Years ago, I went on a retreat in Woodstock, NY. It was my first time traveling alone, and prior to my arrival, I hadn’t met any of the other attendees in-person.
Immediately, I felt out of place among the witchy artists, performers, and business mavens around me that weekend. Many of them lived in Brooklyn or Manhattan; I come from the suburbs of a smaller city. They had their own successful businesses or did things like burlesque performance. At the time, I worked for a small marketing agency that I knew was underpaying me. I had yet to build my own website and begin writing about magic and creativity. In fact, my own practices were still so new at the time.
One night, after one of our rituals, everyone was inside the house talking, exchanging tarot readings, and making new friends. But I stood outside, feeling deeply alone even among like-minded people. Surely, I assumed, they would figure out I was an imposter and didn’t belong among their ranks.
All weekend, deep in the heart of the mountains, my phone had said “No service.” I had no way of sending a text to my husband. I missed him terribly in that moment and wished I could send a quick “I love you.” I envisioned the comforting words he’d send back to me that I so desperately needed then.
After making that wish, I glanced at my phone screen. And I had a single bar that lasted just long enough to send him a text. I didn’t receive a reply until going back to the hotel later that night, but it was good enough. A single minute of a single bar to send a single, impossible text.
And I remembered just how magical I was.
I went back inside and joined the conversation. I realized that no one was going to force me to leave, or was even implying that I needed to. I still didn’t have the confidence that so many of the witches seemed to exude. But there was a part of me that knew that magic could absolutely influence the world — and even technology — around us.
There’s no reason that technology and magic have to be mutually exclusive. When you think about it, technology is a form of magic. We can communicate with others, create art, and keep all of our most important files in one place — on a device that fits in a pocket.
Most importantly, magic doesn’t need to happen on a retreat in a remote location. I find the best ways to express my magic are to work it into the mundane. Here are 11 of my favorite ways to practice some everyday tech witchery.
1. Create power passwords
You have to type your password into your computer and your other accounts regularly. So why not add some intention to them?
Choose a phrase of something you want to manifest — and make it secure. For example, instead of using a word or phrase like “powerful” or “I am powerful,” you could add in capital and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters like this: “I4m*P0w3rFv1!*”
2. Try some tech-savvy money manifestation
In your online banking portal or app, rename your bank account something to help bring in more abundance. (And it might be a good time to update your password with the same intention as well!)
3. Generate your charts for a deeper understanding of yourself
If you haven’t done your natal chart yet, this is some tech witchery 101. This will also help you learn your “big 3” — sun, moon, and ascendant signs — to give you a more holistic view of what the stars have in store for you. (I’m a Cancer Sun, Capricorn Moon, Virgo rising.) I like astro.com and cafeastrology.com for this; the former has a lot of extra options that most sites don’t offer, and the latter includes helpful interpretations of your chart.
And if you’re craving something more, find out your human design type. (I’m a 1/3 Generator!) There are a lot of blogs and social media accounts out there that explain the chart if you Google your results.
4. Download some mystical apps
You don’t have to spend money on these. I really love astrology apps like Co—Star and The Pattern, and I check my daily tarot card in the Golden Thread tarot app. There are loads of free apps out there, and paid ones if you want to go deeper on your daily horoscope.
5. Use (digital) color magick
Brand your business, add specific colors to your digital art, or design your website with intentional colors. This could be a magical color palette that holds significance for you. Or you could choose colors based on their hex codes and find ones with significant numbers. These might be repeating angel numbers (like 1111) or include your birthdate in them (e.g., July 13 = 0713). For example, in a previous iteration of my website, I used a hex code with three 5’s in it to signify change and applied it as an accent in places.
6. Create digital vision boards
Use the internet to collect images that remind you of your intentions. Pinterest is good for this, but you don’t have to use that. I like to save collections of posts on Instagram. Then add the images into your favorite image editing app (Canva is a good free option) to put together a powerful collage.
7. Make a magical playlist
Choose a list of songs that make you want to dance, do rituals, or walk through your day with your head held high! As a bonus, you could use this or another playlist for some divination. Ask a question, then put your music on shuffle, and see if the lyrics give you any insights.
8. Perform a social media banishing ritual
Are you following too many accounts on social media and finding yourself drained while scrolling? It may be time for a cleansing. It’s not the airport, so you don’t have to announce your departure. Nor do you owe anyone an explanation for unfollowing. But if your feed is too congested, clearing out those accounts that you no longer gel with is okay. Light a candle, burn some incense, and hit the unfollow button. (Or mute if you just need a temporary break!) When you’re done, anoint your phone with essential oil or place it in some salt to purify it.
Do you need a detox from social media altogether? Perform your favorite cord cutting or banishing ritual to help you disconnect for a while.
9. Turn your device into a digital altar
Pick a magical photo and set it as your phone or desktop background. Use your vision board or pick something else that makes you feel magical (or another desired emotion) when you look at it.
Another good option is to use a sigil. You can create this digitally or draw it on paper and snap a photo. You could also make it a true digital altar by using a photo of your physical altar, if you have one.
Also, don’t forget your phone case. This is an excellent space to tuck love notes, sigils, or other small, flat objects. (I keep four-leaf clovers I find in mine!)
10. Transform your phone into a traveling grimoire
There’s no real rule that says that a grimoire has to be a massive tome that stays on your shelf. Maybe you use the notes app, Google docs, or another app. (If you have an iPhone, there’s also a new journaling app that was added with a recent update.) Use whatever works best to keep track of spells, document your daily tarot card pulls, or do your morning pages. If you have a physical grimoire, take pictures and make a photo album for easy reference.
11. Spread the magic with an 11:11 text
It was actually my husband (not the #witchesofinstagram) who started me on making a wish when the clock says 11:11 (either AM or PM). When we’re apart or at work, we send each other a text on days we actually manage to catch the time. Using that time or another special time of day (12:34, 1:11, 2:22, 3:33, etc.) to send a message to someone you love is an easy tech witchery ritual that spreads the magic to others!
How are you making some everyday magic? Leave a comment below!