#closed practices

[crazycatsiren]

"Celtic shamanism" literally does not exist. The Celts never practiced shamanism. Whatever spiritualism that is Celtic in origin, it is not shamanism. White people actually learn your own histories and stop stealing shit from people of color challenge 2024.

[mamaangiwine]

"Lol Who cares if it's a closed practice? Who's gonna stop me? Who's gonna know? 🤣😝"

The gods.

The gods will know.

[4rimoire]

CLOSED PRACTICES

keep in mind that my knowledge on all of these practices is not extensive, and if i get something wrong please do correct me!

closed practices are typically closed by blood or heritage, and semi-closed practices may require some sort of initiation or interaction with the community, but it depends on the practice!

this list is by no means exhaustive, and i may add more as time goes on

just because something is not listed here does not mean it is open! please do your research!

CLOSED

native american practices

african practices

romani practices

sámi practices

māori practices

asian folk practices

santeria

voodoo

hoodoo

voudon

umbranda

jurema

candomblé

quimbanda

SEMI-CLOSED

judaism

islam

buddhism

hinduism

brujería (the specific practice, not the word)

OPEN

hellenism

celtic polytheism

kemetism

norse polytheism

roman polytheism

[oheziraphael]

There has been such an unbelieveable amount of antisemitism on Tumblr, so, I'll just say this.

Lilith is closed.

The Kabbalah is not an occult-y thing you can just use, It is closed to Judaism, always has been, always will be.

The Jewish G-d is not just every other abrahamic deity, they are not the same.

Abrahamic religions are not evil, stop generalizing, if you had a bad experience with Christianity or Judaism or Islam, that is not the whole religion, do not put others down because of it.

and i'll just ask this; why are goyim so, so, interested in jews? why? why does it matter to you? If you aren't trying to learn and be respectful, why are you so interested in telling them why something is closed or open?

[when-november-ends]

quick psa, if you take what isn't yours from closed practices while KNOWING it's from a closed practice, you are a horrible human being.

please, for the love of the gods, get off my blog.

[icanseethefuture333]

and how to banish demons and trickster spirits?? 🥲 please help thank you

How to spiritually protect your home from unfamiliar entities 👻

When faced with paranormal activity, it can be scary for anyone! We start to question ourselves and feeling silly thinking: "Did I really just see that?! No, no, it my must be my imagination..." but you still can't shake the feeling something is there in your room.

How to decipher between a high or low vibrational entity

Every spirit takes form in a different shape and color. I am unsure what it means but I have seen just about each one. So I will be giving each one a name for it. A fair warning though to use your intuition because my interaction with each spirit could be different from yours. Always use caution.

The in-between:

This spirit is mainly gray and fuzzy but has a rainbow outline. Similar to a broken TV. I believe these spirits are going through a period of healing and transformation. They are more neutral with their approach but overall have good intentions.

Holier than thou:

This spirit looks pure white. It's just a plain white or almost milky translucent color, they are typically friendly. If they are white, but look like it's sparkling or shining, it is a low vibrational entity or demon trying to pose as a angel.

Peekaboo:

The ones that appear in the corner of your eye or when you feel a presence randomly pass by. This is the most famous type of spirit that everyone has said they have come across. They come as shadows and are quick on their feet. They are black in color and their origins I am unsure, but they haven't bothered me per say. They startle me though, so because of how they sneak around. I mainly believe that they are trickster spirits.

Fairy lights (also known as orbs):

Orbs of light are considered to be a manifestation of energy present in your home. I have interacted with this type of spirit the least. When I first began doing deity worship with Aphrodite, I would see pink orbs, and that is how I knew she was present when I prayed to her or asked her for guidance. I have also seen orbs when interacting with archangels.

Faders:

These spirits fade in and disappear once they get what they want. They usually appear with a message and then leave once they're done. They can be pretty lonely, so sometimes they just like your company. I went to a garden memorial once and I had a spirit follow me home just so they could spend time with me. They left after two days.

Angels:

I feel that most of the time my interaction with an angel was presented as a human. You ever had someone that just was really sweet and kind to you in when you were having a really rough day? Yeah I mean that. Those feel like angels to me. Archangels I view them as orbs.

Demons:

*cracks knuckles* the moment you've all been waiting for. Now these are masters of disguise. Demons present themselves as anything or anyone just to get closer to you. Whether that's a living human being, an attractive person in your dream who sexually arouses you (incubus/succubus), or a monster who keep causing you to have nightmares in your sleep. Their main desire is to suck your life source and take over your soul at your weakest moment or make you do malicious things that are out of your character.

