Traditional Witchcraft, Authoritarianism and Secrecy: Silence is Golden

There is No Authority in Traditional Witchcraft

In traditional witchcraft it is not necessary to have nor to ever recognize an authority figure. There is no need for authoritarian gods, goddesses, or other demanding figures. There are no threats of Hell fire and no condemnation because there are no authorities. The only laws to be acknowledged are the esoteric laws of nature. We do not need to obey them, revere them, or worship them; we must only understand and use them because they are not authorities, either. They simply are.

Witches are not subject to the whims of authoritarian establishments and people. The fact that there is no authority in traditional witchcraft frightens the masses, who love authority and cling to it out of superstitious fear. Those who love authority, who believe that there will be chaos and immorality without it, try to demonize anyone who does not acknowledge an authority who administers some moral code. For this reason, if no other, it is beneficial to maintain secrecy about our philosophy and practices.

Secrecy Protects You

Witchcraft and the occult involve actions and philosophies that, by their very nature, lie outside the mainstream of modern Western society. As witches and occultists, we do not always place a high value on mainstream society since it is not in accordance with our own experiences and observations about the nature of the world around us as we tend to have heightened sensory perception. In many cases, we perceive great flaws in its systems, notably its religious, medical, and scientific establishments. We often find ourselves at odds with popular social trends. Occasionally, we are sharply reminded of old hostilities.

Absolute secrecy protects you from those who would harm you for practicing witchcraft, even if nothing else does. In order to survive, most of us must hide our practices and our philosophy from the people around us. Sometimes we have to hide it from family and, if we are part of mainstream society in some way, we have to hide it from our colleagues, our clients and employers. There is power in secrecy and weakness in having secrets revealed to those who might use the information against us. This is especially true when the prevailing order of society notoriously fails us, again and again. We must protect ourselves because no one else, no established authority, will. It’s simply not in their interest to do so.

Why Secrecy is Necessary Even When You are Doing Nothing Wrong

Some people believe that only people who have something to hide, who are doing something criminal or unethical, have a reason to keep secrets. But this is unrealistic. Secrecy is your first line of defense when the order of law fails. It’s the first thing that protects you when a person or government agency wants to deny you your humanity.

If you are too open about yourself, whether about your witchcraft practices or aspects of your life, such as relationships, finances, plans for the future, you are running an unnecessary risk. At times, secrecy may be uncomfortable, but it is far less comfortable than the consequences that follow if too much of the wrong information about yourself falls into the wrong hands.

If someone has information about you, they have power over you and eventually they’re going to use it against you. Therefore, secrecy is important even when you are not doing anything wrong or illegal. It is wise to keep your practices, philosophy, and activities away from the prying eyes of others as much as possible.

Many innocent people cause trouble for themselves because they are too open, tell too much, are indiscreet, and have poor habits regarding privacy. Sometimes this is the result of parental teachings about honesty and openness that did not serve us. Learning to be discreet and when to lie is a more beneficial teaching. If you had authoritarian parents who demanded you always tell the truth or were subjected to religious teachings that shamed you for verbally defending yourself, then you may have to do some work to learn how to keep secrets and learn how to lie effectively in your own defense. There are those in positions of power who make a business of using your openness against you.

Authoritarians do not serve you, even when they pretend to do so. They serve themselves and their associates at your expense. The most direct and effective means of eluding authoritarians is through secrecy. As the environment of authoritarianism, moralizing, and zealotry online has grown, it is increasingly important for witches and occultists to operate in the darkness.

The Case for Staying in the Broom Closet

Maintaining privacy and secrecy is the simplest, most basic, way to protect yourself from moralizing authoritarians and against a myriad of other problems, including envy, the Evil Eye, jealousy, gossip, defamation, financial interference, and sabotage in any of your endeavors whether they involve witchcraft or mundane affairs.

In the current climate, in which people lose their jobs over an online comment or photograph, it is important that you do not share too much information about yourself online. Moreover, maintaining your online privacy is critical to maintaining privacy offline.

The case for keeping silent about your practices is very strong if you live in a place where it is not likely to be accepted or if your practices will likely be perceived as unacceptable. Some forms of traditional witchcraft and occultism are unacceptable even within the more visible, mainstream segment of witchcraft and occultism. Those urging witches to “come out of the boom closet” are often unaware of the dangers or unaware that such practices exist among witches and occultists.

The world around us is changing in ways that are not always favorable to witches and occultists. Increasingly, it is important to protect your privacy online in order to remain firmly in the broom closet. Fortunately, new opportunities for rejecting authority and obtaining privacy have come into existence.

Learn More About Staying Securely in the Broom Closet

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