Mystical Thoughts Blog

If you know me, you know I’m a thrifty bitch! I never pay full price for anything, and I’m the queen of turning trash into treasure. I was a thrifty bitch before I was a thrifty witch, but the same knack for cheaper (and more sustainable) alternatives carried over to my spiritual practice. Witchcraft is a growing trend, and capitalism has grabbed it in its bloody gaping maw and hasn’t shown signs of letting go, so it’s up to us to distance ourselves from capitalism as much as we can within our own practice… before it’s too late.

MINDSET SHIFTS FOR THE THRIFTY WITCH:

1. NEED VS. TREND: Before you buy something new for a spell or practice, ask yourself, “Do I NEED to buy a new ingredient / tool, or can I make something that I already have work?” I always try to use what I have before buying something new. Trends don’t have to dictate what your craft looks like, but can be wonderful inspiration!
2. YOU ARE THE MAGICK: You can cast a spell and move energy using only your mind, remember that. The physical items are helpful, yes, but don’t let limited access to fancy tools keep you from your practice.
3. STOP CARING ABOUT AESTHETICS: Magick doesn’t have to be beautiful, although I do love an aesthetically pleasing crystal grid as much as the next witch. Dirt and fingernails pack an energetic punch as well. If the stress and cost of putting together a photo-worthy spell keeps you from practicing regularly, then it’s not working. Done is better than perfect!
4. IF YOU MUST BUY… PRIORITIZE LOCAL & SECONDHAND: Cheaper & most convenient DOES NOT always mean that it’s the most sustainable option, and we may end up paying much more in the long run if we destroy our earth for mere convenience. If you must buy something new, prioritize buying from businesses that are local to you if you can’t thrift the item first.
5. ACKNOWLEDGE THE PRIVILEGE OF WHERE YOU ARE IN HISTORY: That sounds a little harsh, but what I mean is this: Your ancestors were making magick and casting spells with what they had on hand. They didn’t have metaphysical stores stocked with candles and herbs and books, and they certainly did not have the internet of information at their fingertips. Don’t feel pressured to spend spend spend, or to learn and adopt every single trend on witchtok. Be grateful that you have access to all these options and information, even if you may feel limited by funds or location. Keeping this perspective has allowed me to focus on what is actually impactful for me and my practice rather than what is trending. 

With these tips in mind, let’s look at some of my favorite ways to find and make witchcraft supplies for cheap!

• DIY / RECYCLE / FREE SHIT:
  • JARS!!: Save those pasta sauce jars for herb storage! Or a spell jar! DON’T YOU DARE THROW THAT JAR AWAY *hisses*
  • Pendulums: Use your favorite necklace as a pendulum! All you need is ANY weight on a string. Get creative. Your palm is a free pendulum board, or you can draw or paint your own for free. 
  • Go outside: Use items you find in your back yard, your local park, or on your commute in your spellwork. The cool rock you found for free will work just as well as the fancy crystal you would have to pay for. Grass & dirt have metaphysical properties, too!
  • Journal or Draw: Writing or drawing your desired outcome is almost free… you just need a pen and paper. These types of spells require minimal financial output for maximum magickal return
  • DIY an Oracle Deck: Collage, stick figures, doodles, an oracle deck of your own creation can be as fancy or as utilitarian as you want it to be. 
  • DIY Black Salt: Save up your incense ashes, and ashes from any burnt spells you’ve done, and mix them with salt to create Black Salt, an ingredient in many wards and protective spells. 
  • Brick Dust: I’m not advocating for trespassing… but if you see any brick buildings that are abandoned and falling down I’m sure they wouldn’t notice a brick going missing. Crush that shit up babyyyy
  • Railroad Ties: Again… not advocating for trespassing… BUT if you see abandoned railroad tracks anywhere, I hear that’s a GREAT place to find free rusty iron railroad spikes for protection

• THRIFT STORES:
  • Dishes: I look for fire-safe dishes and bowls for offerings, burning herbs, spellwork, etc
  • Candle holders: For taper candles, tea lights, etc. They also make great crystal sphere stands!
  • Napkin rings: Also great crystal sphere stands!
  • Altar Spaces: bookshelves, jewelry boxes, nightstands, fancy boxes, you can really build an altar out of anything! Thrift yourself someone’s granny’s table, she won’t mind.
  • Frames: Add photos of deities, ancestors, your childhood self, etc
  • Glass bottles & jars: make them into spell jars or herb storage
  • Altar Cloth: Bandanas, old sheets with cool patterns, even silky fabric
  • Deck of Playing Cards: You can use these for divination if you don’t (or can’t) have Tarot Cards
  • Keys & Locks: Useful in spellwork for opening doors, new beginnings, locking something down, etc.
  • Figurines: Lil ceramic animals and other symbols can be placed on your altar or around your space to invoke their specific energy.
  • Anything cast iron: Did you know your cauldron doesn’t have to be shaped like a cauldron? Any cast iron vessel will do!! I often use a little cast iron frying pan for spellwork involving flames.
  • Picture Books / Magazines: I like adding cut out images and words to my spells! The image of something holds a bit of it’s energy. 

• DOLLAR STORE (for items/ingredients that cannot be purchased secondhand):
  • Candles: My local dollar tree has tea lights, taper candles, 7 day candles, and some small scented / colored ones. 
  • Mirrors: Something about secondhand mirrors freaks me out, so I get mine at the dollar store if I’m going to use them for magick! But by all means, feel free to thrift these too.
  • Herbs & Carrier Oils: The kitchen section has spices and tea bags, and if you’re lucky, some carrier oils! Mine has olive oil and an occasional coconut oil. 
  • Fragrance Oils: In the craft section, there are small bottles of fragrance oils that would be great mixed into a candle or as a dressing
  • Tiny Lil Spell Jars: Worried about your ever-growing collection of special spell jars that you can’t bear to take apart and reuse? Dollar Tree has teeny lil bottles so you can use less space and less ingredients!
  • Birthday Candles: This type of candle gets its own bullet because I wanna point out that they’re MUCH cheaper than using a huge full candle every time you do a spell, and burn much quicker!
  • Notebooks: Every witch needs a spellbook!

Now go forth, and make magick! You don’t need the fanciest tools, the largest or most well-stocked apothecary, or the fanciest shmanciest crystal collection. All you need is yourself; centered, grounded, and open-minded. I hope you feel empowered to learn your magick deeply rather than stretched thin trying to learn everything, everywhere, all at once. You have my permission to SLOW DOWN and only take what you need for right now. Distancing your practice from capitalism and our culture of over-spending can take a while, but the mindset shift that happens as a result is SO worth it! Keep it up, thrifty witch!