as we approach the anniversary of “the bone incident” i thought this was important. not an expert in law, but throughout my practice this is a list i have gathered of things that may conflict with things you may want to do in your craft

there are just some things that are straight up against the law. this isn’t aimed at your religious freedoms, this is about following the laws of the land you live in. while your religion/spiritual beliefs may allow and encourage it, that may not be coincide with what is legal in your area.  

🐦   bird feathers - some species of birds and animals are endangered and collecting their feathers or remains is against the law. this varies from state to state, so you should check the laws of your area before collecting things you find in the wild. (x)

📩   plants/animal parts in the mail - there are a number of restrictions on what can and cannot be safely mailed in a sanitary method, and they need to be followed. (x)

📖   teaching witchcraft to minors - in many places, it is the parents who get first and only say in what religion is taught to their child, until they reach the age of majority. legal action can often be brought against those who teach a minor witchcraft without the parent’s consent. (x)

💀   digging up bones - just no. collecting bones that somehow come out of the graves is off the table too. the selling and buying and overall collection of human bones is often illegal, if not entirely. (x)

🌍   littering - spells that tell you to bury a glass jar somewhere, or to throw it in the ocean are not only harmful to the environment, they’re illegal, and subject to fines and prison time. you need to find a decompose-able method or a different spell (x)

🍷  tampering with someone’s food or drink - no matter what your intentions are, giving someone a love potion or something for their benefit, this is illegal in every state. not to mention, you don’t know if they’re allergic to what you put in. (x)

🔪   human sacrifice - i’m not even going to source this. you should know better.

💉   improper disposal of spell remains - be very careful on how you dispose of a spell, and make sure you aren’t introducing mercury or other toxic chemicals into the ecosystem. it’s bad for your surroundings, and it’s illegal (x)

🐕   animal abuse - it does not matter how sacred animal sacrifice and abuse it to your craft, if it breaks the laws, you should rethink it. (x)

🚷   trespassing - no matter how much you may want to pick some herbs that grow on someone else’s property, doing so without permission is trespassing and stealing. not to mention dangerous, as there are states with laws that allow the owner to bare arms against trespassers. (x)

🔥   fire safety - so you go out into the woods to set up a ritual, cool. but you dont pay attention to the fire alert that day and a stray spark from your ritual candles could start a forest fire and endanger countless people. it does not matter what stars are in position, if smokey the bear says no, do it a different day. (x)

this is not about dictating your beliefs or repressing your religious freedom. this is about public safety and respecting other people’s rights. practicing magic does not put you above the law, and it does not make your whims more important than the safety and rights of other people. if you do any of these, you’re not expressing your beliefs, you’re putting those around you in danger.

this is based on my experience in america and in reference to american law. if you have any more to add or other countries’ law restrictions, feel free to add.