Sometimes it makes me sad that the Occult is such a huge part of my life, yet it’s something that I feel I can’t be open about with family, friends, and acquaintances. I’m curious to hear from those who are open about their Occultism to others, did people treat you differently? Or cut you out of their lives? Tell me your stories…
A few people did stop talking to me when I stopped hiding it, but I didn’t care. If they can’t accept me for the real me, then they are not true friends. Honestly, I don’t want to associate with anyone knowing I have to hide my true self. I’m not a “go with the crowd” type of girl anyway. I have lost many friends over the years because I refused to be a poser but screw it, I’m better off without those kinds of people in my life because they only lead to repression, and repression causes insanity.
My dad is a pastor and he knows, he does not agree with my choices but he does not lecture me, preach to me, or refuse to help me because of my choices. I can have a conversation with my dad about christianity and give him a completely atheistic point of view and he will just give his input without shaming me.
I’m pretty open about it. I have my mom buy stuff for me in Mexico when she goes, and so my parents don’t care. I don’t know how much other members of my family know though. My momdoesn’t want nme to say anything because she’s afraid that they’ll judge me for it.
At school I’m more open, and some people ask questions to better understand my beliefs. I did lose some friends a few years ago, but they can suck my pussy haha.
Fortunately, my friends mostly do have fun out of it. Just present it in a funny format, so they will laugh, instead of thinking that you are “selling your souls to the devil” 
But I agree that there are people, with whom it will be better to stay silent with it.
I’ve been doing a lot of spiritual healing work and things like that for years now, so people already knew I was into weird stuff and most were open-minded.
England’s a very secular nation anyway, specially around London and the south-east, so it seldom comes up - going to church isn’t a big thing here, and it’s considered impolite to start talking about religion in most contexts.
I don’t share the darker stuff with most people, and there are a few like some of our neighbours I don’t talk about this to at all. It’s kind of “need to know,” and if people don’t need to know that I have lots of invisible friends, strange beliefs, and so on, why dump the info on them?
I probably wouldn’t agree with or approve of some of their spiritual beliefs, some things it’s more polite to keep to yourself where I live, like not discussing politics at a dinner party. 
I tend to go the other direction - I actively keep my occult interests and activities a secret. I enjoy the deceit; it makes me feel like James Bond or a demonic Superman, and also accentuates even further the distinction between my everyday self and my magical persona.
When I was younger I was rather more open about my interests, but I gradually came to the conclusion that there’s no real point talking about these things with people that will never understand them. It’s a bit like talking about my time in the military - if I’m talking to someone without military experience, I’d have to explain twenty different things just to tell a funny story, and by then it’s not even worth it. So too with occultism, as most people who are not magicians simply will never be able to understand, so what’s the point?
I don’t want to seem too harsh on non-magicians, as all of my friends fall into that category and I enjoy their company very much. But I don’t feel any particular compulsion to share everything about myself with anyone - almost every person in my life has a different role in my life, and they get to see a different piece of me. I suppose that the spirits are the only ones who get to see all the different sides.
Well the sad truth about America is that it’s full of conversative assholes. Nosy, demanding that the government change every law to fit the needs of their religious beliefs. In my local area which is full of intolerant christian racist rednecks, they are protesting the new gay marriage laws hard core.
There are some ministers and clerks for our local courts that are getting sued right now for refusing to marry gay and lesbian couples. They said they don’t care if it’s legal now, that their religion tells them it’s wrong so they will not perform a religious ceremony such as a wedding which was intended for a man and woman. I love how they associate marriage as being a religious christian thing. Sorry but, marriages were taking place long before christianity, it is not exclusive to that religion!
I’m kind of a loner to begin with didn’t have many mundane friends left , once the last few found out that was it. Idgaf though , im sick of being a fountain amongst drains…
I make friends easily regardless ,so its quality over quantity with everything now.
I never really lost any friends over my Occult Practices becoming common knowledge. However those who knew me when I would go to great lengths to keep it secret seem kind of hurt when they found out.
Though now when making new friends I mention it like it is no big deal. Those people seem more interested and less judgmental.
