Sunday, April 10, 2011

Sex and Nudity in Wicca

These aspects of Wicca get sensationalized and misrepresented alot, so I'd like to clear some of that up right now.

When it comes to sex, yes, Wicca does generally deal very openly and honestly with sex and sexuality, including lifestyles and sexual preferences. No, we do not engage in Pagan orgies whenever we get together.

There are some Wiccans and Pagans who do live a polyamorous lifestyle and have open relationships, but there are also many who prefer monogamy and more traditional relationships. Such things are matters of lifestyle choice and preference, not a requirement of being Wiccan or Pagan.

As far as actual sex, we are not ashamed of the fact that we exist partly as sexual beings or that we have a healthy regard for sex and actually enjoy it.

Sex in Wiccan rituals is simply not as common some would like to think. There is only one Traditional ritual in which sex is part of the ritual itself, and this doesn't even have to be an actual sex act, but can be performed in a purely symbolic fashion if it would be inappropriate for the two undergoing this ritual to have actual sex with each other. Actual sex in this ritual is generally reserved for a married or otherwise already sexually involved couple.

Ritual nudity is not used by all groups of Wiccans, although it is still widely practiced among the more traditional groups.

Once again, we see no shame in nudity itself. A naked body is just a naked body.
The problem is that nudity and sex are so closely linked in the minds of the average person, that the common belief is that where there is one, there must be the other.

We don't believe that this is so, and once you learn to separate being naked from having sex, the nudity itself is no big deal.

Now, why do some of us practice nude, either alone or in groups? Many reasons have been given, from more effective energy transference to being closer to nature, and theses are probably perfectly valid reasons, but I would like us to consider something else as well.

In most versions of the Charge of the Goddess, it says something similar to: "You shall be free from all slavery, and as a sign that you be truly free, you shall be naked in your rights."

Now, what do we need to be free from? Physical slavery doesn't exists for most people anymore, so what other things could we be slaves to that nudity might be seen as a sign of freedom from?

How about self-conciousness, shame, fear, guilt, negative body images, low-self esteem? These things can be can be just as enslaving to our minds and spirits as shackles to our bodies. Learning to shed our clothes and be comfortable with ourselves can allow us to shed alot of mental and spiritual baggage as well.

Put all those reasons together, and it makes a good case for why nudity is used among some groups.

So, that's basically it. Take away the sensationalism and the misrepresentations, and sex and nudity are really no big deal. Nothing to be ashamed of or guilt-racked over. Simply natural parts of the human condition, and we treat them as such.

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