#closed practice

[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.

[indio-politics]

daily reminder to respect closed practices and understand there are spiritual, physical, and mental consequences for violating cultural boundaries. unless you are Mexican, belong to an Indigenous Pueblo in Mexico, or are reconnecting in a respectful way, there is no reason to celebrate dia de muertos or make an ofrenda. research your own cultures and make an altar that’s traditional to YOUR people. stop appropriating. y’all ain’t entitled to our cultures and practices. as my wise friend explained: when you make an ofrenda you are opening up a portal and if you don’t know what you’re doing you can get hurt. respect closed practices. and just because a few people belonging to the culture will tell you it’s ok to appropriate doesn’t mean you should. center Indígena and Mexican voices and stop appropriating.

[indigenous-gender]

can non Turtle Island Natives stop claiming their favorite characters are two spirit? 😃 it’s a CLOSED. CULTURAL. IDENTITY.

[satanourunholylord]

Hello pardon my lack of knowledge/ignorance but does one has to be of a specific race or ancestry to worship a certain deity? Since I've seen many people say that Lilith worshipers must be jewish. Thanks in advance and have a good day :)

Depends on the religion. Some are closed practice, some aren't. You're correct that Lilith is off limits because Judaism is a closed religion that requires initiation to join. I can't speak for every religion, but Norse paganism and Satanism aren't closed practice, meaning anyone is welcome.

It'll become apparent after taking some time to research a specific religion. You might hear people mentioning the keyword "appropriation" or talking about how a practice is race or region locked. Santeria, hoodoo, vodou, and brujeria are a few closed practices that I can think of off the top of my head. The best thing to do is research, ask around, and be prepared to respectfully apologise if needed and drop the idea of pursuing a path rather than arguing with current members about their own cultures and religions.

[thebookofhighstrangeness]

Remember when Indigenous people asked all of us to not use a certain W***** word (particularly because it comes from a closed mythology/belief system) and then youtubers and shitty movie writers just decided they didn't feel like respecting that because "cool monster"?

Well tumblr needs to stop recommending me that shit.

[southernmermaidsgrotto]

hello, i’m a mixed latina and i’m trying to learn about other spiritual practices other than what i’ve grown up with. specifically i have been drawn to brujería, but i know that it is a closed practice. even taking the fact that i am mixed out the equation, i don’t know any relatives that partake in (or at least consciously) such practices and i don’t want to get into something i know i can’t do. how can i be sure i’m going down the right path?

thank you so much <3

Hello hon!

Right off the bat, what stood out to me is how you're saying "I know that it [Brujería] is a closed practice". Let's take a few steps back and analyze that. You should also read this other post to get a better understanding of the term and how it's used beforehand.

So, is Brujería open or closed?

I say, which lineage? and who’s asking?

I think there’s a common misconception at play. Brujería isn't one single practice or tradition or lineage. Brujería is an umbrella term for many different cultural practices of latine people. It's a Cultural practice. It's not a monolith just as the cultures in latin america are not a monolith, and even within the same country, there's great diversity. You can be a black bruja, an asian bruja, or a mixed bruja, and more. Because being latine has to do with your family history and culture, your practice of brujería has to do with your family history and your ethnicity and I wouldn't say it's necessarily closed. Not all of it is, as white latinos exist and certain traditions (euro-american practices) are their own thing, and those are mostly open. I've only ever heard of a few white latine families who have initiatory practices, particularly for those of italian heritage it's common, and even if that’s the case, it's not that difficult to reach out to an elder and ask them to learn if you are indeed part of that ethnic community. 

Romani latines are another group that tends to have closed practices, but it depends on each vitsa and each family. Some share more, some less. Some will invite you on certain things and not others, some don’t like outsiders messing with their stuff at all. Black latines with ATRs, and the afrobrujería practices that tend to come with them, all have different religions, lineages, history, all with different customs, but tend to agree on our traditions being ancestral and thus, closed to black people. I say black people and not afrolatines because there’s a lot of cultural sharing and exchange within the african diaspora because of that shared experience with colonialism, slavery and all that followed, so you may find black USamericans in santería even if they’re not latine, they’re still invited into our ATRs because of that familiarity.

So a practice being closed has less to do with it being brujería (and being latine) and more to do with the systemic oppression particular groups experience in latin america and the rest of the world.

Then there’s a certain level of cultural exchange between different communities of POC in each country in latin america, and then between the same community across countries because of shared history, migration and familiarity, and even different communities of different countries. Then there’s the practices that have a shared origin and branched out, and so there’s similar things all over since the beginning. It’s not as clear cut as you’d think. Latin america is a big, big diverse continent with very resourceful peoples. That doesn’t mean there’s no boundaries. There are. Just not as simple as the “open-closed” dynamic I see people spreading online.

It really depends more on each lineage, their culture and history, and how they relate to you. What’s open or closed is relative to the person asking. The current trend of treating brujería as a monolith and regarding all brujería traditions as closed is a wild oversimplification that does more harm than good, because it keeps white latines separated from their own heritage (which is exactly what white supremacy wants, to create a false sense of white neutrality and superiority) and gives white people, in this case, white latines, this sense of "if I'm tresspassing anyways why wouldn't I appropriate black/indigenous practices aswell" and that's just wrong. We all have roots, therefore we all have our own lanes.

