Busy Times Abound

Greetings everyone.

Sorry for my delay in delving into our up and coming Rune series. I am looking at ways to bring a fresh perspective to these symbols. Do not fret, for I a close!

In the mean time I have been busy preparing for Imbolc and purchasing storage solutions for my growing herbal supply. Photos and possibly a YouTube video to come!

Great Broom Closet Resource

Many of you have probably heard of ABroomandTheMoon on YouTube. She has recording some amazingly informative videos and doesn't shy away from discussing her personal life, which I admire. I pointed my browser to her website and found that she recently posted about the Broom Closet (click to visit).

I advise all of you to check out her website and YouTube channel to get to know who she is. She also gives tarot readings to those that are interested. She will inspire your practice for sure.

Witchvox Turns 15

Happy Birthday to Witchvox, the leading online resource for Wiccans, Pagans, Heathens, and however else you may choose to describe yourself. The website has turned fifteen years old today.

Witchvox was one of the first online resources that offered engaging articles and helped to establish connections when not too many people could be public with their faith. It was also one of the first social networking websites giving people the opportunity to connect with other practitioners in their area, or find stores that offered valuable tools to their faith. Our Community would not be where it is today without Fritz and Wren. Please consider donating $15 or anything you are able in celebration of their anniversary.

I am in no way affiliated with Witchvox or the website's creators.

Preparing to be Outed, EEK!

Somehow your friends and family have discovered you are now on the Pagan path. Maybe your mom searched through your dresser for marijuana and instead found marjoram, lavender, dragon's blood resin and a book on herbalism with a pentacle smack dab on the cover. Take a moment to scream.

Take a deep breath. Now you are faced with two different paths. Honesty or damage control. Not being honest may harm your relationship, but if you aren't ready to discuss something with another person they should not have the right to force you into it. Simply stating that you aren't ready to talk about it but that you will be soon may suffice, but don't be surprised if your conservative Christian parents have the priest over for dinner every week or your roommates stop talking when you walk into the room. Part of dealing with outing is how you handle yourself and believe it, it speaks volumes.

I was outed as Gay and I had two choices. Deny it even though everyone already knew and was accepting, or tell the truth and work on improving myself. I know practicing Wicca and being Gay aren't the same thing, but there are some correlations. The important thing to note is that you are who you are whether people know it or not. Start making a plan today on how you would deal with this should it happen to you.

1. Resources. You may not want to keep a lot of books around that people can find, but a list of online resources that you have emailed to yourself and saved in an email folder can become a great way to educate others when they shake their crosses at you and expect you to fly.
2. A lot of advancement in Paganism becoming more mainstream has led to a lot more people already knowing some things about it. Usually it may not be true or is muddled with misconceptions. Be willing to sit for a while and talk about truth rather than myth.
3. If you know of a local public Pagan group or Pagan Pride Day invite your curious friends to attend meetings or discussion groups with you. You don't want to try to force this way of life on them, but letting them have the option to learn about this path from people that actually practice it is invaluable.
4. Be patient. Sometimes the people that are willing to confront you about things are the ones that would have the most difficulty with it. Sometimes they will surprise you with their understanding.
5. Be yourself and if you can't be yourself, be who you want to be. I'm not saying to pretend that you are Cinderella because you want to be a princess! I mean to be the understanding and caring person you want to be even if you aren't normally. This is a time when people are going to judge you and how you react to being confronted. If you are defensive and combative it leads to the idea that you are hiding dangerous practices and could be in a cult.
6. Let you friends and family care for you, but do not be afraid to keep them from walking all over you. Ask them how they would feel if you told them that they had to be Catholic, Jewish, or Muslim. Do not let others dictate your life, ever.
7. Have faith. All things eventually work out, even after long periods of discomfort and sadness. Happiness is just around the corner if you are willing to let it in.


This concludes the series on the Broom Closet. Please comment to let me know what you thought of the series and if you have any of your own tips for those in the verge of revealing their spirituality to others.

Moving Into the Light

With all this talk about secrecy and surviving the Broom Closet we haven't really touched on how to know if you are ready to leave. Some people think about leaving it for some time before actually beginning to tell family and friends while others suddenly come to a realization and announce it to the world without looking back. Both can be valid ways of getting both feet out of the door, but preparation can certainly make this process a little bit easier. It can also help you formulate elegant answers for those moments when you are confronted with questions.

It can be helpful to first think about why you are wanting to come out to your friends and family. Do you want to live a more honest life? Do you feel that you can't be fully connected with deity until you can give them a name and speak about them in public? Start by thinking about your reasons because this thought process will help you recognize your fears and build a support plan for yourself should important people you care about stop speaking to you and, even worse, spread the news to people that you don't want to tell. It can also be helpful to make a list of those you want to tell and the reasons why you may or may not tell them.

