#closed practices

[yorubaby]

Hoodoo is a closed practice.

If you see something that's derived from hoodoo-- it's not for you to take and use if you're not of African descent.

Be respectful of closed practices. Be respectful and understand that some things aren't for you to touch.

Appreciate a practice for who it's for, and then move on about your day.

[crazycatsiren]

Yes, you absolutely can:

Research and read up on

Learn from and study for fun

Participate in activities if you're invited by the group members

Appreciate and be fascinated by

cultures, religions, practices, and spiritualities that are closed to you without it being cultural appropriation.

The key is here is respect and consent.

[sapphictempest]

My fellow white people. Yes I see you also just saw Sinners, isn’t it great? I’m going to need you to not even breathe in the direction of hoodoo and voodoo ok hey look at me that is not for us. I know it’s not for us, the Black people to which hoodoo and voodoo belong to know it’s not for us, and the magic itself knows it’s not for us. Not only will you look ignorant as fuck inserting your white self into a closed practice, you may literally die if you try to practice hoodoo or voodoo. Please don’t be embarrassing and if you want a practice related to ancestry look up your own there’s literally folk magic for every single European country I promise. Just don’t touch the closed practices for both respect of culture/spirituality and for your own safety.

[sigilwitch]

Apparently there’s MAGA witches out there rn, hexing witches that are hexing ICE, and using hoodoo in their practices, AND they’re calling on Hekate, the Morrigan and Lilith for assistance?

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Need I explain why they all look so DEPLETED and physically drained???

[deethewitch]

𝐴𝑝𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛, 𝑀𝑜𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑧𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 & 𝑆𝑦𝑛𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑠𝑚

To anyone who's been in the Pagan or Spiritual communities for a while now, the appropriation of different traditions, the debates over modernization and the confusion over the term 'Syncretism', is probably something you've witnessed firsthand. When incorporating an aspect of a faith tradition or adding a new deity into your practice, it is important to research the history surrounding that deity or tradition. 𝓐𝓹𝓹𝓻𝓸𝓹𝓻𝓲𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 Appropriation is when a practice, deity or other tradition is taken out of it's cultural or religious context and used inappropriately, some common examples would be non-Indigenous people using smudging supplies and techniques, using offerings or practices that would be considered offensive to a deity's culture when working with specific gods, or practicing certain closed practices without proper initiation. 𝓜𝓸𝓭𝓮𝓻𝓷𝓲𝔃𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 Modernization is the practice of taking something very old and adapting how you use or practice with that thing to better fit the modern era, modernization in and of itself is not appropriative, and modernizing religious and spiritual practices is often extremely necessary(we can't exactly go around practicing human sacrifice anymore *sigh*), however modernization CAN become appropriative if it is not done with respect and knowledge of the original practices, examples of this would be the commercialization of magical supplies like tarot cards or crystals, offering menstrual blood to hellenic deities, or the wicca-fication of modern paganism. 𝓢𝔂𝓷𝓬𝓻𝓮𝓽𝓲𝓼𝓶 Syncretism is the meshing of practices and beliefs, the practice of syncretism is as old as the concept of religion itself, and it is nearly impossible to not practice syncretism, even if you aren't always aware of it! Examples of this would be deity syncretism like Isis-Aphrodite or Serapis, practices such as Folk Catholicism, Santeria or Christopaganism, or folk magic systems. 𝓜𝓸𝓭𝓮𝓻𝓷𝓲𝔃𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓸𝓻 𝓢𝔂𝓷𝓬𝓻𝓮𝓽𝓲𝔃𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓹𝓻𝓪𝓬𝓽𝓲𝓬𝓮 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝓫𝓮𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓪𝓹𝓹𝓻𝓸𝓹𝓻𝓲𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓿𝓮 Incorporating some level of modernization to your practice is nearly unavoidable, but it is important to have a good grasp of how to do so without becoming appropriative, so here are some Do's and Dont's for modernizing! 𝓓𝓸 ♡ Research the history of the practice you are trying to modernize. ♡ Research what was and wasn't considered offensive regarding that practice in ancient times. ♡ Ensure the practice you are interested in is not closed. ♡ Be creative! Modernizing ancient practices takes not only research but creativity, find ways to adjust practices that are appropriate to the practice and are accessible to your lifestyle. ♡ Consider researching historical syncretism if applicable to what you are trying to modernize. 𝓓𝓸𝓷'𝓽 ♡ Ignore actions or things that were considered deeply offensive to the original practice(i.e. offering something considered impure or offensive to a specific pantheon). ♡ Steal practices from a closed tradition you are not a part of. ♡ "Research" historical practices purely off social media, if you want to build a practice, you need to dig a little deeper than that! ♡ Push new age/wiccan concepts, guidelines or traditions onto other spiritual traditions. ♡ Ignore people who are more experienced in a specific tradition, take their guidance!

