I wanted to put together a list of witchy essentials since I started my practice – so here it is finally! As I’ve gathered witchcraft essentials, components and tools, I have realised that all of it was new to me when I first started and I could have done with a list to show me what the priorities are!
I will begin with the most important things and then move on to the more costly / less essential things you can get to enhance your spells and moods. Remember – these are just the items I’ve gathered and there are always tons of small businesses you can support and alternatives you can buy!
Witchcraft on a Budget
Let’s start cheaply, to kick-start your witchcraft journey!
Altar space
This doesn’t have to be a particularly large space. I am quite lucky in that I was gifted a beautiful century-old cabinet (that I am going to show off here.) It just needs to be a space where you can pop any current spells, maybe lay down cards, store some bits and pieces, burn candles and incense safely and mostly just feel at peace.
Dried flowers and herbs
There are hundreds of flowers and herbs so… where do you start? For me, I started to preserve any flowers I was gifted, and asked friends to do the same. Rather than re-watering them as they start to die, just let them dry and they’re perfect for spells. Herb-wise, just start with your basic kitchen herbs and decant them into smaller pots or bags. Also, you could try some foraging too and dry your own.
Colour correspondences
If you’re on a budget then don’t worry, there’s no need to buy one of every candle and semi-precious stone to do spells. You can keep it simple by using personal items and trinkets in your chosen colours when you make spells. Buttons, ribbons, coins, badges, feathers, nail varnish, paints, coloured paper and fabric scraps… whatever you have that represents the colour or element in your spell will be fine to start with.
Incense
I’ve put this in the budget section because from what I know, incense is super cheap and it can really change the mood of a spell. Breathing in the heady aromas can get you further into your zone. You don’t need special ones for different kinds of magic, just go with the flow/your favourite scents.
Tealight candles
You don’t need spell candles in every colour under the sun to make your spells work; a tealight is all you need. Of course it looks very beautiful to match the candles with your moods and spell-work but the most important thing is a flame to focus on and use to seal your spells. (Don’t forget a lighter or matches!)
Altar brush/besom
This is essential for cleaning away any excess wax, incense or herbs from your altar space. It can be done on a budget by just grabbing a paint brush or make up brush that you can use for this specific reason. I found an old shaving foam brush in a charity shop for 50p and I use that!
A grimoire
It doesn’t have to be fancy, it’s just a record of your spells and all you’ve learned as you’ve followed your path. I combine my book of shadows and grimoire together (as I have no shame). Your book of shadows is your personal journey/feelings and your grimoire is more of an encyclopedia of things you find work for you. Use any paper while you save up for your special book.
Components for witchcraft
Various candles in different colours
You can buy cheap dining candles from places like Tiger or Primark in whatever colours you need. You don’t need to have one of every colour and they definitely don’t all need to be uniform in shape and size. You don’t need “spell candles” of any particular style from a witch store, just get whatever makes you feel good.
Small bottles or tiny pouches
When you’re creating spells, you’ll need ways to store the components to keep safe. Pouches are so cheap and available to buy from lots of places and so are tiny corked bottles – for mine, I go to The Works. There’s also a lovely bric-a-brac shop near my house which has a ton of tiny antique bottles, which I was lucky enough to grab! Always good for collecting and storing moon water.
Crystals and Semi-precious stones
It’s a slippery slope, buying crystals and shiny rocks. You buy one and suddenly you’ve got a drawer full – particularly if you’re a hoarder goblin like myself. These can get expensive but I’d advise trying to look at all the correspondences for a particular stone and go from there. For example, clear quartz helps as a substitute for basically any other stone, rose quartz is great for love, obsidian for protection… gather five or so and see how they serve you first.
Nice to have tools
I’d say these things are what you save up for – wait and choose the right ones for you. They’re a little more expensive but they’re well worth having and should be your priority if you want to dedicate a little more resource to your craft.
Tarot cards
Anyone can read tarot for themselves. Tarot is about self-expression, self-acceptance and exploring your own truth. Tarot cards are just images you can associate with your question/current life situation in order to help you get answers. If in doubt, a lot of tarot decks come with books you can use to check. Get a deck that suits your personality. There are tons out there! (I’ve got four myself…)
Cauldron or Brass Bowl
If you’re doing work with charcoal discs or burning items, you will likely need a cast-iron cauldron or a brass bowl so that you can burn them safely. I do a lot of work in the garden during the summer with fire, so it’s one of my most used items. Don’t use a ceramic or glass bowls – they might survive the heat of the microwave or oven but they do not do well with open fires.
Pestle and Mortar
I adore my pestle and mortar (or mortar and pestle, whichever you prefer). It’s great for grinding up herbs, spices, salt, frankincense and whatever other nonsense you need to throw into a spell. There’s nothing more satisfying than grinding away while manifesting – remember, grind clockwise for attracting and anti-clockwise for banishing.
Not needed… but they’re so pretty though!
Casting wand
Some people choose to use a wand, some people don’t. I own two wands but I’ve used neither yet when spell casting. I find that getting my hands dirty usually makes me feel more close to my spell than channelling it through something else. It’s really up to the individual – there are some really pretty wands out there!
Witch bells
Hang witch bells at your doors for protection from negativity. I wrote a post recently which included a guide on how to make your own. You can buy some pre-made but there’s nothing like making your own witch bells to feel like you’re involved in the process of providing safety for your loved ones and your home.
Related post: Making witch bells and other witchy items for Litha
Divination tools
Crystal balls can be expensive (or at least, the stands can be!). I bought one a while back and I’ve not really used it – it’s just something that doesn’t work for me (and that’s okay… we all have things that will work more or less for us.) I find that I find casting stones are super useful and accurate for me – but some don’t find them useful at all.
It really does depend on your affinity and belief in divination here but dowsing pendulums really don’t work for me either. I always feel like I have too much of an influence on the outcome of the way it swings. Any, none or all might work for you so they’re worth grabbing and testing if you have the cash – you can always pass them on.
Chalice
I make offerings using a chalice on my altar but there’s no hard and fast rule saying you have to use a chalice. You can use a wine glass, a bowl or a box to hold your offerings depending on what they are. I just like being flashy. I also use it to share mead during my rituals.
Witchy Outfits and Accessories
Looking the part isn’t everything but it’s hard to deny how powerful you feel when you glamour yourself and feel your inner power shining through! I hope you found this list insightful and useful for starting your craft. If there’s anything essential that you feel like I’ve missed off please comment below. Speak to you soon!
