Witchy presents for a ten-year-old
June 24, 2024 2:25 AM Subscribe
My friend's son, who is about to be ten, has asked for things to do with witches for his birthday, ideally "real spells". He has recently been to a village in the New Forest which has several witchcraft shops, and he also likes The Worst Witch television series. Spell mixtures I can find online are either too adult or have candles in them, which he isn't allowed. Any ideas? He is not a confident reader, so anything too wordy is also out, and he has specifically asked me not to get him books. Thanks.
I have seen this earlier question, which has some good ideas including swapping candles for tea lights, but thought I'd ask anyway as that question is less narrowly focussed on spells.
I have seen this earlier question, which has some good ideas including swapping candles for tea lights, but thought I'd ask anyway as that question is less narrowly focussed on spells.
Simplified tarot deck.
posted by Iteki at 3:05 AM on June 24 [4 favorites]
posted by Iteki at 3:05 AM on June 24 [4 favorites]
Seconding the idea about the tarot deck or some kind of "fortune-telling" thing. The only thing about the tarot deck is that you may have to read a bit to figure out how it works and what the cards "mean".
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:22 AM on June 24 [3 favorites]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:22 AM on June 24 [3 favorites]
I third the idea of divination cards. They're meant to encourage using your intuition anyhow, so if the images are evocative enough, he can glean their meanings based on the vibes of the cards. It doesn't really matter if they're not exactly accurate to what's in the handbook.
posted by merriment at 4:46 AM on June 24 [1 favorite]
posted by merriment at 4:46 AM on June 24 [1 favorite]
Agree with a simplified tarot deck, most come with a little pamphlet with a line or two about the meanings vs a full book.
Stones can be good stand-ins for candles, I haven't ordered from this Etsy shop before, but they seem to have some nice groupings of stones by function. I would have loved those as a 10 year old mini-witch.
posted by Eyelash at 4:47 AM on June 24 [2 favorites]
Stones can be good stand-ins for candles, I haven't ordered from this Etsy shop before, but they seem to have some nice groupings of stones by function. I would have loved those as a 10 year old mini-witch.
posted by Eyelash at 4:47 AM on June 24 [2 favorites]
For a cool non-literacy introduction to the concept, there are people who do Zoom-based Tarot readings. I've seen Etsy listings along those lines, though probably there are plenty of other potential sources. Obviously an adult would need to sit in with him, but I'm sure there are folks who'd center the session around a young person.
posted by teremala at 5:06 AM on June 24
posted by teremala at 5:06 AM on June 24
"pentacle triquetra /triscael wiccan kids" shd be a rich seam: successful spells require at least a pentabrooch or charm-on-a-string
posted by BobTheScientist at 5:13 AM on June 24
posted by BobTheScientist at 5:13 AM on June 24
Also, although he doesn't want a book, you might find inspiration for kit-making from The Little Witch's Book of Spells. Our library had a copy but I can send a photo of the table of contents if you'd need to purchase it and aren't sure.
posted by teremala at 5:16 AM on June 24
posted by teremala at 5:16 AM on June 24
Handmade wands have always been a thing, but I think they exploded with Harry Potter. Something made with neat, natural materials from an Etsy seller?
Some examples:
Hand Forged Copper
Carved Wood
Metal and gemstones
Rosewood with gems
posted by Glinn at 6:19 AM on June 24 [3 favorites]
Some examples:
Hand Forged Copper
Carved Wood
Metal and gemstones
Rosewood with gems
posted by Glinn at 6:19 AM on June 24 [3 favorites]
How about some led candles for spells? Some of them look very realistic with dripping wax and flickering flames.
posted by defreckled at 6:20 AM on June 24 [3 favorites]
posted by defreckled at 6:20 AM on June 24 [3 favorites]
A rune divination kit or a crystals and herbs set might work well?
posted by virve at 6:24 AM on June 24 [2 favorites]
posted by virve at 6:24 AM on June 24 [2 favorites]
2 books that are share some of the same vibe and may be of interest: This book from the 1970s seemed very cool to me as a kid - it isn't potions, but it's recipes for mud pies and other backyard stuff. It's called "Mud Pies and Other Recipes" by Marjorie Winslow. The other book is How To Care For Your Monster by Norman Bridwell of Clifford fame.
posted by chr1sb0y at 6:43 AM on June 24
posted by chr1sb0y at 6:43 AM on June 24
I love this deck. Wishcraft Oracle: You Are the Magic https://a.co/d/0eqUD3cL
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 9:21 AM on June 24
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 9:21 AM on June 24
a nice "witchy" leatherbound blank journal with some cover decoration, plus perhaps a nice multicolored pen set might be a good option for writing down his OWN spells. Maybe some stamps, stickers, washi tape, etc. for decorating, along the lines of a bullet journal.