[theweightofdivinity]

In old hoodoo and Latin folk records, the first instruction was never action. It was containment. Emotion was acknowledged, then set aside. Because feeling revealed the imbalance but law determined the response. The work was never done in heat. It was done after clarity returned, when the field could be read clean. There were rules about proximity. Rules about what could remain attached to you. Rules about what must be placed elsewhere so it would stop interfering. Some things were grounded. Some were sent back to where they originated. Some were denied entry without confrontation. The elders taught that when order is restored, nothing needs to be chased. Nothing needs to be threatened. Nothing needs to be named. What does not belong cannot stand. That is why the work endured. It moved through law, not emotion, law does not explain itself. When divine order moves in, what was never meant to remain doesn't leave, it fades.

Inspired by traditional hoodoo and folk law as documented by Catherine Yronwode, Paper in My Shoe

[creature-wizard]

I think a lot of people don't appreciate how a big reason many spiritual traditions and deities are closed is because white gentiles have this whole thing of projecting whatever they already believe onto other people's mythologies, convincing themselves that they have the "true" interpretation, then weaponize their distorted version against the the original culture by acting like they just don't understand their own myths.

Christian missionaries started this practice, and it's just so ingrained in a lot of Christianized society that people who don't consider themselves Christians do it, too. An example is when New Agers claim everybody else's myths are actually about alien visitors, and then talk about how important it is that everyone understands this truth and effectively converts to New Age spirituality. Eradication of the original culture through assimilation is typically the end game. If assimilation proves impossible, the original culture will be demonized, sometimes to the point where actual violence against them seems justified. (Just look at New Age conspiracy theorists claiming that all of their political opponents are part of a vast conspiracy that does, shall we say, terrible things to children.)

Appropriating closed traditions might seem harmless to you, or even like a way to stick it to the man, but for a long time now appropriation has been a strategy to dominate and in some cases try to eradicate other cultures. (You're not sticking it to the man, you are the man.)

[cultkinkcoven]

k

I’m not native american or indigenous to the land I live in. So i can’t speak as an authority on this subject

but I will speak based off of what my indigenous friends and local indigenous practitioners have told me

If you’re concerned about using white sage, if you’re worried it’s closed or whatever but you want to use it, this applies to all herbs by the way,

simply, very simply

BUY WHITE SAGE FROM INDIGENOUS PEOPLE.

BUY 👏 WHITE SAGE 👏 FROM INDIGENOUS PEOPLE 👏👏👏

SUPPORT INDIGENOUS BUSINESSES

White sage is a common herb in hoodoo and other folk practices outside of the indigenous peoples of America, the native americans were not the only ones to use it. It is a very important herb to multiple groups of people. This does not mean to say that it isn’t tragically over harvested by large corporations that expend the very culturally significant resource from actual practicing natives.

SO BUY WHITE SAGE FROM INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

That’s all you have to do. Put some money into the pockets of indigenous people. If you can buy it in person, even better, you can speak to indigenous people and learn a thing or two about its use. Every single time I’ve bought herbs from indigenous people (not just sage, literally anything) they’re always so welcoming and happy that I’m there. They’re excited to share. All of my herbs and tools come directly from small local farmers and artist markets. We have one in my town every Wednesday and one in the city every Sunday. You most probably have some going on where you live too. Take the time to look around.

I consider interacting with these small businesses to be a devotional act, and it’s a million times more fulfilling than buying a bundle on amazon or from the witchy section of the craft store, not knowing whether the shit is quality or even what it claims to be.

I think the “white sage is banned point blank period” take is extremely retractive, especially when white people start talking over indigenous people so they can crowd control other white folks.

Most of the harvesters of white sage are indigenous, and it’s silly as fuck to see people harassing indigenous sellers on etsy because it’s “closed”. It sucks to see their sales dip to an all time low because everyone is being told to avoid them.

I wish the popular opinion this entire time had just been “witches who are not native can only use white sage that comes from native harvesters. We’re collectively cancelling big corp herbs and putting all of our attention into uplifting small indigenous businesses.”

All you have to do to assure that you’re not being disrespectful to indigenous people, is support them. This debate is so tired and frankly dumb as hell. It’s so so easy guys. The solution has been in front of us the entire time.