The Pros And Cons Of The Great Rite

The Great Rite is surrounded by many misconceptions. The Great Rite is not a ritualist orgy shindig, it is not vulgar in any way, and most importantly it is not shameful in any way. It is not a celebration of the Devil, which is impossible since Witches don't even acknowledge the existence of the Devil, and it is not in any way connected to the Black Mass. All of these miconceptions are perpetrated through movies, television, and popular novels. Another misunderstanding concerning the Great Rite is that is employess “sex magic” to raise energy for spell work. So what is the Great Rite? The Great Rite is a fertility rite, which utilizes sympathetic magic to enact the hieros gamos [Greek ιερός γάμος, "sacred wedding"] (1), the Sacred Marriage of the god and goddess.

The tradition of hieros gamos dates back to the Neolithic era. The formulation of the idea of hieros gamos was created from ancient mythologies relating to the coupling of the first diety and his/her mate. At least once a year, generally in the spring, selected individuals, who represented the deities, would engage in either actual or more often symbolic sexual intercourse. The ancient
There are many traditions of Wicca, but the unifying theme found within all is fertility. As in ancient societies the sabbats observed by Wiccans celebrate the planting and harvesting times, or in other words, the cycles of the earth's fertility. The Beltane Sabbat is held near the end of Spring which is the start of planting season. There are many different ways that Beltane is celebrated, but the focus is always upon fertility. This is the time when the Earth Mother opens herself to the Fertility God, and their union brings about healthy livestock, strong crops, and new life. The Great Rite is celebrated during Beltane which, through the use of sympathetic magic, enacts this sacred marriage of the God and the