Capitalism and Witchcraft
I am a witch. I practice witchcraft and have done so for a long time. I work in a witchcraft shop. I am an active participant in witchcraft as a commercial activity. And that gives me the right to talk about this. Witchcraft is, at its roots in nearly every culture, an anticapitalist practice. It is about healing the body, mind, and spirit. It is about independence for people of marginalised gender identities. It is about living on the edges of society and being persecuted, feared, and revered for it. It is about doing favors and participating in communal care. And yet, since the rise of capitalism, witchcraft has had to change.
Let’s start with the Industrial Revolution and the Great War. As the world becomes more urban and industrialised, this rural role takes on a new, charlatan attitude. Poor houses are overrun, workers die in horrible accidents, and an entire generation of young men die in the war. The witch goes from being a healer, midwife, and confidant to being a figure who can commune with the other side. This was always the case, but now the witch is called upon as a medium rather than an undertaker and last rites giver. There are a fair few fakes and phonies, but many use this period to earn their living by magic. That has not been the case before. Earlier witches made a living via medicine and the payment was more likely to be some food, some clothes, an errand rather than money. And yet the role of witch and medium was still for those who learned a craft and practiced an art.
Fast forward to now, when witchcraft is an identity purchased through the trappings of crystals, books, incense, cards, and so much more. It is easily accessible, and one can be self-taught. There is an acceptability and a fashionable-ness to being a witch. We are no longer persecuted or rejected (for the most part). There are movements like Witches of Scotland that even seek to gain reparations for the murder of accused witches in the past. These are all positives, undoubtedly. The sharing of information and change in public view is great. Witchcraft, paganism, and alternative spiritualities have become a safe place for many people. More people SHOULD explore witchcraft if they want to.
The rub, however, is the way that the identity of witch is now a commercial brand in a way that almost no other religious or spiritual identity is. Of course, there is always a market for religious accrements and the like, but it is less prevalent to see the identity of “Christian”, “Muslim”, or “Hindu” as a popular brand. Witchcraft, however, is something that sells. It is a very popular fad that makes millions, whether than be for products, services (such as tarot reading), or classes. This, like everything that capitalism touches, warps the idea of witchcraft itself. Now you can buy the hat, the broom, the crystals, and the cards and call yourself a witch without participating in the craft of it. I have seen ancient practices and beliefs distilled into nothing more than vibes, aesthetics, and brands.
Again, I participate in this willingly. I sell witchcraft supplies and I teach classes in things like broom-making. So how do I or people like me hold this dichotomy? How do we make a living in the post-capitalist world while also staying connected to our ancient folk practices? How do we welcome others in and remove the barriers to this knowledge without selling out our very identities? The best I can do is tell you that I come from a place of sincere practice rather than a subscription to an image. I don’t have any smart answers, I can only hope that capitalism falls one day. I’ll be there, ready to go back to the healer, the midwife, the storyteller, the sharer of knowledge, like we were in the old days. Until then, my workshops are every Saturday at 11:00. 2:00, and 4:30…
[originlly posted to Patreon 7/4/25]