In general terms people tend to tell their closest friends first, moving outward to others like a spiral where you start with the people you tell everything to. You do not need to apologize for not telling them sooner and if they are angry with you try to explain that you have been learning about this path and wanted to keep it private until you felt it was right for you. This stage is where you should already have an idea of basic Wicca and Paganism so that you can explain it to others when you get their questions. The important thing is to tell the truth and be as open as you are comfortable being.

This is the hardest stage of coming out of the broom closet, there is no way around it. The people that thought they knew everything about you may be surprised and feel confused. Others may think it makes complete sense knowing your beliefs about other things, such as social justice, and not think much of it. A lot of your experience is going to depend on how content you are with your choice of a faith, your willingness to explain your beliefs, and your courage to to not accept anything less than acceptance from your friends and family.

The sad reality is that you may lose touch with people because this change for you is too out there for them to accept. People come into our lives and I truly believe that everyone offers us something to learn. When we have learned what we can from them there is no shame in moving on, especially if they refuse to let you be the person you want to be. This can be more difficult of course if you are a minor or living with your parents and friends past the age of eighteen. Do you have a safe place to stay for a few weeks if you are asked to leave your residence? It is a horrible idea, but you may find that you are more able to be yourself.

Here are a list of questions that you can start formulating answers to if think you are ready to share your path with others:

Wicca isn't a valid religion though, right?
Why would you believe in a Goddess instead of the true God?
What about the afterlife and Hell?
Are you seeking attention?
What exactly do you believe?
Do you celebrate Christmas?
Why would you celebrate holidays from another religion?
What does your religion say about gay rights?

Results from Shopping at a Heath Food Store

Who needs a break anyway?
I was so excited about my shopping trip to a couple of my local health food stores that I had to post photos of my purchased items.

I have been wanting to get into herbology and make my own incenses, etc. seriously for a few months now. I had been using herbs purchased online through eBay and a wooden bowl with a large rock to help crush and blend my mixtures. Little did I know that all I needed to do was pay a visit to my health food stores for herbs. I thought I was going to have to buy from larger companies like Mountain Rose Herbs, but no way Jose!

My first items came in nice little packages and were incredibly affordable. I could have filled up a shopping basket and taken home half of the aisle for the same cost as getting them through mail order with added shipping and handling costs. I dodged a bullet for sure!

We begin with Juniper Berries.

I bought a little German Chamomile.

I found some beautiful and aromatic Red Rose Buds.

I also grabbed some Marjoram, which has become one of my favorites.

That was it for my local Natural Grocers. I then made the trip to a local company that has been around for for eons. There I found some beautiful Lavender. I didn't go to Clovers just for the Lavender but considered it a bonus since I wasn't able to find a mortar and pestle.

Yay! I was so happy I was probably obvious to the other cars on the road, but I made it safely to the only other Clovers location in town. There my eyes found the coveted M&P and I knew my trip had been a success.

Even though I had to do a little bit of driving, I was surprised at the affordability of my local offerings which didn't even seem like a possibility before I went exploring. Now I need to check out the Asian markets to see what kind of surprises they have in store. At least they carry one of the most coveted divination tools of all time: the fortune cookie.
PS: Sorry for the large photos. My digital camera is down and I've been relying on my iPod for pictures. I will be saving up to get better photo equipment in the near future!

Taking the Night Off

Yo peeps. No, I mean you, not marshmallow chicks!
I am taking the night off. Check back tomorrow for the next installment of the Broom Closet series. We all need a break and I am going to spend it with my family and free Papa John's pizza. Shameless plug, I know. They aren't paying me for it and I do quite enjoy their pizza.

Hiding Your Treasures From Discovery

Sometimes it can be beneficial to give into the secrecy. If you're in the Broom Closet and don't see yourself leaving any time soon avoid fighting and get smart. The most effective method of hiding things is to hide them in plain sight. You can find objects like clocks and bookshelves with secret compartments and cans that are actually safes. Utilize these items and start thinking outside of the box.

Suitcases are beneficial if you don't have to deal with nosy roommates, siblings and parents. You can layer ritual supplies in between blankets and stash the suitcase under the bed or inside the closet. This time I mean the physical one where clothes and other items are kept. But what should you do if you have a stack of Wiccan books, not to mention your Book of Shadows.

I have my BoS wrapped in a paper bag book cover similar to what high school students commonly do to protect their textbooks. Mine has a drawn triquetra on the front but you could easily omit this if necessary. Then put it on the bookshelf next to other school related books. You can wrap your resource books in the same way.

