Appropriation of Witchcraft

So we've talked about closed practices, but how does cultural appropriation apply to witchcraft? First, let’s define cultural appropriation by breaking down the two words. “Culture” encompasses practices, ideas, and things of a group of people who have those things in common. We often think of cultural items when we hear the words “cultural appropriation”. However, culture is not limited to tangible things. For example, we often hear things like “Beyoncé is my spirit animal” in good natured fun. However, spirit animals have a long history across many indigenous cultures. Saying that Beyoncé is a spirit animal is disrespectful to the culture that actually uses spirit animals in their practices.

Meanwhile “appropriation” is a slippery slope and we often find ourselves slipping and sliding by the end of the route. It is best to understand “appropriation” by replacing it with the word, “plagiarism”. So, now we have “cultural plagiarism”. Plagiarism is basically stealing without crediting the original creators. Thus, cultural plagiarism is the stealing of a cultural identity without proper respect or knowledge of said culture.

In the mundane world we see cultural appropriation quite often in the fashion industry. Fashion designers use traditional clothing from a culture to sell more clothes, and therefore are stealing from that culture and not giving credit where credit is due. Thus, it is cultural appropriation.

In the magickal realm, this definition gets a little funky. Typically, we see cultural appropriation where a witch engages in a practice without the knowledge, know-how, and respect due to that culture. This is not to say that certain people cannot practice typically appropriated practice. It just means there are several things a witch must ask herself before she does.

1. Am I Informed Enough About This Practice to Execute It Without Mistake or Offense?

This is imperative. If you answer no to this question, you are going to be engaging in cultural plagiarism if you perform this practice. Period. Well, how do you know you’re informed “enough”? Simple. Compare what you know about this cultural practice to your own practice. Do you know enough of your practice to successfully execute a spell and don’t piss off any entities in the process? If so, you can move on to the next question.

2. In What Ways Can I Show Respect to the Original Culture?

If you cannot think of any way to show respect to the culture from which you are getting this practice, do not engage in the practice. Period. For example, let’s say you find yourself in need of a dreamcatcher and are not of Native American descent. One way to show respect for the culture is to use the dreamcatcher APPROPRIATELY and CORRECTLY. Using a dreamcatcher for aesthetic purposes brings us back to the fashion example and is cultural plagiarism.

3. Would A Reasonable Person From This Culture Be Upset By My Practice?

This one is rather difficult, because one cannot just go around asking every ethnic person they see if they can or cannot practice something. The answers will be all over the place and highly inconsistent. Thus, if you consider yourself or someone you know to be a reasonable person, what would they do in a situation where you were using a practice that does not belong to you? We call this the reasonable person standard in law school. For example, we find ourselves to be very reasonable, but some of you may not and should imagine a reasonable person you know. Now, step inside the shoes of that culture for which you are trying to engage the practice. Ask yourself, “If I saw someone using a part of my culture in the way you’re intending to use it, would I be upset?” If the answer is yes, go back to the drawing board on implementing said practice and redo questions 1 through 3.

4. How Can I Credit This Practice’s Creators?

The biggest issue with cultural appropriation is the lack of credit being given to the creators. In our dreamcatcher example, a way to credit the creator would be to buy from a Native American. This is not only respectful of the culture, but also gives credit to the source. If you want to make your own dreamcatcher, you’ll need ingredients so only buy traditional ingredients from Native Americans.

Keep in mind closed practices and cultural appropriation often run hand in hand and overlap, but they are not the same thing. Some practices can be closed and not be cultural appropriation, though they are few and far between. Others can be both closed and cultural appropriation. Thus, answering questions 1 through 4 will significantly decrease your chances of being guilty of cultural plagiarism. However, there will always be someone who takes offense to your practicing even if you did the reasonable person test. Not everyone is reasonable. Be careful about sharing cultural practices with other witches on social media as to avoid unnecessary confrontation from unreasonable people.

There is no one authority on cultural appropriation, which makes it hard for us to know if we are engaging in a practice improperly. Take this guide and evaluate your practices using its lens. As with all things involving magick, DO YOUR RESEARCH. If you do your initial research, you’ll have no issues getting past question one. If, for example, hoodoo folk practices sound “cool” to you, do not just start doing hoodoo spells out of the gate. That would be appropriation: the improper use of a cultural identity. Research how hoodoo came to be and the history behind it. You’ll be surprised to know that much of the hoodoo traditional foundation comes from celtic origins - not African. Understanding the celtic origins of hoodoo will help you understand the basic mechanics of hoodoo spells. You will then need to understand how African ancestral magick applies to hoodoo.

As you work through these questions, be serious. Don’t make excuses so that you can answer the questions in the affirmative. Be honest with yourself.

Love and Learning,

Madeline XOXO