I understand that he's specifically asked not to get books, but Wizardology, like all of the Ologies books, is less about reading than it is about looking at the pictures, pulling out the "fairy flag", unfolding the mysterious documents, etc. It's a beautiful book and has lots of stuff to look at inside that doesn't require reading. The Wizardology Apprentice's Handbook is the companion volume.
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 9:30 AM on June 24
I understand that he's specifically asked not to get books, but Wizardology, like all of the Ologies books, is less about reading than it is about looking at the pictures, pulling out the "fairy flag", unfolding the mysterious documents, etc. It's a beautiful book and has lots of stuff to look at inside that doesn't require reading. The Wizardology Apprentice's Handbook is the companion volume.
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 9:30 AM on June 24
On Etsy, search "witch kit" and you can add in terms like starter, altar, protection (this should be every witch's first course of study and practice). He's probably not extremely online yet but in witch circles many newbies often refer to themselves as "baby witch" and that term will also get you some nice starter kits even if the term is kind of offputting.
Etsy also has some absolutely stunning art pieces with the Wheel of the Year, which not every flavor of witchcraft observes but most do, and is an excellent structure for observing the natural world.
Many of these kits are going to contain candles (and/or sage, which is problematic on top of combustible), but you can either contact the seller and see if you can get something else swapped in for it, or have it sent to you first and take them out. A bell of some kind is a nice swap if you don't want to do a little fake candle or tiny salt lamp. There's a lot of spell jar kits that use a candle to seal the jars, and again you could swap that out for a washable glue or glitter glue or similar.
You might also just search for metaphysical shops in the UK and see if they offer some bundles or cool altar pieces or something, as the economy and the digital economy has not been kind to them. Every good witch supply I've been into has had lots of items from local craftspeople, like ceramic vessels for the altar, carved wood items, altar cloths and other fabric items.
Spells usually get shared in writing, so I don't know how you get around the book restriction and still support that, but you could get some water-soluble paper and cut it down into maybe quarters to give him with a nice pen or pencil (I'm not sure what writes most pleasantly on that paper), a special box to store them in, and a cool bowl, so he can write his own petitions and either keep them until he feels they're done and dissolve them, or write and immediately dissolve - a lot of witches do this with fire, but water serves the same purpose. Some of us believe the spells you invent yourself are far more powerful than what you might find in a book, anyway.
I think a classic Rider-Waite tarot deck is a great starter for anybody. You can spend hours and hours just studying the art for meaning and nuances. The booklet that generally comes with them is painfully tiny, though, and maybe he'd forgive you for including a MUCH more readable tarot reference guide, and my personal recommendation is called Kitchen Table Tarot, which is significantly more aware of how human beings act toward each other and themselves rather than the terse tiny little books you usually get with the cards. It also talks about the cards in the larger context of the story arcs of the cards, in a way that even if he only ever uses it to look up specific cards he will get some context with the interpretation and some underlying messaging about not talking to yourself harshly and having healthy boundaries.
posted by Lyn Never at 9:46 AM on June 24 [1 favorite]
Etsy also has some absolutely stunning art pieces with the Wheel of the Year, which not every flavor of witchcraft observes but most do, and is an excellent structure for observing the natural world.
Many of these kits are going to contain candles (and/or sage, which is problematic on top of combustible), but you can either contact the seller and see if you can get something else swapped in for it, or have it sent to you first and take them out. A bell of some kind is a nice swap if you don't want to do a little fake candle or tiny salt lamp. There's a lot of spell jar kits that use a candle to seal the jars, and again you could swap that out for a washable glue or glitter glue or similar.
