I love this cup

This is my favorite witchy cup and I will tell you about how it taught me about overconsumption and mindful spending. (especially within witchcraft)

I painted this mug at a paint-your-own-pottery place and incorporated meaningful symbols to enchant whatever I put in here(mainly tea). This mug is really meaningful to me. It is so much more meaningful than something I would have bought pre-made at a store (even if the one at the store was a better shape or more aesthetically pleasing). I put special symbols, picked my colors, picked the shape and size, and had a wonderful time making it. It’s unique, I am the only person with this mug. The whole thing has meaning to me that is specific to me. The experience of making this is worlds away from picking a mug off a shelf and deciding you like it enough to spend a couple of dollars on it to take home.

I’ll admit, at the beginning of my witchcraft practice, I was lowkey obsessed with the “witchy aesthetic”. SOOOO many people online were also obsessed with the witchy aesthetic. During that time, I was chronically online, mainly on TikTok, Instagram, and Tumblr. In those spaces (less so tumblr) I was force-fed so many subtly and not-so-subtly placed ads for items aligning with that aesthetic. The perfectly curated home and altar were something to aspire to. There was such a allure to beautiful jewel toned spaces, or maybe you like something more dark and gothic, or even something green and filled with plants. Those types of pictures flooded my home feed all the time. The discussion around overconsumption wasn’t as common of a conversation as it is now.

Back then, I was a high schooler with a part-time job, meaning I had some extra money to spend and bought a lot of “witchy” things. I made a lot of impulse purchases because I liked the aesthetic. I was really comparing myself to witches online with perfectly curated altars and homes (Turns out, most creators don’t actually live that perfectly witchy aesthetic life. So much of social media is fake, even in the witchy social media circles).

I was early on in my practice and my beliefs were unstable and still forming. I was self-conscious of that. I was trying to find an identity and validate my practice by filling my life with things with moons and starts and tarot cards. Needless to say, that didn’t work, and buying stuff won’t make you feel better.

I fell victim to the overconsumption and the commodification of spirituality by mainstream stores and online. Crystals were being sold at Marshalls, cute moon and star blankets were being sold at Target, and witchy home decor was being sold at Spirit Halloween! Looking back, I can only remember a couple of things I got that actually sparked joy and kept to use long-term. Almost everything from that era has been donated to thrift stores or sold on Facebook marketplace.

Although this mug wasn’t necessarily less expensive than buying a witchy-themed mug at a store (It cost a 10$ studio fee + the price of a blank mug) it feels a lot better to have a one-of-a-kind mug that I customized to my liking. It was a slow and mindful process to make this and this mug comes with a wonderful memory of when I made it. My partner took me on a date to this pottery painting place and it was magical. I have found that slower consumption often leads to more satisfaction with what you have and more memories to accompany the possessions. This mug is a great example of that.

Some tips I have used for more mindful and slower consumption

• Before you buy something, think about if you have something that fills the same use already

• Make a wishlist instead of buying something right away! This works for me very well. If I see something I want at a store, I will take a picture of it and put it in a note on my phone. I check back in a few weeks and if I haven’t forgotten about it and still want it. I consider buying it. If I have forgotten about it or realize I don’t want it, I delete it. I have found myself deleting a lot of the things I put on there that I would have impulse bought.

• Make lists, and only buy the things on the list. This is really helpful at thrift stores. If I don’t go into the store with the intention of buying something, it cannot go in my cart.

• Don’t step foot in a Homegoods or Marshals (or stores like that, you know the ones). Just don’t. I’m pretty sure their whole business model is designed around impulse buying. Do people ever go in places like that knowing what they want to get?

Do you have any tips for more mindful and slower consumption? leave a comment!

Leave a comment

Thank you for reading! The best way to support Phthalo Blue Press is to share and subscribe. Phthalo Blue Press will always be free but if you would like to throw a few dollars my way: here is my ko-fi link and my Venmo is phthalo-blue-artist

You can also find me on Instagram and Bluesky.

Thank you for reading!!