I’ve been practicing magic in the city for decades now and far from hindering my work, I find working in the city beneficial in many ways. Urban spaces are full of different types of energy that we city witches can tap into. We certainly don’t need a cottage in the woods, dusty old books, or hours of complicated rituals to practice magic. Modern witchcraft fits perfectly into our urban lives. You can practice magic on a crowded train during your commute, in a flat with noisy flatmates, or in a city park or garden. There are plenty of magical practices that can make your everyday life better.
In this post I’ll go through 6 spells step-by-step that I’ve found really helpful as a city witch.
1. Morning Commute Protection Ritual
Turn your daily commute from a stressful experience into something magical with this simple modern witchcraft ritual.
What You Need
- A small stone, crystal, or token that fits in your pocket
- Headphones
- Optional: a protective essential oil (like rosemary or frankincense) in a small roller bottle
What To Do
Before you leave home, hold your chosen token in your dominant hand. Close your eyes and take three deep breaths. Picture a protective bubble of light forming around the token, filled with your wish for a safe, peaceful journey.
Say something simple like: “This token keeps me protected as I travel today. It shields my energy and keeps negativity away.”
Put the token in your pocket or bag where you can easily touch it during your commute.
As you travel, use your headphones to create a sound barrier that helps keep your energy safe. This could be music that makes you feel good, a guided meditation, or even nature sounds that help you stay calm.
When faced with typical commuting annoyances—delays, crowds, or grumpy fellow travellers—touch your token in your pocket and remember the protective bubble you created. Picture the protective energy spreading from the token throughout your body and around you, keeping your energy contained and protected.
If you’ve chosen to use an essential oil, you can dab it on your wrists or pulse points when you need a sensory reminder of your protection.
This ritual helps transform an otherwise boring (and sometimes frustrating) daily experience into a bit of magical self-care and energy protection.
2. Digital Moon Tracking Practice
The moon’s phases have always been important in witchcraft, but you don’t need a clear view of the night sky to work with lunar energy in your modern witchcraft practice.
What You Need
- A moon phase app on your phone
- A small mirror
- A glass of water
- Optional: a crystal that matches the current moon phase
What To Do
At the start of each moon phase (you can set alerts on your app), create a simple altar with your mirror and the glass of water on any small surface—even a windowsill or the corner of your desk will do.
The mirror represents the moon’s reflective quality, while the water connects to the moon’s influence on tides and fluid energy. If you’re using a crystal, place it beside these items.
Open your moon phase app and take a moment to look at the current phase. Place your phone screen showing the moon phase on your mini-altar.
Touch the water with your fingertip and then touch your third eye (the spot between your eyebrows), saying: “Moon above, though hidden from view, I connect with your energy anew.”
Take a moment to set an intention appropriate for this lunar phase:
- New Moon: “I plant the seeds of [your intention]”
- Waxing Moon: “I nurture the growth of [your developing project/goal]”
- Full Moon: “I celebrate the fullness of [what you’ve accomplished]”
- Waning Moon: “I release [what no longer serves you]”
Even if you can’t physically see the moon from your urban home, this practice helps you stay connected to its cycles and use its energy in your modern witchcraft.
3. Office Protection Spell
Work environments can be full of stressful energy, office politics and other people’s moods. This subtle modern witchcraft practice helps create a protective boundary around your workspace.
What You Need
- A small plant for your desk (succulents are great for low-maintenance options)
- A clear quartz crystal chip or bead or any small stone
- A sticky note or small piece of paper
- A pen
- Your phone camera
What To Do
Choose a plant that can thrive in your office environment. The plant will act as both an air purifier and an energy filter.
Write a simple protection sigil on your sticky note. A sigil is just a symbol that represents your intention. To create one, write “PROTECT MY SPACE” (or similar), cross out all repeating letters and vowels, then use the remaining letters to draw a simple symbol. Make it look abstract enough that it won’t draw attention.
Stick this note to the bottom of your plant pot where it won’t be seen, or tuck it into the soil.
Hold your crystal or stone in your hand and whisper your intention such as, “Clear energy, protect my space, deflect negativity, maintain my peace.” Then place the crystal in the soil of the plant or nearby.
Take a photo of your desk setup with your phone. This captures your intention digitally. Set this as your phone lock screen for the workweek to remind you of your protection when you glance at your phone.
When colleagues are being difficult or the office energy feels heavy, lightly touch your plant or look at your lock screen photo to remind yourself of the protective boundary you’ve created.
This modern witchcraft practice is subtle enough for even the most corporate environments but effective for maintaining your energetic boundaries.
4. Flatmate Harmony Charm
Living with others can sometimes create tension, especially in small urban flats. This kitchen witchery spell helps maintain peaceful energy in shared spaces. If your housemates are into magic this is a lovely ritual to do together. if not you can do this by yourself with th eintention of creating a harmonious atmosphere for everyone in the hom.
