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15 Fascinating Practices of Christian Witches
Welcome, curious souls!
Today, we’re venturing into a truly mystical intersection: the place where traditional Christian devotion meets the craft of the witch. Believe it or not, “Christian witchcraft” has deep historical roots. For centuries, everyday believers—both Catholic and Protestant—quietly blended scripture, saints, and spells into folk magic practices, even when church authorities disapproved.
From medieval monks casting lots to wise women whispering Psalms over healing herbs, the magic was always there. In this whimsical tour, we’ll explore 15 fascinating old practices—each one rooted in history and adapted with tips for the modern Christian witch.
At the heart of our exploration, one truth shines brightly: you can absolutely follow Christ and practice witchcraft. Just ask Saint Hildegard, a medieval nun some recognize as a “witch” for her healing work and divine visions. She was both a nun and a mystic—an inspiring example of how these two seemingly separate spiritual paths can beautifully intertwine, coexist, and enrich one another in a symbiotic relationship.
Without further ado, dust off your grimoire and your favorite scriptures, hail the merciful Mother Mary, make the sign of the cross, light a blessed candle, and let’s dive in!
1. Spellcasting with Psalms: The Enchanted Scripture
One of the oldest witchy Christian practices is using the Psalms as spells. Across history, folk magicians saw the Bible not only as a holy text but as a book of magical power. Cunning folk and hoodoo rootworkers alike would recite specific psalms or Bible verses to invoke blessings, protection, or healing.
In the 19th-century Long Lost Friend (a famous Pennsylvania Dutch grimoire), almost every charm ends with praying a psalm or making the Sign of the Cross. For example, a German healer might chant Psalm 23 over someone for comfort, or speak Psalm 91 as an incantation of protection. The words of scripture themselves were believed to carry power—warding off evil when worn or spoken in faith. In short, Christian witches have long “cast prayers” as their spells, knowing the Word can work wonders.
Modern Adaptation: Choose a Psalm as a spell for your intention. Are you seeking peace? Hang Psalm 23 on your bedroom wall and whisper it as a calming incantation each night. Need protection? Recite Psalm 91. If saying the entire psalm feels difficult, try this powerful excerpt instead: "I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust." Say it three times, imagining a golden light surrounding you.
For recording your magical, spiritual insights, consider using the Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pen for flowing script in a beautifully crafted parchment journal. Using tools that evoke ancient times can make these sacred practices feel all the more magical.
You can even sing a psalm—many were ancient hymns, after all—to raise energy. You might create a “Psalm spell book,” noting which scriptures uplift your spirit for various needs. Chant these verses over candles, infuse them into charm bags, or simply speak them into the wind as a sacred spell. You’re effectively doing what our ancestors did: letting the sacred songs summon real magic.
2. Parchment Prayers and Holy Charms
Long before Hallmark printed Bible verses on wall art, cunning folk were writing their own charms on parchment to carry or post in homes. In 16th- and 17th-century England, a local wise woman or man might inscribe a Latin prayer or Biblical passage on a small scroll to protect a household. These written charms often combined divine names, Catholic formulas, and Bible quotes—a blend of scripture and sacred magic.
One recorded charm from Reginald Scot’s 1584 text on witchcraft instructed: “Hang in every corner of your house this sentence written on virgin parchment: ‘Omnis spiritus laudet Dominum… Exurgat Deus, et dissipentur inimici ejus; et fugiant qui oderunt eum a facie ejus.’” These Latin lines (from Luke 16:29 and Psalm 68) were literal wards, calling on God to arise and scatter all enemies. The act of writing these words was itself an invocation—faith and folk magic in one. So common was the practice that historians have found old charm scrolls hidden inside the walls of historic homes!
Modern Adaptation: Create your own “parchment prayer” charm for blessing or protection. You don’t need lambskin parchment (thankfully— the old spells often demanded “virgin parchment” from newborn lambs). Plain paper works just fine, but for a truly enchanted touch, use premium Calligraphy Parchment Paper and ink.
Write out a favorite verse or blessing in your best hand. You might choose Jeremiah 29:11 for hope, or the Aaronic Blessing (“The Lord bless you and keep you…”) for protection. Feeling fancy? Try Latin or another sacred language. For example, write: “Exurgat Deus, et dissipentur inimici ejus; et fugiant qui oderunt eum a facie ejus.” Each stroke is an act of sacred intent— literally inscribing power into your words.