Large trunks provide storage and many offer a locking mechanism or a place to put your own lock on it for added security. Other options are to use filing cabinets. Most items fit below the hanging folders and if you have a lot of documents in there one file of related study material will easily blend in. You can also use a gym locker for smaller items if you don't mind trekking back and forth to the gym to get some cone incense and willow bark.

The last thing I want to touch on is the altar. With our paraphernalia it can be tricky to obscure it from the curious. Why not install a shelf at the bottom of your closet and cut out boxes so it they can fit over the shelf and hide it? For those do-it-yourself types there are tons of options. Sometimes placing shelving units in places that people wouldn't expect can offer enough secrecy. Sometimes it doesn't work and people snoop into every nook and cranny of your life.

If you have a large back yard that people don't explore through, you have the option of going outside, which would be ideal if you can practice without watchful eyes. Thinking outside of the box can be tricky, but look at craft stores and online for inspiration. Garage sales, thrift shops and flea markets offer modestly affordable furniture and can help you get organized as well as practice with others in the dark. Do you have any other ideas? Leave a comment!

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Finding Ambiguous Items

One of the easiest ways to practice your faith and remain in the Broom Closet is to find and use items that are ambiguous and don't readily give away their true symbology. Many former Catholics, for example, have been known to use images of the Virgin Mary, as well as statues, to represent the Goddess in her guise as maiden and mother. While it may seem odd to use the symbols of another religion, the truth is that people borrow from other practices and faiths quite frequently. My thought is to use whatever works, especially if it fits your budget and still holds spiritual value to you.

The Book of Shadows is arguably one of the most important tools of a Wiccan. The idea is to have a space to write down your magical thoughts and to serve as a record for your practices. A spiral bound notebook, though not as beautiful as an elaborate tome, offers the same writing space and looks more normal on the desk. There are even degrees of notebooks, should a drawing book or leather artists portfolio fit more closely to your personality and taste, that offer concealment of your secrets. No one I know of would bother to flip through a notebook on the coffee table because of the presumed boring material inside, but a pewter pentacle laden leather grimoire would not offer the same.

Selecting tools and decor that don't stand out as Pagan but still mean something to you in a spiritual sense can be a lifesaver for those in the confines of the Broom Closet. Letter openers can serve as athames, umbrellas can serve as a useful staff or wand, and the spare sheet can become a cloak in minutes. Think of it as recycling until you are able to obtain your own space for ritual.

Obviously this degree of concealment isn't usually necessary for those that own their own home, but perhaps you don't want your overtly Christian mother in law threaten to take your kids away because you have a mini altar to Brigid above the fireplace. It sucks. It truly does. But sometimes we have to do what we have to do, and not all of us have an attic or a secret room behind a revolving bookcase. But I bet you must of us would like to.

Finding workable tools are easily found at Target or (gasp!) Wal-Mart. Stores that offer affordable home decorating offerings typically have generic candle holders and book ends, not to mention a fabric and craft section that would allow any crafty Witch to make and decorate their own tools. Shopping around Halloween also provides cauldron-looking bowls and costumes that could be converted to more magical attire. Old pillowcases and placemats can become altar cloths and would be passable as table coverings.

Lastly, I want to encourage you to look to nature for items.

Who among us, Witch or not, hasn't brought home a seashell or an acorn? Pretty leaves serve multiple purposes and offer meaning to us while Mrs. Grumpy Inlaw might think it is just a leaf on a table. In a perfect world we wouldn't have to hide our faith, but sometimes we like to keep our faith to ourselves. Happy item hunting and crafting!

Broom Closet Poll

In honor of the Broom Closet series I have decided to establish a poll on the right side of this page. Please fill it out before the deadline. Your identities will not be revealed, I assure you. I am just curious as to the responses I will receive.

Thank you for your time and honesty!

Secrecy & The Craft

Secrecy is still common within Wicca. Most notably in Covens that require initiation and follow a degree system, oaths of secrecy are expected to be honored by everyone that is exposed to a group's inner workings. In fact, part of the Witch's Pyramid is "to be silent," meaning that keeping quiet about magical rites helps to ensure they come to fruition by not being diminished by other's doubts. One must wonder why in a religion like Wicca there is any public knowledge at all.

Solitaries involved in Wicca were probably not what Gerald Gardner had in mind when he and his most trusted few developed this way of life, but to me it seems a natural progression of his revealing this religion to the masses. With the introduction of solitaries it became more difficult to require pacts of secrecy because they had to know some things in order to practice this way of life effectively. By whatever means inside workings of this belief system eventually became more and more public over time, which accounts for the large increase in practitioners, as well as the hostile views from outsiders.

