Sex Magic in Traditional Witchcraft
We’ve all heard of sex magic, especially when related to Ceremonial Magic, Thelema and Tantra, but what about sex magic in Witchcraft and Traditional Witchcraft? The Great Rite within Wicca is well known, but seldom practiced today except symbolically with athame and chalice. However its origins are quite ancient and can be found in the heiros gamos, the sacred marriage of a god and goddess within the Ancient Greek and Egyptian religions of which an initiated priest and priestess of the old gods would reenact for elaborate ceremonies during certain festivals. Our animistic ancestors believed that the earth was a fertile woman and the sky god her lover. When it rained, it was the god’s semen fertilizing the earth goddess. Worship of the phallus is found the world over, as is worship of the Sacred Whore.
Some scholars and witches argue the first act of sex magic was between Eve and the serpent in the Garden of Eden. Those old writers loved analogies. Some say the trickster god initiated Eve into the mysteries of knowledge, awareness and cunning by having sex with her. And afterward it was no fruit, no fig she gave to Adam, but her “fig”, an ancient analogy for the female genitals as well as the act of intercourse still present today in the mano fico hand gesture. So the trickster god initiated Eve and then she initiated Adam into the mysteries for which they both got thrown out of the garden for “being too much like gods”. The first cunning man and woman were the first man and woman. In etymology the proto-Germanic root word for Witchcraft – weik – from which wicce, wicca, wiccaecrafte and related sorcerous words stem from literally translates as “cunning and guile”. This possibly explains the use of sexual initiation for certain traditions, especially within Medieval and modern traditional witchcraft. Sex is a way to connect with the Gods of both the Upper and Lower Worlds. There are accounts from the witch trials of women having sex with the devil himself to be initiated into a coven and into the mysteries – does this sounds so far removed from the story of Eve?
Uses
Sex magic has multiple uses within Witchcraft. It can be used as an offering for deity worship, for acting out the mysteries of the gods, to attain knowledge/ awareness /inspiration, to be initiated into a tradition or mystery, to raise energy for workings, to empower sexual fluids for magical uses, to conceive, to act as Sacred Whore, to empower a working or sigil, for healing, or for flying… I’m sure there are many more out there.
I have to add a note here about sex and initiation: it is never okay for one to tell a prospective initiate they have to have sex with them in order to be initiated or as a required part of the initiation rite. Even if a tradition does have a sexual initiation, there are always ways around having sex with the teacher/initiator. Respectful and mentally healthy members of a tradition will be sure to tell you the options. So many young people have lost their innocence to such manipulative creepy people who usually can’t have sex any other way than force. Never fall for it!
Methods
So here’s the dirty part, if you can’t handle graphic imagery and naughty words – suck it up and read it anyway! You’re a witch and sometimes we need to get dirty. As this article is solely about magical sex, I’ll be saving the magical uses of bodily fluids for another piece.
1. Evoke a god and goddess or deities, who are the same sexes as the lovers, into the partners during ritual and have sex during ritual essentially while possessed to reenact the sacred mystery and to empower a rite.
2. From folk magic – have sex outdoors on the ground to bless the earth to encourage its continued fertility. This was once practiced by farmers to ensure healthy crops at the spring festivals. So in modern times you could drag your lover outside for a wild romp in the garden or in the woods as an offering to the genius loci.
3. During an outdoor rite, have sex standing up against an old sacred tree so the energy you and your lover build up is sent forth up the trunk of the tree at the point of climax – to the otherworld, to the gods – either as offering or to blast out the power or your spell or working through orgasm and use of the tree as a conductor.
4. Have sex during a traditional witchcraft outdoor rite with the stang driven into the earth of the centre of the compass, using the stang to draw up energy from the earth or draw down power from the otherworld to empower and send forth your spell/working with the gathered energy at the point of climax.
5. For flying – in the older lore witches would rub their broom or distaff handles with a flying ointment and masturbate with it so the tissues of their genitals absorbed the ointment and they were able to leave their bodies. Another method, which works with both straight and male gay couples, would be to rub one partner’s cock with the flying ointment and then have sex during a rite, so you both may fly. If you’re a lesbian couple, there are always dildos.
6. Have sex in an outdoor location with land, sea and sky all present to invoke a deity, or to raise energy for a rite or working.
7. For initiation – to be given the initiation at the point of orgasm; secret wisdom or knowledge passed on during climax from the initiator to the initiate. This can be done in the privacy of indoors or outdoors during a rite – best in a place with land, sea and sky or where two rivers meet. Or at a crossroads to be initiated by the goat-horned black man himself.
8. For Rune and Sigil Magic – after having sex during ritual to empower the sexual fluids, they can be applied to runestaves and sigils to give “life” to the charm and empower/activate it. A man can masturbate and cum on the sigil or runestave to the same end, or the symbols can be drawn on the bodies of the lovers during ritual, so their orgasm empowers the symbols and the spell is released.
