Culture, tradition and respect, oh my!

>>>Hello Witch and Pagan friends!<<<3

Thanks for visiting, beautiful people. Let's talk about culture for a moment. Culture is defined as "the customs, arts, social institutions and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group".

Culture is important to our practices as well as our personal story and self-development! Not only do we shape how we see and interact with the world, but we define ourselves with culture.

Culture can be formed in a social group as large as a nation, or within something as small as a family or an individual. Each culture is extremely important to the individuals involved, and often cultural beliefs are ed from one generation to the next.

>>>Individualistic vs Group culture<<<3

Group culture involves unity regarding shared goals and beliefs. These form a strong sense of belonging and community, and often provide a sense of mutual understanding and cohesion between .

Individualistic culture differs from this in that the emphasis lies on prioritizing the individual over the entire group. These tend to shed group mentality and orient around the self.

>>>So what are some examples?<<<3

Think of group culture as a more specific religion. So in my case, this could be Wicca. Covens are a wonderful example, in that the entire *group* works to build a comfortable and familiar environment within its workings.

Individualistic culture focuses more on eclectic practices. People who would identify as more "agnostic" (a belief in higher power and ordered universe with no specific deities or systems), but are also witches tend to be individualistic.

The interesting part of this is the intersection between the two, where people combine eclectic workings that derive traditions and tools from other "group" systems.

I would like to mention that both systems of cultural construction are valid and important.

Okay, this is all great but: "WMH why are you talking about this?"

Great question!

>>>Respect and tradition<<<3

CULTURAL APPROPRIATION

"Oh my glob, WMH nooo, that's such a scary concept"

Yes it is! Let's talk about it though. And before you run away just know that I don't judge you or question your beliefs at all! I'm simply trying to make the world a more comfortable place for everyone. You are valid and wonderful :)

Now, I pride myself in creating my own tradition stemmed within Wicca. I'm eclectic Wicca, meaning I don't subscribe to a particular type (Gardnerian for example), but I follow the holidays, traditions and general beliefs of Wiccan practice. I am also a solitary practitioner of Wicca and witchcraft so you could say I have an "individualistic" culture with "group" influences.

I don't use sage to smudge, chakras to meditate, or hoodoo to work with energies and Magick. Lemme tell you why! Stick around after the hard part for my alternatives :)

Sage:

-Rooted in Native American culture. Most don't think of this, however there are many Native people that are troubled by the commiditization of sage and cedar for use in smudging. It has a rich and spiritual history with Native Americans and the trend towards using this as the cure-all for removing negative energies and cleansing has caused massive over-harvesting and is impacting these people directly as a result. It has become difficult for them to find sage because of both wildfires and its widespread removal from natural areas. Not only that, but it is seen by many natives as yet another predation upon their culture by colonialism. To throw this important and beautiful culture into the blender of trendy "witchcraft" and spirituality is disrespectful. That is why I don't use sage.

Chakras:

-This is a weird and controversial one! Rooted in Hindu and Buddhist culture. I do not use chakras to meditate because I do not align to, nor have the experience of, either religious background. Personally, the chakras do not speak to me, which is why I do not utilize them. This is a weird one however, because lots of people use chakras to gain better insight and understanding in their own lives. Awareness and mindfulness of the self is essential. Yet, to throw chakra work into any practice because it lends some previously unknown insight with no prior knowledge of the culture behind it, minimizes its significance. There is nothing wrong if you are Hindu, Buddhist or a respectful eclectic practitioner and understand the significance. In my culture though, I choose to not utilize it as a "tool" in my craft.

Hoodoo:

-Hoodoo comes from folk spirituality with African American roots. Hoodoo is also known as root work or conjure and honestly it baffles me when I hear some people talk about their use of it. For background: it was brought to the Americas by African slaves. Because of this origin it started as a tradition for protection and practicality. Conjure helped with the slaves' experiences of powerlessness and danger because it gave a symbolic way of claiming some of that power back. We all know that what we believe in is extremely powerful and provides personal power, but because I do not experience life as a person of color, nor do I have any familial or cultural history as one (I'm white for reference), it is not my place to participate in this culture.

Basically if it's not meant for you, don't butcher it for your own gain!

NOTE: it is important to realize that not everyone who lives within these cultures feel the same way or even believe the same things. Cultural practices are NOT homogenous (all the same)! This is why it is important to avoid making assumptions and judging people before you know their experiences.

Referring to the concept of culture and it's definition from before: they are designed (whether group or individualistic) to provide comfort. Creating something trendy from a beautiful and rich tradition with no respect for its origin is removing this comfort from someone who loves and lives it.

"Okay okay, so WMH, what can I do about this? I feel like this is such an important part of being a witch and what I do works for me!"

I understand you may have a system that works for you. You may be extremely connected to sage for cleansing, however as a witch intuition is your greatest tool.

INTUITION IS YOUR GREATEST TOOL.

This means that we can look for things in the world that are just as powerful and effective for the same purpose. Things that are available to us in our cultures and heritage. It is OUR responsibility as witches and pagans to read the world and be wise.

>>>Alternatives yassss<<<3

Okay my friends what can you do instead? This is the best part :)

ROSEMARY

Rosemary is a beautiful and easy to grow resource that has really intense vibrational energy. Not only does the scent of rosemary enhance your memory (great for us!!), but it works just as well as sage for cleansing a room. I use it for casting circles and purifying tools and it's wonderful.

VISUALIZATION

Visualization is perfect for me when I meditate or work with energies. I picture a cauldron of energy within me, I sense when it is full, or lacking in resources. I picture it flowing out of the cauldron and through me like a river of energy into all of my major body parts. I sense it's color, it's viscosity, it's speed. I see it flowing out of me from my hands, my head, my feet. That is how I attune with myself.

SPELLS

Spells can be worked in many different ways. Charms, bags, pendants, sigils. Fire, divination, herbalism, ritual.

Use your witch's intuition to discover the things that work for you and your purpose. No need to follow the instructions of another or take from another culture. These can be beautiful things, and every place around the world has roots in Magick and spirituality. Find the things that are yours. Speak with them. Meditate on them. You may not need the world's most unique and strange looking herbs. Everything you need could be as close as your back yard or the grocery store.

>>>Final thoughts<<<3

Respect your fellow humans and their cultures. Do not take what is not yours, and do not use what you don't understand. We are all beautiful people and deserve something that is ours.

If something from another culture speaks to you, do your best to learn everything you can about it from people who live and breathe it. Don't take bits and pieces of things because it's convenient.

Love mother natch and do your best to source your stuff sustainably too <3

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I love you all and hope you have a wonderful day!