If we were living in a fair and just world, there would be no need to practice stealth paganism. Everyone would be free to explore whatever spiritual path they are drawn to with the support of loved ones and the respect of all those around them, even if it is different from the religion of their family and what they were raised in.
We don’t live in that world. Unfortunately, far too many pagans are in a situation where coming out could expose them to ridicule, abuse, or harm. Financial and health issues often force people into less than ideal living circumstances. Or maybe you just aren’t ready to have that talk with relatives yet, or don’t know where your roommate stands and would much rather avoid a confrontation. Whatever the reason, here are some strategies for practicing paganism that falls below the radar.
Hidden Altar
The first way to hide and altar would literally be in the closet. Put the altar items on the top shelf of a closet or wardrobe, and keep the door closed when the not supportive are visiting.
Another way would be to dismantle and hide an altar when not in use. The easiest option would be to take a cardboard box, and glue/tape pictures to the surface, and keep all altar items inside it. When you are doing a ritual, take it out and set it up. When done, simply pack everything away in the box and place it back in its storage place. As long as there isn’t any pagan images on the outside, it won’t raise alarms when put away.
A more elaborate option would be a wooden box without overly pagan symbols on the outside. There are also portable wooden altars available. Or, you could get a large altar cloth. When putting the altar away wrap all the items in the altar cloth and move everything out of sight.
Disguise
There are plenty of ways to be pagan that don’t register as pagan to someone who doesn’t know anything about paganism.
In the case of an ancestral altar, who is going to tell you that you can’t have a picture of your beloved grandmother who passed and light a candle by it? Plenty of non-pagans have that practice. If making offerings, you might have to limit how long you keep food on a plate (Oh, I just forgot to eat this plate of grandma’s favorite cookies last night. Silly me! I’ll take it outside.)
For an altar to a god, you don’t need a statue or image of that god. Most gods have an animal association, or maybe think through their symbolism. Manannan Mac Lir is the rider of the waves, so maybe things like seashells or a horse statue. Or if invoking the opener of the way aspect, another idea is to use a small door or gate. Bridget is a goddess of crafts made by hand, use that special hand made item you bought or made that has the color of fire. Odin has his ravens, what about a raven statue next to an eye patch?
One sneaky idea is taking a rock and painting the name of a god or concept on the bottom, and when doing a ritual flip it up. Think through things you can put on an altar—like stones, or flowers, or cups, that don’t register as being too out of the ordinary.
This will work best if the altar is kept simple, with only a few items. The downside of this is that people won’t know its an altar, so you will have to keep a protective eye to make sure no one picks up those cool rocks you have. But this also means thinking through what would register as pagan or just plain odd to whoever you are trying not to be noticed by.
Practice Outside
Altars can be temporary. If you are worshipping something with a water aspect, going to a beach at low tide, making a pattern or message in the sand and doing a ritual is an excellent option. Also biodegradable offerings can be left in bodies of water.
Other ideas would be building a cairn (pile of stones) in the woods. Or simply find two stones and lay a branch over the top. Or write in snow in the winter time. Or use biodegradable yarn (don’t tie it tightly to a tree though).
Simple acts like taking a walk or sitting on a park bench can be profoundly spiritual, if approached with the right intention and mindset.
Seek Out Pagan Friends and Pagan Friendly Spaces
It is much easier to endure a burden when there is some relief or it is shared. Just because you can’t be out at home doesn’t mean you can’t be out to anyone. My post Finding Your People has ideas about finding pagan community. There are spaces that may not be labelled as pagan but are very pagan friendly, or at least where paganism doesn’t raise eyebrows.
Avoid Using Incense
There was a day when I was a teenager when you smelled the incense as you walked into my bedroom. Those days are past, but some things have more of a smell than others. Essential oils tend not to be as potent as incense if they aren’t diffuse. See my post on allergies for more ideas.
Read E-books
I personally love having physical books in my hand. But virtually all new pagan books will be available as e books. Take a look at the local library if cost is an issue. It can definitely vary (although there is ILL loan for a physical book) but for my local library e-book option while it doesn’t have everything it has more than I expected. Older books will be more difficult to find. Another choice would be making book covers. On excuse could be its an art project.
Ritual Does not Have to be Elaborate to be Effective
Intention and focus are often the key. I have had profound experiences simply staring at the full moon. For a long time, my full moon ritual was to recite the Charge of the Goddess while looking at the full moon, then list everything for the month I was grateful for. I remember doing this in the car on the way home when I was in a pinch by reciting the prayer in my head.
A prayer does not have to be spoken to be heard. If you are afraid of being overheard, pray or do the ritual in your head. If you are focused, They will hear it.
Use Time and Energy as an Offering
Volunteering that serves a god’s virtue can be made into an offering, if there isn’t a place to set up an altar in your home. An example would be a cat shelter for Bast, or a victim of domestic violence shelter for Freyja or Brigid, or an art collective for Brigid, or a park clean up for Cernnunnos. Say a prayer before you start your volunteer shift, and dedicate the time you are spending volunteering to that god. Remember to do a farewell prayer when done (to sort of say the offering is made).
Adjust as Needed
With these blog posts, I have been trying to focus on the practical instead of making anyone feel they have to hold themselves up to an arbitrary standard. Paganism is about what you do. These are meant to be ideas if people need to be discrete with their practice. Don’t think having to make adjustments limit your practice. Use what you have within the boundaries you have instead of waiting for a future far off day when the stars align and world peace is achieved.