When we think about censorship, we usually think of some book that has been banned by the government, scenes being cut from a movie, or a parental advisory label on a CD. We don't usually think about what we do to ourselves. I'm not going to understate the effects that the government or some right-wing religious group has on us, I'm just saying that those are only about half the problem. Indeed, it is ourselves that tend to hold us back most of the time. In our every day lives, in social circles, in creative endeavors, and in magic we block our own creativity.
I have a question for you to ask yourself. Do you say things to yourself such as, "that sucks" or "I couldn't do that" or "I'm terrible at this"? If you say things like those to yourself when trying to be creative or raise energy, you are simply censoring yourself. I'm speaking from personal experience. I'm an artist. I quit drawing for a long time because I would get frustrated with my own abilities and start saying things like that to myself. Other people would go on and on about how much talent I have, but I would never believe them. I'm still working on that. I was only succeeding in holding myself back.
Alright, great! So I've just realized what my problem was. Now what exactly do I do about it. Well let me point something out to you. All censors ever say is, "NO". Thats their answer to everything. No you can't. My point is that instead of saying things like, "this sucks". Say things like, "this isn't turning our quite the way I want it to". When you go through life, you are working with energy. When you say something even remotely to the effect of, "yes", you then have the option to build and mold energy. If you say, "no", you simply kill energy. That word blocks all options. Start saying the word, "yes" to yourself.
When working magic, this is especially important. In every form of magic I've ever worked with, I've always had to build energy. I had to pour everything I had into it wether it be through meditation, chanting, or someting else. If I start saying to myself that I look silly or foolish, I'm blocking energy. Its counterproductive. Don't do that to yourself. Magic needs all the energy you can give it and sometimes more in order to work. Don't work against yourself.
Now let me get to why this section is called, "The Broom Closet". I'm sure we've all heard the term, "in the closet" in reference to homosexuality. Well considder this a play on words. Many Pagans or Witches that I know are in the broom closet. They hide their religios beliefs from the rest of the world. OK so sometimes this is a good idea in order to avoid confrontation. But it still works against you. When people ask about my beliefs as far as religion are concerned, I rarely censor myself. I usually flat out tell people that I'm a Witch. This sometimes sparks intrige, sometimes confusion, friction, or often times stupid jokes. I hear things like, "OK, so then turn me into a frog". My favorite response to that is, "Carefull what you ask for". But when it comes down to it, I think I'm a nice person. If I can somehow change people's negative stereotypes toward Witchcraft, then I'm more than happy to do that. There have been a few people that were completely put off by my religion. After a while, they got used to me and their view of Witchcraft changed to a more positive image. This is something that would not have occured if I had denied my own beliefs.
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