When Shadow Work Is Ignored: Intolerance in the Spiritual and Witchcraft Community
As a practicing witch walking the path of folk magic and shadow work, I’ve seen the spiritual and witchcraft communities offer profound beauty, healing, and empowerment. But I’ve also seen something else—something darker, and not in the sacred sense of shadow or night.
I’ve seen intolerance.
And not just the kind that echoes from the outside world—we’ve come to expect resistance from those who misunderstand our practices. No, I’m talking about the intolerance that’s been seeded within our own circles: the judgment, exclusion, and in far too many spaces, the growing presence of transphobia, spiritual elitism, and gatekeeping.
It’s hard to witness, and harder still to stay silent.
The Shadow Speaks
For those of us who walk with the shadow, who claim to do the inner work, who cast spells by the moon and speak with ancestors—how can we justify casting out others for simply being who they are?
Transphobia, racism, ableism, classism—these aren’t just social issues. They are spiritual ones.
They are signs of deep wounding and unexamined fear. And when they show up in our circles, our temples, our covens, they’re proof that the real work—the shadow work—is not being done.
Shadow work asks us to look honestly at what we've been taught to fear, reject, or deny—both within ourselves and in others. It’s about meeting discomfort and choosing not to turn away. So when a witch says they “honor the goddess” or “walk the old ways” but excludes trans women, mocks nonbinary folks, or clings to rigid binary traditions with no space for evolution, we must ask:
Whose tradition are they serving?
Because it is not one rooted in love, truth, or the Earth.
Witchcraft Is Liberation—or It Is Nothing
Witchcraft, at its heart, is about liberation. It’s about reclaiming power—your power—and helping others reclaim theirs. It’s about walking a path of healing and resistance, especially for those who have been marginalized.
To honor the Earth but reject her children is hypocrisy.
To speak of transformation and deny others theirs is cowardice.
To preach empowerment while perpetuating harm is not magic—it’s manipulation.
And to anyone who claims “this isn’t political”:
Living authentically as a trans, queer, neurodivergent, disabled, or otherwise marginalized person is an act of spiritual courage. There is no separation between the personal and the magical. The cauldron stirs it all. Plus, if you’ve ever spent much time with me in person, you’ll know that I don’t shy away from politics. Just look at my tattoos!
The Real Work
If your practice makes you feel superior instead of connected—
If it walls you off from compassion—
If it justifies judging others instead of healing yourself—
Then it is not shadow work.
It is spiritual bypassing. It is ego. It is a mask.
Real shadow work is messy. It makes us uncomfortable. It holds up a mirror and doesn’t let us look away. But it is also the key to deep self-acceptance—and from there, acceptance of others.
Because when you’ve faced your own shadows, you recognize that everyone else is dancing with theirs too. And there’s no room for hate in a heart that knows what it’s like to be in the dark, trying to find the light.
A Call to the Community
To my fellow witches and spiritual seekers:
If we truly believe in magic, in healing, in the sacred—we must do better.
We must make room for trans and nonbinary witches. We must centre voices that have long been silenced. We must call out intolerance when we see it, and lovingly—but firmly—ask those who perpetuate it to look within.
Because if we don’t?
We’re just re-enacting the same systems we claim to resist.
Let your practice be a sanctuary, not a weapon.
Let your circle be wide enough for all who come in good faith.
Let your shadow work lead you back to love—not just for yourself, but for everyone who walks this Earth beside you.