Lost my family. Uncles, grandparents, mostly. The Holy Rollers. That happened pretty early. To be honest, there’s no hiding it when you hit a certain point. There’s a certain intensity to your eyes that gives you away every single time.
How do people react when I tell them, assuming I tell them? “Yeah, I kind of already figured you were into something like that. Not sure why.” Or, I get people striking up conversations with me about random esoteric topics, without me ever telling them. “So if X happens, what do I do? Can you read people?” Why the Hell would you think I would know about that? “Oh, because I just figured you were into that stuff.” Like some people sail, shoot guns, collect comic books. I practice the occult. According to them, at least.
Much like Arkhilokhus,I’m in the broom closet.Unlike him,though,I’ve always been in there.I like the broom close,it makes me feel safe and awesome.There is that special novelty to the whole experience of sneaking around.
My parents are both agnostics,with mom having a high appreication for other religions(non-muslim),and my dad constantly getting angry when the prayer starts because mosques are loud.Like,really really loud.
But they’re both super-zealous about reason,and sciency stuff.My mom’s willing to accept magick as a purely psychological phenomena.My dad is actually in the ‘‘it’s ALL PURE FANTASY’’ worldview,so neither of them know.
No one in my life knows about my magical practices.Some people look puzzled,when I start rambling about big philosophical questions only experience in magick can answer,however,I keep it to myself.
I hear muggles talking about sihr.I had a colleague,who constantly talked about people throwing sihr.He never had me as the curse-thrower,but he did once wonder what I’d do if I were target.
And I really felt like I would tear apart because I couldn’t tell him about what I’d do.There was another time,when someone began talking about ghosts,and ouija boards,and blah blah blah,but the interesting bit is that he inquired not in the dabbler worldview of ‘‘assuming everything’’,but he was like:
You seem to know stuff,is paranormal stuff possible?‘’
Which is another thing that made me scratch my head to find a way of talking about the occult,without revealing I do practice black magick.The reason I had to is because I do not like seeing people,good people,whom I know have SO much potential,being kept in ignorance and brainwashed,so if answering some questions on the occult truthfully,could lead them to seizing control of their destiny,I’d love to provide them.
But overall,I love being in the broom closet.I don’t openly advocate my practices.When questioned on religion I say:‘‘It’s something weird…’’
and leave it at that,when people ask me for more details,I mumble up what I can.But don’t share too much.
I mostly don’t bring it up unless asked, and then I only answer what the person wants to know about. Depending on who it is, and you really do need to suss out who can tell what to, I will usually just say I am Pagan because my interests are so diverse. If someone doesn’t like it, that’s their problem, and people generally don’t pick a fight with me anyway so I have nothing to worry about.
Funny story when my parents found out. My dad was dropping something off at home, I was at work, so my wife and daughter who was about 3 years old then were there. When he got there, my wife was at the gate arguing with the nursery school teacher because we had found bruises on our daughter and pulled her out. I don’t recall how the teacher found out about it, but she blurted out “He had better not put a curse on the school.” and left.
My dad asked my wife what she was talking about and my wife said “Lee is a witch.” My dad, complete taken aback said, “No he isn’t, he’s Church of England.” (originally from Coventry, England me).
Then my mother and sister found out through my father and they arranged to meet my wife at a restaurant to talk about it. Why they didn’t ask me I don’t know, I never kept anything from them, but they never asked.
Anyway, all accepted it even if they didn’t agree with it, and as time went by and they did finally ask, they came to understand it all a lot better.
I find its easier to let people react the way they want to and don’t force them to listen to you. If they are interested to find out more, let them approach you. People have and always will be afraid of the unknown, and this is an unknown area to many, and in order for people to accept you for who you are, you have to do the same for them.
I must say though I have heard some real horror stories from folks in the USA. I remember one single mum who was beaten and raped and her 10 year old son dragged down the street behind a car. South Africa is a whole lot more open minded if you ask me.
There are those I tell, and those I don’t. I base it on how open to non religious ideas they are. It has nothing to do with fear of losing friends or family, but rather my belief that what you pursue spiritually is your own fucking business and NOT open for debate. I don’t feel like I’m in the closet, rather, I’m simply living by my ideals and convictions.