Hi everyone, so i am currently preparing for a holiday overseas in 2 and a half months, and in all the chaos of packing for 6 people plus many more cases filled with gifts for family (so far 5 for us and 4-5 for family), i was wondering what i should be packing for my practice. Now as i mentioned in a previous post a while back, the country (Iran) i am going to has strict laws and entering is based upon previous visits and good behaviour. Being a Muslim country with a close minded government (not the people living there just to clarify), they look down upon witches and witchcraft. This does not bother me to an extent, but what i am more concerned about is being pulled aside for some witchy items i may bring.
Now obviously i wonât be bringing a massive Boline or athame as with most countries things considered as a weapon is prohibited, but i would like to make a little box with a travel alter.
So for me the most important items are:
-Spells8 (of course)
-Tarot set (just one)
-Crystal jewellery (they tend to wear precious stone over there and even can be purchased)
-Candles? (Thinking just a couple of teas light candles)âŚ
Do you guys have any other suggestions or maybe some advice?
P.s- Just to clarify although i will be discreet, i am not âhidingâ my love for my craft so yep the witchy badges are staying on. I will be considered somewhat of a goth from the outside perspective (due to their lack of knowledge) 
I think you should be able to buy candles there, so that might lighten the load a little? Unless youâre dressing the candles here or something, of course. I know some tea light candles arenât exactly space-consuming, but you could use that saved space for other neat little things, like any tokens representing something important to you, dedications to any deities you follow, and whatnot.
@MuslimWitch
Hi 
itâs Jeannie and I will definitely keep u in my meditation practice and send some protection for thoughts 
I think you should carry something that helps you find your strength! A clear quartz is good for every crystal!
Think symbols like the infinity sighn
This will help you to remember that there is infinite possibilities and to be your best self!
Also carry a protective shield 
like a bubble around you when u feel threatened! If you feel empathetic feelings put your bubble 
up !
Jeannie
Grab your candles. Out of all witchy instruments they are most universal and useful, and you can easily find a reason for bringing them over border. You can have a calm meditation evening and perform any ritual, under pretext of having a romantic dinner with your partner (wether you have one or not).
And I also agree with @starborn , you can buy candles on your trip without the need to carry them from your homeland.
Rituals and spells can be performed with minimum resources, it would also be a fun adventure in a new place - scavenger hunt for new items. What if you bring nothing at all?
Oh! I love this! Now I want to travel just to try it. 
I have a travel altar, candles, matches, photo of Loki, incense, and a little cup for offerings, a pyramid crystal black obsidian,prayer beads and a plastic flower . Just grab and go. 
The clear quartz is a good idea, may put one in there too now, oh and itâs got a spell jar of salt too.
It sounds like a fun adventure! 
Youâve already got the things I would suggest- anything digital (the Spells8 app, any digital grimoire, materials, spells, etc) is very portable and no problem to bring. Crystal jewelry is potent while also being very subtle- itâs quite fashionable these days and shouldnât raise any eyebrows! And tealight candles donât take up a lot of space and arenât illegal or suspicious.
I wouldnât try to bring any herbs, seeds or other plant materials (due to international environmental protection laws and customs regulations), and if youâre going to an extremely conservative place I personally would say to leave any obviously witchy things safe at home.
While itâs great to be able to express our witchiness openly, oneâs practice is true and authentic whether or not itâs worn outwardly. Your wonderful witchy treasures will be there waiting for you when you come back- itâs always better to play it safe and live to practice another day, if you ask me!
Stay safe, have fun, and enjoy your travels, @TheMuslimWitch- wishing you all the best with your packing! 
Sounds like youâve got some great ideas. Safe travels to you!.
Youâve got some great ideas already - just wishing you happy travels!
While a few representative items and practicing while youâre there would be nice, Iâm going to go with a bit of a safety minded approach here.
First what does your husband think you should bring?
Personally I think it would be best for everyoneâs safety and piece of mind if you did not physically practice while you are there, including online.
I think you should bring one thing with meaning that wouldnât really be considered out of the ordinary and could be passed off as something sentimental when youâre asked, like a crystal necklace. If wearing it underneath would be acceptable, that would be perfect otherwise it could just be a sentimental item you keep tucked with your things.