Place your charm in a meaningful spot: taped behind a cross on your wall, folded in your wallet, or tucked into the corners of your home like the cunning folk once did. Every time you see it, you’ll be reminded that your faith and magic are written—quite literally—into your life.
3. Sprinkles of Sanctity: Holy Water Magic
Every Catholic church has a stoup of holy water by the door—and every wise witch knows that water’s not just for Sundays. Folk magicians throughout history recognized the potent power of holy water for cleansing, protection, and spiritual amplification. In fact, hoodoo practitioners in America eagerly adopted Catholic holy water as a staple in their spellwork. Author Lilith Dorsey notes it is “an amplifier in all different types of spiritual work” (Patheos).
Holy water is essentially water infused with prayer, often blessed by a priest, making it spiritually charged. Historically, people sprinkled it along home perimeters to ward off evil spirits, anointed themselves or their loved ones for protection, or added it to ritual baths to banish negativity and bless spaces. Though it’s a Catholic sacramental, it quietly made its way into many Protestant folk practices too—sometimes via a borrowed bottle from a friendly neighbor.
As one modern conjure writer noted, holy water became beloved simply because it works. Accessible, portable, and powerful, it continues to be a sacred mainstay for both religious and magical folk alike.
Modern Adaptation: Think of holy water as your magical Florida Water—a versatile spiritual tool for cleansing, charging, and protecting. You can obtain some from a parish (many churches allow visitors to fill small containers) or make your own. To DIY, place clean water in sunlight, read Psalms over it (especially Psalm 23 or 91), and add a pinch of blessed salt, asking God to indwell it with protective grace.
Use it liberally: sprinkle it along doorways and windows to seal your home, add a few drops to mop water for spiritual floor washes, or flick it gently around your ritual space before spellwork or prayer. Some Christian witches even keep holy water in a spray bottle for quick aura cleanses—a few spritzes before meditation or after a stressful day can refresh the spirit beautifully.
For an extra layer of cleansing, combine it with Florida Water or essential oils like frankincense, lavender, or rosemary. You can also perform the sign of the cross while using it, saying something like, “In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I cleanse this space.” This adds a sacred gesture to the act—making it both symbolic and energetic magic.
If you’d like to keep some on hand, consider a church-style Holy Water Bottle for your altar or travel kit. Whether you flick, sprinkle, spray, or anoint, remember: wherever water and Word unite, blessings flow.
4. Saintly Candle Sorcery: Lighting Up Intentions
A colorful assortment of glass novena candles—each dedicated to a saint or sacred figure—has illuminated both churches and spellwork for generations. These devotional candles burn for days, blending prayer and fire magic in one enchanting glow. One of the most visibly mystical Catholic practices is burning candles for prayer, and cunning folk quickly recognized that these vigil lights could double as magical tools.
The classic 7-day novena candle, often emblazoned with the image of a saint, originally came from Catholic nine-day prayer traditions. Families would light them while petitioning a saint for help. Over time, folk magic traditions grew around these candles. By the mid-20th century, spiritual supply shops sold saint candles as “religious goods” to hoodoo rootworkers and Mexican curanderas alike. Lighting a green Saint Anthony candle for prosperity or a red Sacred Heart candle for love became a common practice—not just as piety, but as spellwork.
The logic is simple: the steady flame symbolizes faith, while the saint depicted acts as a spiritual ally, “lending” their intercession to your intention. Even today, a walk through Latinx neighborhoods reveals botánicas stocked floor-to-ceiling with these candles—blending saints, herbs, and folk belief in every glass jar.
Modern Adaptation: To practice candle magic the Christian witch way, begin by selecting a devotional candle that aligns with your purpose. For example, light a Sacred Heart Novena Candle for love, or choose St. Jude for desperate causes, St. Expedite for speedy results, or Mother Mary for comfort and healing.
Carve your petition or a small cross into the wax with a pin, anoint it with blessed oil, and recite a psalm or prayer as you light the flame. Let the candle burn a bit each day (safely) while repeating your novena or personal intention. If doing a nine-day spell, you might recite an Our Father, a Hail Mary, and then speak your desire aloud each day.
The slow, continuous flame carries your prayers upward, while the saint’s presence adds spiritual weight to your work. It’s a beautiful way to merge intention-focused candle magic with devotional prayer. And there’s something deeply comforting about that gentle glow—reminding you that help is already on the way.
