Abstract
Despite its often fervent claims to radicalism, openness and maturity, Wicca articulates a rather complex attitude towards sexuality. S/M concepts which have influenced the development of Wiccan ritual practice (through such figures as Algernon Swinburne, Aleister Crowley, Gerald Gardner and Alex Sanders) have been largely abstracted into symbolic forms which strongly deny the ‘inappropriate’ sexuality embedded in Wiccan initiation rituals (specifically) and formative ideologies (generally). A brief comparison between Wiccan initiation and the S/M dungeon, for example, suggests a common conceptual ground. But, while a rhetoric of disruptive sexuality is retained in Wicca through the use of scourging, binding, ritual nudity, and the ‘Great Rite’, the emphasis lies in its symbolic value and ‘dangerous sex’ is largely forbidden. Nevertheless, ‘dangerous sex’ remains an issue within Wicca. The overlaps between Wiccan S/M symbolism and rhetoric and the physical spirituality of some S/M practitioners remains unexplored, and issues of power, abuse, and gender are only just beginning to be recognized.
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