Love, luck and magic: Why are young people turning to online witches?

Love or luck, take your pick. All yours with a simple click.

Or at least that's the promise being made by so-called "Etsy witches", who claim to cast spells for everything from good fortune to good weather.

And it seems there's a growing appetite for a little magic. Online retailer Etsy says searches for weather spells and witches have significantly increased this year.

But what are people hoping to get from these online witches, and why are young people turning to them for a helping hand?

For one 'Etsy witch', there's certainly no shortage of people looking for some extra luck.

Ellecia Cahill, from Erskine, describes herself as a "mystic" and has clocked up more than 2,000 sales online from readings and channelled letters - messages which claim to be from loved ones - as well as selling crystals and amulets.

And while you might expect love spells to top the shopping list, she says there's something else her customers are particularly keen on.

Abundance spells - in other words, a little help attracting money, success and opportunities.

She claims one customer - a tech investor from the wealthy Mediterranean principality of Monaco - had seen a "significant increase" in his net worth since he bought an abundance talisman.

A scroll through similar online retailers reveals a spell for every occasion, including spells promising to keep the rain away on your wedding day or to help you get tickets to a sold-out concert.

A spokesperson for Etsy told BBC Scotland they have seen "growing interest" in "magical touches" for occasions like weddings.

They said searches for spells for people trying to ensure sunshine on their big day have grown by 206% while general searches for wedding related-spells and witches are up 105%.

Whether they can actually deliver is another question entirely - in fact, Etsy rules say spells must be marketed as for entertainment purposes only.

For Cahill, it's not all about doing business.

The 24-year-old says that young people - though they are very used to thinking logically - are looking to believe in something magical.

She says that a lot of younger people feel lonely, and she wants to be a "safe space" for people, and to give them comfort.

"As humans we need to believe in something that is bigger than ourselves," she said. "Curiosity is natural.

"I think a lot of the time people know the answer they want, but are just looking for a bit of reassurance.

"Even if magic isn't real, if it helps someone feel more confident what is the harm?"

Actress Laura Blair, from Glasgow, bought a spell to help her with a specific job goal.

The 29-year-old told BBC Scotland: "I paid for a job spell, and they then allocated me to a witch. I had to send them my full names and more specifics and then she sent me a video of her doing the spell."

While the purchase didn't work out exactly as she'd hoped, she has noticed a positive impact on her acting career generally.

"Since I cast the spells I've had multiple acting roles, its actually the busiest I've ever been in my career," she said.

Another user, Chloe, also from Glasgow, wasn't so happy with her results.

"It was a waste of time and money. What I asked for didn't happen but it is a funny story, I suppose," the 22-year-old said.

"I had just gone through a break-up and wanted my ex back - but in hindsight maybe it is just as well it didn't work."

Researcher Alexandria Arthur-Hastie is a sociologist of religion at Leeds Beckett University. She believes the rise of online witches is part of a broader shift away from traditional religion and towards more "personalised forms of spirituality".

Hastie said it was unsurprising that witchcraft had expanded online, just like other aspects of modern life which have moved onto digital platforms.

"It's really just the latest step in the commodification of spirituality," she told BBC Scotland.

She said shows likes Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Charmed brought magic into the mainstream and these days, people can discover witchcraft through social media.

But the academic says there's something deeper behind the appeal.

For some young people, she said turning to witchcraft can be a way of finding support when life feels uncertain - be it relationships, careers or worries about the future.

"People go online, they're looking for solutions to these life problems, they're looking for a balm to soothe, really," she said.

Hastie said many contemporary witches see themselves not as mystical figures but as healers, focused on helping themselves, others and wider society.

"They really see it almost as a caring profession, something akin to maybe counselling," she said.