@TheMuslimWitch I missed this bit, Iran, I used to live there during the revolution. I donât know what itâs like now, but if it were me, Iâd follow @Nixi advice, and go totally undercover. If Iran is still the Iran I knew, you need to be very careful. Iâd stay offline, as everything is monitored. Itâs not the community that may cause a problem but the authorities. The mainstream religions are, I believe, ok, but my friend Cameron who is an Iranian Christian and not a witch, still gets nervous when he visits his mother back in Iran, as heâs not Muslim. So, discreet and careful for your safety. Remember, all magic is in you anyway, so we donât âneedâ any tools at all. Oh and itâs not âhidingâ, if youâre being safe. Our ancestors had to hide too. 
Stay safe, have a wonderful time (gosh Iâd love to see Iran again, we lived in a small town called Awaaz, and I loved it). Blessed be
Yes this is a nice idea⌠I am sure they would have the candles just locating may need a little hunting around to find it
Thanks for the ideas. I mean i wonât lie having a protective shield should actually be at the top of my list from experience. As i said the Government are very strict but that doesnât stop people practicing witchcraft in secret and as far as i have seen and heard, it is not like you and I , but they practice âdarkâ magick more for the purpose of gaining money or conjuring a spell to harm others which i have seen with my own eyes work. The last time one relative of my husband was trying to slip a piece of paper with who knows what somewhere in the house when visiting and she was caught out⌠
Thatâs true also i mean it is like witches say, it is not the items you have the energy comes from within
There are so many mountains and plains out there i would love to investigate at the same time i would be doing in in day light as where we are going there has been locals complaining about the stray dogs bitting and giving people rabies, plus there is the occasional scorpion here and there
Thank you and yes it does become concerning when you are a foreigner in there country. I even went to the Australian embassy there to ask some questions once and the lady told me that it doesnât matter if i am Australia, entering their country means i am accepting that whatever happens to me or concerns me i am under there law and although i am of the same faith (Shia Muslim) there are no Wiccans there and will not understand, so for instance it is a man-run country so womenâs rights are minimal. Honestly i just go to have a good time, keep my head down and pray for the bestâŚ
Thanks for the advice Well Iran is changing and so far from watching their news daily and from my four previous visits the people are becoming very restless with protests and the fight for more rights and freedom mainly for women. So th government is finding hard to control what women wear and honestly i see that as a good thing that they are so strong-minded! In saying this, i was able to witness first hand 4 years ago the fights and struggles people went through due to the government putting up the petrol by 4 times in one go and people were fighting each other breaking into shops stealing and even at one point a guy pulled out a sword and everyone ran! So i would say yes the government is a very big concern i wouldnât want to put my family in jeopardy, but the people can be just as dangerous with the rising costs.
Overall the i really enjoy being there and to me i havenât really had any issues except for a guy following me so i donât go out shopping alone. I have even packed one of those discrete safety keyrings that i wish to never use but honesty since pepper spray is illegal in Australia i donât have that and obviously i donât want to think about a knife so that leaves me to a whistle, hand sanitizer and a bottle opener lol donât think that will help
Donât get me wrong, most of the people i meet are very nice to me since they think so highly of Australia, but i canât say the same for my husband who is a minority of Afghanistan and they can get picked on and sometimes leads to worse things (even though they speak the same language and are of the same religion)âŚ
It would be lovely if you could see those mountains and plains. The beauty of nature is just magnificent, isnât it? 
If youâre comfortable doing so, I would love to see photos of the landscape, if you get any. But no pressure, of course! 
Oh gosh. Rabies?! 
We have a serious stray animal problem back in my home country. Itâs really painful to see them all in a state like this. People are keeping them well-fed, of course, but they still have to keep their brutal survival instinctsâŚ
For sure i will take heaps of pictures and upload them as i go for everyone to see. I have also made a scrapbook i decorated so i can use my Instax camera for a keepsake⌠I head there are many spirits living in those mountains so will be exciting
@TheMuslimWitch Wow, well I will pray for you and the people. It is a beautiful place and will be again. Stay safe lovely, and if your able, some photos would be fabulous. Blessed be