Gardnerian Witchcraft

[Scrib]

Has anyone noticed the barely concealed BDSM in Gerald Gardner's Wica/Wicca?

Worship of a female triple Goddess (Female Domination)
Group nudity (Exhibitionism and Voyeurism)
Scourging (Impact play)
Bondage
5 Fold Kiss (Feet, Knees, Genitals, Breasts, Mouth)
Ritual copulation

This makes using a naked woman as a Satanic Altar pretty tame. This is not Tantra and manipulating Kundalini, it is presented straight faced and in all seriousness (perhaps using Leland as justification) as a core requirement to worship.

Does anyone here practice B&D and Witchcraft? If so do you manage to keep the activities separate, or do they overlap for you? How does it work?

More generally, was this some sort of religious revival or really an excuse for a bit of kink using Margaret Murray as an academic beard?

 

[subdream]

Well... that sounds intriguing. Unfortunately I can't actively participate in this discussion, but I will watch it and consume.

 

[Scrib]

Thanks subdream for posting.

I can easily make links between other forms of Occult activity and BDSM, as do the people that deliberately and openly use similar techniques. However Wicca always appears so 'nice' and respectably middle class, but there was a side to Gerald Gardner that was not quite so squeaky clean. When chatting to nominal 'Pagans' who ritually call upon Christian Archangels, and do not appear to notice the paradox, it makes me wonder if they genuinely do not see the Kink or they look the other way, or they secretly enjoy it.

Some (not all) Wiccans can be surprisingly prudish with major fixations upon gender polarity and traditional gender roles, worthy of a 1950's Fetish lifestyle. The origins of Wicca in 1940's Britain, are fairly visible to those that care to look.

There is a lot to explore and discuss here, let us hope that more people participate.

 

[Moon Shadow]

Wicca is a recent "religion" not to be confused with the "Old Ways" Pagan worship.
I do believe there is some crossing of BDSM and some rituals.
Heck most of the practitioners worship female deities therefore not a far stretch to see male submission as a part of the rituals. There has always been a link between pain and pleasure and communicating with the Creator.

 

[Scrib]

Thanks for posting.

I pretty much agree with everything you write here.

Sex and religion went hand in hand even as late as early Christianity (eg Gnostic catacomb rituals in Rome).

Accepting GG as the 'father' of Wicca, Doreen Valiente appears to have been the mother and carried out the heavy lifting, perhaps with a little help from Crowley,

Accepting all of the above, was GG genuinely creating a religion or could he only accept his own kinks by masking them?

 

[Scrib]

Wicca is a recent "religion" not to be confused with the "Old Ways" Pagan worship.
I do believe there is some crossing of BDSM and some rituals.
Heck most of the practitioners worship female deities therefore not a far stretch to see male submission as a part of the rituals. There has always been a link between pain and pleasure and communicating with the Creator.

Welcome to the site.

 

[MasterMichaelNY]

Well, you have heard of sex magick, right.
Ok, about me, let's say I practice, and I have been in different traditions, and right now solitary.
As for the scorge, it causes energy to rise. If you talk to some pain sluts, I'm sure they will admit they felt something popping in there palms as they were struck. (Chakra in the palm).
As trying to related the other stuff to the kink, I don't see it. The 5 fold kiss, is a sign of respect, and it can be done on the high priest too.
Certain covens do put a heavy spotlight on the Goddess, but some don't and keep a balance between the God, and Goddess energy. They believe, in, as above so below. Balance, and center yourself between the two energies.

I'll be popping in and out of this post, my auto correct hates occult words, and it gets to become a real pain.

 

[tw1st3df4g]

i practice bdsm and identify as a witch. however, i am not a Wiccan. when i was younger trying to figure out my gifts I read about Wicca and met with a nearby coven. i knew right away that it wasn't for me because it was just matriarchal Christianity.

the witchcraft i practice more closely resembles Voodoo/Santeria. my practices often include their representational or sympathetic magick, where you perform actions in ritual that reflect the desired result of the magick. for example, stabbing a doll in a way that causes an effect on a person or binding my own wrists to bind someone or something from doing harm. bdsm can definitely be inspirational for magick...but I'm pretty sure Gardner was just a bit pervy and drew more from Crowley than the Old Ways.