Sympathetic Magic: What is It?

If you look online, sympathetic magic is all over the place with many voices attempting to illustrate what it is. The funny thing I find is that nearly all of it applies. Consider first the word “sympathetic”, or the phrase “sympathetic to our cause”. That should give you the first clue what this is all about.

In short, sympathetic magic is harnessing the natural world around us, what is “sympathetic” to our cause. Don’t get me wrong, there are many nuances and much to consider in choosing items, ingredients etc.

We also choose correspondences that are sympathetic to our magical workings. We’ll get more into that a bit later. For now, you can safely assume that correspondence magic and sympathetic magic go hand in hand.

The law of similarity. correspondence and the law of contagion together are sympathetic magic.

Don’t let the term “contagion” frighten you. In terms of sympathetic magic it is the idea that energy (the spell) can transfer from an object to a person and vice versa. Like making a voodoo doll or a poppet for instance. Or, consider the effects of a sour jar.

“What in the world are you talking about” you ask?

Breaking Down Sympathetic Magic

Similarity, correspondence, contagion = Sympathetic Magic

We didn’t call it sympathetic magic commonly until after the publication of The Golden Bough, Frazer (an anthropologist) (1890, p. 19b) explicitly formulates two principles of magic: First, that like produces like, or that an effect resembles its cause; and second, that things which have once been in contact with each other continue to act on each other at a distance after the physical contact has been severed (contagion).

Frazer’s attempt at describing and summing up sympathetic magic would have anthropologists rolling over in their graves. It’s kind of like taking a simple thing, giving it an acronym and then continuing to add letters. While a modern attempt, witches around the world of all flavors have been performing sympathetic magic since the beginning. In the end, I find a lot of discourse over this topic seems to be splitting hairs.

Another thing that bothers me is the excessive use of the words “law of”. Laws can be bent or broken, I tend toward “principle” or even “theory”. Regardless. I have seen and done enough sympathetic magic in my life to know hands-down, it works. Especially if you train your mind, focus and will. Get proficient at it, at channeling energy. But that’s what this part of my witchcraft blog is all about; foundational witchcraft (go to Learning Witchcraft (start here). If you are on mobile, the links to the training posts will be below the page. If you are on desk/laptop or pad, the links to posts will be on your left. And then on to “How Does Witchcraft Work“.

The ideas of likeness, correspondence, similarities and contagion come together to form what we now call sympathetic magic with modern understanding. Don’t get me wrong though, without specifically calling it that, we’ve been doing this since the dawn of man and magic. Even mainstream religions practice this, though most would shun the idea of calling it that. How about bread and wine representing flesh and blood?

Examples of Sympathetic Magic

A skilled and proficient witch doesn’t need sympathetic means to work magic in the moment. Magic happens all the time without it, especially when the need is critical and urgent and there is no time. But planned magical workings can carry and move considerable energy around. Sympathetic magic is also more sustainable too. Consider these three examples below.

Poppets

Some cultures call them poppets, others voodoo dolls, clay dolls, dolls of all kinds. Dolls also fall into the class of image magic which touches on much of witchcraft.

So, you make your own or choose a handy shell to start with. The first thing you do is choose a color that corresponds to the intention. Red for love, green for money, black for protection, cursing or hexing, purple for psychic work etc. Study the energy of colors and you’ll see that you are choosing a color sympathetic to your cause.

What herbs will you stuff it with (enchant everything every step of the way)? Mandrake is practically a must for doll magic, helping bring life to it. Maybe you want goldenrod for money and prosperity, my favorite though is cinquefoil (five finger grass). We offer herbs in 1 lb bulk, and also 1 oz and 2 oz packets.

Perhaps you will make the face in the likeness of the person or decorate the doll with symbols that represent yourself or the target.

Candle Magic

There are so many ways to make spell candles, and some magic more than one candle is used. Sometimes burned separately or dripped upon one another. Yet other candles are layered with different colors as they are being made for certain intentions.

We have a lot of occult books and many on books on candle magic.

Orange is a color of attraction, so a witch may choose orange to represent his or herself. Perhaps opposite of it a green spell candle is enchanted to bring prosperity and burnt near the orange candle.

Again, the practitioner is choosing candle colors for this sympathetic magic because of the color correspondences (energy) of those colors.

Sympathetic Magic with Tarot

Tarot cards are often used in magic. Think about it, dozens of cards and in tarot readings, the right ones always present. We can see and feel ourselves and the situation in those cards, for what they undeniably bring to light.

A spell candle on a mirror to amplify energy and a chosen card can pack quite a succinct wallop. You would choose the card sympathetic to your cause. I always have my client choose a chime candle color whether I’m doing in-person readings at our physical shop or doing online tarot readings for clients. It already begins to tell me so much. For magical workings and longer rituals, I tend more to taper candles.

Conclusion

So, my hope is that you now have a good grasp of what sympathetic magic is, without all the desperate descriptions found online. So, when you are choosing what to work with, consider correspondences and what is sympathetic to your cause. Research, dive in and look things up. Connect with us for more on Instagram, Facebook (Meta) or TikTok.