Pleasurable Reading:
- Gods of Love & Ecstasy: The Traditions of Shiva and Dionysus by Alain Daniélou
- Etheric Anatomy: The Three Selves & Astral Travel by Victor Anderson
- Sacred Sexuality by A.T. Mann & Jane Lyle
- Sacred Sexuality: The Erotic Spirit in the World’s Great Religions by Georg Feuerstein
- The Magical & Ritual Uses of Aphrodisiacs by Richard Alan Miller
- The Sacred Fire: The Story of Sex in Religion by B.Z. Goldberg
- The Worship of Priapus by Richard Payne Knight
YAY! Delightful post, thank you!
Wonderful! I’m quite excited to see the future post on the magical use of bodily fluids
Regarding #5 – do you know, is there any research or available knowledge at all about the proportions of various psychoactive substances which should be used when absorbed through tissue in that manner (versus smoked, ingested, etc.)?
There is a genuine recipe with quantities and instructions on p. 134 of Witchcraft Medicine. There is also a very useful chart in the back of Richard Allan Miller’s The Magical & Ritual Uses of Herbs
As potency changes depending on weather and the seasons, many of the psychoactive herbs used have an unpredictable potency level. As annoying as it is to search through Erowid, it’s worth it to jot down the beginner dosages and the tipping-point amounts that lead to poisoning.
For a first flying ointment experiment I would recommend avoiding the use of Datura, Aconite, and Hemlock and using Henbane leaves, Belladonna berries, Nightshade leaves, Poppy leaves or flowers, Hemp, and of course Poplar buds instead. I’d perhaps start with just one herb at a time and see how you react to it and then try combinations to work yourself up to a complete recipe that works for you. Overdosage results in mild to severe hallucinations – you should aim for the narcotic effects but not hallucinations which are considered an undesirable side effect. The best mediums for a flying ointment are animal fats – especially pork lard – but if you’re looking to make a sexy flying ointment, I’d recommend duck or goose fat instead (pork fat does not smell good).
My next chapbook is going to be a Witch’s Formulary and I hope to include a few safely but effectively dosed recipes.
Just a note or two on flying ointment. First of all there is actually lots of specific information out there, but you have to look for it. Second of all, any flying ointment that actually works at one dosage will be fatal at higher doses. In between the “right” dosage and the one that kills you are the dosages that cause such things as blindness, psychosis and permanent liver damage (which, of course, can all be caused by good old alcohol). Thirdly, if you can find it, the book “How Do Witches Fly?” by Alexander Kuklin has more than enough information in it to kill you. Michael Harner also has a relatively decent chapter on “The Role of Hallucinogenic Plants in European Witchcraft” in his book “Hallucinogens and Shamanism”.
Keep in mind most of the effects you listed are caused when these herbs are ingested. Solanaceae (belladonna, datura, henbane, mandrake, etc) should never be ingested due to the atropine. While the rest of your body builds up a resistance to it, your heart does not, and ingestion can lead quite quickly to heart failure. There are some exceptions when it comes to preparation methods, but it’s not knowledge I’d post publicly.
Effects when used externally can be quite different and much milder, but dosage is still very important. Too much of any plant can kill you – rosemary is a good example – yes it’s a tasty herb, but eat too much of it regularly and you’ll poison yourself to death. If one doesn’t have good grounded common sense and good knowledge of what these herbs can do, it’s best to leave them alone until you do.
Did not know that about good old Rosemary!!
What a great post, Sarah!
Still in North American culture, we are quite prudish when it comes to sex, even though the US makes so much porn, one of those silly taboos. Sigh. Sex is sacred and can be used wonderfully for magic, not to mention the excellent use of bodily fluids
Plus if you have a naughty significant other it can be a lot of fun – trips to the beach and parks take on a whole new meaning…
Bahaha… totally!
Wicked awesome post! Thank you!
Thanks Marilyn!
I am confused…do witches actually believe in Satan?
I only ask to understand. But I am sure that I misunderstood the context the first read. It is a nice bit of understanding though. I also have heard that sex magic is dangerous. Is this true?
If one didn’t use a condom I’m sure there would be a danger of pregnancy… Much of what witches do is dangerous, but we do it anyway – just like construction workers or pilots – except our danger comes from the unseen.
What are the dangers besides pregnancy? Those unseen things as related to sex magic?
Possession, flying ointments, and initiation can all be pretty dangerous. The worst that could happen would be madness or death. If one’s starting out in sex magic I’d recommend going the offertory route to start.
So much to learn, so much to do!
Thank you. What a joy it is to read a truly positive post on the place of sex in Witchcraft. I had an experience years ago that taught me that ritual sex can throw doors open that have long been shut. My belief is that sexual celebration is not merely normal but normative to Witchcraft. It amazes me that most Witches seem to throw in into the closet and slam the door. May it be rediscovered and reclaimed again, and soon!