The different types of demons:

Before we touch upon this topic, if you are someone who struggles with a mental health condition such as anxiety, PTSD, BPD, etc. Be aware that some of your symptoms could align with some of the things I will mention down below. You have to understand the difference of just being anxious/paranoid and genuinely having an encounter with an entity that's dangerous.

Creepers:

Creepers are literally what they are. They creep up on you quite randomly. They mostly appear in your dreams to scare you and cause you to have nightmares. In most cases, these ones are just annoying because they scare you out of your sleep, but the more severe ones can physically harm you. One time in middle school I had a nightmare of a demon wanting to attack me in my sleep and I woke up with scratches on my back that were bright red. Nobody else was there in my room that night to have left scratches on me like that. Anyone of any age can deal with creepers but it is most common for children to come across them.

Hitmen:

A hitman is usually a demon that was sent by someone who has given you the evil eye or decided to hex you or wish malicious things onto you. This is scary for most people to experience because you can't tell if you're going crazy or genuinely feel an attack on your peace of mind. A sign of a spiritual attack is when you are around someone and suddenly that person gives you a bad vibe, you start to feel physically ill or energetically drained. Intuitively, you should know when you feel unsettled by a negative entity.

Inner demons:

You guessed it. Demons that come from you. We all have our own inner demons that manifest from a place of pain, envy, anger, bitterness, or hatred. They are the ones who stick with us through our darkest times. Inner demons have a codependent relationship with us. It's almost as if being with a narcissist. Instead of helping you, they enjoy that you are helpless so they can stay with you longer. They conveniently appear or come around during severe periods of depression. Since it is a inner demon and not a hitman demon, you have to learn to forgive yourself for the manifestation of this entity, since it has come from you. Instead of fighting them or being angry with them, allow them to be set free. Wish healing for them as well, since it was not their fault they were born out of agony. They may come and go, but they should know their place from now on. For witches, these demons could be at your service for more baneful magick if anyone decides to fuck with you 🤫

How to deal with negative entities and banish them from your sacred space:

Ultimately, it comes down to being brave and asserting your dominace. Let these entities know that they cannot and will not fuck with you from this day on. When they know you are a pushover, they will just keep messing with you. Scare them like how they scare you. Here are some different methods you could use to banish these entities from your home.

Clean up your act 🧹:

Have you ever felt the strong urge to clean your house after being in a funk? That's right! Cleaning is one of the most popular ways of getting rid of low vibrational energy and to invite new energy into your home. I mean what's a witch without her broom right?

Mainly dusting, sweeping, mopping, wiping windows/mirrors, and vacuuming could be done for banishing negative energy/entities

You can chant while sweeping away from yourself, you can make this up on your own so it can be more fitting for you and you can memorize it more easily

Florida Water is considered one of the holy grails and can be bought at any local botanica or even online. It is a cologne that is famous for its magical properties and multi-purposes. You can pour Florida Water into the bucket of water that you use for mopping 🪣

Cleaning products that have magical ingredients (I.E: Lemon / lemon scent is a popular tool for spiritual cleansing)

Pillow sprays, febreeze, essential oils, or room deodorizers are a cheap and easy way to cleanse your home (Lavender pillow spray can be sprayed around your house and on your bed sheets or curtains for peace and tranquility. It is also a refreshing scent and helps you sleep better 😊!)

Boiling a concoction is another method you can use (ever wondered what was in those witches' cauldrons?). Most people boil bay leaves, rosemary leaves, or cinnamon

If you are pregnant or someone sensitive to chemicals or smells, you can use crushed eggshells or pour salt in the corners of your home, window sills, and doors🚪

Plants and crystals can be used as protection wards for your home. You can put them anywhere that you prefer.

Other popular methods for protection spells are spell jars, mojo bags (hoodoo, closed practice), enchanting a necklace or piece of jewelry to wear as a tailsman/amulet, or egg cleanse (common method in Latin American culture).

Team up:

There's nobody who will be down to protect you more than yourself than your spirit guides. Simply calling upon your ancestors (who wish you good intentions ofc), guardian angels, animal guide, or deity should be enough to protect you in moments of fear and feeling unsafe. Remember to show appreciate to them and give them offerings for their assistance. They cannot consistently be there for you if their energy source is low (especially ancestors!).

Remember that you are loved 🤍:

Experiencing the evil eye or a spiritual attack can be scary for just about anybody 🥺! Just remember that the situation is temporary and there is always going to people out there who love you and wish for your happiness (including your higher self). Paranormal activity is a weird but interesting thing many people in their lifetime have come across, so you don't have to feel alone. I hope this was of help to you and that you feel better about being able to protect yourself 😇

[beneath-the-laurel-tree]

Reasons practices or religions are closed:

Protection from colonialism and racism. This usually mean only people of certain ethnicities can practice.

