My life partner calls me “Dollar Store Mama”. There are few
things in life that make me smile more than a good bargain. I have managed to
compile a large amount of tools and resources over the years, and though some
may be expensive (gifts, of course) most of my magickal tools cost 10 dollars
or less.
So here goes nothing, please enjoy my Magick on a Budget
list:
1 Dollar Deals:
Note- I buy these
items from the Dollar Tree (click here for website). Though your local dollar
store most likely carries similar items.
–Herbs. Though
you won’t find more expensive herbs such as bay leaves or lavender, you will
find oregano, basil, cayenne pepper, salt, parsley, and garlic.
–Chalice. My
dollar store has a large selection of nice wine glasses, different sizes and
colors. For the longest time I used a dollar store glass that I hand painted,
with dollar store paint.
–Candles.
Tealights, Altar candles, in jars, out of jars, Tapers, votives. I use dollar
store candles for everything. They have a large selection of colors and scents,
too.
–Candle Holders.
A lot of their candles come with holders, but they also have a variety of
colored and clear holders in different sizes. You can even paint them to add a
nice aesthetic, also, since it is Halloween time as I write this, they have
elaborate Halloween candle holders for tapers. Do it.
-The Dollar Tree by my house also has nice oil burners, just saying.
–Offering dishes. The
Dollar store has a lot of small bowls and holders. I have used clear bowls,
white sauce holders, and even colored votive holders to hold offerings and my
salt and water.
–Bells. Some
spells or rituals call for bells. Every season has something you can use for
bells. Fall has nice door hangers with leaves on them, Winter has Christmas
bells, and Spring and Summer has wind chimes. Either take the bells off or
paint/redecorate the whole item. Either way, bells are a nice witchy touch.
–Scrying bowl.
During full moon water scrying you need a black bowl. I bought mine at the
dollar store.
–Ribbon/Cord. The
craft section always has a variety of nice ribbons, cords, ect. They come in
different colors and sizes, and can be used for a multitude of things. Buy a
few here and there and hold onto them. Remember, white can be used for any
other color.
–Sachets. Though
this is more of a two or three dollar find, all components are at the dollar store.
Buy a sewing kit. Buy a bandana, shirt, or wash cloth in whatever color you
need. Sew it. Tie it closed with some of that cord you bought earlier. Done.
–Altar cakes. Depending
on your dollar store, you can find some yummy things. Buy a pack of dollar
snack cakes. Or, buy a bread/cake mix. You will need the eggs and milk if you
choose to bake your own, but the mix is a dollar! Also, they usually have those
little disposable foil baking trays.
–Incense. the
dollar store has these. But most head shops/new age shops carry a better
variety, and everywhere I have been they are sold 5-10 for a dollar.
–Altar Decorations.
Although I prefer to go out and find acorns, leaves, flowers, and other
seasonal things…I do realize that many of you don’t have these things available
whether it be by climate or city. The dollar store always has seasonal
decorations that work. Glittery plastic snowflakes, fake sunflowers, paper
autumn leaves. Though they are not real, they represent that season and make
acceptable decorations.
–General Glass
Bottles. Want to hold a potion or some dried herbs? Go to the dollar store.
They sell packs of little containers with screw on lids. Some are glass, some
are plastic, all are useful and cheap. They may also sell mason jars a dollar a
piece. They also sell blank stickers for labels in the office supplies section,
just an fyi.
There are of course tons of projects you do from dollar
store items that work for the craft, try searching the web a bit more, or just
browse the aisles a bit. I am all for weekly dollar store trips. Seriously. And
I will eventually make a post about that, too.
5 Dollars and Under-
–Jars/Containers.
I know that WalMart sells mason jars at a dollar or two a pop. Obviously buying
in bulk is more equitable, but you may not need 24 jars. Michaels has jars as
well. Target right now has beautiful jars in their “dollar” section for autumn,
and little beakers and potion jars (3-5 dollars). Check it out.
