If you’ve spent any time on spiritual TikTok, Instagram, or other corners of social media, you’ve probably seen it: the endless parade of comments declaring “That’s a closed practice!” to anyone burning sage or palo santo, using High John the Conqueror root, or mentioning New Orleans Voodoo.
And while I understand the intention—protecting sacred traditions and preventing cultural exploitation—this trend has spiraled into misinformation and gatekeeping that helps no one.
The Problem with Blanket “Closed Practice” Claims
The issue isn’t about respecting traditions. We should respect sacred practices, know their history, and honor their roots. The problem is when people declare something “closed” without understanding its history, cultural context, or current usage.
Often, these claims come from short, oversimplified posts that get shared thousands of times, turning partial truths into internet law. People then parrot those claims without ever doing deeper research.
Unfortunately, this creates two big problems:
- Erasing history – Many of these practices have always been shared across cultures through trade, migration, and mutual exchange.
- Spreading misinformation – People get shamed out of perfectly respectful and historically valid practices.
Let’s Break It Down
Sage White sage is sacred in many Indigenous North American traditions, and yes—it has been overharvested in certain areas. But burning herbs for cleansing isn’t unique to any one culture. Europeans have used rosemary, juniper, and mugwort for centuries in similar ways. Other sages—common sage, desert sage, garden sage—are widely available, ethically grown, and not tied to closed traditions. The respectful approach? Don’t steal from endangered sources, learn where your herbs come from, and understand the difference between cultural theft and cultural respect.
High John the Conqueror Root High John is a root tied to African American Hoodoo traditions. Hoodoo itself is not a religion—it’s a folk magic system born from the survival, resilience, and cultural blending of enslaved Africans, Indigenous people, and Europeans. While certain rituals within Hoodoo are deeply personal and community-based, the use of High John root in spells, luck charms, and empowerment work has been documented, shared, and sold in general metaphysical shops for decades. Claiming only certain people can touch it ignores how widely it’s been integrated into American folk magic.
New Orleans Voodoo This one gets complicated. Voodoo (or Vodou) as a religion—especially Haitian Vodou—does have initiatory paths and sacred ceremonies that are not open to outsiders. But “New Orleans Voodoo” has always been a syncretic tradition, influenced by Haitian Vodou, Hoodoo, Catholicism, Indigenous beliefs, and European folk magic. While certain rituals, ceremonies, and priesthood roles are closed, many public-facing practices—gris-gris, candle magic, mojo bags—are accessible if learned respectfully and attributed correctly. The harm comes when outsiders profit from these traditions without giving credit, or worse, when they misrepresent them entirely.
Respect vs. Gatekeeping
There’s a massive difference between respectful participation and appropriation.
- Respect means learning from credible sources, crediting the culture, and avoiding sacred rites you’re not invited into.
- Appropriation means stripping a practice of its cultural roots, commercializing it, or misrepresenting it for clout or profit.
Gatekeeping everything as “closed” without nuance ends up silencing people, spreading misinformation, and erasing the history of cultural exchange. Worse, it shuts down meaningful conversations about how to honor these traditions.
What We Should Be Doing Instead
- Educate, don’t shame – If someone’s using a sacred plant incorrectly, teach them the context and offer ethical alternatives.
- Do your own research – Look beyond TikTok infographics. Seek out books, oral histories, and first-hand accounts.
- Support the communities – Buy from Indigenous harvesters, Black-owned botanicas, and practitioners who live the traditions.
- Acknowledge the source – If you learned something from a specific culture, say so.
The spiritual world has always been one of exchange, evolution, and shared wisdom. Our job is to honor where things come from—not to lock them behind gates built on half-truths.
If social media really wants to protect traditions, it’s time to move past the one-size-fits-all “closed practice” label and toward something more powerful: respectful, informed, and connected practice.