Which takes me to your question, how can you know if you're on the right path? It’s alright to not know everything at first, but you have to learn, and that means asking questions and doing research. Talk to your family and ancestors, and find reputable elders in your community. Ask your ancestors to make their presence known in your life, to come to you in dreams, research your origins, talk to your living relatives, ask about grandparents, great grandparents, make a family tree. I doubt none of them know where your family came from, if it's immigration from europe, the transatlantic slave trade, or indigenous roots, or migration (or even forced displacement) from other parts of the world, or a mix of two or more of these things on different sides. Once you know where your blood comes from, you'll have a starting point of where to look for your gifts. And your ancestors will lead the way. And as soon as you can, contact a respected community Elder and learn directly from them. Even if no one in your family is, for example, a strega, but you’re italian-american, you’re part of that community, you can still contact an elder and they’ll be the ones to decide (based on context, history, tradition’s principles, signs, omens, etc) if you’re meant to learn from them, or someone else, or learn at all. You have to go through that vetting process.

You can start by setting up a simple ancestral altar with just a glass of water and a candle. Light the candle, offer the water to them, offer the light of the candle to them, pray in whichever way you feel is best and ask for their guidance. While doing the work, asking and talking and researching, you’ll slowly feel their hands leading yours, you’ll start to feel their presence more strongly, which also makes you stronger, and you’ll slowly learn their names, their likes and dislikes, what they have to teach you, and you’ll find your way.

I promise you, when you learn about yourself, and your people, and find your true home, it will feel like home. As long as you’re willing to put in the work, and are honest to yourself and others, you’ll be fine. Use critical thinking, ask for guidance from Elders, ask for help when in doubt, and just trust the process!

[thegreatandpowerfulsmarragdus]

[witchbydaywitchbynight]

Are you in a closed practice (have been introduced or part of your heritage)

[mebis-art-dump]

She is so cool

[when-november-ends]

witchcraft is not closed.

ANYONE, no matter the ethnicity, gender, whateverthefuck can be a witch.

how you know if something is closed?

research.

for starters: if you see something you wanna try out, get your phone and type "is xy a closed practice" and 9 times out of 10 you'll get a pretty clear answer.

my personal tip:

come up with stuff yourself.

there's no set rules how a spell has to be crafted. if it works for you, it works for you!

if you really can't find anything on whether you're allowed to do something or not, ask some (multiple) people on tumblr. we always like to help. (take our answers with a grain of salt tho, we're not perfect) :)

[ryca]

OK but I haven't found anybody talking about this line!!! (And I'm only two episodes in, so please be kind).

But a Closed Practice? A CLOSED PRACTICE?

"Closed practices are spiritual ways enclosed with a certain ethnic or racial background. In order to practice it, you must be part of it, either by birth or through initiation. Some practices don’t allow initiation though so it can be tricky."

I don't have any insightful analysis of why that line was so (intentionally? unintentionally???) amazing right now, but hopefully I can gather my thoughts more later.

Hey Freak. This is a closed Practice Wednesday Addams - Official Teaser

[verflares]

meteorologists report sky just a little bluer today, and it's because skyloft residents link and zelda are in love :)

also on inprnt :]

[saeiken]

<3

[muse2menace]

Not every boy I’ve ever liked in my fav club on the most random night.

[99kahoy]

mayor iceburg in mixed media—front, back, and sides of the canvas

[mamaangiwine]

I can't speak for Hoodoo, but I can tell you from my experience as an Ndn- it's not about skin color. It's about community.

One of the reasons talking about "closed practices" with people is so frustrating is because it seems to trigger an immediate defensiveness, which often leads to a break down of communication when poc are simply trying to be informative. People are allowed to learn about closed practices in a respectful way. People are allowed to be, and are urged to be, curious and ask questions. I personally wouldn't call that being "exclusive"; it simply means that, depending on the practice, your role is that of an observer and not a participant.

Tbh, there are many people who participate in closed practices who are not of the closed practice's culture or heritage- but they were invited. They were taught. It was consensually shared.

I've met many white people who had a better understanding of my Native heritage than I did, because they grew up in close proximity to the reservation and I did not. When I lived in Wyoming I met white people who knew Shoshone and Lakota stories by heart. Who knew how to skin and cure a buffalo hide. Who knew how to sing and dance in a circle because they were taught by a tribal elder. I've met white people who were, in a sense, considered "honorary" tribal members. Granted, this didn't give them legal tribal membership, but it did mean that they were loved and respected by the tribe.

But they also understood what that meant.

They understood that, if they were taught anything of spiritual value, it was a gift. A tool they had been given out of respect and friendship, and that it wasn't their's to share with others without permission. That it didn't entitle them to be a teacher, or to play the part of the sage.

It is completely possible for an outsider to become a participant in some closed practices- but they have to be invited and understand the nature of their participation. They have to undersatnd that they now have a huge responsibility to be respectful, and a caretaker of what was gifted to them.

It also means that there is one very important step before anyone can learn anything-

One must be an ally. They must care about the issues that these groups face. The problems that they are experiencing on a day to day basis. They must become an advocate- because sometimes that struggle is inherent to the spirituality.

However, even then, people must understand that doesn't entitle them to a culture's spiritual heritage or methods. An individual must be an ally selflessly. They must do it while truly expecting nothing in return.

As a syncretic practicioner, I completely understand that cultures don't live in sealed off vacuums. The march of time effects all things. Academia, intermarriage, friendship, and yes, even violence and hatred, can cause the lines of one faith to blur into another. As a person of mixed heritage, I understand this as a complicated truth of my mere exisistence; one I struggle with daily.

But I am tentatively hoping that we can live in more enlightened times. I'm hoping that if some practices and traditions are to intermingle they can do so through mutual respect and sharing; rather than stealing and violence. That there can finally be agency, education and good faith behind our motivations and intentions as practicioners- but that does mean respecting a community's agency and accepting when you are told 'no'.

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

The gods.

The gods will know.