-Most other spices and
herbs not mentioned in the dollar section are available for under five
dollars at any grocery store. I even found a large container of lavender
flowers at Target for less than five dollars. When you have a few extra dollars
go to the spice section and stock up.
-Google new age store and craft fairs in your area. Common tumbled stones are usually under 5
dollars and are well worth it. Also, check out Michaels/A.C Moore, go to their
jewelry section. They sell strands of semi-precious
stones (be wary of dyed/artificial
stones… read your labels. Also, some of these are more than 5 dollars, but go
on the website and grab a coupon)
–Speaking of
Michaels…they sell real bird feathers
(some are dyed) that will be of use to most of you.
-YARD SALES and FLEA
MARKETS!!!!!!!!! Do yourself a favor and go to a few. I cannot possibly
list all of the wonderful things for my craft I have gotten at yard sales, but
here are a few:
Candelabras.
Those are the things that hold multiple candles, and are usually for tapers. I
have gotten them for free, for 1 dollar, and for as much as 8. Just go out and
look.
Athame– Mine cost
me exactly 9 dollars and 50 cents at a flea market. I needed to clean the blade
with vinegar to shine it up a bit, but that beats most of the prices I’ve seen.
Of course it wasn’t sold as an athame, it was a simple double edged knife with
a wooden handle, but I love it. And, 9.50 was one of the more expensive ones.
You need to be of age to buy one, of course, but cheap blades are readily
available.
Altar cloths–
When the elderly pass away, all of their expensive table cloths and little
scarves are sold at sickeningly cheap rates by their children/grandchildren.
They make beautiful altar cloths. And sachets, actually. And they are never
sold for what they are worth. (I have gotten boxes of these things for free at
estate sales)
Altars. ALTARS!
Old wooden end tables. Old wooden coffee tables. Old wooden desks. 10 bucks. 5
bucks. FREE. If they are scratched up, sand it down and restain it, or use an
altar cloth. Either way, you can easily obtain a decent sized altar for as low
as free. 99. For years I worked on a tiny altar that I bought for 8 dollars at
a second hand shop, my current altar is three times the size and was FREE. I
sanded off the ugly coat of stain, and hand painted it. It is a lot of work,
but not a lot of money, and it turns out to be a very rewarding process.
Overall, putting aside a few dollars a week can help you
obtain a pretty great collection. Hit the dollar store, and fill in the blanks
from there. Good luck with your endeavors, and don’t be afraid to be frugal!
1. Protection Spell- This can be for you, A friend, or an object. While meditating, Visualize your energy field. Imagine it radiating off your self creating an egg or sphere shape. Manipulate the energy so that it is a sort of solid wall. If you’re doing this for someone else you can visualize that the energy is being transferred from you, To them.
2. Glamour Spell-This can me done any time with cologne or perfume. Hold the bottle in your hand and imagine a pink or red glow leaving your hands and entering the bottle. Fill it with the intention of attraction, beauty, and glamour.
3. Hex- for those soft, non aggressive hexes you can send a “rainy cloud” over a person to make their day frustrating, and not so much in their favor. To do this, feel what ever aggression is lingering in you towards a person. Visualize a dark rainy cloud pulling that energy in, and direct it with your breath towards a person.
4. Cleanse– This is by far the easiest way to cleanse an object. What ever it may be, Hold it in your hands and feel the congested energy around it. Visualize a sort of muggy grey cloud surrounding it. Blow on it three times to clear the energy away.
If you have to use a
kiddie pool for your ritual, do it. If you have to use dollar store
candles, then do that too.
We have this image
of ancient witches using incredibly expensive things because those
things are expensive *now*. Now, we have hand blown glass witch balls
– they used to be discards from the fishing industry.
Now, people spend
thousands on cauldrons. When they were just a big iron pot into which
you put stuff because big iron pots were readily available.
Utilitarian =
witchy.
Do what works for
you and ignore the naysayers. As long as your will and your power
flow, then it’s working, no matter whether you spent nothing or
thousands on the tools.
I would say, at the very minimum, a new witch has to buy.. nothing, absolutely nothing. And I know this answer is probably going to dissapoint you, but it’s really true.
