11 Easy-To-Find Ingredients Every Aspiring Witch Needs

Some of the most potent ingredients for magic can actually be found in your local grocery store.

Katelan Foisy

Some kids watched The Little Mermaid and Snow White and dreamed of being princesses of sea and land and everything in between. Stores were bursting with princess paraphernalia, outfits, toys, and books that indulged this fantasy. But other kids watched these movies and dreamed of being the badass witches that were making magic happen. Where was our paraphernalia? Where was our happily ever after?

Movies and TV shows that feature witchcraft often make it seem like you need access to a super-special witch store to get the right magical ingredients, but a lot of the most potent materials for witchcraft can be found in your local grocery store. For the magical practice we started at BuzzFeed, we consulted A Century of Spells by Draja Mickaharic.

In addition to our spell book, we consulted Katelan Foisy, a witch and artist who co-owns London Conjure, a company specializing in traditional magical readings. "You can make incredible things happen with limited ingredients," Foisy told BuzzFeed. Below are just a few of the items that you can easily find to start your witchcraft practice today.

1. Sugar

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Sugar is used primarily as an attracting agent in magic, "sweetening" people to your wishes, whether they be potential lovers or business customers.

In Practice: "Use to sweeten a business and draw in more customers. Sprinkle a little sugar in front of the entrance to work in order to draw people in. Add cinnamon for a boost as cinnamon is considered extremely lucky," Foisy told BuzzFeed.

2. Mint

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Mint can be used in your magical practice to make charms work faster or to better prepare your mind and intentions to be aligned with the intentions of a charm. It can be used in a spray or sprinkle to increase the mental vibrations of a place, so putting it in a school or office is ideal.

In Practice: Mix a teaspoon of dried mint leaf in a cup of boiling water and let it come to room temperature. Add the cup of water to your hair as a rinse after you wash your hair and rinse it. When you rinse the mint tea out, make sure to scrub your scalp thoroughly. This will stimulate mental activity and remove dullness.

3. Rosemary

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Rosemary got its name from the Latin Rosmarinus meaning "dew of the sea" and is considered to have powerful properties across a wide range of magical traditions, though it's typically used for protection and cleansing rituals. It can placed under pillows, in pockets, or secured in infant bedrooms to protect children from negative forces and energy.

In Practice: "Keep a sprig of rosemary by your heart and it will always remain open," Foisy told BuzzFeed.

4. Rosewater

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Rosewater is a mild protective agent that can be used as a floor wash to eliminate heavy vibrations, making a home or ritual space more comfortable to live in. It is also known for its use in beauty tonics.

In Practice: Put six cups of rose petals in a saucepan and add four cups of water then bring to a boil. Let the mixture boil for 10–15 minutes. When it has cooled, pour the mixture through a strainer and into a sealable bottle for use in magic. Though fresh-picked roses and rainwater are ideal, using store-bought roses and clean tap water will also work.

"You can splash on a little rosewater whenever you are feeling down. It acts as a magnet for loving vibes," Foisy told BuzzFeed.

5. Garlic

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Though typically thought of as an agent against vampires, this perennial has a number of other magical uses for beginners in magic as well as more advanced practitioners. The same healing properties that it has in medicine are useful in magic practice to remove negativity and to purify thoughts and places.

In Practice: A quick and easy use for garlic is to burn the skills on a fire or on charcoal in order to keep money in your home.

For a spell to eliminate negativity, Foisy instructed: "In a bowl, add cloves of garlic to vinegar. Leave overnight. If the garlic has turned dark purple or black there was a lot of negative energy and do again with fresh garlic and vinegar for one more night. If it looks fine then you do not have to redo. Flush down toilet to dispose of."

6. Sage

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Sage is an herb of wisdom and healing and can be used in a variety of forms for magical practice. A simple tea made with a teaspoon of sage and a cup of boiling water can be added to a bath in order to destroy illusions and to resolve problems. It can also be added to a charm bag to make your expectations about a charm or spell to be more realistic.

In Practice: "Smudge the house with bundled sage and it will feel lighter, this gets rid of negative energy that has accumulated. You can also do this to yourself to give you a little clear out from a hectic day," Foisey told BuzzFeed.

Bundled sage is available at some magic retailers and craft supply stories. But if you cannot find it bundled, you can dry the sage sprigs yourself. They should be about six inches in length and completely dried when you bundled them with twine. For more complete instructions, you can visit this page for making small basic bundles.

7. Sandalwood Incense

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Sandalwood is a very popular incense scent that is often sold as incense sticks; it can be found at places like a Michael's craft store just as easily as at a magic shop. Sandalwood is believed to have protective properties and so is used most often in spells and charms meant to banish negative forces in your life.

In Practice: "When you are feeling blocked or crossed up, braid three ribbons together representing three things you feel blocked about. You can write them on the ribbon before you braid. Put the braid in your pocket and carry it with you for a full day to get your energy on it. Light incense and as you take in the scent take out the braid and start undoing it. Really focus on the intention of these obstacles becoming uncrossed. When finished take the ribbons to the crossroads or and intersection and dispose of them. Leave three pennies for the spirits that open the roads as well," Foisy told BuzzFeed.

8. Basil

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Basil is a multipurpose herb with many potential uses in magic and for bringing good fortune in money and in love. It is also known for its cleansing and lightening properties.

In Practice: "Basil can be used for money, prosperity and love workings. Steep like you would tea and mop the floors with it or sprinkle a little on the floor and sweep it up," Foisy told BuzzFeed.

9. Ginger

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This potent root is used to make spells happen faster and should always be the smallest component of a spell. In addition to making spells go faster, it can enhance passion.

In Practice: Foisy told BuzzFeed that adding ginger to food can bring more passion to a relationship and noted that it should always be done with the consent of your partner.

10. Open-Minded Friends

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Having a group of friends who don't take themselves too seriously is important for starting your witchcraft practice — don't invite people who are going to think they're above it. Casting spells and mixing potions and admitting things that you want to have happen can feel a little bit corny at first; you want to feel supported. Having some eye-rolling naysayer letting their negative energy obstruct your line of communication with the spirits will make your magic less effective and your experience less fun.

11. A Spell Book

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Book retailers are awash in spell books for performing magic in a number of diverse traditions, from Christian magic to voodooism and the pagan traditions. If you are especially committed to a certain type of magic, that's great! However, it might not be as easy to find spells that will require only ingredients that are easy to find in a typical grocery store. For this reason, it might be best for beginners to get a book that is targeted to them and covers a lot of ground. You can browse this list on Amazon and find a spell book that seems right for you and the group with whom you'll be attempting magic.

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Whatever form of witchcraft you decide to embark on, it is important to keep your intentions focused on the charm or spell you cast so that the spirits responsible for bringing your spell to fruition will understand clearly. Magic should always be practiced for positive reasons that enhance life rather than diminish it and should always be done on parties who have consented to it. Once you've started a magical practice with the items that are readily available, you can consider branching out into more advanced forms of magic. Whatever you choose, be of open heart and mind and surrounded by spirits you trust.