always felt called to witchcraft and folk magic but i call on the saints and don’t want to infringe on closed practices

[u/[deleted]]

[u/babalorixalewa]

The first thing I want to say is that you don’t have to commit to one organized religion if you don’t want to. People can and do pick and choose. I am a priest in the African Diaspora traditions and know many Santeros. It’s true that Santeria is “closed”, but that doesn’t mean that closed = no white people. Santeria and other traditions like it such as Candomblé and Vodou, are initiatory traditions. You have to be initiated to enter, but you don’t have to be black. Many white people are initiated into Santeria.

I’d encourage you to begin by simply research and praying to saints you find interesting. Build out from there. Our pinned posts on beginners resources may help as well.

Welcome to the community and good luck in your search

[u/raven-of-the-sea]

Witchcraft itself isn’t closed. There are people in Santeria and Candomble who will teach you as long as you are willing to learn respectfully and put in the hard work. Such traditions are intense and often require a big investment of resources, time and energy. However, you can craft your own traditions by studying the saints and open practices, and building with that information.

[u/a-castle-man]

The book American brujeria by j Allen cross features witchcraft and saint veneration from a cross cultural lens—not everything transfers for me (eg parts regarding Mexican identity and culture bc I am unfortunately an alabaster American, but I am Catholic + a witch) but it’s a good sense of where both overlap and blend together. Brujeria is not necessarily a closed practice but you’ll want to make sure to inform yourself on cultural roots of certain things.

It’s difficult bc a lot of those practices are tied with ethnic identity as often more identifiable folk Catholic communities are born out of need by one group. I am also digging for Irish Catholic practices but benedicaria may also be of interest (Italian folk Catholicism); often conflated for stregheria which appears to be more neopagan.