You might also just search for metaphysical shops in the UK and see if they offer some bundles or cool altar pieces or something, as the economy and the digital economy has not been kind to them. Every good witch supply I've been into has had lots of items from local craftspeople, like ceramic vessels for the altar, carved wood items, altar cloths and other fabric items.
Spells usually get shared in writing, so I don't know how you get around the book restriction and still support that, but you could get some water-soluble paper and cut it down into maybe quarters to give him with a nice pen or pencil (I'm not sure what writes most pleasantly on that paper), a special box to store them in, and a cool bowl, so he can write his own petitions and either keep them until he feels they're done and dissolve them, or write and immediately dissolve - a lot of witches do this with fire, but water serves the same purpose. Some of us believe the spells you invent yourself are far more powerful than what you might find in a book, anyway.
I think a classic Rider-Waite tarot deck is a great starter for anybody. You can spend hours and hours just studying the art for meaning and nuances. The booklet that generally comes with them is painfully tiny, though, and maybe he'd forgive you for including a MUCH more readable tarot reference guide, and my personal recommendation is called Kitchen Table Tarot, which is significantly more aware of how human beings act toward each other and themselves rather than the terse tiny little books you usually get with the cards. It also talks about the cards in the larger context of the story arcs of the cards, in a way that even if he only ever uses it to look up specific cards he will get some context with the interpretation and some underlying messaging about not talking to yourself harshly and having healthy boundaries.
posted by Lyn Never at 9:46 AM on June 24 [1 favorite]
Now that I'm not on my phone, here is a link to a YouTube review of the Wishcraft Oracle I linked above.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 10:44 AM on June 24
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 10:44 AM on June 24
How about a handwritten scroll with a recipe for making 'moon tea' or 'moon brew' and the glass decanter to make it in? Prices-low to higher-skulls are particularly 'witchy' Or you could ' fine cut crystal' if you don't like it so edgy,
Quick and easy scroll is cut out paper from a brown bag, crumple and char the edges, decorate with moon, stars, and arcane symbols, write out down your 'recipe' and wrap with a wrinkled red ribbon.
However you do the recipe, it's short and sweet. I'm not good at archaic, but something along these lines would do.
Place ye clear water in a crystal dekanter by the FULL and precious moon in a grassy dell. Call to Mistress Moon to purify and bless and This Majick Elixer. Drink one small sip to increase longevity and health and strengthen the potency of herbs by sprinkling.
If you think even that much writing is a buzzkill, then whispering the words as you read it together by 'candlelight' reflected by a mirror is pretty magical.
Another item is a mortar and pestle to grind herbs for strewing prior to spells. Good smelly stuff or even dried flowers can be wrapped in small brown paper packets tied with string and labeled 'magic' 'health' 'darkness' or whatever.
If you want to encourage an activity, perhaps he would be willing to make his own scrolls for his magic spells. Or just some brown paper crumpled, soaked in coffee (for a glorious mess) and then dried at high noon on the first Saturday of the second week of the month. Spelling and handwriting aren't important--actually it looks more 'witchy' and your spell is more 'potent' if they aren't correct and easily readable by Muggles.
disclamer: I made moon tea the other night to celebrate the solstice. There are no celebrations here, and I wanted to acknowledge how important that day feels to me. I put my well water in a washed glass 1/2 gallon pickle jar. Am doubtful about the health and longevity benefits, but it was tasted good and cold from the refrigerator that next day when it was hot.
posted by BlueHorse at 12:30 PM on June 24
Quick and easy scroll is cut out paper from a brown bag, crumple and char the edges, decorate with moon, stars, and arcane symbols, write out down your 'recipe' and wrap with a wrinkled red ribbon.
However you do the recipe, it's short and sweet. I'm not good at archaic, but something along these lines would do.
Place ye clear water in a crystal dekanter by the FULL and precious moon in a grassy dell. Call to Mistress Moon to purify and bless and This Majick Elixer. Drink one small sip to increase longevity and health and strengthen the potency of herbs by sprinkling.
If you think even that much writing is a buzzkill, then whispering the words as you read it together by 'candlelight' reflected by a mirror is pretty magical.
