Pagan feasts have been celebrated for centuries and continue to hold significance in various cultures around the world. In 2023, these ancient traditions will once again take center stage as individuals gather to honor the cycles of nature and express gratitude for the bounties it provides. These feasts serve as a reminder of our connection to the Earth and offer a chance to come together in joyful celebration. One of the most anticipated pagan feasts in 2023 is Beltane, which falls on May 1st. Beltane marks the beginning of summer and is associated with fertility and growth. It is a time when people light bonfires, dance around maypoles, and engage in rituals to welcome the abundance of the season.
Goerlich has expertise in the academic research on the intersection of religion and sex and also has a number of clients who identify as witches, Wiccans, or pagans. Here, she answers all of our questions about sex magick.
While Ellwood and Lupa both presume their readers have some basic familiarity with BDSM and sex magic, they include a helpful bibliography and list of resources for those who lack that experience or knowledge. Lupa and Taylor make an important distinction between hurting causing pain in a consensual situation and harming deliberate, malicious infliction of damage.
It is a time when people light bonfires, dance around maypoles, and engage in rituals to welcome the abundance of the season. Another significant feast is Litha, celebrated on June 21st, the summer solstice. Litha is a time of honoring the sun and its power, as it reaches its highest point in the sky.
Kink Magic:
Sex Magic Beyond Vanilla
by Taylor Ellwood & Lupa
Immanion Press, 2007
Taylor Ellwood and Lupa have attracted attention for their smart, sophisticated writing in books like Lupa’s Field Guide to Otherkin and Ellwood’s Pop Culture Magick. Here they combine forces for Kink Magic: Sex Magic Beyond Vanilla, a frank, mature, cutting-edge discussion of sexuality, magic, and their various intersections which should prove useful and entertaining whatever your pleasure or perversion.
When it comes to gender, kinky doesn’t necessarily equal cluefull. Lupa and Ellwood offer some much-needed information on gender, gender identity, and gender roles. That homophobic misogynist at your local fetish club should be chained up in a closet with a reading light and a copy of chapters four and five; the end result might be enlightening (or at least entertaining) for all. The authors also provide lots of advice on communication and establishing boundaries: even those who have no interest in bondage arts could benefit from learning how to say “no” effectively and how to discuss one’s needs, wants, and emotional triggers.
Some Witches try to live down those salacious rumors about Sabbath orgies; others wonder where they are held, and how they can acquire an invitation to attend. Those who wish to add others into their sexual rituals will find plenty of useful material here. So will those who are voluntarily or involuntarily single: Kink Magic discusses masturbatory work with nary a Beavis & Butthead snicker. While Ellwood and Lupa both presume their readers have some basic familiarity with BDSM and sex magic, they include a helpful bibliography and list of resources for those who lack that experience or knowledge.
Like any other worthwhile spiritual endeavor, kink magic can be hazardous to one’s physical and emotional health. Smart magicians will minimize these risks: following the advice given in Chapter Seven, the bluntly titled “Reducing the Chance of ‘Oh, F*ck’’s”, will go a long way toward that goal. Lupa and Taylor make an important distinction between hurting (causing pain in a consensual situation) and harming (deliberate, malicious infliction of damage). Conscientious BDSMers may whip, cut, shock, and beat whom they will — but they make sure that their actions harm none. Kink Magic is an invaluable addition to the magical and sexual canons: there is ample material here for the leather-clad domme and the milquetoast missionary alike. Highly recommended.
RATING: 5 Broomsticks
» Originally appeared in newWitch #17
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“While having sex, they focus their attention on their desire to see the outcome they envision coming to form.”
Many pagans gather to watch the sunrise, perform rituals, and partake in outdoor activities to embrace the energy and warmth that the sun brings. Samhain, observed on October 31st, is yet another important feast in 2023. Samhain, also known as Halloween, is a time when the veil between the physical and spiritual worlds is believed to be at its thinnest. Pagan communities come together to honor their ancestors, communicate with the spirit realm, and celebrate the cycle of life and death. Furthermore, Yule, celebrated on December 21st, marks the winter solstice. It is a time of introspection and renewal as pagans welcome the return of the sun and the lengthening of daylight. Yule festivities often include lighting candles, decorating evergreen trees, and exchanging gifts to symbolize hope and new beginnings. Each of these pagan feasts carries its own unique customs and rituals, but they all share a common thread – the acknowledgement and reverence for the natural world. These celebrations provide an opportunity to disconnect from the fast pace of modern life and reconnect with the earth and its seasonal rhythms. They serve as a reminder of the deep-rooted connection between humanity and nature and offer a chance to express gratitude for the beauty and abundance that surrounds us. So, in 2023, let us come together to celebrate these ancient traditions and embrace the magic and wisdom they impart..
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