In this post, I’m going to share with you 25 jigsaw puzzles that are perfect for witches and Pagans (as well as puzzle fans of all kinds).

Before we dive into that list, however, let’s take a peek at what inspired today’s post, some of the health benefits of doing jigsaw puzzles, and the history of this beloved pastime that has found favour with generations the world over for about 250 years now.

Last weekend, my birthday – or should I say, my birthdayween – celebration included various Halloween-related happenings.

One of them was doing a fantastic 300-piece Halloween jigsaw puzzle that I picked up in 2020.

In recent years, my mom and I have had a lovely tradition of doing at least one Halloween-themed puzzle each year.

This usually occurs, as you might imagine, in October (sometimes on October 31^st itself). However, there are no hard and fast rules, which meant that my birthdayween was a great time to hop right into our latest Halloween puzzle adventure.

Like many the world over, I greatly enjoy doing jigsaw puzzles. If you fall into this camp, too, you may consider yourself to be a dissectologist – the official term for someone with a passion for doing puzzles.

I enjoy puzzling the whole year through. So does my mom, which means that get-togethers frequently involve a dining room table and a puzzle spanning in size from about 250 to 1,000 pieces. (I’m up for somewhat larger piece counts, providing there’s room enough to complete a bigger-sized puzzle, though my mom tends to favour those of a thousand pieces or less.)

Naturally, not all of the puzzles we do are Halloween-themed. We both tend to prefer puzzles with illustrations to those with photos, but find that subject matter (and piece count) tends to trump that point when all is said and done.

Free time is not something I have a generous abundance of by any means, so I don’t get to work on a jigsaw puzzle daily. When I can squeeze in some puzzling time though, I am always a happy and more relaxed camper.

I find doing jigsaw puzzles to be powerfully soothing. This in turn can help lower everything from stress to anxiety to (physical) pain, while at the same timing helping to bolster my creativity and keep my mind extra sharp.

And I am not alone on this front. According to a piece by Jill Riley, M.S.N that was published last year on the Baylor College of Medicine’s website:

“Studies have shown that doing jigsaw puzzles can improve cognition and visual-spatial reasoning. The act of putting the pieces of a puzzle together requires concentration and improves short-term memory and problem solving. Using the puzzle as an exercise of the mind can spark imagination and increase both your creativity and productivity.”

And the perks of doing puzzles don’t end there, as blog posts such as 10 Surprising Benefits of Doing Jigsaw Puzzles from the site Cronicas Puzzleras detail.

One of the benefits of doing jigsaw puzzles is that they up the brain’s production of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which plays a substantial role in helping to regulate our mood, happiness, and optimism levels.

This accounts for why many people feel happy and even exhilarated when working on jigsaw puzzles, and why we find putting a puzzle piece in the right spot extra rewarding (it is primarily this act that increases dopamine production while doing a jigsaw puzzle).

The history of jigsaw puzzles

Those with an interest in cartography may be interested to learn that the origins of today’s jigsaw puzzles can be traced back to the centuries-old practice of adhering maps onto wood and then cutting said maps into smaller pieces. This allowed maps to take up less space while travelling.

This act was going strong in the mid-eighteenth century and it was then that the first known jigsaw puzzle toy came into being.

For this, we can credit one John Spilsbury. A London mapmaker and engraver, Spilsbury decided to take the concept of puzzle maps and turn them into something that was more of an educational plaything for youngers than an important navigation tool for grownups.

Spilsbury’s first jigsaw puzzles carried on the classic theme of maps (aimed at helping children with their geography skills). It wasn’t long, however, until a slew of different themes soon found their way onto jigsaw puzzles.

Early jigsaw puzzle themes included fairytales, nursery rhymes, modes of transportation, animals, and landscapes.

During the Second Industrial Revolution that unfolded in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries, advancements in lithographic printing and the use of plywood (vs the harder woods, including mahogany, that had been used previously) allowed puzzles to become more affordable.

