I’ve actually been afraid of starting a business using my expertise for the very reason’s your listing. When I was younger in the days when forums were the foundations of the spiritual community I had several bad experiences which I won’t go into detail on here. The gist of it is that I was a brazenly open young man who wasn’t afraid to be blunt and I ran foul of “practitioners” who will not be named, and others who felt that I had a duty to be scrutinized even when I wasn’t comfortable with it. That and fears around money itself led to me never starting a business with the skills I have.

All in the past, I feel opportunity coming. Just taking action steps now. 

I have been focusing a lot on once again being my own source of peace and self worth. It is great to feel this way again. 

I totally get where you’re coming from. The early days of spiritual forums were often crowded with unhealed egos, leading to a lot of friction. When you’re openly honest and straightforward, it can trigger those ‘practitioners’ who hide behind gatekeeping and authority, making them feel in control and vulnerable. Believe me, I’ve had similar experiences both online and in real life, and to this day, those encounters still resonate with me.

The pushback you faced was just a way to keep control, and it’s understandable why that—along with real worries about money—made you hesitant to turn your skills into a business.

Even after you take the leap, you still run into systemic nonsense. With my own shop, I’ve actually experienced a lot of marginalization and frustrating hurdles just trying to sell on online platforms. There are always going to be people or algorithms trying to make things unnecessarily difficult for this kind of industry/work.

But it is so incredibly cool to hear you’re feeling that shift and taking action anyway. Getting to a place where you are your own source of peace and self-worth is the ultimate cheat code. When you have that locked in, the external noise just doesn’t hit the same way.

Since you’re starting to take those action steps, what’s the first part of your expertise you’re thinking about focusing on?

Posted by: @abraxas

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I totally get where you’re coming from. The early days of spiritual forums were often crowded with unhealed egos, leading to a lot of friction. When you’re openly honest and straightforward, it can trigger those ‘practitioners’ who hide behind gatekeeping and authority, making them feel in control and vulnerable. Believe me, I’ve had similar experiences both online and in real life, and to this day, those encounters still resonate with me.

The pushback you faced was just a way to keep control, and it’s understandable why that—along with real worries about money—made you hesitant to turn your skills into a business.

Even after you take the leap, you still run into systemic nonsense. With my own shop, I’ve actually experienced a lot of marginalization and frustrating hurdles just trying to sell on online platforms. There are always going to be people or algorithms trying to make things unnecessarily difficult for this kind of industry/work.

But it is so incredibly cool to hear you’re feeling that shift and taking action anyway. Getting to a place where you are your own source of peace and self-worth is the ultimate cheat code. When you have that locked in, the external noise just doesn’t hit the same way.

Since you’re starting to take those action steps, what’s the first part of your expertise you’re thinking about focusing on?

The state of self worth and peace actually. I plan to write a book on that. I may start a youtube channel. Posting on here has reminded me how much I enjoy teaching too. I may do workshops. My friends definitely think I need to teach.

That is exactly what people need right now. Self-worth and peace are the literal antidotes to all that toxic community noise we were just talking about!

Writing a book on that sounds amazing, and honestly, jumping into YT or workshops makes a lot of sense if you naturally love teaching. We do offer classes and workshops at my shop too, but we don’t have a YT account. It’s so great that posting here helped reignite that passion for you. Your friends are definitely onto something!

Posted by: @abraxas

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I’ve been reflecting a lot on the double standards faced by those in the esoteric and occult communities. Even in 2026, people who explore alternative spiritualities such as witchcraft, mysticism, folk religions, shamanism, animism, syncretic religions, new religious movements, left hand paths, etc. are often labeled as “evil,” “diabolic,” “dangerous,” “fraudulent,” or “prohibited” by mainstream society.

In a deeply religious culture, our tools, our language, and our beliefs are frequently pushed to the margins. We are often expected to respect everyone else’s “sanctuaries” and beliefs, while our own are treated as something that should be hidden or even banned from public platforms.

Personally, I’ve reached a point where I’m no longer hiding who I am. I’m a professional practitioner and business owner, and I can definitely defend myself and my path. But I’m speaking up for my friends and others in this community who don’t feel they can do the same—those who are still experiencing the sting of being told their beliefs don’t belong in the public square.

Inclusivity should extend to everyone, including those of us whose “magic” doesn’t fit into a mainstream box. We aren’t just hobbyists; for many of us, this is our vocation and our foundation.

I’m curious if anyone else here has ever experienced a situation where you felt compelled to hide what you do in your altar or shrine? Or maybe you’ve told someone and then gotten slammed with harsh criticism or weird accusations? Share your story. 

Hey, I really resonate with what you’re saying. It’s wild how even in 2026, folks practicing in these areas still face so much stigma and misunderstanding. I’ve definitely had moments where I felt I had to hide parts of my practice. Like stashing my altar away or keeping certain books and tools out of sight. Just to avoid awkward questions or judgment. 

There was a time I shared a bit about my work with a friend, and I got some pretty strange reactions, like accusations of being “dangerous” or “fraudulent” without really understanding what I do. It’s frustrating, but I think more of us speaking openly can help break down those barriers. 

