Fly Agaric in Spellwork: Witchcraft with the Spirit of Amanita Muscaria

September marks the true beginning of mushroom season here in the UK, and by the time the equinox arrives, the woods are alive with fungi. This year, everything seems to have fruited early and in abundance, berries, nuts, and, of course, mushrooms. My favorite of them all is, without a doubt, the iconic Amanita muscaria.

Just this past Sunday, I stumbled upon a beautiful patch growing locally, a true treasure. I’ve already begun harvesting and carefully preparing them to use in spells and incense as Samhain draws near.

There is something undeniably otherworldly about fly agaric. Its scarlet cap flecked with white seems almost too perfect, as though it were placed in the moss by unseen hands. Finding a patch feels like stepping through a doorway into folklore, a reminder that the forest is alive, and that we are being watched.

So, let us step into that dark forest together. In this post, we will walk the red path of Amanita muscaria, exploring its rich folklore, magical correspondences, and ways to work with its spirit. We’ll speak of fae magic, spirit contact, and threshold rites, and we will do so with reverence, for this is no ordinary mushroom. Fly agaric is a guide to the liminal, and its lessons are not to be taken lightly.

The Witch’s Mushroom

The fly agaric, red cap, white flecks, like drops of snow on blood, is the quintessential witch’s mushroom. It calls from the deep woods, where shadows grow long and the world feels thinner. Known to botanists as Amanita muscaria, this toadstool has always been a threshold symbol: dangerous, enchanting, and otherworldly.

In fairy tales, it marks the places where the fae dance. In shamanic traditions, it is a door to the spirit world. To the witch, it is a guide to the liminal , to the spaces between the worlds where magic is strongest.

Folklore and the Poisoned Path

Fly agaric has always been a creature of myth.

🍄 A Spirit’s Gift: In Siberian shamanism, it was consumed to walk between realms, to bring back messages from the spirits.

🍄 Fae Circles: European folklore warns not to step into a circle of fly agarics lest you vanish into fairyland.

🍄 Odin’s Red Path: Some suggest that berserkers used its power to slip into battle-trances, becoming half-spirit, half-beast.

It is no wonder witches view Amanita Muscaria as a powerful, and perilous, ally. It stands as a reminder that magic is not always gentle.

Magical Correspondences of Fly Agaric

This mushroom is not “light” magic. Its correspondences reflect its wild, dangerous, and transformative nature.

🍄 Element: Air (for its mind-altering power) and Spirit (for its liminality)

🍄 Planet: Mercury, the messenger between worlds

🍄 Deities & Spirits: Odin, Freyja, Hekate, The Morrigan, forest guardians, the fae

🍄 Magical Uses: Communing with spirits & ancestors, Protection while traveling the astral or fae roads, Dream incubation & visions, Spells for crossing thresholds (birth, death, transformation) Witch’s flight & ecstatic rites, Shadow integration, Liminal magick.

Working with Fly Agaric Safely

⚠️ This is a spirit to respect. Fly agaric is toxic if consumed raw. Many witches prefer to work with it symbolically, magically, and ritually, not physically ingesting it.

Ways to invite its power into your craft

🍄 Altar Offering: Place a dried cap or illustration on your altar as a gift to the forest spirits or fae.

🍄 Charm for Safe Passage: Carry a tiny piece in a protective charm bag before spirit work or hedge-riding.

🍄 Dream Work: Place it beneath your pillow (safely contained in a sachet) to invite visions and liminal dreams.

🍄 Seasonal Magic: Use it in Samhain rites, ancestor work, or rituals of transformation and initiation.

Spell: The Red Door Ritual

This ritual calls on fly agaric to open a door between the worlds, but only under your control.

You Will Need:

🍄 A dried fly agaric cap or symbolic representation

🍄 A black candle

🍄 A bell or iron key

Steps:

At night, light the candle and sit in stillness. Place the mushroom before you and whisper:

“Mushroom red, of forest deep, Wake the path where spirits sleep. Open the door, but keep me whole, Guard my mind and guard my soul.”

Strike the bell or hold the iron key to “unlock” the path. Perform your spirit work, divination, or meditation. When done, snuff the candle and strike the bell once more to close the door.

This spell works best on liminal nights, dark moons, Samhain, or when you feel the veil is thin.

Final Thoughts

Fly agaric is not a gentle ally. It is a guide of the deep forest, a trickster spirit that can teach through wonder, and through danger. To work with it is to accept its terms: reverence, caution, and respect. For the witch who dares, Amanita muscaria offers a path into the heart of the Otherworld, where wisdom waits beyond the red door.