Happy weekend, everyone!
As part of my many years in the online witchcraft sphere, I have seen trends in spirituality come and go. Some fleeting (moldavite, anyone?), some more long-lasting and impactful.
However, there are some trends and attitudes that turn my skin inside out as a witch, and have made me bite my tongue for a bit too long.
But it’s time for me to pull my glasses down my nose and tell you some hot gossip straight from a witch who’s been practising the craft for 23 years – me.
And there’s a big reason why.
Something I feel very passionately about is that witchcraft and Paganism should be an inclusive space that actively makes the world a better place. When we think about the “old gods” (ie those our ancestors would have revered and honoured), they were the rulers of nature, the ones that governed our tides, and gave us the bounty of a good harvest. Our lives were so much more entangled in the cycles of nature in years past; which is no longer the case in a world that seeks to separate us from our seasons, food production and access to sunlight.
Pagans, witches, and those more spiritually in tune with the land have a vital responsibility to care for and protect the nature around us. I always think about Robin Wall Kimmerer’s quote from her beloved, seminal book, Braiding Sweetgrass (one of the 5 books that changed my life):
“Knowing that you love the earth changes you, activates you to defend and protect and celebrate. But when you feel that the earth loves you in return, that feeling transforms the relationship from a one-way street into a sacred bond.”
Which is exactly how many Pagans choose to live their life – acknowledging, worshipping and nurturing this reciprocal bond with the Earth.
But not all.
Of course, I appreciate (and mourn) that we no longer live in a society so closely in tune with the seasons and reliant on its ebbs and flows. But many of the trends I see within modern witchcraft are pushing us actively towards an unsustainable and dangerous world – one that I don’t relate to in the slightest.
I’m writing this post now as we’re about to head into yet another heatwave here in the UK: the product of environmental neglect, in a time where corporations are funnelling trillions into AI efforts, and where human convenience seems to always trump care of the planet.
So, here are my 5 hot takes on witchcraft in 2026. And some ways we can set things right.
Tell me which ones you agree or disagree with in the comments.
1. If you are dressed like Stevie Nicks but disrespecting nature, you are missing the point.
This is my no.1 bugbear.
I see so many people donning the “uniform” of witchcraft (which seems to be a floor- or calf-length dress, 10 silver gemstone rings, long hair and a wistful look over a river) and heading off into nature. Dressing up and taking a lovely picture as a keepsake is a fun thing to do every once in a while. But I take issue with how this can sometimes lead people to a focus on the pretty photo reel, while bypassing the spiritual nuance of the craft.
What I so often see on these pictures is a colourful mandala or bouquet of wildflowers. These flowers, mushrooms, freshly snapped-off branches and nuts have been taken in abundance from nature just for the sake of an Instagram photo and then left to rot in the wood. Sometimes, habitat has been trampled to reach a remote beauty spot. Much too often, rare wildflowers are picked and discarded without any knowledge of the damage inflicted on local wildlife.
I see it time and time again, and I wince whenever one of these images pops up on my screen.
Witchcraft is so much more than an aesthetic. It is a spiritual path, and – to undertake it – you need to have a good grounding in its ethics and the effects your practice might have on nature.
This is something I talk about all the time and can’t stress enough – I even spoke to The Daily Star about it! If you are foraging, I would suggest never taking more than 10-20% of the plant you need, and certainly never taking extra just for an aesthetic picture: there are animals and insects that rely on these plants to live in an already harsh world. If you are looking for the foliage of a specific tree and can’t find any fallen branches, always remember to ask the tree’s permission before you snip some leaves (and listen honestly to its reply).
Love, look and listen, but don’t destroy a habitat or food source.
NOTE: I love a bit of whimsigoth clothing – in fact, most of my wardrobe is this way! But, just remember, it has zero bearing on your ability to practice the craft and to care for nature. Mother Earth knows you by your propensity to tend the trees, not your sartorial sense.
2. AI has no place in the Pagan space.
Say what you want about the utility of AI, I strongly believe that AI goes against the intrinsic ethics of a Pagan practice.
I recently unfollowed a number of creators in the spiritual space with a massive following because I quickly realised that all of their content was directly copied and pasted from ChatGPT. It was unedited AI slop generated to gain followers and to get as much content out the door as quickly as possible. Good as a money-spinner; terrible if you have any interest in helping the planet.
Which I would like to think most Pagans do.
As I shared above in the quote from Braiding Sweetgrass, many modern Pagans have values aligned with the world’s indigenous cultures, where it is seen as our duty to be the stewards of the lands.
Our online presence should have the same sentiment behind it.
That single AI-generated article you’ve pasted on the effects of the full moon or the benefits of selenite is contributing to the pollution of our water system, the erosion of our landscape, and heating up the planet to the point where wildlife is suffering.
Just take a look at this infographic from thesustainableagency.com:
While I know that witchcraft is only a subset of Paganism, Paganism is the umbrella we all shelter our magick beneath. If we are working with the powers of the spirit realm and nature but not obeying her laws, then we have some serious re-thinking to do.
And Mother Nature to answer to.
3. You don’t have to grow things to be a green witch.
You just have to enjoy everything green!
When I first began the green witch path in my late 20s (before this, I had been a general eclectic practitioner), I was living in a two-bed flat in central Manchester. There wasn’t exactly a lot of space for a herb garden.
I know this is the case with so many modern witches living in urban environments. We yearn for the green! But our kitchen windows won’t stretch to a lavender bed. So, we have to get creative.