It is sad that not everyone is able to be open about their faith. The American Constitution proclaims that every American has the right to freely practice their religion without any interference from the Government but we all know that it is more of an ideal than an actual guideline when it comes to lawmakers that believe their religion is the only true way to salvation and eternal happiness. No wonder people hide their faith from those that would laugh and criticize others for how they view the world, let alone physically and verbally cause them harm. The fact that the Broom Closet exists is a result of the world's intolerance, plain and simple.

My point is that it makes sense for a religious practice that contains elements of secrecy to have adherents that choose not to speak openly about their faith. For whatever reason they have keeping their faith private offers them comfort in a world where their silence might also offer them protection from people that would harass and proclaim them as being tricked by evil. The Broom Closet serves a purpose. If it didn't then the term would not exist.

The Broom Closet!

Most cowans, muggles, non-magical folk, etc. hear those words and they think of a tiny area where the mops, brooms, buckets and cleaning supplies our kept. For those of us following a Pagan way of life the term comes with feelings of restriction and being chained down. Far from the physical, like most things we work with, the Broom Closet is more symbolic of the differences we have with others and the secrecy associated with our paths. Difficult to navigate and tricky to find a way out, sometimes the BC might be a little more constraining than we are comfortable with.

Those of you may have guessed this was the topic I wanted to discuss. I am hoping to take this topic and go into places that most people don't really think too much about. We all claim that leaving the Broom Closet is the best for our spirituality but so many of us still remain within its confines. A side goal of this is to lead you to evaluate where you stand with friends and family and whether or not you want to stay the course or make some changes. With more of us than ever being known to the public it may not seem quite so scary to make our faiths known but I am intelligent enough to know it isn't always that simple.

We'll be discussing tips on practicing in secret and selecting ambiguous tools that don't scream WITCH! to our born-again Christian neighbors. I also plan to throw in a few surprises to get you thinking, but I promise to take it easy. As we work through, please post comments and share how your life is similar or different to the topic at hand.

New series coming up soon!

Hello everyone!

I am going to be working on a new series. As of right now it is going to be 5 parts (equal to 5 posts) but elaboration or necessity may stretch it out a bit longer. I just started writing on it today after finalizing my plans. I think everyone will find it enjoyable and full of useful information. You might be wondering what this project is going to be about but I'm not going to tell you. Instead I am going to leave you with a riddle and allow you to figure it out for yourselves!

I am open and closed, full of secrets and other objects scattered about. I am both a physical place and a metaphorical place. Turning, courage and truth are the keys to escape me. What am I?

Comment below if you need a hint or think you have it all figured out!

Oh, the Places You'll Go

For those of you that do not know, there is a festival in the Nevada desert around the end of August each year that has become known as Burning Man. This festival highlights community and artwork in an environment of self-expression and self-reliance. There is also an emphasis of leaving no trace behind, so that it would seem as though they were never there. Talk about Environmentalists!

I was sent a video by a Facebook friend of some of the attendees reciting "Oh, the Places You'll Go." This is one of the last books authored by Dr. Seuss and features an empowering message to the masses. Comment and let me know whether you think the message is valid to today's society!

Orange You Glad to See Me?

It hit me like a ton of bricks. I like the smell of oranges. I like incense. A couple of Internet searches later and I am now a self-proclaimed expert. The process is quite simple.

1. Peel the orange. I like to use a knife and carefully cut the peel from the top to bottom in 1" strips so that they are easy to cut later.

2. Use a serrated or regular spoon to get as much of the orange pulp and white trimmings from the peel. It should look like the orange has large pores. Your goal here is to make it as thin as possible for the drying process.

3. Slice the peel into small strips and place on wax paper, paper towel, or a wax paper lined cookie sheet to go into the oven.

4. Allow peel to dry overnight or by baking at 150 degrees for 10-20 minutes. Adjust time as needed.

It is as simple as that! Once they are dried and will break in half easily you should store them in an airtight container and label accordingly. When you are ready to use them you can pull some out and grind them in a mortar and pestle. Measuring usually takes place when they are in a powder form or ground up enough to your liking.

Correspondences for Orange Peel

You may be wondering what you are going to use this stuff for now that you have plenty of it in your herbal cabinet. Use orange peel to embody the Sun in a mixture and to lift those who are down. Its scent is good for dealing with obsessive thinking and for turning us back to what is important in our lives. Orange peel is nice in Yule celebrations, reminding us of the promise of Sun even in the middle of winter. The scent of orange peels mixes nicely with bay leaves, cinnamon, pepper, cloves, coriander, frankincense, juniper, lemon, patchouli, sandalwood, vetiver, jasmine, and rose.
Note: When using it with incense you may wish to burn it on a mica plate to allow the oils to properly heat and release the aromatic fragrance, similar to using chunks of resins.