The art of frugal witchcraft

How to live magickally in your "low-buy year."

Hello, my lovely.

Recently - as we all do our bit in the fight against capitalism and begin to live more simply - there’s been a lot of talk of the “No-Buy Year.”

Essentially, this means spending no money except on bills, food and toiletries instead of letting our homes fill up with things we don’t need. Can’t commit to this? Then you can opt for the “Low-Buy Year” instead: pre-loved clothes, subscriptions to indie artists and celebratory meals are back on the menu!

It’s a sentiment that a lot of us can get behind in an age where SHEIN emitted 16.7 million total metric tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2023 and the average family in the UK throws away 40kg of plastic per year.

I recently read

Molly Ella

’s “What frugal living ACTUALLY looks like” as well as

Luisa Skinner

’s “List of Less” and it got me thinking about my own approach to life, money and the physicality of things.

Treading lightly

A “low-buy year” is an idea I have been practising unconsciously for years, only buying meals out with friends, obscure vitamins, massages and birthday presents on any kind of regular basis. I use the library, I mend my clothes, I don’t eat much processed food and I would much rather have friends over for dinner than meet at a noisy bar. Back in 2021, I was horrified when a friend sat me down and genuinely asked if there was something wrong with my finances because I spent so little. I was so shocked at how out of the norm my approach seemed to be. But my belief in the concept is twofold:

• I have always been happy with very little.

• I believe strongly in the principle of “treading lightly” upon this earth.

When we tread lightly, leaving little trace of our existence here, we honour the Earth and allow her to flourish without the hindrance of microplastics and excessive landfill.

In my own writing, I often speak about how little is actually needed to practice witchcraft, with most beautifully crafted tools being a “nice to have” but not essential. It is very common to see the latest iteration of modern witchcraft celebrating “things” over connection. New witches are told that they need a trunk full of sparkling goodies, rose quartzes and an apothecary-style cabinet of dried herbs to properly commit to their craft, plus an entirely new wardrobe of whimsy gothic Nicole-Kidman-a-la-Practical-Magic clothes to complete the aesthetic.

But that is not what witchcraft and Paganism are at their heart.

One of my local liminal places.

The wild Pagan heart

In my book, The Witch’s Survival Guide: Spells for Healing from Stress and Burnout, I did my best to define witchcraft and Paganism. I said that ‘Pagan’ is the overarching term for those with a spiritual connection to the land and the four elements. Many folk who follow Paganism believe nature to have a consciousness that can be tapped into through magical workings. We hold a reciprocal relationship with the ‘more than-human’ world, honouring its cycles, leaving it offerings and giving thanks for its abundance. It is a very grounding path, one that celebrates Mother Earth.

The spiritual path I signed up for is something that does not shy away from darkness, full integration of the soul, and the wild moments spent deep in nature; the reflection; the slap-dash nature of spells; the imperfections of the craft; the continual process of learning to understand the 'other-than-human' beings we share this planet with. Modern-day Pagans have one foot rooted in the structures and suburbs of twenty-first-century life and the other planted firmly between the rounded call of the tawny owl and the ridges of moss that line the furrows of the wildwood. We observe the cycles of life and find our place in its seasons, with nature as our deity – our provider and director. I am interested in the magic that is deeply grounded in the eternal magic of Mother Earth. I want the animal messengers of the Old Gods to whisper in my ear and tell me the news from beyond the veil. I want to be their mouthpiece.

All this? You can achieve it with very few physical possessions.

It’s just the media that makes you think otherwise.

For witches, the great thing about tools is that - if you do opt to use them - once you have them, they are yours for life. News flash: you don’t actually need more than one Tarot deck. Your “forever tools” can include your:

athame // crystals // cauldron // altar bowls // wand // Tarot deck

But what about the herbs, the books and the everyday tools that can elevate your magick?

I want to share my ideas on incorporating your magickal practice into a frugal or “low-buy” lifestyle. How can we worship the Earth and harness potent magick while treading lightly on this world?

10 tips for the “low-buy” witch

1. Forage. For me, learning plant and fungi ID is one of the keystones of practical Paganism. Once you know the names of those who inhabit the land, you can welcome them into your practice with even more gratitude and appreciation.

2. Try deep trancework. Much more than spellwork, deep trancework is the bedrock of my witchcraft practice. YouTube can be your friend here, offering wonderful visualisation techniques and frequencies/rhythms to help you enter your trance state.

3. Find an online community. Keep your witchcraft practice alive with weekly or monthly online meet-ups. No, these didn’t all get disbanded after the pandemic! Find a group or create your own where people can gather on Zoom or Google Meet to discuss spells, symbolism and divination.

Photo by Emily Underworld on Unsplash

4. Sew your own. Out with plastic charm bags, in with home-sewn pockets made from your old cotton pyjamas! Sew sigils into your clothes and make poppet dolls from ribbons and old rags.

5. Get to know your local liminal spots. The wonderful Treadwell’s resident witch Hannah Sanders taught me the importance of knowing the one-and-half-mile radius around your home. Walk the area regularly to notice the seasonal shifts, the new plants growing and the areas where magick seems to shine through the strongest.

6. Mark moon phases and planetary transits in your calendar. No more last-minute rituals and spellwork here - in 2025, we plan and keep ahead of the celestial game.

7. Try kitchen witchery. Bake intentions into your food and use spices such as cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg for luck, abundance and prosperity.

8. Use your library. Keep the libraries funded - order in your witchcraft titles. I was abso-flippin’-lutely delighted to get a message from a reader in New Zealand who had found a copy of The Wheel in their remote South Island village. There’s something magickal about spreading witchcraft wisdom through the library service.

9. Handmake your tools. Ideas: wands, a black mirror, oracle deck, altar decorations.

10. Keep a grimoire. Otherwise known as a Book of Shadows. Record your witchcraft practice to refer back to (or to pass down the generations). Yes, this is your invitation to use that fancy notebook you’ve been saving up!

Let me know if you have other ideas in the comments.

Have the most beautiful week, darling - I can’t wait to share my Imbolc newsletter with you next time!

Jennifer x