5. Heavenly Allies: Working Magic with the Saints
Christians have hundreds of saints for every need—so it’s no surprise that folk magicians throughout history have turned to these heavenly helpers for magical aid. In Ireland, a wise woman might quietly invoke St. Brigid for healing, while benedicaria practitioners in Italy might call on St. Anthony to find lost objects or St. Lucy for matters of sight and vision. Even Protestant cunning folk occasionally slipped a saint’s name into an incantation, honoring their local traditions.
One of the most famously magical saints is St. Cyprian of Antioch, once a sorcerer who converted to Christianity. Today, he is lovingly called the “Patron Saint of Witches” by many modern practitioners, and he’s often petitioned for protection, magical wisdom, and spiritual defense. The Church itself credits him with powerful prayers of exorcism.
Other "witchy" saints include St. Albertus Magnus, a scholarly bishop linked with alchemy and occult texts, and St. Dymphna, the gentle patron of mental health. Some even call on folk figures like Saint Comba, a Spanish witch-turned-saint who offers aid against dark magic.
For Christian witches today, the saints are like magical allies—benevolent spiritual companions who bridge the earthly and divine. You can build personal relationships with them, much like one would with deities or ancestors in other magical traditions.
Modern Adaptation: Wear a St. Brigid Devotional Medal Necklace when seeking healing, or hang a St. Cyprian Exorcism Medal above your doorway for protection. Keep a set of saint prayer cards or holy images on your altar and light a candle in their honor.
Consider setting up a small saint altar—a statue, icon, or holy card of your chosen saint, with a candle, fresh flowers, and perhaps a glass of water. Offer prayers, novenas, or simply talk to them as you would a wise friend. You might carry a protective talisman like a St. Benedict Medal in your pocket to ward off evil, or call on St. Michael the Archangel with his powerful prayer to defend against negative forces.
Let the saints co-author your miracles. Treat them as part of your spiritual team—each with their own specialties, blessings, and personality. And don’t be afraid to work with multiple saints! Folk magic often layers these relationships. As one modern Christian witch joyfully shared, “I maintain devotion to the Blessed Mother and many saints. I pray the rosary and incorporate saint candles and novena prayers into my spells.”
Saints are here to help—call on them, honor them, and let your spiritual path be a shared one.
6. Divine Bibliomancy: The Bible as Crystal Ball
Bibliomancy – divination through random scripture – was practiced by clergy and laypeople alike. After praying for guidance, one would open the Bible at random, point to a verse, and interpret it as a divine answer.
Modern Adaptation: Pray for insight, then open your NIV Journal the Word Bible. Read the first verse your finger lands on and reflect on its message. Mark your spot with a Brass Page Marker for journaling later.
7. Cross My Heart: The Power of Holy Gestures
Christian magicians used gestures like the Sign of the Cross, laying on of hands, or anointing with oil to channel sacred energy. Each motion served as a micro-ritual, charging spells or blessings with intent.
Modern Adaptation: Keep Blessed Olive Oil and a Small Metal Crucifix handy. Trace crosses over your space or anoint yourself as you recite prayers to reinforce your intentions.
8. Garden of Spells: Herbal Healing the Christian Way
Herbal magic intertwined with Christian faith: St. John’s Wort on St. John’s Day was gathered to ward off evil, rosemary for remembrance was blessed on Palm Sunday, and lavender was used for peace.
Modern Adaptation: Grow herbs from an Assorted Herbal Seed Pack. Use a Granite Mortar & Pestle to crush leaves while praying blessings over them.
9. The White Grimoire: Crafting a Christian Book of Shadows
Christian witches maintained grimoires filled with psalms, herbal cures, novena prayers, and ritual notes. These manuscripts functioned as devotional journals and magical guides.
Modern Adaptation: Dedicate a Handcrafted Leather Journal as your White Grimoire. Record spells, dreams, and answered prayers with a Calligraphy Pen Set.
10. Exorcisms & Banishing Rites: Warding Off Evil
Cunning folk performed banishing rituals using prayers like the St. Michael Prayer, St. Benedict medals, and witch bottles filled with nails and holy ingredients to trap malign spirits.
Modern Adaptation: Wear a St. Benedict Medal Pendant. Recite prayers from Prayers to St. Michael while sprinkling salt and holy water around your space.
