#witch research

I know the saying is spirituality isn’t cheap, but it doesn’t mean it has to be inaccessible. I remember how difficult it was starting my practice and wanting to get all the things that cost all the money and having neither. One of my favorite go-to places from way back then (and still is)  was the dollar store. If you really look up and down the isles, you’ll find so many things you can use in your practice on the cheap.

My advice to baby witches just starting their collection of craft items is be patient. Set a budget of a few things and make sure they are the items you need to use on the reg. Once you’ve picked up your first couple of things, plan out the next few pieces you will need to help expand your craft. Don’t worry about getting everything you need at once. More than likely you won’t need everything you think you do in the beginning anyway. 

Make sure you are purchasing à la carte items one at a time as needed, and stay away from Etsy and spiritual shops that tend to overcharge. Instead, use them to pick up special items like crystals or blended oils that you can’t get at a discount store. And always keep your eyes open at garage sales, thrift shops and your grandmas house.

*Each local dollar store will have different inventory, so your dollar store might vary in what they have available. Take note of what they have but check back every few months when they rotate their stock. 

Notebooks, Pens/Pencils - Note books, pens and pencils will be at every dollar store. You can even pick up markets or colored pencils. 

Journals - Journals are sometimes stocked with the book isle. So I usually check that area to see if there are any blank journals I want to use for spell books or craft journals. 

Candles - Dollar stores are the jackpot for candles. You can get pillar candles, tea lights or votives in glass.

Offering Plates - They typically have clear glass bowls you can use for offering plates or even small dishes. 

Bottles (Glass or plastic) - I’ve found colorful glass bottles with cork tops at one time or another, this might be a seasonal item. 

Mirrors - Mirrors are always good for reflecting spells so pick up a few for protection/reflection magic. 

Olive Oil - You can use olive oil to anoint and bless. Grab a bottle if they have it in stock. 

Essential Oil - Your dollar store may carry a limited amount of essential oils, if they do you know you’ve scored big. No doubt these aren’t real essential oils and probably more like fragrance oil, so I wouldn’t put directly on my skin, but you can still use them in candles and just in general. 

Boxes/Bins/Storage - Any dollar store will have loads of bins, and storage to hold all your witch crafty items in. 

Incense/Incense holders - My dollar store always stocks incense cones, so I know they will be there, but I’ve seen sticks and some too. 

Jars - Grab some canning jars! You will definitely need them to make spell jars and hold items in. 

Yardley Soap - In my opinion, this soup is so overlooked. This original recipe dates back to the 1700s and is made in London. Use it for cleansing and ritual work. 

Clay - Clay can be used to make small pentacles and even painted with paint from the dollar store. You can use clay to create other alter items as well like candleholders, beads and jewelry. 

Calendars/Planners - Most calendars and planners will have the moon phases written on them, and if not you can always go in month to month and write it in yourself. Planners are a great way to track moon phases and spells that are coming up.

Drawstring Bags - Perfect to house herbs, crystals or anything you want to carry around with you in a little pouch. 

Chalk - Chalk can be used to draw on doors, windows and porches for protection symbols. You can also use it to draw your circle around you when you cast spells. 

String - String can be bought for tying up bags, knot spells or cord spells so definitely something handy to have around. 

Felt - Not every dollar store will have felt, but it’s worth a mention. Use for making poppets and dolls. If your dollar store doesn’t carry felt, craft stores usually carry it for a dollar a sheet.

A small stool or shelf - If you’re looking for a small alter space you might be able t find a shelf or small stool/table. 

Table cloth - Dollar stores will generally have this item either in the party section or in the household items. Typically they come in white but if you go during Halloween season you might be able to score a black one. 

Seasonal decorations - Always head over to the dollar store for any seasonal items. Think Yule décor, Halloween decorations and so much more. 

Lighter/Matches - A regular find at any dollar store and super useful. 

Paper - Loose leaf lined paper or computer paper is always good to have on hand aside from notebooks.

Spices (Garlic/Salt/Cinnamon) - They won’t carry all the spices, but a dollar store will have a small selection. Look for cinnamon, garlic, salt and sugar. 

Honey - Perfect for making honey jars and sweetening up spells. 

Fall has always been my favorite season, especially after a long summer. The way the leaves change and everything just has this spooky ambiance to it. I like to think of fall as very introspective. Whereas summer and spring are more about growth and moving forward with something new, Fall for me is about celebrating death and the cycle of turning inward. 

Salt your doors and windows - I like to add an extra ‘layer’ of protection in the fall with all the extra spirit activity. I have overdone the salt on occasion so a small sprinkle will do. You don’t need a 3 inch thick line of salt that messes with the way your windows close. 

