r/BroomClosetWitch

For brief context, I'm a young adult who can't afford to move out of my parents house. Yes, I have a job. Both of my parents are conservative Christians. In general, my mom is better than my dad, and she has caused much less trauma than him.

So about a week ago I walk on a neighborhood walk with my mom. Here's essentially what I told my mom at first:

"Obviously with dad, I can't tell him many things because I worry he'll get mad, hate me, call me a nut job, and say I can't be myself in his house. We've already talked about this. With you, it's different. I don't like telling you things sometimes because I don't want to upset you. I know that you're the type to hear something that you find concerning and you get really worried about it and feel the need to either fix it, or at least say your viewpoint (respectfully) and see if there is a way you can help. Even if not, you still get overly concerned. I know you will never get mad and hate me, but I still don't like telling you certain things because I'm trying to be considerate of your mental health."

Well, the next night on another walk she told me that because I said what I said, she started getting really concerned that there's something I'm not telling her. She'd rather know all about me, even if it upsets her. She understands (and wholeheartedly believes) that she can't, and shouldn't, control me or anything. She still doesn't believe that I'm a trans man/I could know myself after telling her a year ago, but that's another story for a different day.

I then felt like I had to tell her about my religious beliefs, because that is the specific thing I didn't want to tell her. I knew it would upset her big time, but I was already upsetting her by not saying anything, so, shouldn't I just say it? A year ago I told her I started attending a UU congregation, and a week after that, she said "that upsets me more than the trans thing". This shows just how much I didn't want to tell her.

I explained how I worship the Earth as a mother goddess, the Sun, and the Moon. If they aren't actually deities, than "Mother Earth" talk and whatnot is a really good metaphor. I didn't use the word Pagan at all. I told her about everything else in this paragraph. At one point I went from 'praying (for the millionth time) that Jesus/the Christian god would give me a clean sign of his existence' to 'praying for either a sign from him if he's real, or a sign from Mother Earth, if the Earth is indeed a goddess'. A few weeks after that prayer (and after forgetting about it), I got my sign from Mother Earth. It was as clear as day. I also told her about how I then started worshipping the Sun and Moon. About a month after I started, I got this random impulse to look directly at the sky. I felt ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! Usually, when I look straight up at something taller than 30 feet, I have a full-blown panic attack. At first I thought it might have been a fluke, and maybe the low building that was also in my view helped me. A few days after that, I was at the park and felt the need to lie down and look straight up at the night sky. Yet again, I felt no fear. I actually started sobbing because of how beautiful the sky was, and how grateful I am to suddenly, out of nowhere, not have this fear anymore. I wasn't sure if this lack of fear also now applied to being in really tall buildings or not. The morning before I had to be on the court level of a stadium, I was doing my positive affirmations and praying to not have my fear. That afternoon, I wasn't afraid. I didn't deal with the usual stuff I deal with when under a really high ceiling. I, being the naturally skeptical and science seeking minded person I am, tried to rationalize it with psychology, but couldn't. I genuinely believe it was a divine miracle.

She immediately doubted my claims and thought it was probably my subconscious deciding to let go of my irrational fear because of my religion. She doesn't think it's a divine miracle at all. From what I could tell, it also seems like maybe she thinks that me believing in the Sun and Moon as actual deities is ridiculous. This strikes me as odd, because she is the type of Christian who believes in miracles, gifts of the holy Spirit, and that type of stuff. We both tend to be skeptical of miracle claims unless there's evidence, but even still, she knows that miracles can happen. She has known folks who have had miracles from the Christian god.

When she asked if I was into witchcraft (because of my TV show/movie interests), I explained that I still know that stuff I watch is fake. I told her that, when it comes to what actual witches do, I think it's either placebo effect, or nothing happens. I think it's completely okay for someone to use the placebo effect to their advantage and do witchcraft that way. I didn't tell her that I actually do that type of witchcraft. I didn't tell my mom about my altar.

I now worry that I shouldn't have told my mom my beliefs. Yeah, saying I believe the Sun, Moon, and Earth are alive as beings does sound utterly stupid! Many cultures throughout history have believed this, though. I'm not completely making up something. I'm not delusional. I feel stupid and like I've made my bed and have to lie in it. I can't undo any of this. I'm not going to suddenly lie and say "actually, I was wrong, they aren't deities!" just to hide again. Does she now see me as a woo-woo wacko? I don't know.

I won't ever tell my dad about my beliefs.

Now I'm reflecting on ᛉ (Algiz rune) again, and wondering how it might pertain to my situation. I'm new to rune stone pulling. A few weeks ago I did a rune pull that helped me sort out my feelings on a situation. It helped me realize that, yeah, maybe I shouldn't move into a place with my grandparents. I kinda was already having this feeling that maybe that was true, but I refused to believe it. I really wanted to make moving out work. ᛉ was a part of that pull, so I reflected on it then. Even after all that was done, I still kept thinking about ᛉ. I thought that maybe I needed to reflect on it some more. Maybe it applies to something else going on in my life. Well, now I see that it does.

