The Journal Oct 23, 2026
Etsy witches, energy healers, herbalists and manifesters may now be commonplace in modern Western life, celebrated even, but once came centuries of persecution. Here, the modern women reclaiming the craft share the small, magical rituals they fold into everyday life.
Akira Eshi/UnsplashWe seek out Etsy witches for love potions, turn to herbalists for healing ointments, and try to coax a glimpse of the future from psychics. Our interest in, and respect for, certain talents only seems to be growing. And yet there was a time when precisely the opposite was true.
Across the main era of witch persecution, an estimated 30,000 to 60,000 people were executed, accused of practising some form of witchcraft, according to University of Oxford professor Diane Purkiss, writing for English Heritage. “People were tortured, murdered and castigated for being a witch,” says singer, sound healer and retreat leader Charlotte Church, asking us to sit with the sheer weight the word carries.
And lost alongside those lives was a whole body of ancestral knowledge, one that people have spent centuries trying to relearn. A great deal of it being feminine wisdom: the BBC reports that more than 70% of those accused of witchcraft in Europe were women, rising to 84% in Scotland.
So we turn to the modern women keeping the craft alive, and the everyday rituals, bordering on the magical, that they weave into their lives. You might be surprised by just how simple they are and how easily we can adopt them into our own lives.
“One of my favourite everyday practices is a simple threshold ritual. As an earth-based witch, I believe magic doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive. Often, it’s about bringing intention to something we already do.
When I’ve had a difficult day, I pause at my front door before stepping inside. I place my feet firmly on the ground, take a breath and say “What is mine, I carry. What is not, I leave behind.” I then consciously step across the threshold, imagining that I’m leaving behind the emotional weight of the day.
For me, this is a small act of energetic boundary-setting. It’s not about pretending difficult feelings don’t exist, but recognising that we don’t have to carry everything with us. I love practices like this because they’re accessible to everyone. You don’t need a cupboard full of crystals or elaborate tools to begin exploring witchcraft!”
What is mine, I carry. What is not, I leave behind
“It’s about being deeply aligned with nature and having an animistic world view, even if that means that you are ostracised. You have to be willing to forgo your sense of comfort and sometimes your sense of belonging to be aligned with mother nature and what you believe in. So much of the Witchcraft that is currently out there has totally forgotten the foundational principles. So the best advice I have is to be deeply in service to nature.”
You have to be willing to forgo your sense of comfort
“One of my favourite personal witchcraft practices is carrying a tiny skeleton key in my everyday bag. To me, this little key serves as a talisman for opening doors and attracting new opportunities.
To infuse the key with my intention, I pass it through the smoke of bay leaves (for success), cinnamon (for prosperity), juniper (for new beginnings), and rosemary (for protection), while repeating a personal intention. This little key serves as a simple reminder that magic doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes, the smallest objects can hold the most intention.”
The smallest objects can hold the most intention
“For me, modern witchcraft is about bringing everyday magic into your life and being intentional with your energy. I love enchanting my name with a spell for protection and abundance, welcoming success while protecting my energy. The tutorials are on my page.
Pulling a daily tarot card gives me a moment to pause, reflect and tune into the guidance I may need.
I also work with the moon cycles. The full moon is ideal for releasing what no longer serves us, while the new moon is perfect for setting intentions and focusing on goals. These natural rhythms remind us when to act, reflect and rest.”
Modern witchcraft is about bringing everyday magic into your life and being intentional with your energy
“I practise as a seasonal witch, and something I swear by as I have gone down this path is carrying a totem. I carry a cat-shaped piece of obsidian, or a piece of selenite to touch whenever I feel anxious when I’m out of the house.
But something else I love is finding a seasonal totem that reminds you of the current season. Right now, I have been using a tiny pinecone I found as a protection totem for my altar. It just grounds your mind back to an anchor moment and intention or goal and that can be more helpful than most people realise.”
It just grounds your mind back to an anchor moment and intention or goal
“Rest is an important part of witchcraft. I end my evenings with a simple energy cleanse, such as taking a shower, lighting incense or a candle, using a sound bowl or bell, or simply clapping my hands. Witchcraft doesn’t have to be complicated, sometimes the simplest rituals are the most powerful.”
Witchcraft doesn’t have to be complicated
Modern Witch and author of Find Your Soul Path and The Witch’s Way Home
“One of my all-time favourite bits of everyday magic is a simple ritual which I call The Spell of Returning to Yourself. I think we can spend so much of our lives looking after everyone and everything else that we forget to check in with ourselves at all, so this is a little way of getting back to yourself.
Light a candle, place your hands over your heart and take three slow breaths to ground yourself into your body and the space you are in. Think about what you need to call back into your life. That could be things like your confidence, your creativity, your peace, or simply a tiny bit more joy.
Then say these words aloud:
“I call my power back to me,
I return to who I’m meant to be.
With earth below and sky above,
I stand in truth, I stand in love.
My magic lives inside of me,
I am my own sanctuary.”
Just sit quietly for a moment and see what arises; there’s no need to force anything at all. Blow out your candle when you’re ready and take that intention with you into the day. These small rituals remind us that we have more agency over how we feel and how we move through the world than we sometimes realise.”
Witchcraft is about bringing a little intention and enchantment into the life we’re already living