Tie up your herbs to dry through the winter - If I’m at a fresh market I like to pick up some herbs and dry them out for use in the season. You can even bundle them up with sage or add them to bathwater. 

DIY Candles - I have made SOME candles before but sometimes I just melt the tops of candles from the dollar store and toss in herbs and oils in the wax. You can even add crystal shards or charms that go with your intentions.

Make an apple pie (or pumpkin!) - I always try to make one good fall pie from scratch, pie crust and all. When I knead the crust I think about health and prosperity for my family.

Sweep your porch for prosperity - I do this in the summer too but keeping your porch clean of debris helps the funds flow in. 

Dry orange slices - This makes your place smell amazing. Dry some orange slices and keep them on hand for citrus cleansing baths throughout the fall. Citrus baths are especially good when you’re feeling that seasonal depression. 

Read tarot on Halloween - I always do a full reading for myself on Halloween to see what the new year brings in for me. 

Thoroughly cleanse your space - You don’t have to do this with incense. Especially if it’s cold. Just leave out bowls of water with a few Tablespoons of salt. Flush it down the toilet the next day with all the bad vibes.

Leave out offerings for ancestors - If you do ancestral offerings leave them out some apples, Whiskey, or anything they would have liked in their life.

Tidy up your spells - I try to do this a few times a year when I feel like I have too much going on. It helps me cleanse my mind and rethink all my priorities. 

Collect fall findings outside - Acorns, feathers, seeds, there are a lot of things you can find just by stepping outside that will help you along in your practice. 

Nature walks - Nature walks are also great for this. I once found a dead squirrel at a park and took it home to collect the skull. 

Make moon cookies - I love sugar cookies so sometimes I just use a glass and cut out moon phases with the dough and bake. 

Write or journal - Fall is a great time to sit by the fire or a cozy space in your house and dig into your own thoughts and just write out what you feel. 

Pick up a new witch book - My reading always gets more intense in the colder months. I think there’s just less to do and I always pick up the latest witch book to stay in the loop with what’s going on in the magical community. 

Brush up on meditation - Meditate when it’s freezing outside and warm up your inner core. Try having some relaxing hot tea beforehand. 

Record your dreams - We tend to sleep more in the fall/winter months so it’s a great time to start a dream journal. To help with remembering your dreams, sleep with your journal on your nightstand and write down anything you remember as soon as you wake up.

Thrift for witchy finds - Thrift stores are great in the fall. So much fun stuff can be found snooping around old thrift shops or even Goodwill. I’ve picked up the majority of my witch things second hand. 

Cast a fire spell in a bonfire - If you’re at a bonfire write a wish on a piece of paper and toss it in for a fun spell. 

Visit a cemetery - Nothing is better than a cemetery on a crisp Fall day. Just don’t forget to leave your pennies for the gatekeepers. 

I don’t know if ‘spell fallout’ is already a term or not, but I always feel like it’s an important thing to discuss in Witchcraft. Basically spell fallout are the unintended or unaccounted events that happen after you perform a spell. Let’s use what happened to me as a great example of how you can F up your life with magic. 

For about 4-5 years I was working at a company that I on and off loved. At first it was not great, but we moved around and I kind of began to like where I was at and more importantly what I was working on. I learned a lot and even though it was frustrating, I wanted to be there. Then after a few years we were moved again to another space and it was a little horrible. Around that time I was super stuck and not feeling like I was experiencing any growth. Of course I blamed my environment and the circumstances around me and not my own fear-driven decision making. I could have simply looked for another job that continued my career growth. But I didn’t, I blamed everything and everyone else around me. 

Out of frustration I did a spell on the waning moon to let go of all the things that didn’t serve me. I was NOT specific and I just generally did the magic without even reading my tarot. That week I was laid off at work. I have not always been financially stable in my life and having the security of a steady paycheck was a HUGE deal for me. And now it was gone. The rug was pulled out from under me and my safe little job had vanished. Being laid off or even fired was one of my biggest fears and that experience sent me into a huge month-long panic attack. 

Of course, afterwards everything was fine. It took some time, but I was able to secure employment and continue to grow in my career. I also had a lot of personal growth related to that experience. I let go of tons of fear, moved forward with my own side business and stopped giving into other people’s expectations of me and started living for myself. 

Although these were all AMAZING things that I could never have accomplished without the help of my irresponsible spell, THERE ARE BETTER WAYS to achieve this. So before you cast a spell and turn your life into a hot mess for months on end, think about why you need the spell and all the things that could happen in your life from the casting of this one spell. And most importantly, be specific about what you want in your spell. Otherwise you’ll accidentally ‘let go’ of that job that might no longer be serving you, but is still paying the bills.