When initially researching the rune, I learned that:

It relates to protection, a shield, defense, instinct, the strength to guard what's sacred, the boundary between safety and danger, caution, spiritual defense, and heightened awareness. The moose is not aggressive without reason, but it is not helpless either. The power to defend without being consumed by fear. Courage in the face of fear is central, not the absence of fear, because fear may or may not be a warning to us that protection and defensiveness is necessary.

So I think that the ᛉ rune is either trying to tell me that I should not have told my mom all this, or that it's okay that I told her, and I just need to keep believing what I believe, no matter her reaction. As I'm typing this, I'm starting to think that it's the latter, but I don't know.

Hi, I'm Mal. I've been interested in witchcraft and paganism since I was 12, and now that I'm 18 I've been seriously practicing and reading tarot for about a year and a half. It's been difficult because my family is Catholic and doesn't support witchcraft.

Last April, I saw a girl at school (I'll call her Victoria) and decided I wanted to finally do something instead of just admiring someone from afar. I'd struggled with accepting my sexuality for years after my mom found out I was a lesbian and sent me to a psychologist because she believed it was wrong. I eventually became much more comfortable with myself (even though I'm still struggling with my self-esteem, sexuality and body), so seeing Victoria felt like the moment I was finally ready to experience my first real romance.

At first, we only exchanged glances. Eventually I found out she was my classmate Julie's sister, found her Instagram, and learned a bit about her. I asked my tarot deck about her several times, and the readings were consistently positive. They suggested we had strong potential, but also warned that she was shy, insecure, emotionally unstable, and unlikely to make the first move.

My friend Jamie found out I liked her and ended up talking to one of her friends, who turned out to be Victoria's best friend. After that, Victoria and I started greeting each other at school and even played volleyball together during P.E.

The problem was that Victoria kept giving me mixed signals. She told her friends she wanted me to send her an Instagram request, but whenever I did she ignored or rejected it. She rarely greeted me first, but she constantly stared at me or walked past me as if she wanted me to notice her.

By the last day of school I was exhausted and ignored her completely. Later, a friend told me that Julie had spoken to her and told her she didn't want me talking to her because Victoria had told her everything and felt uncomfortable. I assumed that was the end of it.

During the summer I met another girl online, but it didn't work out because the effort was very one-sided.

When the new school year started, things with Victoria seemed to begin again, although communication felt blocked because of what had happened with Julie. She smiled and blushed when she saw me, her friends whispered about us, and she kept looking at me and walking past me. My tarot readings suggested she had started developing feelings for me, regretted telling her sister, and regretted never making a move.

Eventually I cast a sweetening spell after asking my deck if it would help. The cards said it would work, but not in the way I expected, and that I already had a strong chance of attracting her without magic. A few weeks later I asked about the results, and the readings said the spell had strengthened her feelings and made her idealize me more, but that nothing progressed because she was still too shy and afraid of rejection to make the first move.

That's basically where things stand now. The staring and tension have only intensified, but nothing actually happens. I've been thinking about making an offering to Freyja, since I've recently been drawn to Norse paganism, or maybe doing a simple spell to encourage communication instead of attraction.

What would y'all recommend?

Hello! I've been wanting to buy some herbs and spices since at the moment I don't have any. Things is, we're quite boring (and broke) here, and there's nothing other than salt, sugar, cinnamon and rosemary. I think I'm really interested in green witch and kitchen witch practices and I need a bigger inventory, of course, cause there's not much I can do with just that.

Now, the closest stores are far from my home and you can only reach them with a car. Only my mom has a license, and we always go grocery shopping together. If I were to suddenly buy all the most random spices and herbs she'd ask a couple questions.

I'm considering Amazon but I don't know... Part of me doesn't want to buy herbs from there, and the bulk options are quite pricey too. I can buy candles from there, not sure about herbs. So here comes my question, where do you fellow witches buy your stuff? And if you do from Amazon, have you had any issues? Should I trust Etsy? Thank you!!

Specifically, does anyone have any recommendations for podcasts or YouTube channels dedicated to talking about all sorts of different deities?

For safety reasons I won't disclose my specific location.

Hi im a native African, and I'm a Pagan! I was born into my religion, taught by my grandmother and mother who were taught by their grandmothers and mothers.

I've been down-low, I've been open about it, I preached about it but i also kept quiet. I welcomed people in, taught people and been taught by people.

I worship the Gods and honor them through ritual and will continue to like any other pagan in the rest of the world, AS ME ANYTHING!

I am very interested in getting started in witchcraft. I have meditated and kinda know where I want to go. I am interested in keeping the natural flow of things, healing, self awareness for me and for others. I love plants, nature and humanity. I would also like to use for the greater good of myself and all humans. I have started with some protection spells but that is it! Where can I find a like minded community/mentor? Thank you!

Hi, I've thought about what to use as BOS and I'm thinking a small binder is a great idea. A pretty one. However, the ones I see online seem to be for "budgeting" etc and they have all these pockets in the cover. Are these pockets helpful at all, or is there a binder that you'd recommend? I'd like one that's beautiful and leather (-looking, at least) and pretty. Thanks!

