Accidentally being revealed?

[lisian-in-secret]

So I have a question:

What happens when those you live with (mother and sister) find out about your Wiccan ways? And what happens if these "discoverers" are active Christians?

I'll explain:

I am still new to the art of witchcraft and I am still learning. I must admit I've been careless in hiding this. The first time I was caught I forgot to exit out of a browser which held a website about witchcraft. My sister saw it, told my mom. I had to cover it up, say it was for "research" purposes only. I think I cleaned my record and that was somewhat put to rest. Second time it happened was today. I made a curse jar, thought that if I put it under my bed it would be safe...WRONG! I got a text while in class from my sister asking me what this jar was. I cleaned it up best as I could and said it was just a good luck charm, just something I made a while ago.

My whole thing is, what happens when one's craft is seen and revealed in this way? So far I've been able to clean it up, insist it isn't witchcraft and I know I just need to be more careful. Can this "weaken" my journey in witchcraft? Can it affect me or is it simply nosy (scared, Christian) people being nosy?

Please help!

Blessed be.

[AdastraJunction]

I'm going on the assumption that you are young and not past the age of consent (not being rude here by the by), and that you are still finding your way being "in the broomcloset" so to speak.
That being said, have you read up on about how to "come out as a wiccan" to your family members when you are ready? You should prepare yourself for that and honesty in this case is generally the best route to go, lying about yourself to your family may hinder your progress in the long run and hurt your relationship with them once they come to terms with your choice in faith. Its easier to forgive the truthful rather than doubt the liar. I know being open and honest where faith is concerned is very hard especially when you are young and starting out on your new path in life, but being prepared for the eventuality of it being found out under unforeseen circumstances could cause a larger rift than intended. The uninformed often fear what they do not or choose not to understand.
So my advice would be to prepare for those eventualities and be more careful with your practices in your home. Maybe find a place outside your home that can be considered a "safe haven" for your practices for the time being until you are ready to be open with your family.

[Shub Niggurath]

It all depends on how you personally view it. It's not going to affect you if you won't let it affect you.
It must be hard to be forced to hide your interests from your family but if you feel like it can't be changed you should probably pay more attention to it and make sure it's not going to ruin the relationship between you and your mom and sister. Negative relationships usually take their toll on one's mood and frame of mind. I think it's worth considering to do most of your practice/spells outside - that way your privacy won't be disturbed.
Another important thing is the privacy itself. I don't know how old you are but maybe you could talk to your mom and/or your sister that you don't like when your sister is searching through your private belongings? Everyone needs a little privacy.

[Sundancer]

Two great answers, AdastraJunction and Levitating Cat.

I will add that I think while it's important to be honest with the people you care about. It's also important not to get defensive, usually these things take time. I would talk to mother before your sister and be honest but also LISTEN. Really hear her concerns and maybe that will help your relationship grow no matter what you believe! Sometimes people can surprise you, in a good way!

I hope everything works out for you!

[Sundancer]

Another thing I would add is before talking to your mom. Mediate. Envision a positive outcome and ask for help in understanding and acceptance.

[lisian-in-secret]

To these replies:

Adastra, actually, I am nineteen! I'll be twenty in October. I am in college but am living at home. IT SUCKS. And the lack of privacy is disgusting. Your reply makes a lot of sense, honestly. Yes, I am definitely still a broom in the closet! I've only just begun the practice and I really would like to grow with it. But as for being new and not yet overcoming that new stage, you are right.

Levitating, I've tried just viewing it as a lesson learned. Almost like a sign saying I need to be more careful. And as I've mentioned before, I am twenty. I've spoken to both about my privacy and they don't believe in it...it's sickening, actually. That say it's "god speaking to them" and such, telling them to go through my things.

Sundancer, thank you, and meditating sounds like a great idea. I'll do that a bit. Any tips or ways you prefer to meditate?


Thank you guys, also keep the replies coming? They are very helpful.

Blessed be!