A requirement of certain knowledge in order to practice.

A requirement of a certain cultural perspective that can only be acquired through growing up immersed in a culture.

The religion does not seek converts.

It requires a high level of commitment to the path.

A combination of the above.

Reasons to engage with a practice that is closed to you:

Pure fucking entitlement.

There’s literally no other reason you do it. You see something and think it’s yours for the taking. Pure “finders keepers” logic that only spoilt children hold.

Fuck off.

[magnetothemagnificent]

Hi, sorry this might be a very dumb question but.. I saw your post about heritage and all that and you said that if you convert to Judaism you are then 100% Jewish. But I've seen over and over people saying that Judaism is a closed practice and you can not convert into it? I'm not Jewish myself and where I live I have no points of contact with any Jewish people so all my information is from the internet and this part really confuses me? (I know this sounds ignorant and stupid, I'm not trying to invalidate anyones statements or mean any harm or disruption, I'm genuinely confused about this)

Judaism *is* a closed practice, but conversion is possible, it's just a long and intense process and we don't go out encouraging people to convert (proselytizing is forbidden).

I use this metaphor a lot when explaining Judaism:

Imagine a house surrounded by a courtyard with a gate. Both the door to the house and the outer gate have a lock and key. Sometimes, the outer gate is unlocked and opened, and anyone is allowed into the courtyard if they're invited.

This represents religious events gentiles can participate in, as long as they were invited to do so. Think things like public menorah lightings, going to a Jewish friend's house for Shabbat dinner, attending a Jewish friend's B' Mitzvah in synagogue, etc.

Then there's the house itself. Only people with a key can get in and are allowed in. Most people inherent their key from their parent/s, but some people work really hard to earn their key. Only people with a key are allowed inside the house.

This is Jewish identity. Only people who were born Jewish or who went through the rigorous process of conversion are Jewish, and only Jews are allowed to partake in certain rituals and practices. Only Jews can make up a Minyan (group of ten or more Jews for prayer), only Jews can get an Aliyah (get called up to the Torah), only Jews can keep Shabbat to its fullest (this is why a lot of people in the process of conversion who have taken on every other commandment in Judaism will do a symbolic action to violate the Shabbat until they actually become Jewish (and then their first Shabbat as Jew is so special)).

You can convert to Judaism, but it's not as easy as waking up one day and deciding to be Jewish. It's a long process and must be done with the sponsorship and support of a Rabbi and Jewish community. It often takes years from when a person begins the process to when they dunk in the Mikvah (ritual bath) and are officially declared Jewish. A person must dunk in a ritual bath and have a Beit Din (court of Jewish judges) witness. People with penises usually have to be circumcised, or if they were already circumcised, have a Hatafat Dam Brit, a symbolic pinprick of blood. Once someone becomes Jewish, they are given a new Jewish name.

So, Judaism is closed to anyone without a key, and you must be born with a key or earn the key.

[freckledfortuneteller]

My local witch shops are crazy like why are you selling items from closed practices and why are your chime candles basically a whole dollar ???

[khensaptah]

Hi, I don't know anything about the Egyptian pantheon but might be interested to learn about it and maybe incorporate it to my practice. But I don't know if it is a closed practice ? I am white and European and I am not sure if that would be considered cultural appropriation ? Sorry if it is a stupid question, I genuinely am ignorant on the subject.

This is an important question, and I am glad you are being considerate of others before moving forward with Egyptian polytheism.

The short answer: no, it is not a closed religion. Both ancient and modern Egypt were part of a larger multi-cultural conversation between the peoples of the Mediterranean, Africa, and the Levant. Pharaonic Egypt was a culture that built empires: colonizing and spreading their beliefs was a part of that. Egyptian belief spread with the Romans even as far as the British Isles!

The longer answer: it's not a closed religion, but being mindful of cultural context is critical to practicing Egyptian/Kemetic polytheism. As white practitioners, we need to be mindful of uplifting Egyptian, African, and Arab voices in our community. Egyptology and Kemeticism both have a huge whitewashing problem. In the twelve years I've been practicing, I've seen this problem come up again and again in multiple groups.

Since the center of Kemeticism is ma'at, I highly encourage you to take time to find and follow folks sharing their experiences (both within and without the religion) as Egyptian, African, and Arabic peoples so you can better understand their perspectives... especially given everything happening in the world right now.

Feel free to send any other questions you have my way, always happy to chat!

[crazycatsiren]

I'm blocking all non Jewish "Lilith worshippers" from now on.

