Glossary - exWitch Australia (formerly 'Born Again Pagan')

GREAT RITE, The

The Great Rite as performed symbolicly...

A powerful, magic rite of sexual intercourse, in Wicca and some other forms of Neo-Paganism, which pays homage to the male/female polarity that is said to exist in all things within the universe.

It expresses the physical, mental, spiritual and astral union between man and woman as well as the god and Goddess aspects of the Divine Force.

Although it is rarely acknowledged by newer forms of Wicca, particularly those 'self-styled' Covens created by self-taught teens, Wicca is basically a fertility religion, owes much to ancient pagan rites and beliefs, which included the ritual sexual intercourse. Sex was - and is - considered sacred.

The Great Rite is associated with the hieros gamos, the Sacred Marriage or Holy Matrimony, which is union with the deity or godhead. The hieros gamos was part of pre-Christian Women's Mysteries in Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean, in which women Sacrificed control of their Feminine Power to the Goddess to be renewed by her.

It is believed that in Wicca and other forms of Neo-Pagan Witchcraft that the Great Rite releases enormous power, which maybe directed for magical purposes. It is one of the "Eightfold Paths" to magical power in Wicca.

The Great Rite is performed in the Magic Circle at some Sabbats and Initiations (though only Initiation into the 3rd Degree High Priesthood), depending on the tradition of the Coven. Ideally, it is performed by a High Priest and High Priestess who are sexually intimate as spouses or lovers, except in the rite of Handfasting where the bride and groom, who are already intimate lovers, may perform the rite.

The rite is not always performed in actuality, but may be performed symbolically - and even when this is the case it is often performed 'Skyclad' (nude - literally 'clad only by the sky'); the High Priest plunges the Athame, or ritual knife (the male symbol), into a cup or Chalice (the female symbol) that is filled with wine and is held by the High Priestess.

Some hold that when this rite is performed symbolically it should later by performed in actuality in private by the High Priest and High Priestess.

If the rite is performed in actuality, it is usually done in private (as was the case in my old Coven, 'Circle of the Mystic Moon'), and the coveners will leave the Circle until it is completed. In some Covens they merely walk to the edge of the Circle and turn their backs.

Some feel the Great Rite should be performed openly because of its importance.

PLEASE NOTE:
One of the major problems with 'defining' Paganism and/or its beliefs and practices is that it is an 'organic' movement, in that it is undergoing constant change and re-evaluation from within, and as such any 'one-size-fits-all' approach to understanding Paganism will be found wanting.

Due to the very 'organic' nature of Paganism, and the many differing Paths and Traditions within it, in many cases no one definition may be universally accepted by all Pagans. Therefore, where such cases of possible conflicting and/or contradictory meanings of certain terms occur I have endevoured to give not only the generally accepted meaning, but also any major 'variations' in belief and/or practice.

Christians who believe this difference in meaning of certain key terms, beliefs and practices to be unique to Paganism need to remember that such conflicts also arise within the Body of Christ - the Church. Take for instance the differing practices amongst Christians concerning Baptism and the different attitudes towards women in the clergy.

- Jean-Luc