Into the Cauldron

Now Where Will You Buy a Curse? Etsy Just Crossed the Wrong Witches

The crafty online marketplace infuriated sorcerers and sorceresses everywhere by banning the sale of metaphysical services.

Etsy, or Salem circa 1692?

Some witches see no difference after the crafty online marketplace took up virtual pitchforks and banned the sale of spells on its website. The company follows eBay, which enacted a similar, e-commerce witch-hunt in 2012.

Etsy has updated its policy to ban “Any metaphysical service that promises or suggests it will effect a physical change (e.g., weight loss) or other outcome (e.g., love, revenge) is not allowed, even if it delivers a tangible item.”

Self-described witches, who unfortunately cannot cast a spell to stop capitalism, are naturally upset over their damaged sales. Petitions have sprung up to reverse the ban on spell-selling.

“Swaths of us have now had our sales and shop views tank, and there is great distress in the metaphysical community,” one anonymous witch told Daily Dot via email. Etsy has established a forum to respond to 18 pages’ worth of backlash.

One vendor advocated leaving Etsy, saying the move might “cost a little bit of money, but at least then you wouldn’t have to worry about some pencil pusher’s own thoughts and views screwing with your business.”

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Matt Kelemen

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