As a result, puzzles began to find their way into homes in a broader range of socioeconomic levels of society, where they were often enjoyed as much by children as they were by adults.

Interestingly, it would take about a century and a half beyond the first jigsaw toys for puzzles to shape up, quite literally, into the interlocking pieces that most of us now associate with this enjoyable pastime.

It was none other than world-famous game company Parker Brothers who may have been the first to produce and popularize jigsaw puzzles with interlocking pieces.

At that time, the puzzle pieces were cut by hand using a treadle scroll saw. Work that, interestingly, Parker Brothers often utilized female employees for, believing that those who had experience with using a sewing machine would be deft with a scroll saw.

With the advent of interlocking pieces, toy puzzles took off all the more in terms of popularity. They received a further boost during the Great Depression of the 1930s.

At the time many jigsaw puzzles were inexpensive, making them an entertaining family-friendly activity that many could still afford during those profoundly economically challenging times.

I would venture to guess that the fact that a puzzle could be done time and time again, thus lowering its long-term cost per use factor, may have helped convince more folks to buy jigsaw puzzles at a time when money was a serious hardship for many families.

As well, starting around the same time, in some parts of the world puzzlers could now borrow jigsaw puzzles from libraries, thus incurring no monetary cost to do a puzzle.

Puzzles got a further boon in the 1930s thanks to the advent of sturdy cardboard (as opposed to wood, which had been the most common puzzle material prior to that point) jigsaw puzzles.

Cardboard opened up the doors further to mass jigsaw puzzle production, while also helping to keep prices reasonable and within the reach of many consumers.

As the twentieth century rolled ever onward, wooden puzzles (save for those aimed specifically at very young children) all but went the way of the dinosaur. Consumers had spoken with their purchasing power and cardboard puzzles quickly came to dominate the jigsaw puzzle market.

Thankfully though, wooden puzzles did not die out completely. A handful of companies and independent puzzle makers around the world – including such brands as Stave Puzzles and Artifact Puzzles – continue to produce wooden puzzles.

These days, puzzles can be found both online and off. In the case of the latter, they are often sold at department stores, big box stores, toy stores, educational/teacher’s stores, drugstores, and even some supermarkets, amongst other sources.

Most modern puzzles are machine-produced, with some being cut using lasers, others with industrial steel blades. When lasers are employed, extra durable materials that might be a challenge for certain types of metal blades, such as acrylic and hardwood, can often be created.

A dazzling – one might even say dizzying – array of jigsaw puzzles exist in the 21^st century. As with many manufactured products, their quality can range from pitifully poor to impressively excellent and everything in between!

Various largescale puzzle companies (i.e., Ravensburger, Springbok, Buffalo Games, and Sunsout, respectively) hold the lion’s share of the jigsaw puzzle market, as you might imagine.

Happily, though, plenty of smaller scale and indie puzzle companies have been able to establish themselves and find popularity with puzzlers across the globe as well.

Puzzles in the 21^st century

The popularity of jigsaw puzzles has waxed and waned to a degree over the past several decades. However, that said, this enjoyable form of entertainment has remained much beloved by many of all ages and has recently experienced a notable upswing in popularity.

The Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdowns that it entailed for much of the world’s population has incited a huge boom in jigsaw puzzle sales and, in turn, an increase in puzzlers.

Interestingly, puzzles were already having something of a moment over the past several years – including amongst millennials.

In an era when so much of what we do is apt to transpire online, it is not surprising that a classic offline pastime such as doing jigsaw puzzles is experiencing a renaissance.

That said, naturally, puzzles and puzzlers have found their way onto the good ol’ interwebs as well.

These days, one can find thriving communities of passionate puzzles on social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube (one of the most famous and enjoyable of which is a channel called Karen Puzzles), as well as plenty of blogs, websites, and online shops dedicated to jigsaw puzzles.

Puzzles are a beloved worldwide activity. Most require us to slow down, be mindful, and savour the moment as we fit one interlocking piece into the next. They are a welcome respite or change of pace from the online sphere, can be done either solo or with others, and – much like books – are available in greater numbers than one could ever complete in a hundred lifetimes.

