The Great Rite

By Peter Nash

The Great Rite is by far the most controversial ritual used in Wicca today. It is also unfortunately the most misunderstood ritual used in the Craft and the one that our enemies use most in their propaganda against us. Unfortunately it cannot be denied that from time to time unscrupulous individuals have used The Great Rite for their own ends and gratification. Although such incidents are thankfully comparatively rare, such people have done much damage to the Craft and to the occult scene in general.

Ritual sex is a very old concept indeed; it was undoubtedly used by most ancient civilizations and magical traditions. The ancient Greeks employed temple prostitutes who attended the Gods and Goddesses (such as Artemis notably). However, instead of being looked down upon and condemned as in present day society, the temple prostitutes were held in great respect by the worshippers and regarded as essential participants in the celebration of the sacred mysteries. Perhaps these markedly different attitudes tell us something about the overall effects of patriarchal religion and morals on society?

Today, The Great Rite is crucial to the Craft, as the sex act itself is the central theme of polarity, that most essential concept of the Wiccan religion. Even when not enacted in full, sexual symbolism may be observed in most of the Craft's basic rituals, the consecration of the wine when the High Priestess plunges her athame into the chalice is a good example. The Great Rite's most important use, however, is in the Sabbat, handfasting and third degree initiation rituals.

At the handfasting, it is the essential bonding of the couple being wed, their consecration, and celebration of their sacred union. If not carried out immediately after the ceremony, The Great Rite in full must be celebrated in private at the earliest convenient moment. In this case, the token or symbolic Great Rite will be performed as part of the ceremony.

At the Sabbats, the Rite is used to symbolise fertility and the joy that all Pagans feel at the changing seasons and the turning of the wheel of the year. To me it seems particularly apt at Beltane, Lughnassadh and Samhain with the theme of birth, death and the gathering of the harvest.

The Great Rite forms the climax (no pun intended!) of the third degree initiation ceremony. The candidate and initiator represent the God and Goddess and their conjunction. The first degree is the initiation of the Goddess. The second degree is the initiation of the God. The third degree is the sacred union and marriage of the two. It should if possible be performed in actuality, but if this is not desirable then the symbolic version will suffice, after all the symbolism is just the same and just as valid.

My own attitude is that I believe that The Great Rite is the ultimate religious sacrament of the Craft, a complete celebration of the God and Goddess in union and of polarity. It is a belief of mine that every Wiccan initiate should undergo the actual Great Rite at least once, whether or not as part of the third degree initiation. However, no one should ever go through the Rite against their will. Some working couples who are normally platonic friends go through their third degrees in actuality together as a one-off for completeness' sake, but this is not ideal and I would not recommend it.

Whatever one's views on The Great Rite, there is no doubt that it is a supremely powerful ritual and beneficial in effect when used properly and with respect. Ritual sex is a very ancient concept and looks set to continue as the Craft moves into the New Age and the 21st Century.