Practicing Inconspicuously

[Vervain]

The following was my reply to a post in the Introductions forum, but I felt it would be more appropriate to copy over here. Perhaps this can become a useful resource.

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is there a way to practice the Craft without too many rituals? it would freak my family out...

Yes, absolutely--or at least a way to practice without an altar and without roaming skyclad around your parents' house chanting and smudging. The physical part of the craft (tools, herbs, altar, etc) is mostly just symbolism to help you more easily connect with the spiritual plane. You can get in touch with Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit simply by grounding, meditating, and talking to Spirit.

Grounding can be done anywhere anytime;
Meditating doesn't necessarily look like this:

(Okay, so maybe I just wanted an excuse to use the picture.)
Any activity you find meditative can get you in contact with the spiritual plane. It can be just sitting outside in the breeze, or practicing a musical instrument, or flow arts, or walking, or cooking, or... anything;
You can talk to Spirit anywhere, about anything.

One of my favorite no-tools ways to connect to spirit is chanting, which I like because you can do it anywhere. I happen to be happily out of the broom closet, and sometimes my atheist boyfriend will even chant along with me, which is really nice, but I chant alone on the way to class, in my house alone, in the shower, et cetera.

Some of my favorite chants are:
this one
and this one
and this one too
and also this one
That playlist is actually full of all my favorite chants.

I hope this was of some help to you! I'm probably going to go repost the majority of this reply in a more appropriate subforum.
Blessed be!
Vervain

[raynelae]

Very helpful and inspiring for people with little privacy. Just remember, it will get better the longer you practice!

[Xiao Rong]

Not to mention cooking! It's very easy to practice magic inconspicuously while cooking, and no one ever objects to the end results if they're tasty!

[SpiritTalker]

. Use any candles if flame's allowed, or use LED lights
. Replace incense with aerosol or Glade air freshener candle
. Use salt for purifying, olive oil for anointing
. Represent the earth element with a smooth stone & draw a on it with water that conveniently evaporates; any beverage can rep water . Use a plastic flute or bubbles for air. The battery in LED candles makes the fire element electricity
. Or use each corner of the room for an elemental display: a basket of rocks, sea shells in a fish bowl, a candle garden in a planter saucer; bubbles & whistles & bells, oh my.
. Recycle envelopes as spell packets that you can draw sigils on, use kitchen herbs
. Use inconspicuous spells like sigils with just pen & paper, 9-knots with yarn or string, stone stroking & swaying to aid light trance.
. Use this website BOS section for your notes

A walk outdoors can be a silent act of honoring the Divine in Nature. Grounding, centering, shielding are invisible actions. Meditation is a personal spiritual practice & different forms can be done sitting still or while walking or doing routine chores.

Do silent ritual with hand gestures such as see-near-speak no evil gestures to purify sacred space. Air draw the earth-summoning pentagram to begin; point to cast circle. Just nod to the 4 directions in turn. Use the fig for the Lady and horns for the Lord. Use the banishing to dismiss.


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[MsMollimizz]

Its called "wish magick"....
I've had to re-do my whole magick thing due to an accident I had.

Sometimes, I just holler, "Help me Mr Wizard I don't wanna.....anymore"
Just talking to your Goddess and let her know the trouble you are having,
"Goddess of my heart, She who knows all, I could really use some help
right now with......."
There's no right way or wrong way to talk to your God/dess and ask
for assistance with whatever is necessary.
Only remember to ask yourself first if it is something you need or just
want. What is necessary for growth will come in time, what is wanted
may not come until you've received what is needed for your growth.
That does NOT mean you won't get what you want-within reason-you
won't receive the winning lottery numbers...but you could receive an
unknown amount of money necessary for survival-I've seen it happen
just last Samhain !
Just be reasonable in your requests.
Magick doesn't fix everything, just some !
Gentle Indigo Light
MsMollimizz