Something I believe firmly is that a strong green witchcraft practice relies on knowing your local plants and wildlife. I was very lucky to undertake a six-month internship with the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) in 2014, where I lived on site on a nature reserve learning wildlife and wildflower identification. This is perhaps a unique situation to find oneself in, but I know this strong skillset in nature ID has set me up very well as a witch.
Wild plants are so vital to a green witchcraft practice – we don’t need to grow them ourselves, but it’s important to know where to find them in nature, how to work with them, and when to leave them be!
If you are just getting started with your green witch path, this is what I’d recommend:
A friend recently said how overwhelming it seems to learn all that witchcraft has to offer. I told her to learn five trees, five plants, five crystals and five colours in the first six months. Challenge yourself to then learn another five and their properties later in the year. For example, you may wish to learn the properties of your local plants, such as:
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nettle
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chamomile
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cleavers
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poppy
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and dandelion first…
… learn their favourite growing spots, what tinctures you can use them in, and what times of year to harvest them, then expand on this six months later. The RSPB’s wildlife guides (below) have been a massive help to me, and still are! An ID app is all well and good, but you’re unlikely to retain any of the information it gives you.
4. If you are not an environmentalist, Paganism isn’t for you.
Along the same lines as my second point (you’re probably getting my vibe by now), if you are not actively working to help our planet, then your path may not align with Paganism.
The term “Pagan”, after all, comes from a Latin word meaning “of the countryside”.
I’ve often written about the overlap between witchcraft and environmental activism. Pagans definitely do seem to be over-represented in the professional conservation community. In my own circle of friends, I know Druids organising tree-planting initiatives, witches buying plots of land to rewild and use for coven meets, and Pagans working for the UK Wildlife Trusts to restore degraded land to quality habitat for butterflies and endangered bird species.
If you want to find ways to nurture a connection with the nature around you:
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Get started with my Earth Element Blessing here >
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Create a space for nature in your garden by not mowing during the spring/summer months, putting up bee boxes, or sowing wildflower seeds.
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Volunteer with your local conservation group – this could mean repairing deer fences or eel passes, tree planting, or some good old-fashioned “balsam bashing”.
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Create an altar to a nature deity that you revere, such as Cernunnos, Freyja, the Green Man or Mother Earth herself, in your home or garden and give offerings of food, fallen flowers or poetry each week.
But at its core, Paganism is about creating a sustained, personal relationship with nature, however that looks for you. In his book, Pagan Paths, author Pete Jennings says:
“I know a very genuine Pagan who never meets with others, reads or does rituals. Instead he goes fell running. He reckons that having exhausted himself running round mountains, woods and through rivers, he reaches a heightened awareness of nature and is at his closest relationship with it when he leans panting against a tree.”
And that’s what it’s really all about, isn’t it?
5. A hex should not be your first solution.
Especially if you are not practising shadow work.
This one is controversial, particularly in the Traditional Witchcraft space. There are centuries of evidence showing that witches and cunning folk used curses, hexes and ill-wishes against their enemies, or merely to cause mischief.
So, this is a purely personal take.
Over the years, I have been a follower of the Wiccan Threefold Law (which I’ll be writing about on The Green Witch over the summer), which teaches us that whatever energy we put out into the world always comes back to us times three. If you cast a spell with positive intent, its good energy will come back to you threefold. And the same goes for a spell with negative intent.
When we put a curse on someone, we are manipulating a situation for the worst possible outcome, and welcoming that grey and cloudy energy back on ourselves – times three.
If we are casting magick that may incur a negative result for someone else, it is incredibly important to be examining your own shadow (see shadow work link above). Why are we trying to achieve this outcome? Is it coming from a darker, unresolved space within ourselves that could use some work?
In my opinion, we already live in a world filled with so much hate and negativity; do we really need more?
Sometimes the solution to our problem may need to be more creative/inventive, but if it circumnavigates a boatload of negative energy landing on our shoulders, then I’m willing to put in the extra work.
For those of you who have been in the Pagan space for a long time, these are perhaps not mind-blowing takes (I think they should be obvious to naturey/witchy folk), but they are from the heart!
I have other witchcraft takes, of course:
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You absolutely do not need a £6,000 course to become a witch.
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I’ve seen many a “High Priestess” radiating a shedload of negative energy.
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In my experience, the “Evil Eye” doesn’t deflect negative energy as well as we think it does. In fact, I think it actually attracts more negativity towards the wearer.
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Some of the most talented witches I know are not the ones with the flashy follower counts but the solitary and hedge practitioners out in the woods at dawn.
But I’d love to hear your own opinions!
Drop your thoughts in the comments below.
Don’t forget to upgrade your membership to The Green Witch Substack for more articles like this, seasonal living tips, green witch guides, and ways to connect with nature!
A Guide to Plants For Little Witchlings
In case you haven’t seen my latest posts, I have a brand-new book coming out!
A Guide to Plants for Little Witchlings (aimed at 5-7 year olds) is out on 14th July in the US and 16th July in the UK! I hope it will inspire a little witch in your life to fall in love with the magick of nature.
It’s so strange to think that the happiest and brightest book I’ve ever written is coming 4 months off the heels of the saddest book I’ve ever written…
Underwing: A Story of Motherhood, Loss and Wild Intuition was released in March 2026, and it couldn’t be any more different.
But I can say – from the bottom of my heart – that out of anything else I’ve written and achieved in life, I am the proudest of these two books.
Writing two books in one year is no mean feat. But to write two books while you are in the midst of deep, mind-bending grief is something else!
I hope you enjoy both – but for very different reasons 🌻
Sending you lots of love, and I can’t wait to hear from you in the comments.
Jennifer x
Originally published on Substack
