By Chavie Lieber

Janudi Perera spent all spring looking for a retail job, but had no luck.

So the college sophomore in Queens, N.Y., did what many around her do when a situation doesn't go their way: She paid a witch on Etsy to cast a spell.

"The job market is terrible, I'm not getting any responses, so why not help myself out?" said Perera. "And if it doesn't work out, then oh well, it was only $15."

Perera said some of her friends bought Etsy spells during finals. She isn't an ardent believer in witchcraft but does believe in manifesting, the ritual of envisioning desired outcomes.

The day the Etsy witch cast the spell, Perera said she got a job offer from Whole Foods, where she's now a store shopper. Was it magic?

Witchcraft and spellwork have become an online cottage industry. Faced with economic uncertainty and vapid dating apps, some people are putting their beliefs -- and disposable income -- into love spells, career charms and spirit cleansers.

Etsy, an online marketplace for crafts and vintage, has long been home to psychics and mystics, but the platform has enjoyed new callouts from TikTokers as a destination for witchcraft.

The concept of hiring an Etsy witch hit a fever pitch when influencer Jaz Smith told her TikTok followers that she had paid one to make sure the weather was perfect during her Memorial Day Weekend wedding. The blue skies and warm temperature have inspired TikTok audiences to find Etsy witches of their own. Smith didn't respond to requests for comment.

Rohit Thawani, a creative director in Los Angeles, said Smith was his inspiration for paying an Etsy witch $8.48 to cast a spell on the New York Knicks ahead of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals in May.

Thawani found a witch offering discount codes. Thawani was half-kidding about the transaction but was amazed when the Knicks won. "Maybe there's something more cosmic out there," Thawani, 43, said.

Thawani bought a second spell ($21.18) from the Etsy witch for Game 6, but the Knicks lost. He doesn't rule out the possibility that Indiana Pacers fans "used their devil magic," he joked.

Magic practitioners sell on Instagram, Shopify and TikTok, but most customers say Etsy is their go-to.

The shop MariahSpells has over 4,000 sales on Etsy and 4.9 stars and sells a permanent protection spell for about $200. Another shop, Spells by Carlton, has over 44,000 sales and lists a "bring your ex lover back" spell for about $7. (The witches running MariahSpells and Spells by Carlton didn't respond to requests for comment).

On its page of house rules, Etsy prohibits "metaphysical services," including spellcasting and "items that advertise a metaphysical outcome" like "attracting wealth, love, gambling luck, more business, employment opportunities, or assistance with legal or relationship situations."

The platform allows readings that don't promise metaphysical outcomes and stipulates items sold must include a " tangible good."

Many shops on Etsy still promise love, success and revenge. Etsy declined to comment.

Mazie Dwyer, a witch living in New Canaan, Conn., is indigenous and believes she was born with clairvoyance. She's been reading tarot cards from a young age and studied reiki and somatic healing before joining Etsy two years ago. She said she tries to follow Etsy's rules by reminding customers she can't promise outcomes.

The most popular spells, said Dwyer, are related to romance, including removing third parties. She charges a starting rate of $10 to "divinate" and determine whether she can work with a client. If she feels she'll get positive results, her rate ranges from $20 to $200 for spells.

"You have to have the drive to genuinely help people," said Dwyer, 24, of her line of work.

Carrissa Perez, a 23-year-old witch in Fremont, Calif., said she's seen an influx of people buying spells that allegedly help people "be confident, physically and mentally" and own their "power to allure." Perez was close to a pagan family growing up, and said she read some books on spellwork before she became a practitioner four years ago. She charges $15 to $100 for her spellwork on Instagram.

Emerald Bishop, a witch in Columbia, S.C., said she is averaging about 15 spells a week. Bishop charges $35 to $250 for spells and doesn't offer refunds, though she will recast a spell if there's no movement within three months.

"It's up to the universe and how you handle your own energy," said Bishop.

Taylor Hamm, 35, called herself a reformed skeptic of witchcraft after she bought a $25 Etsy "road opener" spell that led to a boyfriend and a tax refund. "I pray a good amount, I grew up Episcopalian," the New Yorker said. "But it's definitely the witch. The timing is too suspect."

Claire Ibalio, a college junior in Monterey, Calif., has an Etsy witch she swears by. She bought a money spell, which she believes led to her recent raise at the tanning salon she works at. She also believes a love spell helped turn a former situationship into a now-boyfriend. (He doesn't know about the love spell.)

Ibalio, 21, believes more people her age are willing to gamble on witchcraft for careers, income and love.

"Like, we are young, dumb and broke," said Ibalio. "It's out of desperation."

Write to Chavie Lieber at Chavie.Lieber@WSJ.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 15, 2025 05:30 ET (09:30 GMT)

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