Witchcraft is officially a thing - are you a basic witch?

Double, double, toil and trouble – witchery is officially a thing. Here’s what you need to know if you're thinking about entering the occult

Four months after Netflix’s remake of Sabrina The Teenage Witch launched, black magic is experiencing an unprecedented surge in popularity. The tag #witchesofinstagram now boasts 2 million posts (and rising), and ’grammers like @thehoodwitch (382k followers) and @light_witch (122k) are proving that witches can be influencers, too. Even high-street retailers such as Topshop and Urban Outfitters are offering the kind of traditional ‘Wiccan’ accessories (think pentagon jewellery and spell books) that would have got you executed in the 1400s.

According to Semra Haksever, author of Love Spells: Rituals, Spells And Potions To Spark Your Romantic Life, our growing obsession with witchcraft isn’t all that surprising. ‘In many ways, it’s just another way of exploring wellness and spirituality,’ she says. Hot on the heels of mindfulness, crystals and reiki, is our growing obsession with witchcraft just a natural progression? Or is the reality darker? Could witchcraft – a space arguably inhabited by women alone – be offering us a way to vent our frustration at the status quo, and even seek revenge? Lana Del Rey famously admitted to casting a hex on Trump in 2017.

So, if you want in, for £19.20 (plus delivery), you can order an XXL sage smudge stick to arrive at your door within 20 minutes (thanks, Deliveroo). Incidentally, you can also order crystal eggs, rose quartz and howlite wands (said to help heal, encourage romance and relieve stress, FYI).

Your basic witch starter kit

Add these to your shopping list for maximum sorcerer points

1. Sage smudge stick or Palo Santo. Because nobody wants a dirty aura. (From £1.99, Etsy) 2. Your coven. Witches don’t ride solo, so you’re gonna need to recruit the Salem to your Sabrina. 3. Salt. Don’t waste those flakes of Maldon on your supper, use them to create boundaries and remove negative energy by sprinkling some in the corners of rooms, or at your front door. 4. An old key. The best talisman for manifesting your desires, don’t forget to charge it with your intention (a few chants will do it, but add moonlight or smoke for extra oomph) before using in spells, advises Erica Feldmann in new book Hausmagick. 5. Amethyst. Loved by mystics in the medieval ages for its calming properties, no basic witch should be seen without it.

A spell for long-lasting love

According to Haksever, this is how to magically bag a hot Tinder date

You will need: A pinch of Allspice, a pinch of dried thyme, five cloves, five drops of rose essential oil, a pestle and mortar, a charcoal disc and a heatproof dish. 1 Blend all of the ingredients using a pestle and mortar. 2 Light a charcoal disc in a heatproof dish and add the mixture. Carefully place your ‘swiping’ finger in the smoke and, as you do this, chant out loud what kind of person you would like to meet. 3 Hit Tinder with your spellbound finger!

Love Spells: Rituals, Spells And Potions To Spark Your Romantic Life by Semra Haksever (£10, Hardie Grant). Hausmagick: Transform Your Space With Witchcraft by Erica Feldmann (£16.99, Penguin Random House)