What You Need
- A small jar with a lid
- Honey or sugar
- A bay leaf
- Ground cinnamon
- A slip of paper
- A pen
What To Do
Choose a time when your flatmates are out or when you have the kitchen to yourself.
On the slip of paper, write positive words like “harmony,” “respect,” “peace,” and “understanding.”
Roll the paper into a small scroll and place it in the jar.
Add a spoonful of honey or sugar, saying: “Make this home a sweet place to live.”
Add the bay leaf, saying: “Wisdom in our communications, protection for our home.”
Sprinkle a pinch of cinnamon, saying: “Warmth in our connections, comfort in our shared space.”
Close the jar and give it a gentle shake while visualising your home filled with golden, peaceful light.
Place this jar somewhere in the kitchen where it won’t attract attention—perhaps in a cupboard you use for spices or at the back of a shelf. The kitchen is the heart of most homes, so placing harmony magic here helps it spread throughout the living space. If this is not possible, you can store the jar in your own room.
Whenever tensions arise between flatmates, go to the kitchen and gently touch the jar, remembering your intention for household harmony.
5. Portable Nature Connection Ritual
When you’re surrounded by concrete and buildings, connecting with nature can feel challenging. This modern witchcraft practice creates a portable connection to natural elements that you can carry with you.
What You Need
- A small tin
- A tiny bit of soil (from a park or even a houseplant)
- A small feather or leaf
- A small stone
- A tiny bottle of water (like a sample perfume vial)
- An LED tealight (or you can use your phone’s flashlight or an image of fire)
- Your phone with a nature sounds app or playlist
What To Do
Collect your natural elements during a visit to a park or green space. If that’s not possible, soil from a houseplant, a fallen leaf from a street tree, and water from your tap (ideally collected during rainfall) will work perfectly well.
As you gather each element, thank it for helping you create your portable nature kit.
Arrange these items in your tin, creating a miniature representation of the natural world.
To use your nature connection kit, find a quiet moment in your day—perhaps during a lunch break or before bed. Open the tin and touch each item in turn:
- Earth (soil): “I connect with the stability of earth.”
- Air (feather/leaf): “I connect with the clarity of air.”
- Fire: (tealight, phone flashlight or fire image) “I connect with the transformation of fire.”
- Water (tiny bottle): “I connect with the flow of water.”
Play nature sounds on your phone quietly while you close your eyes and visualise yourself in a natural setting—perhaps a forest, beach, or mountainside.
Take five deep breaths, imagining the fresh air of this natural place filling your lungs and clearing away urban stress.
When you’re finished, return the items to your tin. You can perform this ritual at home, at your desk, on a park bench, in your car, or even in a public toilet!
This modern witchcraft practice reminds you that the elements are always present, even in the most urban environments, and helps you maintain your connection to the natural world.
6. Simple Digital Grimoire Practice
A grimoire is traditionally a witch’s book of spells and magical knowledge. In modern witchcraft, your phone or tablet can serve as a discreet and portable digital grimoire.
What You Need
- Your phone or tablet
- A note-taking app with password protection
- A camera
- Audio recording capability
What To Do
Create a new notebook in your chosen app specifically for your magical notes. Make sure it has password protection or is otherwise secure if you prefer to keep your practice private.
Start by taking photos of things that feel magical to you in your urban environment—interesting cloud formations above city buildings, plants growing in unexpected places, patterns of light and shadow, or found objects that catch your attention.
Record your magical observations in writing alongside these images. Note patterns you observe, feelings certain places evoke, or insights that come to you during everyday moments.
Use the audio recording feature to capture:
- Ambient sounds from places that feel magical to you
- Your own voice reciting affirmations or simple spells
- Melodies or tones that help you enter a magical mindset
Create categories in your digital grimoire:
- Moon phases and how they affect you
- Urban plant allies you encounter
- Magical correspondences for everyday objects
- Simple spells for common urban challenges
- Dream records and insights
The beauty of a digital grimoire is that it’s always with you, completely private and can incorporate multimedia elements!
Modern Witchcraft: Magic for Real Life
Modern witchcraft is all about working with what you have, where you are. The spells and practices in this post are just starting points—as you develop your practice, you’ll discover countless ways to work magic into your urban lifestyle.
Remember that the most powerful magic comes from your intention, not from having the “right” tools or an Instagram-perfect altar. A spell performed during your lunch break with office supplies can be just as effective as one performed in a forest glade with expensive magical tools.
So tap into the surprising magic of city living—the resilience of nature in urban spaces, the flow of human energy, the ancient rhythms that still pulse beneath concrete and glass—and make modern witchcraft a natural part of your everyday life.
I hope you found this modern witchcraft post helpful. If you did, please consider sharing. It really helps:)
Blessed be
Eva x