Cultural Appropriation in Witchcraft: What to Avoid

By NICOLE LAU

Introduction: The Sacred Responsibility of Cross-Cultural Practice

Witchcraft and modern paganism are inherently syncretic traditions, drawing from diverse cultural sources across time and geography. However, as spiritual seekers explore practices beyond their own cultural heritage, a critical question arises: Where is the line between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation?

This is not a simple question, and it's one that generates significant controversy within magical communities. Some argue that spirituality is universal and should be freely shared; others maintain that certain practices are sacred, closed, and not available for outsiders to adopt.

This guide examines cultural appropriation in witchcraft with nuance and respect, offering practical guidance on how to honor diverse spiritual traditions without causing harm.

Defining Cultural Appropriation vs. Cultural Appreciation

What Is Cultural Appropriation?

Cultural appropriation occurs when members of a dominant culture adopt elements from a marginalized culture without permission, understanding, or respect—often stripping those elements of their original meaning and context.

Key characteristics of appropriation include:

• Taking sacred or significant cultural elements out of context
• Profiting from or commodifying another culture's spiritual practices
• Adopting practices while ignoring or dismissing the struggles of the originating culture
• Claiming authority or expertise in traditions you have no legitimate connection to
• Cherry-picking appealing elements while rejecting the culture as a whole

What Is Cultural Appreciation?

Cultural appreciation involves learning about, respecting, and honoring other cultures with humility and proper context.

Characteristics of appreciation include:

• Learning from authorized teachers within the tradition
• Understanding historical and cultural context
• Respecting boundaries around closed practices
• Giving credit and compensation to source communities
• Approaching with humility rather than entitlement
• Supporting the communities whose practices you admire

Understanding Closed Practices

Some spiritual traditions are closed practices—meaning they are not open to outsiders without specific initiation, lineage, or cultural membership. Attempting to practice these traditions without proper authorization is appropriation.

Examples of Closed Practices

Indigenous American Traditions:

• Smudging with white sage (specific to certain tribes)
• Vision quests and sweat lodges (sacred ceremonies with specific protocols)
• Use of peyote in spiritual contexts (protected by law for Native American Church members)
• Dreamcatchers (Ojibwe sacred objects, now mass-produced and commodified)
• Claiming to be a "shaman" without legitimate training in a specific indigenous tradition

African and African Diaspora Traditions:

• Vodou (Haitian tradition requiring initiation)
• Santería/Lucumí (Yoruba-derived tradition with specific initiatory requirements)
• Palo Mayombe (Congo-derived tradition, closed to outsiders)
• Ifa divination (requires years of training and initiation)

Hindu and South Asian Practices:

• Wearing bindis or other religious markers as fashion
• Appropriating deities like Kali or Ganesh without understanding their theological context
• Treating yoga as purely physical exercise while ignoring its spiritual roots
• Using Sanskrit terms incorrectly or superficially

Hoodoo and Rootwork:

• Hoodoo is a specifically African-American folk magic tradition
• While some practitioners welcome respectful learners, others maintain it should remain within the Black community
• Using Hoodoo aesthetics while ignoring its roots in slavery and resistance is appropriative

Common Appropriative Practices in Modern Witchcraft

1. The "Smudging" Problem

Many modern witches use the term "smudging" and burn white sage without understanding its specific cultural context.

The Issue: Smudging is a specific ceremonial practice from various Indigenous American nations. White sage is sacred to many tribes and is being over-harvested due to commercial demand.

Respectful Alternative: Use smoke cleansing with herbs from your own cultural tradition (rosemary, mugwort, lavender, garden sage) and call it "smoke cleansing" rather than "smudging."

2. Misuse of the Term "Shaman"

The word "shaman" comes from the Tungusic Evenki people of Siberia and refers to a specific type of spiritual practitioner within that culture.

The Issue: Using "shaman" as a generic term for any magical practitioner erases the specific cultural context and often involves people claiming authority they haven't earned.

Respectful Alternative: Use accurate terms like witch, practitioner, healer, or specify your actual tradition (e.g., "Norse practitioner," "eclectic witch").

3. Chakra Appropriation

Chakras are part of Hindu and Buddhist tantric traditions with complex theological and philosophical frameworks.