25 jigsaw puzzles for witches and Pagans

As a Pagan witch myself, I have sometimes wondered what types of puzzles exist featuring subject matter of a particularly witchy or Pagan nature.

I have seen a few such puzzles in my time, but it wasn’t until doing the above-mentioned Halloween jigsaw puzzle last week that I decided to go searching online to see just what kinds of witchy and Pagan-themed puzzles I could find.

While I wouldn’t say there is a massive number of puzzles out there that star overtly witchy or Paganism-specific images (be they illustrations or photographs), happily there are some to be had.

Couple these with others whose themes organically lend themselves well to witchcraft and Paganism (for example, animals, astronomy, landscapes, flowers, mythology, and Halloween) and it’s easy to see that there are plenty of great options out there for witch and Pagan puzzlers who are keen to put together a puzzle that pertains to their beliefs and spirituality.

Of course, as Pagans and witches are a hugely varied group, puzzles of nearly any subject matter could fit the bill, too, just depending on what interests a given witch, Wiccan, or Pagan has.

That said, it’s oodles of fun to have some broadly Pagan and witchy-related themes to focus on when it comes to doing puzzles.

Each of the following 25 jigsaw puzzles that are especially well suited to witches and Pagans does just that care of the images they depict.

We’ve got crystals, astrological imagery, unicorns, wild animals aplenty, tarot, faeries, and much more, so pull up a cozy seat and get ready to expand your jigsaw puzzle shopping or wishlist big time!

Puzzle name: Awake Your Magic

Brand: Educa

Piece count: 500 pieces

Completed puzzle size:

Get it from: Dragon Spaces

Puzzle name: Magical Deer

Brand: Ravensburger

Piece count: 500 pieces

Completed puzzle size: 27.6 x 19.7 inches / 70 x 50 cm

Get it from: I Love Puzzles

Puzzle name: Cat Zodiac

Brand: Galison

Piece count: 500 pieces

Completed puzzle size: 20 x 20 inches / 50.8 x 50.8 cm

Get it from: Dragon Spaces

Puzzle name: Fairy Houses Dewdrop Inn

Brand: Ceaco

Piece count: 300 pieces

Completed puzzle size: 19 x 19 inches / 48.2 x 48.2 cm

Get it from: I Love Puzzles

Puzzle name: Rainbow Crystals

Brand: Galison

Piece count: 500 pieces

Completed puzzle size: 20 x 20 inches / 50.8 x 50.8 cm

Get it from: Amazon

Puzzle name: Night Spirit

Brand: Ceaco

Piece count: 550 pieces

Completed puzzle size: 20 x 20 inches / 50.8 x 50.8 cm

Get it from: Fairy Glen

Puzzle name: Astrology (foil puzzle)

Brand: Galison

Piece count: 1,000 pieces

Completed puzzle size: 20 x 27 inches / 50.8 x 68.6 cm

Get it from: Amazon

Puzzle name: Agate Puzzle 1414

Brand: Nervous System

Piece count: Approx. 180 pieces

Completed puzzle size: Aprox. 8.5 inches / 21.6 cm

Get it from: Nervous System (This company produces and sells a wonderful array of different agate slice inspired puzzles. Check out their current selection here.)

Puzzle name: Flights of Fancy Summer Queen

Brand: Buffalo

Piece count: 1,000 pieces

Completed puzzle size: 26.75 x 19.75 inches / 67.9 x 50.2 cm

Get it from: I Love Puzzles

Puzzle name: Wild (Deer Family)

Brand: Ceaco

Piece count: 1,000 pieces

Completed puzzle size: 26.6 x 19 inches / 67.6 x 48.3 cm

Get it from: Fairy Glen

Puzzle name: Moon Dance

Brand: eeBoos

Piece count: 500 pieces

Completed puzzle size: 23 inches / 58.4 cm in diameter

Get it from: Calendar Club

Puzzle name: Dragon Valley

Brand: Ravensburger

Piece count: 2,000

Completed puzzle size: 38.75 x 29.5 inches / 94.8 x 74.9 cm

Get it from: Rose Cat Khan (This is the website of the artist who created this stunningly beautiful dragon image.)