11. Secret Symbols: Crosses, Sigils, and Magic Squares
Symbols like the Chi-Rho, SATOR square, and Abracadabra triangle were inscribed as talismans for protection, healing, or insight.
Modern Adaptation: Sketch your sigils in an A4 Sketch Book using Sakura Pigma Micron Pens, then place them near entryways for continuous blessing.
12. Angel Whispering: Summoning Celestial Helpers
From Dr. John Dee to humble mystics, angels have been called upon for guidance, healing, and revelation. Each archangel carries unique gifts.
Modern Adaptation: Consult the Gabriel Angel Oracle Deck in meditation. Wear an Angel Guardian Medal Necklace to stay connected to their presence.
13. Stars and Prophecy: Astrology in Christian Magic
Astrology, once embraced by scholars and clergy, guided timing for rituals, feast days, and prophecies, honoring the cosmos as God’s calendar.
Modern Adaptation: Track moon phases with a 2025 Moon Phase Calendar. Plan your rituals in an Astrology Planner aligned with liturgical dates.
14. Trances & Visions: Mystics as Magicians
Throughout Christian history, there have been souls whose deep prayer life and spiritual sensitivity led them into otherworldly experiences. These were the mystics: saints, nuns, monks, and visionaries who slipped into trances, saw divine visions, and even performed miraculous feats. They were, in many ways, Christian magicians cloaked in robes and rosaries.
Saint Hildegard of Bingen, a 12th-century Benedictine abbess, herbalist, and composer, famously recorded vivid divine visions in her book Scivias. She even created a secret alphabet for her mystical insights and developed healing remedies guided by divine inspiration. Some modern witches lovingly say, “Hildegard was basically one of us.”
Or consider St. Teresa of Ávila, who in 16th-century Spain would fall into ecstatic trances—sometimes levitating during union with the divine! Mystics like her, St. John of the Cross, and Meister Eckhart reached spiritual realms through contemplation, fasting, chanting, and long hours of meditation. Eastern Orthodox monks practicing Hesychasm reported seeing the “Uncreated Light,” a glow believed to be the divine radiance seen at Christ’s transfiguration.
In folk tradition, visionary states weren’t just for cloistered monks. In Appalachia, “the gift of Second Sight” was known—prayerful individuals might dream omens or see spirits. Pentecostal churches today carry this mystical tradition forward with practices like speaking in tongues and being “slain in the Spirit.”
Historically, mystics had to tread carefully—some were accused of witchcraft when their visions or healing gifts made others uneasy. But many were canonized in time, their miracles embraced by the Church. For a modern Christian witch, these saints are spiritual ancestors, showing that altered states and divine communion have always belonged in the faith.
Modern Adaptation: Embrace your mystical side through meditation, trance, and visionary prayer. Begin with comfort and focus: sit on a Meditation Cushion and use a White Noise Machine or soft Taizé chants to deepen your focus.
Try the ancient practice of Lectio Divina: slowly read a Bible passage, meditate on it, pray over it, and then sit silently, listening inwardly. Let that silence deepen into a gentle trance. You may feel insights, images, or even divine presence wash over you.
Alternatively, explore trance through chant—repeat “Alleluia” or “Yeshua” for 10–15 minutes, letting your mind soften. Charismatic prayer, glossolalia (speaking in tongues), or guided inner vision journeys (like imagining a walk with Jesus or a saint) can also open powerful mystical space.
For dreamwork, keep a Dream Journal by your bed and ask for a divine message before sleep. Or try Christian scrying: gaze prayerfully into a bowl of holy water or a blessed candle flame, asking for wisdom.
For more immersive practice, consider a vigil: stay up praying through the night (especially on powerful dates like Easter Eve or solstices), as mystics did. Keep sacred items nearby, like a rosary or cross to ground you.
Most importantly, surround your mystical efforts with protection. Begin and end with prayer. If any vision or presence feels unloving, rebuke it in Christ’s name. Mysticism is a path of intimacy with God—your trances and visions are not only safe when grounded in love and faith, they are part of a deep, sacred heritage. You are not alone. The saintly sorcerers of old are cheering you on.