The Issue: Reducing chakras to a simplified "energy system" divorced from their religious context, or using them in ways that contradict their original meaning.

Respectful Approach: If you work with chakras, study their actual context in Hindu/Buddhist philosophy, acknowledge their source, and consider whether Western energy models might serve you better.

4. Commodification of Indigenous Symbols

Mass-produced dreamcatchers, medicine wheels, and other sacred symbols sold as decorations.

The Issue: These are sacred objects with specific meanings and protocols, not aesthetic accessories.

Respectful Alternative: If you want protective or decorative objects, create or purchase items from your own cultural tradition or work with contemporary artists who aren't appropriating.

How to Practice Respectfully Across Cultures

1. Do Your Research

Before adopting any practice, research its origins:

• What culture does this come from?
• Is this a closed practice requiring initiation?
• What is the historical and cultural context?
• Are there power dynamics at play (colonization, oppression)?

2. Seek Proper Teachers

If you're genuinely called to a specific tradition:

• Find authorized teachers from within that tradition
• Be prepared for years of study and possible initiation
• Respect if you're told a practice is not available to you
• Compensate teachers appropriately

3. Explore Your Own Roots

Many people appropriate because they feel disconnected from their own heritage.

• Research your ancestral traditions
• Explore European folk magic, Christian mysticism, or other traditions connected to your heritage
• Recognize that "your own tradition" can be complex for people with mixed heritage or adoption

4. Practice Cultural Humility

• Listen when people from a culture tell you something is inappropriate
• Don't claim expertise you don't have
• Acknowledge sources and give credit
• Be willing to change your practices when you learn better

5. Support Source Communities

• If you admire a culture's spirituality, support their political and social struggles
• Purchase from artisans and practitioners within the tradition
• Amplify voices from the source community rather than speaking over them

Open Practices You Can Explore

Many magical traditions are open and welcoming to sincere practitioners:

• European Folk Magic: Practices from various European cultures (though research specific regional protocols)
• Ceremonial Magic: Hermetic, Golden Dawn, and related Western esoteric traditions
• Eclectic Witchcraft: Creating your own practice from open-source materials
• Chaos Magic: A postmodern approach that emphasizes results over tradition
• Some forms of Wicca: Many Wiccan traditions are open, though some are initiatory
• Hellenic Polytheism: Reconstructed Greek religious practices (with respectful research)
• Norse Paganism: Reconstructed Norse practices (be aware of white supremacist appropriation in some circles)

The Nuance: It's Not Always Clear-Cut

Cultural appropriation isn't always black and white. Some complexities include:

• Diaspora and Mixed Heritage: People with complex ethnic backgrounds may have legitimate claims to multiple traditions
• Invitation vs. Appropriation: Being invited into a practice by a legitimate teacher is different from self-initiation
• Historical Syncretism: Many traditions have always been syncretic and borrowing
• Individual vs. Community Perspectives: Not everyone from a culture will agree on what constitutes appropriation
• Power Dynamics: Context matters—a colonized person adopting colonizer practices is different from the reverse

When You Make Mistakes

If you realize you've been appropriating:

1. Listen and Learn: Don't get defensive; listen to why it's problematic
2. Apologize: Acknowledge the harm without centering your feelings
3. Change Your Practice: Stop doing the appropriative thing
4. Educate Others: Share what you've learned
5. Make Amends: Support the communities you've taken from

Conclusion: Respect, Humility, and Integrity

Avoiding cultural appropriation in witchcraft isn't about policing spirituality or creating rigid boundaries. It's about practicing with integrity, respect, and awareness of power dynamics.

You can build a rich, powerful magical practice without appropriating. You can honor and appreciate other cultures without taking what isn't yours. You can be inspired by diverse traditions while respecting their boundaries.

The path of the ethical witch includes not just magical skill but cultural humility, ongoing education, and the willingness to change when we learn we've caused harm.

Magic is powerful. Use that power responsibly—not just in your spells, but in how you engage with the living traditions and communities that have preserved these practices through centuries of oppression.

NICOLE LAU is a researcher and writer specializing in Western esotericism, Jungian psychology, and comparative mysticism. She is the author of the Western Esoteric Classics series and New Age Spirituality series.