Puzzle name: The Astrologer

Brand: Cobble Hill

Piece count: 1,000

Completed puzzle size: 26.63 x 19.25 inches / 67.6 x 48.9 cm

Get it from: Fairy Glen

Puzzle name: Fantasy Butterfly Shaped Puzzle

Brand: Not stated. Artwork by Ruth Sanderson

Piece count: Approx. 1,000 pieces

Completed puzzle size: 24 x 35 inches / 61 x 86.4 cm

Get it from: Fairy Glen

Puzzle name: Black Runic Pentagram Puzzle

Brand: Not branded

Piece count: Available in varioius piece counts

Completed puzzle size: Varies depending on piece count

Get it from: Zazzle

Note: On demand printing services such as Zazzle and Red Bubble are a great place to find witchy, Wiccan, and Pagan-themed puzzles.

Puzzle name: Butterfly Dance

Brand: Artisan Puzzle

Piece count: 750 pieces

Completed puzzle size: 18 7/8 x 26 3/8 inches / 47.9 x 67 cm

Get it from: Calendar Club

Puzzle name: Magic Fairy Dust

Brand: Ravensburger

Piece count: 500

Completed puzzle size: 19.3 x 14.1 inches / 49 x 36 cm

Get it from: I Love Puzzles

Puzzle name: Zodiac Signs

Brand: Not stated

Piece count: 1,000 pieces

Completed puzzle size: 26.7 inches / 67.8 cm in diameter

Get it from: Amazon

Puzzle name: Noctural Forest Magic

Brand: Ravensburger

Piece count: 1,000 pieces

Completed puzzle size: 27.5 x 19.7 / 70 x 50 cm

Get it from: I Love Puzzles

Puzzle name: Year of The Magickal Dragon

Brand: Flame Tree. Artwork by Ann Stokes

Piece count: 1,000 pieces

Completed puzzle size: 29 x 20 inches / 73.7 x 50.8 cm

Get it from: Dragon Spaces

Puzzle name: Stonehenge England 3D Puzzle

Brand: Not stated

Piece count: 35 pieces

Completed puzzle size: 7.16 x 71.6 x 1.65 inches / 182 x 182 x 42 mm

Get it from: (new on) eBay

Puzzle name: Fall Frenzy

Brand: Brilliance

Piece count: 550

Completed puzzle size: 24 x 18 inches / 61 x 45.7 cm

Get it from: I Love Puzzles

Puzzle name: Unicorn Reading

Brand: Mudpuppy

Piece count: 500 pieces

Completed puzzle size:  20 x 20 inches

Get it from: Dragon Spaces

Puzzle name: Magical Potions

Brand: Ravensburger

Piece count: 1,000 pieces

Completed puzzle size: 27.6 x 19.7 inches / 70 x 50 cm

Get it from: I Love Puzzles

Puzzle name: Sea Castle Delight Glow in the Dark Puzzle

Brand: Master Pieces

Piece count: 500 pieces

Completed puzzle size: 18 x 24 inches / 47.5 x 61 cm

Get it from: Toynk Toys

*Bonus 26th jigsaw puzzle* Shortly after the publication of this post, I was introduced to an exciting new Australian puzzle brand.

The witches jigsaw puzzle by Pennywinks, officially called The Witches Lair, is a 1,000 piece puzzle that is perfectly suited to this list and was just too awesome looking not to include here.

Update: Read my in-depth review of this puzzle, plus a terrific interview with the founder of Pennywick, here.

Note: In some instances, a given puzzle may be available from multiple sources. I have listed an online source that was available at the time this post was written in July 2021.

