Greeting from Canada

Introductions
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Hi,

My name is Elyse and I live in Ontario, Canada. Growing up my father was a Baptist Minister and when I left home for university I soon realized that Christianity was not for me and was pretty sexist. I have slowly transitioned from Agnostic, to Atheist to Eclectic Witch and finally decided to take the plunge and do the Wicca Self Initiation course! I think I was very hesitant in joining another “religion” because I have a lot of issues with mainstream religions and how they are taught to children. However, as a spiritual practice, I think Wicca is best because it is rooted in nature and there are many ways to practice it to fit your lifestyle.

I have had to move back in with my traditional parents, my mom actually being more narrow-minded about non-Christian belief systems than my father, so I’m stuck in the broom closet right now and have very little privacy. I find it difficult to embrace the full lifestyle in terms of rituals and traditions, but I have incorporated the moon ritual meditations from Spells8 into my life over the past 6 months and I do what I can. I am also without a job right now because I have experienced some trauma from my previous experiences and I live in a very rural place with few opportunities, so it’s difficult for me to purchase things like incense, crystals, and other tools. If anyone has any tips for me starting out in my current situation I would greatly appreciate it!

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Hello and welcome. I’m Tracy from England. I’m not Wiccan, I follow the Nordic practice, but Wicca is beautiful and I hope it brings you joy.

First you don’t need things to practice. Spells8 has a virtual altar. Here it is:

And as you’re rural, nature has gifted you. Sticks, twigs can be adopted for wands, stones are crystals, and you are surrounded by the elements.

For the broom closet, your garden is your sacred space, pick any spot and you have an altar. You can light a candle, Christians use candles and pray in your heart, noone needs to know who you pray too, and the cross is a pagan symbol anyway which the church adopted, so feel free to turn one into your amulet. I follow the Norse gods but my amulets consist of a cross, a rune chain and Mjolnir.

You are the magic. It’s lovely to have you here. If we can help, just ask. Welcome home :green_heart:

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The first tip was the Virtual Altar that Tracy mentioned. That has a good set of tools with which to work and practice . However, you don’t need obvious things to practice discreetly. A kitchen knife for an athame, a nice stick from the yard as a wand, found objects as representation of anything you care to include.

In reality, you don’t need anything but your imaginative mind. I use the guided meditations and several of them take you to calm beautiful places where you can get comfortable and celebrate in your own way and privately.

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Hi, @elyse! I’m Amethyst from Southern West Virginia. Welcome to the forum! :infinite_roots:

I’m glad you found us! The virtual altar is great, but you can also clean out one of your bedroom drawers and use it! It was suggested here before, but I can’t find it. Sorry.

Also, you can get loads of witchy stuff on Amazon, and most of it comes in an Amazon box, so that way they’ll think you’re buying something else hopefully.

But really, you can get pretty basic with an altar. A Glade candle, a seashell, a feather and a pretty rock from outside. There ya go! Easy and it just looks pretty, you know? You can even chose the Glade candle to fit the season.

Really, you don’t need a lot of stuff when you’re starting out. A coffee cup works for a chalice, and doesn’t break the bank. Tea candles or even birthday candles if you want to burn something. You may not even use an athame in your practice, or a wand. You don’t need everything they list. It’s just suggestions.

That way you can get a kindle and buy lots of witchy books! That’s where I spend most of my money. LOL!

Hope this helps!

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‘Ah, Elyse
You’ve waked a rough road. And you came through a litttle confused,
and a lot hurt. I truly am sorry for that.
Still looking for answers? That my dearest child is a good thing.
Rather than tie myself to another ’ religion’. I went through all the
courses and got a certificate. [I am a witch.} I still don’t consider
myself 'Wiccan" . I am a Pagan, and Solitary Practioner who doesn’t
have a coven.
When I came I was a lurker for a while. So many of these sites want
you $$ and don’t really care about uou. When I joined the focus
groups I was welcomed with open arms. And I have never recieved
less than love and kindness.
There is a small fee monthly but Francisco and his mediators do so much researth to put together this site, spells, magick recipes, General informataion… (don’t worry, it’s like old time medicine, it works.)
Read the forum, there are so many people who will answer question without condsention, or bullying. In fact, bullying is not allowed.
In a world of billions, we are a small group of like minded people who were drawn to Spells8. We come together seeking knowledge. We came here seeking validation, knowledge, support and maybe a friend or two.
So, little Seeker we welcome you with love and understanding. Keep up with your studies. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or vent your feelings. If and when you decide on your deity no one will deny you.
Blessed be little seeker. Stay a while, have some tea and put away the hussle and bussle that makes one head spin. Maybe we’ll both learn something new.
As I have spoken, so let it be
Garner Elder Witch

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Welcome, @elyse! I don’t have any tips to offer since I am also a beginner here - but I can assure you that you’ve come to the right place.

You’re in Ontario - then we are neighbors, I am right across the Lakes in Michigan, USA. :waving_hand: Hi neighbor!

I can also say that your practice won’t rely on your ability to buy stuff. As these beautiful people have been saying, bringing some Nature indoors will be more than adequate. Pine cones, pretty rocks or twigs - think about what our Pagan ancestors had around them and you’ll do just fine. The Virtual Altar is always there, too.

Use your private time to study and learn, and hang out with us so you don’t feel cut off. You’re not alone! :heart: And just let yourself roll with your current living situation. It’s not always going to be as it is right now, so don’t stress. Be kind to yourself and those around you during this time.

Blessed be! :feather:

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Hello @elyse,

I’m Bry, one of the moderators here in the forum and a fellow Eclectic Witch. It’s very nice to meet you! :blush:

I’m just going to echo the wisdom already shared - while fancy tools like crystals and cauldrons have their appeal, they aren’t required. The magick comes from the witch! You don’t need anything else to cast wonderful and powerful spells.

