Glamour Magick 101 for the Busy Witch

Like most forms of magick, glamour magick has been sensationalized in pop culture. The old woman at the beginning of Beauty and the Beast revealed herself to be a beautiful enchantress. Michelle Pfeiffer’s Lamia seeks the star’s heart in Stardust to regain her youth and beauty. In real life, glamour magick is deeply personal and far less physically transformational (you won’t be able to remove wrinkles or gray hair magickally, unfortunately), yet it’s a foundational practice in witchcraft.

Let’s dive in.

Glamour Magick Basics

Witches have practiced glamour magick across centuries and cultures, including ancient Norse, French, Greek, and Celtic practitioners. One’s charisma was thought to boost the magick itself. Today, the amount of personal investment you make in the practice is what’s important.

Contrary to popular belief, glamour magick does NOT require expensive jewelry or extravagant items. Simple supplies and even your current makeup collection are all you need.

As with any form of magick, preparing yourself before your ritual is essential. If you’re going to invest a lot of time in your ritual, then go ahead and proceed with your pre-ritual cleansing and set the space.

If you’re in a hurry (because we’re all Busy Witches here at IGC), take a moment to clear your mind and tap into the earth's grounding energy. Select a cosmetic, item of jewelry, or clothing item for your magick.

Hold the item in your hand and speak your intention over it. Here are a few ideas:

• All who see me will see my beauty.
• May this piece radiate my inner strength to all I meet.
• With this (item), I surround myself in light so all may view me favorably.

Then put it on! Simple as pie.

Ideas for Glamour Magick

Glamour magick can help put you in a positive mindset about yourself first and foremost. Who doesn’t need a little more self-love, after all? It can also help shift how other people see you. You can use glamour magick to protect you and shield you from others energy, or you can use it to convey specific feelings others.

Here are some ideas:

• Draw protective sigils on your face with foundation each morning (this is a tip from Morgan!)
• Select makeup colors to correspond with the day’s energy or your goals/intentions.
  • White: purity or protection
  • Green: money, growth, fertility
  • Orange: attraction, success
  • Yellow: intellect, confidence
  • Red: courage or good fortune
  • Pink: love and friendship
  • Gray: peace, neutrality
  • Brown: health and home
  • Blue: psychic awareness and divination
  • Black: banishing and protecting
• Wear a necklace with an aquamarine, amazonite, or blue kyanite to help you speak with truth.
• Wear colors to communicate to others how you’re feeling. For example, a red dress gives you a little more va va voom, while a gray suit conveys quiet strength.

Finally, remember that clothing that serves a mundane purpose can also serve a magickal one.

Shoes physically protect our feet, and you can add magick to them to give you more grounding and spiritual protection. A buttoned-up cardigan can shield you from others energy just as much as it can shield you from the weather. Hats are great for keeping the sun off your face and are a form of veiling.

Don’t be afraid to let the items you already have work for your magickally too! Remember, YOU are the magick!