Y'all are antisemitic as fuck.

Lilith is Jewish. Anything that says she's from anything/anywhere else is misinformation. Lilith is from Judaism, the end. But of course, expecting y'all to listen to and respect what Jews have to say is just asking too much.

[skaianbruja]

Btw, for anyone who's actually genuinely curious and not just being a racist asshole:

The reason why there is no such thing as a closed white cultural practice is because white is not a culture

Yes there are closed practices originating from individual European cultures, but that is something completely different

"But closed brown cultural practices exist!"

Nope. There are closed practices originating from cultures of color, true. But closed brown cultural practices also don't exist because brown isn't a fucking culture either

[w00dw1tch]

Learn About Closed Practices

I feel like a lot of people avoid closed practices like the plague. Next thing you know, they're getting called out for appropriating Hoodoo but had no idea their protection spell was based off stolen practices. If you don't have at least some knowledge on the subject, how are you supposed to catch it in a book full of protection magic?

Learn it. Not to teach as if it's your own, not to use, just to know. There are so many beautiful practices out there, but some of us avoid knowing anything about them because they're closed. You can appreciate these practices and still respect the boundaries of the people who practice them.

[thewitcheslibrary]

Closed Practices

Please make sure that you do additional research, this post is just the basics of closed practices! - if you arent part of the culture that practices or you arent invited to practice a practice listed, then dont practice it! - it is not for you and can be considered cultural appropriation

What is a closed practice? There have been many damaging misconceptions regarding what constituted a "closed practice" in spirituality. Simply described, a closed practice in witchcraft and the occult is one in which you can only participate if you were born into it or underwent an initiation procedure. One of the most popular misconceptions about closed practices is that if you were not born into the group, you would never be allowed to practise. This can be true in a number of situations, but there are certain exceptions. It is critical to remember that these practices remain locked until the individual has been verified and the authorised start process has been completed.

There is always a cause for some religions to be closed. Some reasons may include that it is founded on specific cultural values and beliefs that would never be understood by outsiders who were not truly immersed in the community. Brujería and Santería are examples of this. 

Closed Communities and Race Locked Spirituality:  

While it is critical to analyze specific practices within some religions, it is even more vital to address, on a larger scale, how entire communities can be closed. Differentiating between closed communities and closed practices reduces the likelihood of gatekeeping and reinforced marginalization. Some closed communities include the Amish, the Roma, Judaism (along with their type of mysticism, Kabbalah), Hoodoo, and Haitian Vodou. A reason a variety of communities may close their practices is that they are deemed as “race locked”, indicating that these communities were created as an attempt to unify together during times of hardship, with their beliefs formed around their shared experiences. 

Region Locked religion: While some religions are closed because they are "race locked," others are closed because they are "region locked". This indicates they are closed since they are based on variables unique to the place. Many of these numbers are based on local factors that would make little sense to someone from another place. This is why some (but not all!) minor Shintō sects are considered closed. 

Poached practices:

Because of the huge quantity of misinformation propagated by uneducated internet users, there has been a significant surge in Native cultural appropriation and improper usage of Indigenous spirituality. There are other holy Indigenous rituals that are considered closed, like white sage smudging and the usage of palo santo. To survive, marginalised groups were traditionally mistreated and even punished for their beliefs, therefore these communities had to keep their religion hidden from outsiders. As restricted practices such as smudging gain popularity, the quantity of holy plants intended for Indigenous groups gets depleted. The colonizer's economic gains harm not just the environment, but also the purity of Native practices. Exploring safe, effective, and courteous alternatives to smoke cleaning are an excellent method to express direct gratitude to people who sacrificed their livelihood for spiritual freedom

Closed cultures:

Many Native American cultures

Many African cultures

Saami (in Finland)

Closed religions:

Shinto (Some branches of Shinto practice are open, although they should be approached with caution, while some are completely closed. Jinja Shinto would be the most visible example of an open denomination.

Druidism (proper not neo)

Gardnerian and Alexandrian Wicca

Haitian Vodou

Hawaiian

 African Vodou

Hinduism (There are open and accessible Hindu denominations, as well as closed sects. Some "open sects" are quite troublesome, thus one should proceed with caution when considering joining a Hindu sect. Dharmic law is part of what makes this difficult to traverse, so proceed with caution.

Hopi

Inuit

Judaism (You must earn the right to be called Jewish)

Raastafari Movement

Tribal (almost all)

Voodoo (Dependent on the group which you decide to learn from) 

Voudon

Zoroastrianism *some of these you can be invited to practice, but please research into which ones you can and can't. I as the author do not know much about these practices, as I don't personally practice them. People who do practices will have more correct answers*