15. Everyday Miracles: Household Witchery in a Christian Home
For our final fascination, let’s bring it all home – literally. Christian witchcraft isn’t only grand rituals and ancient charms; it’s also the little domestic folk magic woven into daily life. Historically, pious households had many subtle charms: a horseshoe nailed above the door with a quick prayer for protection (some called it the “holy iron” keeping devils out). Or the custom of blessing bread and salt and keeping them on the table as a continual source of prosperity and peace – very much a kitchen witch practice, sanctified.
In Catholic regions, families would do the
Epiphany chalk blessing each January, writing
C✝M✝B above the door with the year – officially it stands
for “Caspar, Melchior, Balthasar” (the Three Kings) or
Christus Mansionem Benedicat (“Christ bless this house”), but
functionally it’s a protective sigil renewed annually. Many also buried
or hung medals of St. Benedict or St. Christopher at home for safety.
Consider keeping a
St. Benedict medal
by your entryway or under a mat for spiritual protection.
One well-known folk custom (mentioned earlier) is burying a statue of
St. Joseph in the yard to help sell a house – a mix of reverence and
sympathetic magic that countless people, even today, try when the real
estate market gets tough!
Try a traditional
St. Joseph Home Selling Kit.
Then there are those intuitive acts our grandmothers did: throwing a bit of salt over the shoulder to avert bad luck (salt has biblical significance as purification, too), or opening the Bible to Psalm 91 and leaving it open on a table during storms for protection. Even saying “God bless you” when someone sneezes started as a magical apotropaic charm (to chase away evil that might enter on the sneeze).
So yes, Christian witchery often lives in the everyday moments – sanctifying them with a touch of magic.
Modern Adaptation: Turn Your Home into a Haven of Holy Enchantments
Here are a few ideas to sprinkle through your routine:
Meal Blessings as Spellwork
When you say grace over food, infuse it with a specific intention. Stir your soup clockwise and pray it brings healing to all who eat. Bake bread with a cross cut on top (an old custom) and as it rises, imagine love rising among your family. Kitchen spices like cinnamon, basil, and rosemary have magical correspondences (prosperity, protection, remembrance) – use them in recipes while quoting a fitting scripture (e.g., as you add salt: “You are the salt of the earth” – invoking preservation of goodness).
Threshold Magic
By your front door, tuck an amulet or written blessing. You might print out the St. Benedict medal image (contains exorcism letters) and stick it under a welcome mat. Or write on the doorframe with chalk a short blessing like “✝️ Pax huic domui” (Peace to this house) – a nod to Luke 10:5. Each time you cross the threshold, deliberately envision negative stuff staying outside and peace within.
Laundry & Cleaning Rituals
Add a few drops of holy water or a pinch of blessed salt to your mop bucket. As you clean, play some gospel or uplifting music and banish negativity room by room (Psalm 51’s “Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean” is great while cleaning). When folding laundry, you can pray for each person whose clothes you fold, effectively imbuing protection or love into the very fibers.
Bedtime & Waking
In the morning, light a white candle by a picture of Jesus or a favorite saint, let it burn during breakfast for a bit as a morning blessing ritual. At night, consider the old practice of the Agape circle: some medieval families would do a little prayer circle or hug, exchanging the peace before bed – this sets magical protection around the household, sealing the day with love. You might also anoint doorposts with a bit of olive oil (like the Passover marking or a mini mezuzah) while saying a prayer for angels to watch through the night.
Objects with Intention
Populate your space with items that carry both spiritual and magical meaning. A rosary hung on a bedpost isn’t just stored – it’s protecting sleep and encouraging sweet dreams. A vase of fresh flowers from the garden can be dedicated to Mary or a saint, simultaneously acting as an offering and bringing that saint’s presence into the room.
The Heart of It All
The goal is not to clutter your life with superstitions, but to recognize the sacred in the mundane. As you adopt these small charms and blessings, you might find your home feels lighter, your family closer, and your faith more tangible, more tactile, more real and present, a more profound part of your life purpose and mission. You’re effectively casting a continuous gentle spell of peace and prosperity over your household, much like our ancestors did – often without even thinking “this is magic.” For them, it was just living faith.
And that, dear friend, is the heart of Christian witchcraft: living faith with a dash of whimsy and wonder. May your own journey be blessed with daily miracles!
From medieval charmers to modern mystics, the tapestry of Christian witchcraft is rich and real. These 15 practices show that you can carry a Bible in one hand and a wand (or athame) in the other, honoring both your heritage and your inner magic.
Blessed be, and Amen.
Your friend Hannah,
The Cozy Fairy Witch