Another item is a mortar and pestle to grind herbs for strewing prior to spells. Good smelly stuff or even dried flowers can be wrapped in small brown paper packets tied with string and labeled 'magic' 'health' 'darkness' or whatever.
If you want to encourage an activity, perhaps he would be willing to make his own scrolls for his magic spells. Or just some brown paper crumpled, soaked in coffee (for a glorious mess) and then dried at high noon on the first Saturday of the second week of the month. Spelling and handwriting aren't important--actually it looks more 'witchy' and your spell is more 'potent' if they aren't correct and easily readable by Muggles.
disclamer: I made moon tea the other night to celebrate the solstice. There are no celebrations here, and I wanted to acknowledge how important that day feels to me. I put my well water in a washed glass 1/2 gallon pickle jar. Am doubtful about the health and longevity benefits, but it was tasted good and cold from the refrigerator that next day when it was hot.
posted by BlueHorse at 12:30 PM on June 24
Here's a list of magic cantrips he can write/develop on his own.
Don't forget invisible ink with lemon juice and water!
WITCH SPELLS
Remember:
A witch’s magic can be somewhat dark, rooted in the confusion of a sinister curse or can shine if rooted in the lucidity benevolent curse. But darkness begets darkness and enfeebles, and lightness begets light and strengthens. A witch’s curse begets even greater curses.
Cantrips (0 Level)
Chill Touch
Dancing Lights
Eldritch Orb
Hocuspocus
Mage Hand
Message
Minor Illusion
Minor Lifesteal
Prestidigitation
Produce Spark
1st Level
Animal Friendship
Charm Person
Comprehend Languages
Detect Magic
Disguise Self
Hideous Laughter
Protection from Evil and Good
Silent Image
Sleep
Speak to Animals
Thunderwave
Unseen Servant
2nd Level
Animal Messenger
Calm Emotions
Darkness/Light of mind
Detect Thoughts
Enthrall
Locate Object
Misty Step
Protect Threshold*
Shatter
Spider Climb
Suggestion
3rd Level
Clairvoyance
Counterspell
Dispel Magic
Fear
Fly
Hypnotic Pattern
Magic Circle
Nondetection
Remove Curse
Sending
Slow
Speak with Plants
Stinking Cloud
4th Level
Arcane Eye
Confusion
Dimension Door
Dominate Beast
See by Stars
Locate Creature
5th Level
Contagion
Dispel Evil and Good
Dream
Geas
Insect Plague
Mislead
Modify Memory
Scrying
Seeming
6th Level
Elemental Curse*
Flesh to Stone
Frenzy*
True Seeing
7th Level
Etherealness
Mirage Arcane
Project Image
Symbol
8th Level
Antipathy/Sympathy
Dominate Monster
Glibness
Mind Blank
Power Word Stun
9th Level
Foresight
Identity Curse
(cribbed from here)
Also, a glass rod and 'magic' silk cloth or a chunk of amber and wool can 'magically' create electricity for using with spells.
(This is fun)
posted by BlueHorse at 12:48 PM on June 24
Don't forget invisible ink with lemon juice and water!
WITCH SPELLS
Remember:
A witch’s magic can be somewhat dark, rooted in the confusion of a sinister curse or can shine if rooted in the lucidity benevolent curse. But darkness begets darkness and enfeebles, and lightness begets light and strengthens. A witch’s curse begets even greater curses.
Cantrips (0 Level)
Chill Touch
Dancing Lights
Eldritch Orb
Hocuspocus
Mage Hand
Message
Minor Illusion
Minor Lifesteal
Prestidigitation
Produce Spark
1st Level
Animal Friendship
Charm Person
Comprehend Languages
Detect Magic
Disguise Self
Hideous Laughter
Protection from Evil and Good
Silent Image
Sleep
Speak to Animals
Thunderwave
Unseen Servant
2nd Level
Animal Messenger
Calm Emotions
Darkness/Light of mind
Detect Thoughts
Enthrall
Locate Object
Misty Step
Protect Threshold*
Shatter
Spider Climb
Suggestion
3rd Level
Clairvoyance
Counterspell
Dispel Magic
Fear
Fly
Hypnotic Pattern
Magic Circle
Nondetection
Remove Curse
Sending
Slow
Speak with Plants
Stinking Cloud
4th Level
Arcane Eye
Confusion
Dimension Door
Dominate Beast
See by Stars
Locate Creature
5th Level
Contagion
Dispel Evil and Good
Dream
Geas
Insect Plague
Mislead
Modify Memory
Scrying
Seeming
6th Level
Elemental Curse*
Flesh to Stone
Frenzy*
True Seeing
7th Level
Etherealness
Mirage Arcane
Project Image
Symbol
8th Level
Antipathy/Sympathy
Dominate Monster
Glibness
Mind Blank
Power Word Stun
9th Level
Foresight
Identity Curse
(cribbed from here)
Also, a glass rod and 'magic' silk cloth or a chunk of amber and wool can 'magically' create electricity for using with spells.