Jigsaw puzzle magick

Puzzles can be enjoyed simply for their own sake, of course, regardless of whether one is a witch, Wiccan, or Pagan. Indeed, I would argue that there are few less controversial, religiously or spiritually charged activities than doing most types of jigsaw puzzles.

For those of a witchy ilk, however, you may be wondering if there are ways to incorporate jigsaw puzzles into your witchcraft and spellwork.

Happily, the answer there is a rounding “yes”!

First and foremost, whether you intended to do a given jigsaw puzzle solely as a just-for-fun form of entertainment or are keen to weave it into your magickal workings, you may wish to spiritually cleanse any puzzles that you bring into your home.

A dry or smoke-based cleansing method is usually best, so as to avoid moisture damage to your puzzle. As always, be mindful if using a flame or lit material (such as a herb bundle) near a puzzle, as most jigsaw puzzles are made of easily ignitable materials.

Generally speaking, I wouldn’t personally purchase a brand new high-quality puzzle to use for my witchy workings (at least not if I was going to damage any of the pieces or otherwise render them unable for their original purpose).

Instead, I tend to use older puzzles (if you have any puzzles with missing pieces to hand, these can be a great source of puzzle pieces for your magickal activities), inexpensive puzzles from places like dollar stores and thrift shops, and puzzle pieces that I have die cut myself using metal paper crafting dies and suitable materials such as paper, cardstock, and felt.

(If you are looking for a jigsaw puzzle die of your own, check out the selection from brands such as Papers Rose and Gemini that Scrapbook.com currently offers. As well, keep in mind that puzzle images are available for most, if not all, electronic die cutting machines as well.)

The following are some of my favourite ways to incorporate jigsaw puzzles into your magickal workings. I hope that they resonate with you as well and would love to hear, in the comments below, about other ways to include puzzles into your magickal workings that weren’t covered here.

–Bake up a patch of jigsaw puzzle cookies: Add some jigsaw puzzle cookie cutters to your baking supplies and use this handy method of creating puzzle pieces to combine puzzle magick and kitchen magick together.

From the ingredients used (including various edible herbs and spices) to the colours of the baked dough, the frosting to the decorations, there are numerous ways that kitchen witchery can team up with puzzle magick.

Think seasonal, sabbat and esbat related puzzle cookies, biodegradable pieces that can be safely disposed of in nature settings, or gifts for fellow witchy and Pagan friends.

As well, you could use puzzle shaped cookie cutters to make ornaments (salt dough, cinnamon dough, air dry or oven dry clay, etc – just make sure that if you plan to keep using your cookie cutters with edible ingredients, you do not use them on any substances which may be toxic to humans), altar decorations, holiday or sabbat tree decorations, or even jewelry (think polymer clay, shrink plastic, and, again, both air dry clay and oven dry clay).

–Select jigsaw puzzles with specific themes to support or reinforce a magickal working: As you assemble your puzzle, visual the plans, goals, or desired outcome of your working falling all the more into place with each piece you join to its mates.

The final completed puzzle then stands as an apt, visually powerful reminder of what you can create and manifest into being care of your own wonderful magick and intentions.

–Have a custom jigsaw puzzle printed with your own image: Not finding an existing puzzle with an image that suits your needs or tastes? Always wanted a jigsaw puzzle with a specific image – be it witchy/Pagan related or otherwise – on it that you created yourself?

If so, why not send your photo or illustration to a custom photo printing company!

There are many options on the market today when it comes to custom jigsaw puzzles, the majority of which can be ordered online.

Check out the following websites for custom printed jigsaw puzzles:

–Bags of Love

–Canvas Champ

–Create Jigsaw Puzzles

–Market by TPH

–My Jigsaw Puzzle

–Printer Pix

–Puzzle Print

–Ravensburger’s custom puzzle service

–Shutterfly

–Venus Puzzle

(Note: For the above on demand custom puzzle sources availability, pricing, and shipping may vary depending on your location and the currency you’re purchasing in.)