If you have any questions, know that you are welcome to ask. There is a Q&A category you can use to tap into the wisdom of the coven. We all walk our unique paths, but it sure makes the journey more fun when we share love, support, and magick with one another :mage:

Make yourself at home here! Blessed be :sparkles:

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Merry meet @elyse and welcome!

My name is Kat, and I’ve been practicing the craft for over 30 years. My practice is rooted in a blend of nature magick, green magick, and elements of hedgecraft. I work closely with the natural world, drawing inspiration from plant spirits, animal spirits, and liminal spaces. My interests include herbalism, gardening, and divinatory practices like tarot, throwing bones, and Lenormand.

One of the best things about magick is you don’t have to buy anything or use specialized tools! Need herbs? Check your spice rack. No cauldron? A pot works great. No wand? Find a stick that calls to you! My practice is nature-based, so all I need is me, the outdoor,s and my intention!

There is a wonderful search function that will help you dig for more information in the forums!

We’re glad to have you here. :purple_heart: Make yourself comfortable, explore, and feel free to ask questions!:herb: :acorn: :crescent_moon: :deer:

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Welcome @elyse ! It’s wonderful to have you with us!!! I’ve been practicing many different aspects of the craft for 35+ years. Currently I work with voodoo and divination and am studying Enochian magic.

You will find a wide variety of practitioners in here. I tried the Wiccan path for a bit, but found it hard to follow guidelines because of my Baptist background. So I moved into different aspects of the craft and practiced eclectic for awhile and then chaos magick. Leading me to where I am today studying Enochian magic. I’ve just began the studies and am not sure I’ll be able to adhere to strict guidelines but I’m going to give it a try. Lol

As many have already said, tools are not required and we have a fabulous virtual altar here.

Feel free to ask questions anytime! No judgement in this group at all. Also, use the search function and search closet witch and you will be able to find lots of advice and information from and given to other closet witches over time.

So happy to have you with us!! Blessings :purple_heart::purple_heart::purple_heart:

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Welcome @elyse!

I was raised Catholic, which can be just as intense as Baptist. When my mother found out I was burning candles on a table in my room without a statue of Mary or crucifix nearby, she had me put in a psych ward, even though she had candles all over the top of the TV. Please be very careful.

Thankfully, we don’t have to have tools to connect with our deepest beliefs. The deities, any and all, still hear our prayers. It is the intention that matters. Intention is a cooperation between the heart’s feelings and the mind’s ideas, neither of which can be controlled by an outside force, and neither of which need to be shared if one is uncomfortable doing so. You are whom you define yourself to be. All spells can be performed in the mind and heart with no outward evidence of anything unacceptable to those with whom we spend our time and space.

As for herbs and such, if you cook a meal, the direction in which you stir a pot can add or remove energy. The knife, fork, or spoon you use becomes your wand. Think about the meanings of each herb in your spaghetti, for instance, to make it not only nourishing to the body, but uplifting to the Soul. Again, intention is everything, and no one else needs to know. If you’re chanting, just think the words rather than whispering them to the pot. Cover the idea of “spell” by reciting a related Bible verse while focusing on your intention. If someone asks, say you are praying. It’s true, after all.

Some of the advice given assumes you have a modicum of privacy in order to own or collect objects. I didn’t. You have said you don’t, either. If they would consider it strange for you to have a rock or seed in your room from the garden, leave it in the garden. Do they let you have privacy in the bathroom? My mother didn’t, but if you are allowed, say your “prayers” in the bathroom, meditate in the tub, space out while sweeping or doing chores. It all counts.

Hang in there. It won’t last forever. Be your own beautiful self within the silence of your skin. Even the Bible says to work out your own relationship with deity in the privacy of your closet.

Some things I used to do include breaking a cracker into 4 pieces and dedicate each piece to one of the elements before consuming them. I still dedicate scoops of Kool Aid to the elements. Whenever I had colorful treats- fruit or candy, I’d match the colors to the elements.

When I was very young, I got in trouble for holding crackers up for a blessing reminiscent of what I saw in church. Girls weren’t allowed to become priests, and Mom made me promise I wouldn’t start a cult. Anyway, that may give you some ideas on practicing unseen.

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Thanks for your advice and everyone’s advice is great! I do understand that it is about intention and that’s what made me finally understand and appreciate witchcraft. I think I was just getting hung up on all the tools and feeling overwhelmed with how to start especially the self dedication ritual. But I know what to do now thanks to everyone’s great tips!
I’m sorry that your mom was that hard on you, that’s awful. But you do know what it’s like living with uptight Christians. Luckily my mom isn’t that strict and she knows I’m not a Christian, but she wouldn’t like to know that I’m a witch. It’s funny because I notice all cultural things that are carry overs from paganism, just our obsession with candles alone! She does bring in nature in to decorate the house and has gone on walks with me to collect nature t for Christmas decorations because she knows I don’t want to spend money on Christmas anymore, but she doesn’t put it all together :slight_smile: It was funny because on new years I gathered boughs and brought candles in jars in a bag to take outside to cast a circle, but it was too windy and i didn’t want them wondering what I was up to, so I left the bag outside and later on my mom found it and brought it in and put the boughs and candles on a credenza in our entryway! She was just like “oh I found these!”

I’m glad to be part of this group and to hear everyone’s experiences and receive such support!
Thank you

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Welcome, I too am from Ontario

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@elyse Welcome to the family of wizards and witches
I am Airam from Greece and I wish you beautiful magical journeys
Welcome! :heart_decoration:

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