The Witches Mountain : Spellwork to Embrace the Magick Within Oneself

Keegan (they/them) is a journalist/artist based in Los Angeles.

Magick is everywhere, and no, we’re not talking about top-hatted, wand-bearing entertainers pulling rabbits out of hats. Lexus Williams (she/they), Denver-based owner and operator of the online shop The Witches Mountain, has held a sense of mysticism and spirituality about her since she was young. Growing up close to her Romani heritage, superstitions were abundant, and she internalized that essence early on.

“It’s always been around, and I’ve always been the one my family asked for advice from, or even a cleansing walking into a house, like, ‘Alright, Lexus, how do you feel?’” they recall.

While magick (sometimes spelled with a “k” to denote the distinction between the entertainment act) and that additional receptiveness to the world around her was always present, it wasn’t something she thought to pursue in a broader, public sense until she moved into an old house, built in the early 60s, that carried a family history.

They describe an overwhelming feeling, a truly deep connection to the house, which compelled her to reach out to that feeling, harnessing it, and using intention to focus in on it.

From there, they naturally began to make herbal spell jars to establish a deeper connection. It started as a personal exercise to become closer to the energy in the house, though their friends began to take notice of the impact of magick in her life and began reaching out.

“I had a friend lose her father, so she asked me for something that’ll kind of help her with remembrance and grief,” they say. “So, I started making things like that, and they were working really well. Then, they would tell their friends, and they asked me if they could pay me and I could do certain things for them, like an herbal spell jar or a ceremony candle.”

It took off from there, and Williams says, not only did she immediately love exploring magick further and helping people, they recognized, “I’m good at this. Like, let’s effin’ do it.”

The venture is fairly recent, with Williams deciding on the name The Witches Mountain just about five months back. She is pleasantly surprised with the reception she’s received, especially around the holidays, which sometimes come with attitudes around magick as sacreligious or corrupt.

“It’s been great informing people and giving that knowledge of energy and intention, focusing with manifestation, and things like that, because I think everybody has a very strong connection to manifesting their own destiny,” they say. “It’s just about the intention and the focus on it.”

While Williams is always thrilled to dish about her practice with other witchy folks who stumble upon her booth, she says her audience so far has been a variety of people, across the board.

“I have some moms come to my booth, and they’re like, ‘So I don’t really know what all of this is about, but my little girl is on WitchTok,’” she laughs, referencing a niche corner of TikTok focusing on modern witchcraft and magick. Though, she notes that, regardless of how immersed folks are, many resonate with her intentions and spellwork.

Along with her spell jars, like “inspiration,” “luck,” “wealth,” self-love,” to name a few, Williams notes that folks are especially drawn to her ceremony candles, which burn for about four to five days and prompt the user to build a relationship with it, drawing upon what they want as an outcome from the candle as it burns. “It really interests a lot of people,” they say.

Magick also has a very rich history of practices, spanning different cultures and sometimes leading to conversations around appropriation. Williams stays away from white sage for example, as using it sourced from non-Native folks is considered appropriative and can cause environmental harm.

They recognize that the idea of appropriation in their magick leaves a horrible taste in their mouth, and look to other voices and perspectives to inspire her practice without directly taking from them. Williams references a trip to New Orleans, where she was able to dive into the history of voodoo, why it came to be from the Haitians, and how it’s really immersed in the history of slavery.

“It was an amazing experience, a sad experience, but one I’m really glad that I spent the time to learn about. I went to a magick and voodoo shop down there, where I saw the ceremony candles, talked to the owners, and did my own personal research.”

Williams bought a candle from New Orleans—a success candle—and immediately felt connected to it, recognizing how treasured these practices are to this culture she was just passing through. While her candles are herb-based, and she indicates, “This isn’t normally a Romani Catholic type of spellwork,” using a variety of self-taught focuses, she harps on ensuring her magick is authentic and true to her practice.

They recognize, in items that are meant to help people through their personal lives and strife, approaching this craft with the right intention is crucial.

“I’m always trying to stay as culturally sensitive as possible, explaining what inspires me, in what cultures, because I think the beauty of humanity is that you can learn something from everyone,” she says. “That’s really what I take into my practice and spellwork.”

When asked what magick means to her, Williams stops dead in their tracks, clearly pondering the myriad things that she could say.

“Magick—it just feels like home,” they say. “It’s like your best imaginary friend when you were little, just having that always with you, and by no means is it imaginary … It’s like goosebumps. It’s just around you all the time. When I practice and I’m helping people, I feel such a great sense of, like, I’m helping myself. It’s just a sense of comfort and home, like, you’re here.”

Williams looks forward to the future of The Witches Mountain and hopes her practice and products continue to help people, though they note, “I’m really open to any way the wind blows. I’m not gonna fight it or force it. I’m just gonna go along for the ride.”