All you need are a few simple ingredients, and achieving your dreams could be just an incantation away. But in todayB次元官网网址檚 economy, even magic comes at a price.

Social media platforms such as TikTok are conjuring a boom in demand for magical wares, services and education, Canadian witches say, particularly as Halloween thins the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead.

As online communities such as B次元官网网址淲itchTokB次元官网网址� have given the magically inclined a place to congregate, so-called B次元官网网址渟piritual entrepreneursB次元官网网址� are tapping into the trend to sell occult paraphernalia ranging from spell kits to altar accessories, says Chris Miller, a post-doctoral fellow at University of Ottawa who researches new religious movements and non-religion.

In a 2022 paper in the Religions journal, Miller analyzed more than 1,500 witchcraft-related TikTok videos to examine how witches B次元官网网址渆nchantB次元官网网址� consumerism. He found there was a thriving online market for spell jars, magical liquids and witch kits, and many of these products were principally composed of common herbs, candles and other easy-to-find ingredients.

Still, Miller says he sees why some people might find added value in supporting witch-owned businesses rather than ordering the same items from a conglomerate like Amazon.

B次元官网网址淵ouB次元官网网址檙e going to have companies that B次元官网网址� are very grassroots and are presenting themselves as authentic,B次元官网网址� Miller says in an interview. B次元官网网址淭hen youB次元官网网址檙e going to have people who an insider to the community might say, theyB次元官网网址檙e just trying to cash in on this trend.B次元官网网址�

The rising online popularity of witchcraft has revealed a schism between self-proclaimed true believers and perceived interlopers that are dismissed by some as B次元官网网址渆sthetic witches,B次元官网网址� says Miller.

However, he says, the critics and the criticized may very well be buying the same spell books, tarot cards and cauldrons.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 like a B次元官网网址楾he BachelorB次元官网网址� thing of, are you here for the right reasons?B次元官网网址� says Miller. B次元官网网址淧eople who are decrying the kind of B次元官网网址榶ouB次元官网网址檙e just here for the esthetics of itB次元官网网址� are in many ways themselves also replicating that esthetic.B次元官网网址�

Maddie Cumming, owner of the Lunar Mouse in Calgary, says she doesnB次元官网网址檛 believe tradition and esthetic should be mutually exclusive.

While she identifies as a B次元官网网址渟piritual creature,B次元官网网址� Cumming markets her vintage witch kits packed with ingredients for spells, potions and elixirs to newcomers and experienced witches alike.

B次元官网网址淲e can love things because theyB次元官网网址檙e beautiful, and because theyB次元官网网址檙e useful as well,B次元官网网址� she says. B次元官网网址淢y practice is that I want to have everyone feel included and be able to learn.B次元官网网址�

Cumming, who started her e-commerce business during the COVID-19 pandemic, says it makes sense that people might be looking for a little more magic in their lives during these topsy-turvy times.

B次元官网网址淭ikTok and just the total state of the world has been a plus for the magic community,B次元官网网址� says Cumming. B次元官网网址淚 think a lot of people wanted to join in on the fun, because itB次元官网网址檚 fun to be a witch.B次元官网网址�

Kim Goodhue, owner of Purely Wicked, says her brick-and-mortar witchy boutique in St. Thomas, Ont., welcomes everyone, from practitioners who want to learn more about a particular kind of magic to fans of Harry Potter.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 no rules to witchcraft,B次元官网网址� says Goodhue. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 not going to tell you how to choose your spirituality.B次元官网网址�

Goodhue sees rising interest in witchcraft and other alternative forms of spirituality as part of a broader pushback against the patriarchy and other systems of oppression.

B次元官网网址淲itchcraft has always been an out for people on the fringe of society,B次元官网网址� she says. B次元官网网址淧eople wanted some way of taking control back, and witchcraft is a way to do that.B次元官网网址�

Kiki Keskinen, founder of WitchSchool Canada, says the esthetics of witchcraft can often be a B次元官网网址渄oor openerB次元官网网址� to something deeper, attributing the exponential growth in enrolment in her 11-month educational program in part to TikTok.

Keskinen, who describes herself as a seventh-generation Celtic witch, says she sees the reclamation of witchcraft as a response to climate change and a growing desire to reconnect with nature.

Whether youB次元官网网址檙e putting on a costume or casting spells, she encourages people to be on alert for supernatural occurrences this Halloween.

B次元官网网址淲e seek out magic in our lives right now because we feel magic inherently.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址擜dina Bresge, The Canadian Press