Should You Pay For Online Spellcasting Services?

There are thousands people on the Internet who will offer to cast a spell for you. All you have to do is pony up a few bucks on your major credit card or via your Paypal account, and voila, they’ll going to make your lover come home, find your lost dog, get you a better job, and make you win the lottery. After all, that’s what the ad said.

Right?

The problem with these services is not whether or not they are competent spellcasters, but are they honest business people? Often, it's very easy to get sucked into spending $29.95 on a spell — after all, it comes with a "money-back guarantee" if you're not happy with your results. And it keeps you from having to learn all that stuff yourself, yes?

Caveat Emptor

The thing is, there's no proof that the person on the other end of that credit card reader is a person of integrity. You have no way of knowing if they cast a spell for you or not. Heck, they may not even be qualified to cast a spell, but because there is no way of checking, all you have to go on is how many bells and whistles they have on their website.

And the kicker is, when the spell doesn't manifest, one of two things will happen. One, you'll complain to them and ask for your money back — at which point they'll tell you either that it needs a little bit longer to work, or that some kind of weird karmic anomaly is in effect, which they can fix for you, but it will cost you a little bit more to rid you of bad energy. The second option is that you'll just be too damn embarrassed to complain, because you'll realize you've been hornswoggled.

Now, that's not to say that the people running these sites are all dishonest. There are many well-meaning people out there who really will do what they get paid to do. But you don't know which ones they are.

Etsy is one website that is full of witches who will cast your spell for you. Roisin Kiberd of Vice says,

The average paranormal purchase involves back-and-forth emails to work out what's required, a personal recommendation, and finally the casting of the spell, with a date given for when the client can expect its effects to start kicking in... The range of magic available reflects consumers' hopes and dreams, their ambitions and anxieties, in much the same way as Amazon's self-help book chart. 

It's one thing if you're buying a product on E-bay, where you have some recourse if the person fails to live up to their end of the bargain, and completely another when you are forced to rely on a stranger to be honest about something as intangible as spellwork.

Spotting a Spellcasting Scammer

It's almost impossible to know for sure if an online spellcaster is trying to scam you, but there are a few red flags you should definitely watch for.

If the person has no website, no social media presence, and no physical address, be careful. They're going to be hard to track down if you're unhappy with their business practices. Likewise, if they offer a 100% money-back guarantee? Probably fake — any competent practitioner of magic knows there are no guarantees in spellwork.

Anyone who offers you immediate results should be suspect as well. Nothing happens overnight, and that includes magic. Also, watch out for unusual methods of payment — a legit business entity will have, at the very least, a Paypal account, which has verified their bank information. If someone asks you to do a wire transfer, or send cash only via a courier, walk away.

Finally, be diligent. As the person for testimonial and referrals, and do an online search with the individual's name and the word "scam" or "fraud." If people have reported this person, a few minutes of Googling should turn up all the warnings you need.

Other Magical Options

The bottom line is that when you rely on total strangers on the internet, all you can do is hope that they are as honest as you are trusting. There are a few other options to try, rather than pouring your money into an endless stream to someone you've never met.

First, consider shopping local. Find a witchy shop in your neighborhood, talk to the practitioners there in person, and see who they would recommend. They may be willing to cast a spell for you, but if not, they can most likely refer you to someone legitimate and honest.

A better option would be, if you've really decided that magic can help you with your dilemma, to get a few good books from the library and do some reading, and check out some reputable sites like Cantrap or Lucky Mojo for some ideas on magical theory as well as some simple spells that you can try on your own. Why not spend that $29.95 on a couple of really good books instead, and make your own magic? With just a few steps, and a bit of work and practice, you can make magic happen on your own, instead of paying a stranger to do it for you.

In many magical traditions, practitioners use what are known as "correspondences" to create symbolic magical links. Correspondence tables can help you select which stone, crystal, herb, or other magical tool to use in a ritual or working.