Love, luck and magic: Why are young people turning to online witches?

Love, luck and magic: Why are young people turning to online witches?

Love or luck, take your pick. All yours with a simple click.

Or at least that is the promise being offered by so-called "Etsy witches", who say they can cast spells for everything from good fortune to good weather.

And there appears to be a growing appetite for a bit of magic. Online retailer Etsy says searches for weather spells and witches have risen sharply this year.

But what are people hoping to gain from these online witches, and why are young people turning to them for help?

For one 'Etsy witch', there is certainly no shortage of people seeking a little extra luck.

Ellecia Cahill, from Erskine, calls herself a "mystic" and has recorded more than 2,000 online sales from readings and channelled letters - messages which claim to be from loved ones - as well as selling crystals and amulets.

And while love spells might seem like the obvious favourite, she says there is something else her customers are especially interested in.

Abundance spells - in other words, a little help attracting money, success and opportunities.

She says one customer - a tech investor from the wealthy Mediterranean principality of Monaco - had experienced a "significant increase" in his net worth after buying an abundance talisman.

Cahill said customers come to her for a bit of magic

A look through similar online retailers shows a spell for every occasion, including spells that promise to keep the rain away on your wedding day or help you get tickets to a sold-out concert.

A spokesperson for Etsy told BBC Scotland they have seen "growing interest" in "magical touches" for occasions such as weddings.

They said searches for spells for people trying to guarantee sunshine on their big day have increased by 206%, while general searches for wedding related-spells and witches are up 105%.

Whether they can truly deliver is another matter entirely - in fact, Etsy rules state that spells must be sold as entertainment only.

For Cahill, it is not just about business.

The 24-year-old says young people - even though they are used to thinking logically - are looking to believe in something magical.

She says many younger people feel lonely, and she wants to be a "safe space" for people, and to offer them comfort.

"As humans we need to believe in something that is bigger than ourselves," she said. "Curiosity is natural.

"I think a lot of the time people know the answer they want, but are just looking for a bit of reassurance.

"Even if magic isn't real, if it helps someone feel more confident what is the harm?"

People can buy spells from witches online

Actress Laura Blair, from Glasgow, bought a spell to help her with a specific job goal.

The 29-year-old told BBC Scotland: "I paid for a job spell, and they then allocated me to a witch. I had to send them my full names and more specifics and then she sent me a video of her doing the spell."

Although the purchase did not work out exactly as she had hoped, she has noticed a positive effect on her acting career overall.

"Since I cast the spells I've had multiple acting roles, its actually the busiest I've ever been in my career," she said.

Another user, Chloe, also from Glasgow, was less pleased with the outcome.

"It was a waste of time and money. What I asked for didn't happen but it is a funny story, I suppose," the 22-year-old said.

"I had just gone through a break-up and wanted my ex back - but in hindsight maybe it is just as well it didn't work."

Researcher Alexandria Arthur-Hastie is a sociologist of religion at Leeds Beckett University. She believes the rise of online witches is part of a wider move away from traditional religion and towards more "personalised forms of spirituality".

Hastie said it was no surprise that witchcraft had grown online, just like other parts of modern life that have shifted onto digital platforms.

"It's really just the latest step in the commodification of spirituality," she told BBC Scotland.

She said shows likes Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Charmed helped bring magic into the mainstream, and nowadays people can discover witchcraft through social media.

But the academic says there is something deeper behind the appeal.

For some young people, she said turning to witchcraft can be a way of finding support when life feels uncertain - whether that is relationships, careers or worries about the future.

"People go online, they're looking for solutions to these life problems, they're looking for a balm to soothe, really," she said.

Hastie said many modern witches see themselves not as mystical figures but as healers, focused on helping themselves, others and wider society.

"They really see it almost as a caring profession, something akin to maybe counselling," she said.