Honestly, I admire anyone who’s brave enough to be unapologetic about their path. We’re doing important work, even if mainstream society doesn’t always get it. Thanks for shining a light on this. It’s good to know we’re not alone in feeling this way.

It’s really a strange mix right now! To be fair, many people are actually becoming much more open-minded these days, which is amazing to see. But then there is still that heavy chunk of society that immediately jumps to judgment or throws around words like ‘dangerous’ or ‘fraudulent’ just because they don’t understand.

I completely understand the pressure that makes you feel like you have to hide it. I actually started practicing when I was 14, and the external pressure was part of why I stopped altogether for four years. Navigating when to be open and when to protect your peace is a big part of the journey. Having been on this path for a long time now, I’ve definitely seen both sides — you find some incredibly supportive people, but you still run into that systemic pushback.

I totally get the instinct to stash your altar and books away to avoid awkwardness. But honestly? I see that less as ‘hiding’ and more as simply protecting your space. Your practice is your sanctuary. If someone hasn’t earned the right to see it and might bring in weird, judgmental energy into your home, keeping those tools out of sight is just solid boundary-setting!

But you are exactly right. The more we speak openly in safe spaces like this, the more we normalize it and slowly chip away at those barriers.

What is one tool or part of your practice that you are looking forward to eventually keeping right out in the open, completely unapologetically?

I’m actually starting to see the wisdom of the stoic philosophy of honesty. If you show who you are, you find your own tribe much quicker as well as reveal the ones who shouldn’t be in your life. Sure it hurts when someone judges you, but it would hurt a whole lot more to develop a connection with someone based on incomplete data. 

I really do suggest the study of Stoicism for those who have a hard time with things like this. 

That is such a brilliant way to look at it, and honestly, it completely shifts the perspective from ‘hiding’ to ‘filtering.’

The idea that being completely honest helps you find your tribe while also filtering out the people who aren’t meant for you is so powerful. It functions much like a ward in esoteric practice—your authenticity becomes the boundary itself. If someone is pushed away by the real you, the system is working exactly as it should!

I’ll admit, though, that putting this into practice can be really tough. When I show my true self, my circle keeps getting smaller and smaller. Yes, there’s a beauty in ‘finding your tribe,’ but it can be very isolating while that filter is in place and people start to drop off. Watching my own esoteric and mundane circles shrink down to a core group fewer than the number of my fingers and toes combined has definitely been an adjustment.

But your point about developing a connection based on incomplete data is spot on. It is exhausting to build a friendship or relationship where you constantly have to calculate which parts of yourself you are ‘allowed’ to share. Focusing on quality over quantity is really worth it, and Stoicism offers a solid, practical way to handle all of this without letting other people’s opinions drain your energy.

Have you applied Stoic honesty to your own life @spectraldragon ? 

Posted by: @abraxas

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That is such a brilliant way to look at it, and honestly, it completely shifts the perspective from ‘hiding’ to ‘filtering.’

The idea that being completely honest helps you find your tribe while also filtering out the people who aren’t meant for you is so powerful. It functions much like a ward in esoteric practice—your authenticity becomes the boundary itself. If someone is pushed away by the real you, the system is working exactly as it should!

I’ll admit, though, that putting this into practice can be really tough. When I show my true self, my circle keeps getting smaller and smaller. Yes, there’s a beauty in ‘finding your tribe,’ but it can be very isolating while that filter is in place and people start to drop off. Watching my own esoteric and mundane circles shrink down to a core group fewer than the number of my fingers and toes combined has definitely been an adjustment.

But your point about developing a connection based on incomplete data is spot on. It is exhausting to build a friendship or relationship where you constantly have to calculate which parts of yourself you are ‘allowed’ to share. Focusing on quality over quantity is really worth it, and Stoicism offers a solid, practical way to handle all of this without letting other people’s opinions drain your energy.

Have you applied Stoic honesty to your own life @spectraldragon ? 

Yes, but definitely not perfectly! As I mentioned in a previous post I was a brazenly honest young man, but there were exceptions such as sharing my spiritual practices and beliefs. 

I will mention that the universal pattern appears to be that at some point in life, you must let go of some things because they conflict with the new things trying to come in. This goes for people most especially. I have had a lot of people come and go in my life. Especially in this day and age of putting up a front to look good, Stoicism can be a lonely path but it is worth it. 

That universal pattern is incredibly true. The idea that you can’t pour new water into a cup that’s already full is something I realized many years ago, but it feels especially real to me again today. I recently had to put that into practice by taking a sabbatical from work. It’s always difficult to step back from the professional grind and let go, but it was the only way to create the energetic space I needed to focus on my social life and personal connections again.

It makes total sense that you held back on sharing your spiritual practices when you were younger, too. Even when you are generally a brazenly honest person, basic self-preservation still kicks in when it comes to the things that are most sacred to you.

You are spot on about the current age of ‘putting up a front.’ It is so normalized now that choosing the Stoic path and actually being authentic can feel incredibly isolating. But exactly like you said—the absolute peace of mind you get in return makes the loneliness entirely worth the trade.

But are there new things that finally had space to enter your life recently after you released something old?

Great post. I need to dive deeper into this.