’t inherently unethical
Practitioners deserve to be compensated for their time, experience and work. The problem isn’t charging for a ritual or reading. It’s misleading customers, making promises that can’t be guaranteed or exploiting someone who’s feeling vulnerable.

AI generated content should never be passed off as personal spiritual work
Technology may have its uses, but presenting automated content as a personally performed, channelled or individual ritual crosses an important ethical line. Honesty and transparency matter, particularly when someone is paying for a personal spiritual service.

Discernment matters more than star ratings
Read descriptions carefully, ask questions, examine reviews and consider whether the price reflects what’s being offered. If something feels questionable, investigate rather than relying on intuition alone.

Your magic isn’t something you need to buy
Receiving spiritual services from another practitioner can be a meaningful experience, but it shouldn’t come from believing your own power is insufficient. Sometimes a tea light, a handwritten intention and a quiet moment of focus are all the magic you need.

Transcript

Podcast Name: Wonderfully Witchy Podcast with Bry Jaimea
Episode No: 02, 10 October 2026
Topic: Spells, Scams & Etsy Witches

Welcome back to the Wonderfully Witchy Podcast. I’m Bry Jaimea, and today’s episode is a juicy one. We’re diving into something you’ve definitely seen if you spend any time on TikTok or the witchy corners of social media: the rise of the Etsy witch.

You know the ones I mean. Reels with smoky altars, candles lit in dark rooms, enchanting background music, and spells advertised as cast to order, with thousands of glowing five star reviews. It’s alluring, it’s magical, it’s a little mysterious, and I completely understand the appeal.

But here’s the thing. Not every Etsy witch is what they seem. Some are incredibly gifted, deeply connected and genuinely devoted to their craft. And others are selling mass produced rituals, vague promises and AI generated spells at lightning speed.

Before we go any deeper, I want to say this with a lot of love and zero judgement. I’ve been there. I’ve been the witch in transition, in limbo, with all my tools packed in cardboard boxes and my altar disassembled. I’ve been the girl scrolling Etsy in a moment of desperation, feeling overwhelmed and vulnerable and just needing something, anything, to hold onto. I didn’t have my herbs or my candles. I didn’t feel anchored in my practice. And in that moment, Etsy felt like a lifeline. A quick fix. A helping hand from someone who seemed to have it together.

I mean, what could go wrong? Turns out, quite a bit.

Let’s start on a high note, because yes, there are legitimate Etsy witches out there. I once purchased a working from a UK based practitioner, and it was a beautiful experience. He answered my questions kindly. He communicated clearly. He even sent photos from the ritual. And I could feel the energy shift in my life shortly afterwards.

It wasn’t flashy or performative. It was grounded, thoughtful and done with real intention. That’s the energy you want when someone else is casting on your behalf. You want to feel that they’re holding your intention in sacred space, not just processing another order in a busy queue.

But there’s another side, and I’ve experienced that too. During a chaotic period of my life, I paid for a spell from a different seller. What I received appeared to have been generated by AI, and she hadn’t even used my correct name. When I messaged to clarify, I was met with silence. The spell itself was vague and impersonal, and whatever had actually happened behind the scenes, it certainly didn’t feel like the personal working I’d paid for.

In that moment I didn’t just feel disappointed. I felt deceived. Because magic, for me, is sacred. It’s intentional. It’s woven from energy, will and connection. And what landed in my inbox felt like a template job from a chatbot.

Now, before we go any further, there’s something important we need to acknowledge about Etsy itself. Despite spellcasting services being sold on the platform for years, Etsy’s policies actually prohibit paid spellcasting, rituals and other metaphysical services. And in early 2026, reports emerged of sellers having listings removed and shops closed as those policies were enforced more actively.

Tarot and divination readings are a different matter. Etsy does permit readings that include a written, photographic or recorded deliverable, provided they meet its policies and don’t promise a metaphysical outcome. So when I’m talking about Etsy witches today, I’m also talking about the wider online marketplace that grew around these services, because the problems don’t magically disappear just because a seller moves to another website.

So let’s be real for a moment. If someone claims to be preparing deeply personal spellwork for hundreds of customers, while promising delivery within the hour, I think it’s reasonable to ask how that actually works.

Now, I’m not suggesting every spell needs three hours, twelve candles and a full ceremonial circle. Some of my most powerful workings have been incredibly simple. But when someone promises a deeply personal, carefully prepared ritual and delivers it five minutes after purchase, I do start asking questions. Because if you’re paying for someone’s time, attention and magical practice, you should have some confidence that those things are actually being provided.

I want to be very clear. I’m not saying never buy a spell from an independent practitioner. I’m saying approach it with discernment. So here’s what I look for.