If you are looking for an in person custom puzzle printing service, check with local photo labs, board game stores, hobby shops, personalized gift stores, and toy shops in your area to see if any of those sources offer custom made puzzles or if they can point you to someone else in your location who may provide this service.

–Divine with puzzle pieces: With a specific question or scenario in mind that you’d like greater insight into, select a set number of random puzzle pieces (for example, ten or twenty) from a jigsaw puzzle, lightly shake them up in the box or a bag, and gently let them fall to a suitable surface, such as a table or soft carpet.

Have any particular images or image fragments appeared in this selection? What about colours, words (if the puzzle includes any text on it), or even shapes? What kinds of messages or impressions do these pieces give you?

Does the arrangement of how the pieces themselves landed look like or suggest anything to you?

Are more pieces upright or flipped over? If the majority are one direction, but not the other, what could that be trying to tell you? (I tend to view puzzle pieces that appear with their non-image side to be a bit like upside-down cards in a tarot or oracle reading.)

Make note of anything that leaps out at you about this jigsaw puzzle reading or take a photo of the puzzle pieces, as they first land, so that you can refer back to that picture, if desired, later on for even more possible insight.

–Include puzzle piece in spell bags and witch balls: If you have (or can make) puzzle pieces that align in some capacity with the intentions of a specific spell bag or witch ball, consider including one or more to symbolize how the pieces of your working will come together to create your desired magickal outcome.

You may wish to write words, sigils, or symbols on your puzzle pieces that further support a given spell or other working (this can be done in general when working with jigsaw puzzle pieces in a magickal/spiritual capacity).

–Use doing puzzles as a form of self-care: By their very nature, most puzzles take a decent amount of time to complete. Depending on the size, image, and piece count of a given puzzle (as well as the experience level of the puzzler) this could be anywhere from an hour or two to multiple months.

The peaceful, methodical nature of puzzling helps to make it a wonderful form of self-care, as it provides tranquility, stillness (as in you’re not usually running around or multitasking while doing a puzzle), and a chance to stop and enjoy the present moment.

If you find it hard to carve out time for self-care, puzzling can be a perfect way to mindfully allow yourself ten, fifteen, or thirty minutes, say, of quiet downtime just to yourself (or shared with a loved one) in which you can put the stresses and demands of the world on hold for a wee while.

As you’re puzzling, why not engage in some relaxing breathwork, light a lovely candle or your fave incense (again, be sure no flames, sparks, or warm ashes could come in contact with the puzzle or its box), play relaxing music or a peaceful ASMR video, and cozy up with a comforting beverage as you knit together the pieces of your puzzle.

Life is like a jigsaw puzzle

So begins a quote from American author Terry McMillan. It goes on to state that, “you have to see the whole picture, then put it together piece by piece!”

Wise and very spot-on words indeed.

Life is like a jigsaw puzzle and perhaps that is no small part of the reason many of us are drawn to puzzles in the first place.

There is something supremely satisfying about holding seemingly random pieces in your hand and knowing that with time, effort, and patience you will create a complete picture in which everything fits together.

Real life might not always meld quite as perfectly. Puzzles can serve as reminders to us that even when everything is scattered to and fro in our lives and it can be hard to imagine circumstances coming together again, more often than not, ultimately, we can assemble the pieces in a way that makes sense to us once more.

I’ve enjoyed doing jigsaw puzzles ever since I was a young child and have no plans of shelving this peaceful hobby anytime soon – especially not with many more Halloween and Pagan/witchy-themed puzzles out there that I’ve yet to tackle.

Whether you’re an avid puzzler as well or haven’t sat down with a puzzle in decades, why not pick up an exciting new puzzle and give yourself the gift of self-care time that comes from hunkering down with a few hundred (or thousand!) jigsaw puzzle pieces?

Chances are, you will enjoy the experience so much you’ll already be thinking about your next puzzle before you’ve slipped the last piece into your current one!

Do you consider yourself a fellow dissectologist? Which of the puzzles featured here leaps out at you the most?

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