(This is fun)
posted by BlueHorse at 12:48 PM on June 24
There's a fair amount of crystal magic that doesn't involve candles, or where crystals can stand in for candles. Maybe you could get him some things for an altar on top of one of his shelves or a dresser? (If his family has cats, of course, you'd want to make sure he has somewhere to put the items that would be safe from them before giving items like this as a gift.) If anyone in his family potentially has issues with magical practices, this can also be easy to disguise as just a collection of bric-a-brac.
Things that are useful for altar magic, which you can search for on sites like Etsy:
If anyone in his family might take issue with aspects of this, you can choose items that look more or less witchy. E.g., maybe you can choose an altar cloth that doesn't have specific magical symbols on it and just looks more like a decorative scarf. Or you might choose something like a Dreaming Way Lenormand deck for divination instead of a full tarot deck. Or you could choose a tarot deck with naturalistic imagery (example, though I haven't used it myself), instead of the traditional Rider-Waite-Smith imagery.
I love this idea. I would've loved it if someone got me stuff like this when I was a kid!
posted by limeonaire at 4:06 PM on June 24
Things that are useful for altar magic, which you can search for on sites like Etsy:
- A cool altar cloth
- A little ceramic bowl or jar with a lid and fancy salt
- Various types of quartz crystals
- A nice water glass
- Rechargeable LED candles
- A quality notebook (grimoire) for writing spells
- An easy-to-shuffle tarot deck
If anyone in his family might take issue with aspects of this, you can choose items that look more or less witchy. E.g., maybe you can choose an altar cloth that doesn't have specific magical symbols on it and just looks more like a decorative scarf. Or you might choose something like a Dreaming Way Lenormand deck for divination instead of a full tarot deck. Or you could choose a tarot deck with naturalistic imagery (example, though I haven't used it myself), instead of the traditional Rider-Waite-Smith imagery.
I love this idea. I would've loved it if someone got me stuff like this when I was a kid!
posted by limeonaire at 4:06 PM on June 24
Also, if there are cats, you could get him a nice box for his altar, so he has somewhere to safely keep crystals, rocks, shells, flowers, leaves, and other little natural elements he finds or acquires over time.
posted by limeonaire at 4:14 PM on June 24 [1 favorite]
posted by limeonaire at 4:14 PM on June 24 [1 favorite]
Oh also: You could make a do-it-yourself sigil kit for him, with some fancy paper and a set of markers (I've used Monami Deco Markers for this). It's a great way to make a space feel safer and more witchy without it being obvious what your art really means.
posted by limeonaire at 4:18 PM on June 24
posted by limeonaire at 4:18 PM on June 24
A spell deck like this could also be inspiring! It's not a book, so maybe it wouldn't be quite as overwhelming—he could go through the deck and pick out some spells he finds compelling and try them out. I'm a fan of intuitively creating one's own spells, but we all have to start somewhere, and a deck like this looks like it might offer some ideas (check out the customer images in the reviews section of that listing) without being overly prescriptive about it.
posted by limeonaire at 4:24 PM on June 24
posted by limeonaire at 4:24 PM on June 24
Response by poster: Thank you, this is very helpful. Have ordered some bits and will come back to this in the future if his interest continues.
posted by paduasoy at 11:38 PM on June 24
posted by paduasoy at 11:38 PM on June 24
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posted by corvine at 2:55 AM on June 24 [1 favorite]