So I’m a baby witch and I recently got back into the craft while on summer break because I have a lot of time. I live on campus at my university and they obviously prohibit candles and incense and all that stuff. What can I do to continue practicing and doing spellwork without having access to candles? Are there any other witches who have dormed or lived somewhere where they couldn’t use these things? Any advice is appreciate!

I'm (M 17) planning on buying myself a desk of tarot cards. My sister (christian spiritual, 14) kinda supports me but i still need ideas where I can hide the cards because here is a little tough with privacy: parents enter the room in any time without knocking, going through my stuff and "clean it up" (throw away), etc.

i come from a very jewish household and i can’t buy candles because of fire hazards (my mom has fire trauma), is it bad energy to use them? (it’s the only things i can use and have available) like would it work if i cleanse the energy, etc? Please let me know! All advice will work thanks!

Hi everyone! Does anyone recommend any beginner kits either on Amazon or Etsy or another site? My local shop is really expensive and would be much better for refilling materials instead of getting them all there

i’ve just started getting into witchcraft and spells of the kind and was told many times to read read read so I would love some help on finding how I can learn. I would prefer if it were pdf books since I can’t openly do this sort of thing, but i’m still open for options.

hi, i’m not sure if i can call myself a baby witch as i have not started practicing anything.

i wanted to ask for advice first.

i am born muslim and recently (less than a year), i have been dedicated to being a buddhist. for personal reasons, i do not believe in islam and because of some circumstances, i can’t convert out of my current religion yet as i am a student with no other roof.

my question is, can i still practice witchcraft? i do not know how to “spot” my calling because as much as it’s a cliche, my tiktok fyp has been spamming witchcraft videos.

i genuinely need advice and guidance. i’m a student working part-time and i don’t have much money. i fend for myself and i don’t have my own room or my own private space to start being a devotee or make an altar.

please help me, i come with hope and i genuinely want to learn 🙏🏻

Hello! I've known about witchcraft since I was a kid and I've always wanted to start with it. I did a bit of short research before but it didn't work out because pretty much every adults I've asked about witchcraft adviced me to wait for a couple of years before getting into it because I was too young which was- okay, very understandable.

I'm 19 now and I've toed between the lines. As in I'm aware and fully believe but unsure of committing to the practice. I've done more research but nothing extensive, probably barely touches the surface of witchcraft practice. I also live within a conservative catholic household as someone who's agnostic so there's also that.

Anyways, after some research I've done for myself, I've hit a dead end, I don't know if it's because I'm just inefficient with this or it's just all confusing but basically, paganism is a very broad category and I've seen so many 'beginner tutorials' on witchcraft with varying explanations, methods and such. Obviously, they share a few similarities and I've read again and again that this practice depends on the person and that it's a self discovering journey through the aid or guide of others but I'm just so?? Confused??

Genuinely I don't know where to start. I've begun meditation and energy work, just trying to practice with my inner and all of that but I don't know what to do after that? Like, I've read the witches are meant to write their own BoS about their own journey, practices and such and I've looked into what goes inside those books but it just led me down to another rabbit hole.

Does anyone have advice? Or a step by step of where to begin and what follows? I know that every journey is unique to one's person but can anyone share their own experiences so that I can use it as a guide or just compare?

Thank you!

Hi guys. I want to begin practicing witchcraft and tarot cards. I am in NYC and need recommendations for supply's and where to find them. I want to practice a protection spell for myself. I was curious if there's such thing of a book that contains multiple spells and a description of what you need and what they do. That would be cool. I also would appreciate any advice.

I’m trying to get into the practice properly, although I have identified as pagan theologically for most of my life and grew up around some witchcraft through my mom. I want to start practicing and performing rituals and spells. My fiance is supportive and wants me to explore what I like, and I am being encouraged to spend money freely on practicing my religion.

What shops or sellers would be recommended?
Where do I get good herbs?
What should I get to have the basics for most potential spells?

Any and All recommendations on the shopping side of this are what I’m looking for!

My husband and I have been VERY slowly deconstructing from Christianity over the last 3 years. (both of our parents were pastors). Last night was the final push out of it. We want to engage in witch culture and have been learning most of what we know about it from TikTok. We really desire some guidance and community how to walk this path. And we need support and community. Most of the people in our lives are still very saturated in the church.

I personally, want guidance in a daily routine and setting up what my day looks like engaging spiritually, with spells and crystals etc.

My husband and I are both actively spiritual, and we have decided not to abandon the gods of the Bible but we are abandoning everything else about Christianity and the Bible. We want to explore other gods too and it’s really important to us to be connected to a higher power. We’re also interested in doing ancestor work.

I’d love suggestions for apps, discord rooms, online support groups etc, for breaking out of Christianity, and religious abuse. And for beginner friendly witch stuff. Anything else anyone feels intuitively to provide, please feel free to speak! We love you guys!

Sincerely, A.

Hello, I'm new here, so I came here due to a pull that I couldn't explain, I feel like there's more to me, but then I'm clueless, and I don't know what to do, can you guys help me? Is there like a test here to know whether I belong here or something? Also, can you guys introduce me to witchcraft? Thank you.