[AdastraJunction]

My apologies first off, it very much sounded like you might have been possibly high school. Yes, living at home is a bother when others cannot respect your privacy. Please do be careful not to burn bridges with your family especially one who are devout in their faith. Once you are able to stand on your own and not depend on them (meaning they can't kick you out for what you believe) then hopefully you will all be able to find a common ground. In the mean time I meant what I said about possibly practicing outside of the home, it may be a wiser choice given their apparent disinclination to abide by common curtsy using god as an excuse to be absurd.

[Thitabe]

I am a 52 year old male convert to Wicca and one thing I did when I talked to my family I first read a book called Wicca Demystified. It was written as a help for family and friends of converts to tell them what we believe. I converted in 2007 and I found the book in a public library.

[Echo_of_shadows]

I would tackle this from two angles: Doing more research and finding ways to keep your privacy.
By doing more research, you're not only learning more about Witchcraft for yourself, you're also preparing yourself for any future confrontation you may face. One of the steps to take in coming out of the closet is to try to help your loved ones to understand more about Witchcraft. Essentially, you'll be teaching your loved ones what witchcraft is, what it isn't and most importantly, how you feel about it. This won't guarantee that they will accept your decision to practice Witchcraft, but at least you will have tried your best to smoothly handle this transition into new territory, and you will feel better once you big secret is out in the open.
Even if you are completely open about your beliefs, you will probably still want some degree of privacy. Perhaps you could find ordinary looking objects to incorporate into your practices. For example, a few pretty candles and crystals sitting on the table could look just like pretty decorations to one person, but it could actually be a nice altar if you think of it that way. Maybe you could leave your curse jar out in the open, just on a high shelf, because hidden objects tend to draw the most curiosity. You could look for spells you can cast to keep prying eyes from your belongings.
I don't think hiding your beliefs "weakens" your craft. There are many of us who have had to be in the broom closet at one time or another, especially when we started out. I think that the secrecy can wear you out spiritually, but as long as your faith in your path remains strong, you'll become stronger.
Hopefully, once you've opened up to your family, your actions won't seem too "scandalous" and your sister will find other excuses to tattle on you.

[lisian-in-secret]

Echo,

Thank you. I am definitely going to incorporate more research. As of right now I don't want them to know, I just don't want their prying eyes and their snooping to affect my witchcraft. It's not of their business, anyway. I will definitely consider the spell to stop their prying eyes from searching from my belongings. That is brilliant.

[nyxmoonshadow]

It's difficult for those of us in families with strict, devout family members and the only advice I can give you is patience. It really does suck that you can't tell your family members something about you, but they love you either way so just wait for the proper time to tell them.

I'm 29 and I just recently told my mother what my beliefs and the path I follow were and I've had to hide it since I was 13. She's older, wiser, and much more ready to listen and knows that I am also older, a bit wiser, and perfectly capable of making my own decisions regarding things like faith. She does her best to encourage me to pray and do the things I would do if I were still Catholic, except my way.

I agree with what everyone else is saying as well. Research, gather information to share, and for now, practice elsewhere if your privacy is still invaded. I wish you luck, and don't worry it's not that bad once you tell them. They'll get over it

[Echo_of_shadows]

Lisian, I meant to include a link in my previous post, but I couldn't find it at the time. I was looking in the wrong spot. I hope it helps.
Spell to Protect an Object

[lisian-in-secret]

Thanks you guys. I will take your advice and definitely keep it as you have made some great points. And echo, thank you for the spell! I will be doing this very soon!!!

Blessed be

[springsgrace]

Hey, if this is still an issue for you, I recommend reading up on some old Wiccan rules and ideas- most notably, the Ardanes/the Old Law. They were recovered in the 1950's and are said to have originated from when witches were prosecuted many years ago. They cover secrecy and protecting yourself from anti-wiccans. They also cover coven structure and things like that as well, and are generally quite an interesting read. However, a lot of it is considered outdated in morals and some claim it's rooted in falsehood. Either way, it's quite intriguing and will perhaps help you. Here's a link:
http://www.sacred-texts.com/pag/gbos/gbos38.htm
and some critique/extra information:
http://wicca.cnbeyer.com/laws/old_laws.shtml

Blessed be!