Read the listing properly, not just the star rating. How does the seller speak about their craft? Do they explain what the spell involves? Do they offer to connect with you beforehand? Are they open to questions, follow ups and clarification? Or are they sending a one paragraph spell and calling it a day?

Then read the reviews, but go deeper. A five star review that mentions the person hasn’t felt a change yet isn’t a review you can rely on. It might be praising fast delivery or friendly customer service, rather than the result of the spell.

And check the pricing against reality. A ten dollar spell isn’t automatically a scam, just as a hundred dollar spell isn’t automatically authentic. Some workings are simple, some are complex, and different practitioners have different approaches and expenses. What matters is whether the price makes sense for what’s being promised, and whether the seller is honest about what they’re actually providing. If they’re advertising an elaborate personalised ritual, complete with photographs, updates and individual attention, I’d expect the service to reflect that.

And if something feels off, pay attention to it. Ask questions, look a little closer, and don’t be afraid to walk away. As we’ve discussed before, your intuition can be wrong. It can raise a question, but discernment is what helps you answer it.

Now, let’s talk about AI, because it’s one of the biggest concerns in spiritual spaces right now. And listen, I completely understand that AI is almost impossible to avoid these days. I’ll own that I once used generative AI to create images for my Pinterest pins, a practice I have since stopped, and I’ve apologised for it.

But there’s an important difference between using technology to assist with everyday work and passing AI generated content off as a personally performed, channelled or sacred ritual. My issue isn’t simply that a computer might have been involved. It’s the dishonesty of selling something as personal, intentional spiritual work when the customer may actually be receiving an automated response.

What I don’t support is people using AI to generate spiritual content or rituals and then passing it off as channelled, or sacred, or personal. That isn’t just misleading. It’s a violation of trust. And when it comes to spellwork, for me, that’s where it crosses a line.

Honestly, if someone is simply hitting generate, copying the result and sending it to you without even reading it back, you may as well do it yourself. At least then your energy is in it. Your words, your breath, your rhythm.

Spellwork isn’t about fancy language. It’s about connection, intention and energy. You’d be better off lighting a tea light, scribbling your intention on the back of a receipt, and whispering it to the moon. That kind of spell, raw, real and yours, is more powerful than anything mass produced.

Because here’s the truth I want you to hold close. You are powerful. You don’t need a fancy shopfront, ten thousand five star reviews, or somebody else’s spell to work magic. Your power isn’t something you buy. It’s something you embody.

Yes, sometimes it’s beautiful to receive a ritual from someone else, especially when you’re tired, doubting or in transition. There’s no shame in that. But it should be something you choose because you value another practitioner’s work, not because someone has convinced you that your own magic isn’t good enough.

So what can you do if you’re feeling stuck or disconnected from your craft? First, take a breath. Ground yourself. Light a candle. Remind yourself that your magic hasn’t left you. It doesn’t disappear because your altar is packed away or because you haven’t cast in weeks. Magic isn’t something external. It’s part of who you are.

One of my go to rituals when I’m feeling lost is beautifully simple. I write my intention on a piece of paper, fold it up with a pinch of basil or bay leaf, breathe my energy into it, and place it under a candle. That’s it. No moon phase planning, no elaborate setup. Just presence, breath and intention. That’s where the magic lives.

And if you’re turning to Etsy out of desperation, get curious about what you’re really craving. Is it results, or is it reassurance? Sometimes we’re not looking for a spell. We’re looking for a reminder. Someone to say, I see you, I believe in your power.

And I think that’s where we need to be especially careful, because vulnerability can make even the most experienced witch susceptible to promises that sound a little too good to be true. Wanting help is perfectly human. But nobody should be using that vulnerability to sell you certainty they can’t possibly guarantee.

Let’s bring it all home. The rise of the Etsy witch is a fascinating reflection of where our community is right now. It shows our hunger for connection, for results, for tangible magic. It also highlights the risk of commercialising something sacred. Some Etsy witches are powerful, kind and committed. Others are overextended. And yes, some are simply scammers.

You don’t have to swear off paid spiritual services forever. You simply need to be thoughtful about who you’re trusting, what they’re promising, and whether they’re actually delivering what you’ve paid for.

Your power isn’t something to outsource. It’s something to honour.

Thank you for being here with me on the Wonderfully Witchy Podcast. You can find more reflections, stories and spells over at wonderfullywitchyweb.com, where you can also sign up for my monthly newsletter, or come and say hi on Instagram at bryjaimea. If this episode resonated, please follow the show wherever you listen, and share it with a fellow witch who might need a reminder that their power is already within.

Until next time, stay witchy, stay wise, and above all, keep questioning, keep practising, and keep trusting your magic.

With Love, Bry Jaimea