Periodically I go through the web to see what witches (charlatans, shysters and con-artists too) are doing for business on the net. Unfortunately this usually seems to happen when my business is slow (which it usually is after Labor Day for some reason, the past three years) and I need to figure out trends using business resources available at Google, which is the only place I advertise.

What I find out there breaks my heart.

I love what I do. I was always meant to be a witch. I have a knack for herbology, for crystal healing, divination, alchemy and aromatherapy. Everything that I have ever been interested in, even Buddhism, has come full circle to my being a witch.

So when I see what I love being degraded, being used to further greed and criminal activity (such as fraud - which so many of these so-called “psychics” perpetrate) - I cannot simply stand back and say nothing.

I have a list of sites (certainly not exhaustive as more pop up all the time) that numbers 60 or so claiming to cast spells. Of this list of 60 sites (not counting myself) there are only FIVE that I know are legitimate actual true witches who practice real witchcraft and will absolutely cast your spell for you. Five out of 60 sites.

Site after site of outlandish promises. No honesty. Gimmicks. Promising to cast your spell for only $2.95! Or $19.95. Or $35.00. Big things too - they will get your lover back, they will find your soulmate, they will get rid of your lover’s girlfriend etc…for the bargain price of $19.95.

Or they will help you to win the lottery. For $19.95.

Many of these self-named spellcasters are not even witches nor do they call themselves as such. They call themselves Metaphysical Counselors. Psychic Coaches. There are dozens of psychics who supposedly cast spells.

I must tell you in all my days as a witch I have yet to come across “psychics” who cast spells. Witches cast spells. If a “psychic” casts spells but will not call themselves a witch, then here is a BIG RED FLAG! Don’t give them your money. Don’t communicate with them. Pass their site as what it is - a confidence game.

One site I went to will cast one spell for $19.95 - then two spells (because having the same spell cast twice is supposedly more powerful) for $35.00 then THREE times for $45.00. The client is to assume then that the first spell is what? Weak? Then the second double cast spell would be Less Weak? And the triple cast - yet again even Less Weak? How about ONE SPELL that has real POWER because you actually CAST IT!

My frustration is seeing these people get away with it. They have more money for Google ads than I do. They come up higher in the searches than my site (or the other legitimate witches I know - lest you think this is all poor me). I do not know how to combat such dishonesty, such con-artistry.

It is against my nature to actually go out and point specific fingers (except perhaps to the one site that actually STOLE a photo of my own altar and uses it on their freaking FRONT PAGE! Oh, they will be hearing from me!) at these people posing as spellcasters because this is their karma. If they want to be con-artists - how can I stop them?

Metaphysics has an unfortunately long history of such charlatans. One real witch (or even six of us total) cannot change what people will do. We simply try to do the best that we can, to give the best service we can, to cast our real spells to help those who come to us seeking our aid.

But it still breaks my heart to think of those clients, lost in that fray of shysters, trying to find someone who can actually help them. Giving hard-earned money to people who take it and give not one single thought to the fraud they perpetrate.

One group of people who run several sites on the web with the most outrageous prices I have ever come across (upwards of $1,500 for a single spell) attempt to con someone I know out of more than $30,000. And yet, every day people go to their site and think - oh well they must be very good - look at their prices!

I cannot count how many clients have come to me AFTER going to con-artists like this. They have spent thousands of dollars (hey even $35 for a spell that someone does NOT cast is too much!) and have no results except some grainy photo emailed to them that could be anything. Then these same clients question my legitimacy!

Which is why I often refuse to work with potential clients who have been ripped-off by charlatans - especially ones who email me something like this:

Hi Amita, I saw your site and hope that you can help me, I have gone to (insert name of con-artist fake magick site here) and several others and have spent almost $2,000 and been completely ripped off! I have not gotten any results nor seen any difference in my situation. I don’t know if you are for real or not and I don’t have much money after being ripped off, so I hope you can help me without it costing so much. It is very hard for me to trust after these people just took my money and did nothing to help me. I hope that you are not a fake.

Please let me know if you can help, thanks,
[name deleted]

What usually happens when I get an email like this is that I respectfully decline to work with the person. Here are several reasons why:

1. I don’t do this for money. I make enough to live from and often there are lean months. If I was after a fortune being a working witch would not be the way to go about doing it.

2. This person is already judging me and wondering about my legitimacy. There will be very little I can do to convince them out of the point of view after having been ripped off by fakes.

3. It really irks me when someone writes to me and tells me that they have spent all this money with fakes but now they want me to help them on the cheap, like I’m the red-headed witch-child. Jeez. Thanks.

The bottom-line is that the few quality witches that are out there are worth the search. I have said before that there are ways for you to discern the legitimacy of your spellcaster before you even send them a dime - please see my post under Spellcasters Online.

And for myself I will continue - no matter how many charlatans are out there. This is what I do. I am a witch.