Broom Closet Witchery

Many admirers of the craft, new practitioners, or even well-versed practitioners find themselves in places/situations where open use of the craft or self-proclamation of oneself as a witch could be unsafe. The stigma around the craft is far from gone, and witches - especially those who find themselves in strict religious communities or households - could face emotional, spiritual, and/or physical abuse. I would never recommend that one forces themselves to be open about their practice in these situations, especially if they do not have the financial means to support themselves should they be disowned or should they need to escape. I also would never tell someone to avoid a life path that they feel will connect them with their true selves. So I present to you: Broom Closet Witchery.

Just like the queer closet, the broom closet is the concealment of one’s identity, in this case, their spiritual one. However, there are aspects of the craft that are “broom closet safe” or easily hidden. Being a witch is not simply practicing magick - although that is a big part of it - witchcraft is a lifestyle. Many aspects of the daily witch can be incorporated seamlessly into your life.

Sigils and Runes - Written symbols are very powerful tools that we witches have at our disposal. Even people who are not witches will probably do a double take if they see a sigil or rune, and many will associate the symbols with witchery and the craft. However, there are many ways you can keep them “invisible.” (1) Draw sigils/runes on your wrist with clear liquids such as chapstick, lip balm, perfume stick, or for added bonus lemon juice. (2) Draw them on the inside of a photo frame. The picture you put in the frame will cover the sigil or rune you drew on the wooden or cardboard piece of the frame. (3) Draw sigils/runes on Post-it Notes so you can easily draw over them or remove them when someone is coming around.

Grounding - Grounding is a particular day to day witchcraft practice, that you can pretty much pass off as mental care and it doesn’t really involve any items. The main goal of grounding is to help us rebalance ourselves and reconnect to nature. The basis of grounding is that as creations of this universe - regardless if we look at our identity through a spiritual or scientific context - we are indubitably connected to nature. The disconnection we have is normally worsened today because industrialization has limited our access to outdoor areas and screen time has interfered with our interaction with sunlight. Grounding exercises can be as simple as walking on the grass barefoot, doing morning jogs in the parks, or just going out into a rainstorm without an umbrella and soaking in the freshwater. If you can’t get out, find ways to use the technology to connect to nature. Crack open a window and listen to some rainfall on youtube. They also have some nice grounding exercises on youtube.

Fruits - Just like herbs, fruits also have metaphysical properties that you can use in your day to day practice. Most of the basic metaphysical properties we use herbs for: purification, sleep, mental clarity, etc. can be found in our fruits. Simply adding them to the grocery list, won’t look as suspicious as a bunch of herbs you never cook with.

Poker Cards - Fun fact, you can use poker cards to do Tarot readings if you can’t have a tarot deck around. Equate each of tarot suits to one of the poker suits. Wands = clubs, cups = hearts, swords = spades, and pentacles = diamonds. The Kings and Queens would remain the same. The Knights would be the Jacks. Sadly the pages would not be incorporated sadly, but that's ok because you still have 52 cards to read with. You may feel like you are missing out without the Major Arcana, but you will soon realize that your readings are well rounded even without the other cards.

Homemade “Perfume” - Something I used to say I wanted to get into when I was little was homemade perfumes. This was a little sneaky trick for having liquid herbs like Rosemary in the house. I would mix the herbs with intended properties and then spray as if it's just a perfume. Worst case scenario someone said they hated the smell - which told me all I needed to know about them.

Playing Dice - Use playing dice for divination the way you would use a pendulum or bones. You trust the universe will land on the right answer. Give each number a basic pendulum board equivalent. 1 = yes 2 = probably 3 = rephrase 4 = no 5 = maybe 6 = inconclusive/unknown. DnD dice can be used to give yourself more options.

Incantations - I think that TikTok is so obsessed with herbs and spell jars that many of us forget that spells can be done simply with the power of spoken word and intent. When Incantations are cast - with proper protections, preparations, and research just like any other spell - you can see results the same way you would see results from a cauldron.

Virtual Altars - Deity work is in no way requires for a witch, in fact you can be an atheist and practice witchcraft. However, if you choose to practice with a deity and you find that you don't have the ability to make an altar (whether it is because you are in the broom closet or not) virtual altars are a cute little alternative. Make a Pinterest board, Powerpoint, or other digital document where you can upload photos, quotes, and info about your deities. You can even write them letters as offerings and upload them to your board. Make the Pinterest board a secret one and boom, you have a virtual altar.