I full well understand that at first, the draw to witchcraft can come from a fascination with the material. You might have seen witch blogs filled with images of glittering gold incense burners, a shelf overflowing with every herb the earth has to offer, wands, tarot cards, you name it. It’s no surprise that many new witches come into practice because they loved the aesthetic and mystery of it all, and I really don’t think that’s a thing anyone can shame!
Everyone starts somewhere, everyone begins with a surface level impression about what their magic should be like. I really doubt anyone in the modern day starts practicing witchcraft if they don’t love the way the practice looks or feels. Honestly, I think it’s worth saying that the most rewarding thing about being a witch is feeling like a witch, but that doesn’t have to come from buying loads of archaic materials and refurnishing your home. For example, I live a modern lifestyle, and most of the magical items that I own are items that I already had that I put my magic in and made them special. That’s what its all about: your magic. A leather bound tea stained journal isn’t going to be any more magical than a three hole punched notebook when it comes to writing a Book of Shadows. It’s okay to find power in the ancient look, and what kind of witch would I be to try to take that away from you, but I believe that new witches can be at risk to overvalue items.
As a new witch, this is a time of exploration for you. You will discover ways to incorporate magic into your life, not try to alter your life to suit magic. Trust me, if you do that, your passion for it is going to burn out and you’ll be left with a lot of stuff that you regret buying. Along your path, you will begin to see what you’d really like for your craft and what isn’t necessary or cost effective. See what you can do with items that you already own. At the very least, steer clear of overpriced Etsy shops! You might be surprised on how magical you can be without spending a dime.
Obligatory disclaimer: This is my opinion, based on my experience. Every witch is different. Every practice is different.
I hope this rant was helpful and not super annoying! I wish you the best of luck!
First off, when you see witches like myself that have tons of fabulous witch stuff, do understand we didn’t get it all the week we discovered paganism or witchcraft. We have been putting our collections together for years. It is not a game of catch up. If you are just starting out, you don’t need to blow several hundred on supplies. There is a huge advantage to gathering things slowly. In that you will have ample time to become familiar with each object and its inlying spirit.
Wanting some special new supplies isn’t all bad either. When I decided I wanted to do this witch thing innowen tried to dissuade me from buying a mortar and pestle when a bowl and spoon would do. I would not be dissuaded and I bought one from a new age store. Now of course the thing was crap and bits of black enamel broke off in my herbs. But I did learn that I loved grinding herbs in it and I was able to decide what type of mortar and pestle I wanted next and ask for it for yule.
But onto the point. Where does all this stuff come from? How do you get plugged in and develop a great collection?
1) Befriend other witches and pagans, even if they practice way different than you. I can’t say this enough. A good deal of my witchy things were gifts or trades with other witches, pagans and new agers from in person and online. Its easy to get snobby and not want to hang out with the love and light types or to abhor folks who are a bit darker than you on principal. But interactions with others an be your greatest teacher about who you are and aren’t. And most pagan types who have been doing it longer than you have an old tarot deck and a few beginner books they need to rehome anyways. You’ll pay it forward someday.
2) Thrift shop. Don’t go in with anything in mind. Just look for witchy pagan stuff in the isles of the local charity shop. Usually something jumps out at me. Whether it a wall hanging of a pudgy kid with grapes for a bachanal type altar. A candle holder or even a few grab bags of cotton yarn for making charms, something will probably be manipulated for witchcraft and it might only cost a few dollars. I am amazed at what some casual thrifting has turned up for me. Old perfume bottles shaped like hummingbirds? Witchcraft!
3) Mention general stuff you are looking for to thrift gifty friends. Hey thrifty friend, let me know if you see and antlers out thrifting-garage saleing so I can come snap it up. Chances are you friend will delight in surprising you with gifts of their finds. Return the favor and you are golden. My brother is always turning up with loch ness monster themed things for me. I adore him, and the resulting collection.
