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Come Out Of The Broom Closet: 4 Tips And Tricks For Witches

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Come out of the broom closet, young witch!

Now is your time to shine. There has never been a better time to identify as a witch.

If you are feeling trapped in the broom closet, now is the time to be free!

How can you come out of the broom closet to your family and friends?

Honesty, research, and knowing the right time to come out of the broom closet are essential.

Very few people enjoy living a secret life hidden from all but the most trusted of friends.

Unfortunately for many witches and pagans, this is their reality, especially when they are young.

Many new witches are searching for ways to safely come out of the broom closet.

Everyone has different ideas about how and when to do it, and what you choose to do will be based on your friends, family, and living situation.

Someone who is still underage and living with their parents will have a very different coming out story than an adult who lives on their own.

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Decorative image of a witch holding a goblet in the woods lit up by a fire

How I Came Out Of The Broom Closet

I had a particularly traumatic coming out, because I was forced out. I had been learning about witchcraft and sharing that info with interested friends in middle school.

Wanting to be organized, I had a binder where I kept that information.

One of my friends borrowed the binder and took it home, where her parents found it.

They freaked out, then went to the school.

My principal accused me of attention seeking and told me to just be a Christian like everyone else.

Admittedly my family didn’t care much.

There was punishment for causing controversy, but in time they got over it.

But being forced out of the broom closet like that was traumatizing for someone so young, so I understand the desire to hide your beliefs.

But if you’ve thought through all of the potential consequences and you want to reveal the truth, here are some ideas that may help:

Come Out Of The Broom Closet With Your Parents

It’s often hardest to come out of the broom closet to your parents.

If your parents are in a more “common” religion like Islam, Christianity, etc. you should be prepared for a freak out.

And honestly, that reaction is normal.

If all you knew about witches was what those religions taught and Hollywood showed, wouldn’t you be anxious and scared for your child?

I suggest starting not with the label, but with the behaviors and beliefs that you have.

Explaining what you believe, feel, think, and do will make it easier for your family to understand you’re not trying to be evil.

You’re just trying to be true to yourself.

You should give your family time to digest this information.

Don’t expect them to be fine with it from the second you say it.

It’s just an unrealistic expectation.

Isn’t it better to be pleasantly surprised than destroyed by disappointment?

There is a chance that your parents will never let up on the negativity and they might even disown you or kick you out if you live with them.

This is what I mean by preparing for the possible consequences when you come out of the broom closet.

It sucks, and it isn’t fair, but it is a reality that some people can’t handle the occult and truly think witchcraft is evil.

In that case, you can at least take solace in knowing that you are living your truth.

It doesn’t fix things, but it can aid the healing.

Decorative image of tarot cards laid out on a table with candles and crystals

How To Tell Your Friend You Are A Witch

Friends, on the other hand, tend to be an easier group to tell about your beliefs.

Since they have no input on how you’re raised and likely didn’t watch you grow from an infant to an adult, they are less likely to be invested in your religious beliefs.

There are some religions where that isn’t the case, but I would say those groups probably fit the BITE model and perhaps being dropped by those friends is a good thing in the long run.

Anyway, I recommend taking a similar approach that you did with your parents: tell your friends what you believe, what you do, what you think, and how you feel before revealing the label you’ve decided to give yourself.

This approach eases them into accepting that this new label is just an extension of who you already were.

Religious labels should be clarifying rather than obscuring, so leading with information before the label is a great idea.

Again, some friends are going to react negatively and drop you when you come out of the broom closet.

It’s, unfortunately, normal.

But in the end, those closed doors will open new doors to new friends.

Allow yourself to grieve, and then open yourself to those new relationships.

How To Come Out Of The Broom Closet With Your Significant Other

This one can be tricky.

If you’re already in a long term relationship or marriage before you dip your toes into witchcraft, your significant other may react very poorly indeed.

Hopefully you are with someone that loves you for who you are, and who will notice the positive changes that witchcraft or paganism have brought into your life.

If you’re with someone who truly loves you, they will eventually accept your choice of religion.

This is another area where you need to be patient, though, because drastic religious changes will of course worry the people that love you!

As long as your significant other isn’t reacting violently or emotionally abusive, but just disappointed, confused, or upset, give them the time they need to process.

Someone that truly loves you will accept your religion, even if it changes later in life.

Maybe not immediately, but it shouldn’t take years for them to accept it either.

Choose for yourself an amount of time you’re willing to wait, and then be patient.

Once that time passes, have another talk with your significant other.

This is also a great time to consider couple’s counseling, where you can both learn better communication and how to deal with conflict.

Decorative image of a pagan giving an offering to the gods

When You Should Not Come Out Of The Broom Closet

If you are underage with parents that are very devout and unaccepting of other relationships, you might want to stay in the broom closet.

Once you’re an adult and on your own, you’ll be able to choose your own religion and be public about it.

There is much to say about respecting your parents’ beliefs as much as you wish they would respect yours.

So rebelling and acting like Christianity, Islam, etc. are the worst religions in the world or purposefully subverting the tenets of their religion is just a recipe for disaster.

In time, you will be able to practice your beliefs openly.

And when that time comes, maybe you’ll be surprised by the reaction.

The same can be said if you’re in a controlling relationship with your friends or significant other.

Wait until you’re out of such a situation before revealing your beliefs, or the situation may become even worse.

And if you just want to stay in the broom closet because you prefer the secrecy, that’s fine too!

Maybe you don’t want to risk criticism.

Maybe you know your atheist friends will mock you for believing in “woo”.

Maybe you like having a little secret for yourself.

All of these and more are valid reasons and no one needs to know your religion unless you so desire.

Good luck on your path, whether you’re in the broom closet or ready to jump out!

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Witches come out of the ‘broom closet’ and into the mainstream

The stereotype of a witch is someone who lives alone in a cottage somewhere, wears black robes, and casts evil spells. Our magical practices are varied, and it’s important to teach our friends and family that there is no such thing as a bad witch, aside from a few bad people.

In recent years, many people have begun to realize that witchcraft has become a part of our culture. It used to be something only women did, but now men are getting interested too. People are beginning to understand that magic is just another form of spirituality, which is why so many people today are turning to witchcraft.

Things To Remember

Most people who come out of the broom closet find it difficult to talk to family and friends about what they’ve done. This is because most people don’t know what to say. They feel awkward talking about the subject, and they worry that if they tell someone else, they’ll lose their job or reputation. Some people feel ashamed or guilty. Others may think that they’ve gone crazy and want nothing to do with them.

But more people understand the desire to be a witch today than they ever have before. Give some thought to coming out to your loved ones about being a real witch.

You may find out that they’re interested in casting spells and learning about your spiritual beliefs! Younger people may even find it fun to learn about the Wiccan religion, or they may ask for tarot card readings. 

Coming out as a witch can be an exercise in tolerance, both for you and others. Seeing how they react, educating them about modern-day witches, and being a public witch can teach you how to be a more tolerant and reasonable person too!

Keep Reading

Tell the world you are a witch and come out of the broom closet. Revealing your spiritual beliefs is never easy. This blog post has simple tips for coming out of the broom closet and revealing that you practice witchcraft. Tips for teen witches and adult witches alike. #witchcraft #witch #pagan #wicca

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