To Keep Silent: The Art of Secret Witchcraft

Summary

The content discusses the importance and strategies for maintaining privacy in one's personal practice of witchcraft, emphasizing the need for secrecy for some practitioners due to potential risks.

Abstract

The article "To Keep Silent: The Art of Secret Witchcraft" introduces the concept of practicing witchcraft in private, particularly for those who face significant risks if their practices were made public. The author, who uses a pen name to maintain anonymity, acknowledges the bravery of those who can practice openly but emphasizes that many must be silent about their craft to protect their safety, homes, careers, and families. The piece underscores the personal choice involved in sharing one's magical path and asserts that privacy does not equate to betrayal or inauthenticity. It offers practical advice for creating a separate online persona to engage with the magical community without risking exposure, such as using distinct accounts and restricting access to one's alter-ego's social media profiles. The author encourages readers to embrace their right to a private path and reassures them that their internal spiritual landscape remains untouchable by external judgment.

Opinions

The author respects the courage of those who can openly share their magical practices but also emphasizes the validity and necessity of privacy for others.
There is an understanding that the decision to keep one's practice private is often driven by a need for self-preservation and respect for personal circumstances.
The article suggests that maintaining a distinct online persona, separate from one's daily life, is a key strategy for private practitioners.
The author believes that everyone has the right to choose whether, when, and with whom to share details about their magical practice.
It is conveyed that privacy in one's practice does not diminish the authenticity or personal commitment to one's path in witchcraft.
The author advocates for the use of pen names and segregated online profiles to safely share and discuss ideas within the witchcraft community.
The piece encourages a stance of self-acceptance and self-determination, affirming the right to practice in secret if that aligns with an individual's well-being.

To Keep Silent: The Art of Secret Witchcraft

Hello, and welcome!

I am a person who fits into a particular niche among practitioners. I am here to create a safe space where everyone can share suggestions and ideas for those of us whose goal is to keep our practices private. People who have found their way here most likely have encountered the phrase, “To know, to dare, to will, to be silent” while studying their craft. I am here to declare that there are many people, myself included, whose circumstances dictate that we must be meticulous about being silent.

I greatly respect all witches, and magic-affiliated persons who self-ID with other titles, who are able to share their practice openly. They are fortunate indeed to be able to do so. At the same time, it’s important to acknowledge and respect that there are people living in situations where they might risk their home, career, family, and even physical safety if they were to practice openly. We are not betraying ourselves by not operating out in the open; rather, we are staying true to ourselves and respecting that our circumstances require us to act with self-preservation in mind. There are also people who, even without external factors that need to be navigated with caution, take the stance that their path is no one’s business but their own. They simply prefer to walk their path in total privacy.

Every person has the right to decide whether, when, and with whom they wish to share details about their personal path. Choosing NOT to share is a viable option. Whatever reasons a person might have for flying their broom under the radar, or choosing to remain in the proverbial broom closet, my goal is to share posts and hints that I hope they will find useful.

This is the first in a series of articles in which I will relate not only my own personal tips and tricks for operating in absolute privacy, but also any information that I have been able to track down that has worked for other people. I will open by pointing out that I am using a pen name for this Medium account. I have two separate accounts, one of which I use to write about any non-metaphysical topic I choose. This one, however, is reserved for the writings that I do not wish to share openly with people in my daily environment. And so I am offering my first hint: create your own distinct online persona, and keep it completely segregated from the one where you live your daily online life. Do not share it with the people in your daily life; do not use it to “friend” your everyday persona on social media. You might even want to go so far as to block the people from your everyday persona’s online and offline interactions who would possibly create problems for you in real life. If they can’t see your alter-ego, they can’t snoop and cause you trouble. Lock down the alter-ego’s social media profiles and posts, such that only the alter-ego’s online friends can see them. Then, if you only use that account to interact with people and groups who you know will be accepting of your path, you can safely use it to share ideas and questions that can’t easily be discussed elsewhere.

Never forget that you have every right to walk a path of your own choosing. No one else can dictate this to you. Even if you have good reasons to maintain whatever external appearances suit your well-being best, internally, you can create whatever landscape you desire, and no one else can impact that. If you decide that staying “in the broom closet”, or “flying your broom under the radar”, is the best course of action, then you are within your rights to do so.

Stay safe and well! So mote it be.