4) Nature and natury friends. Learn your local trees and stop the car, bike or get of the bus now and then when you see something. This time of year my eyes are peeled for rowan trees and there bright orange red berries. I will take off a sock or my hat to fill up with them and a few branches to take home and make rowan on red thread charms. Get other nature inclined friends to scope out spots for you. Some might even pick up bones and antlers for you. Who knows?
5) Join in on swaps online. After you’ve bought a few things, gotten some gifts, picked up outside, you will someday have extra. Join swaps. Offer whatever you can and take near anything thats offered in exchange. If you don’t like it, gift it to another friend or offer it in an unrelated swap another time.
6) Check your house. I’ve a wand and a few favorite cute witch storybooks from childhood. A nice illustrated Wizard of Oz is a witch treasure! My dad had a cast iron pan in our camping gear. My mom has Irish themed cook books and gardening guides. We even had a few random greek myth books and something on ghosts of Ireland.
7) Halloween clearance sales. The cool stuff I have picked up the day after hallowen at craft and costume stores at 75% off is phenomenal. Always get your black candles this time of year, otherwise they are hard to find.
8) Save money aside for special purchases. Then stalk etsy, ebay and various other websites for just the thing.
9) Ask at holidays for specific things you could witchify. A perfume making kit, playing cards, fairytale books, blank leatherbound journal or sketchbook, nature guides, and etc. You don’t havevto tell your grandma you are a witch to adk her for a rock collection for your birthday.
10) Be observant, patient, give it time, and be giving to other giving people. You will have too much stuff before you know it.
When I first discovered my path, I was surrounded by people who didn’t know, and would not encourage me if I told them about my practice into the occult. so because of this I did not have a lot of tools to work with when I first started, and if I did have a tool it would have to be disguised as something that was “acceptable”. This led to me learning, and adapting ways to practice better in secret without allowing people to know I was practicing. One thing that came out of it that people don’t talk about a lot about is things that can be used instead of candles in witchcraft, and other forms of magick. I learned this, because back in the day I did not know how to make my own spells, so I had to use other peoples, and a lot of them called for candles. The replacements for candles that I will post below relies on the fact that you need the candles for energy in order to manifest your will into the universe not so much to bring fire energy, or light into your work. So now let’s talk about things you can use instead of candles in witchcraft, and other forms of magick:
Crystals And Gemstones
Crystals and gemstones have always been quite useful in all types of magical working, So why not a replacement for candles. This especially works well with stones that give off a high energy frequency such as selenite, celestite, and spirit quartz. They could be place into some sort of crystal grid in order to gain energy into your ritual that way.
Sigils
Is there anything that sigils can’t do? I’m still looking for it my friend, because they can be used to replace candles. All you have to do is make, or find sigils that have to do with releasing energy. So you can use that energy in your rituals, and spell work. It’s that simple, anyone can make them, and they’re quite inconspicuous, all they look like is doodles to people that are not practicing.
Electric Candles
These electric candles do work just like the other ones do. All you have to do is turn them on, and put them in your ritual. Sure you look like a ghetto witch, but these candles still do produce warm light, and fire energy through the use of the electricity that the batteries produce. Allowing them to still be good uses of energy in witchcraft, and other forms of magick.
It may be quite unconventional to use such technology in magickal working, but these items do release energy that can be used, regardless of if it has a candle burning app on it. The idea is that you can use the energy that is produced by the devices themselves as energy to help you push your intent into the universe, but some people also like to have a app that displays a candle on their device also to make it seem more like a candle, but this is not entirely necessary.
Energies / servitors
You can call upon different forms of energy to replace candles in your rituals, and workings. These energies could be programmed to give energy, or to gather energy up so you can use it later. To do this you will have to be ok at energy manipulation, and programming, or have very powerful visualization skills with intent, but if you pull it off it will help you with your candle crisis.
I hope you at least found some of these interesting, if not useful. This could always be adapted into your magickal practice in some form, or other, or used in situations that you would have never expected yourself to be in. It’s always a good idea to learn substitutes for things in case one day you have to use them. if you have any more suggestions feel free to post them. I’d love to hear all about them.
teakepp 