“We conceive of the Creative Power in the universe as manifesting through polarity — as masculine and feminine — and that this same Creative Power lies in all people and functions through the interaction of the masculine and the feminine.  We value neither above the other knowing each to be supportive of the other.  We value sex as pleasure as the symbol and embodiment of life, and as one of the sources of energy used in magical practice and religious worship.”

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It’s impossible to discuss Wicca without discussing sex.  Principle #4 has to do with honoring both the masculine and the feminine, and — because there is a difference between them — honoring the function for which that difference was intended.  That function is creation.  The generation of life.  Whether you’re a Wiccan human or a non-Wiccan human, the minute you start talking men and women, male and female, the topic of sex is going to come up.

Polarity comprises a central (if not the central) Mystery within the Wiccan faith.  Male-Female, Light-Dark, Above-Below, Sky-Earth, Active-Passive… the correspondences are endless.  It can be very easy to pay too much attention to the poles:  naming them, aligning with them, categorizing our experiences according to them.  Yes, the poles are sacred.  Masculine essence and Feminine essence are each, in their own right, to be honored and respected.  However, the focus is on what they bring forth TOGETHER.

This focus tends to fly in the face of two unstated (and I would argue, totally incorrect) societal rules:  (1) women, and thus anything feminine, are necessarily of lesser value than men and anything correspondingly masculine; and (2) sex and religion do not mix under any circumstances.  Needless to say, if you nodded in agreement to either (1) or (2), Principle #4 presents some highly controversial ideas that are likely going to be very upsetting to your world-view.

While we discuss polarity often as a psychological or intellectual concept, it’s actually simple physics.  Polarity is vital to energy flow.  Batteries have a negative pole and a positive pole.  Magnets do as well.  Equilibrium in temperature occurs when heat energy is transferred from an area of higher heat to an area of less heat until both volumes or items are the same temperature.  

When we expand physics into the realm of biology and look at the sperm and the egg that join together to make a fetus, it’s a little easier to see that man and woman might be special, but oh!  The wondrous things they can create together!  The miracle of life is something that is still awe-inspiring.  The birth of a child is nothing less than proof that the masculine and feminine principles were meant to work together for the continuation of life — not just human life, but all life.

Polarity, naturally implying two poles, also gives a nod back to Principle #2 and its emphasis on balance.  Like a see-saw upon which play a boy and a girl, the Universe seems to flow naturally between poles as well.  Day gives way to Night which will give way to Day.  Warmth gives way to Cold, and a Season of Rest gives way to a Season of Productivity.  Up and down, down and up… Nature (and the see-saw) works because each side does their part.  Each side needs the power of the other one in order to rise up.

Carrying the see-saw analogy a little farther, see-saws are just plain fun!  And so is sex.  It is pointless to pretend it’s not.  However, it’s one thing to admit it’s a religious experience in the privacy of your bedroom and another thing entirely to say that sex itself can be part of your religion.  Principle #4 both puts it on the line and leaves it deliberately vague.  No, it’s not up for discussion — some of us utilize sex ritually, while others do not.  The point is sex is the intersection of male and female.  It’s the reason we have “innies” and “outies”.  Sex is the flow that is the reason polarity exists in the first place.

There is a joke among neo-Pagans that, given enough time, all discussion will come back around to sex.  It’s true.  We are a lusty bunch, but isn’t that what the tide of life feels like?  A desire to be aware and present and engaged to the fullest?  Completely in tune with the sensations of living?  How can pleasure not be sacred when the act that brings about pleasure is sacred? 

Sex brings forth life — how can anyone deny that this is an act of power? — but this act also brings pleasure to those who partake in it.  Pleasure is one pole in the manifestation of life.  Gestation begins in what should be a pleasurable act.  Gestation ends with the experience of the other pole:  pain.  As that life (which is the manifestation of the union of male and female) comes forth, there is pain experienced.  The pain is not experienced solely by women, but by men, too.  If you doubt me, ladies, have you considered if men are ever jealous of our ability to carry life within us?  Or the pain and frustration men feel at being unable to save the woman they love the pain of childbirth?  Or the fear men feel knowing that the process of giving birth has taken women’s lives in the past? 

I point this out to reemphasize the part of Principle #4 that states that each end of the polarity supports each other.  It’s very interesting how this statement is worded in Principle #4 because it says that neither is ABOVE the other and then immediately states that each is BELOW the other (which is where something must be to support something).  We do not jockey for prominence.  If anything, we work to serve each other at the most basic levels and we know, intrinsically, that without the other, the see-saw ride/life/our magick is impotent and without joy or achievement.

There are some days that I feel we are making huge strides towards equalizing the flow between the sexes.  After all, women can vote, hold jobs, and take ownership of their sexuality and the expression of that sexuality.  And then there are days when I wonder if perhaps feminine freedom is just a glamour to which we’ve become accustomed.  Are women truly equalized if we do not receive the same pay for the same work?  Are women truly equalized if the secret to business success is to cut one’s hair short like a man, wear suits like a man, act more upon logic than intuition like a man, or prize the intellect above emotions like a man?  If we must become more masculine to succeed, are we truly free? 

There are some days that I feel we are making huge strides at removing the taboo quality from sex.  We can discuss it openly, with girlfriends and boyfriends.  We can read books about it and learn lovemaking as a skill, which can greatly improve the physical side of relationships and keep them enjoyable and interesting.  And then there are days when I see the media sell sex back to us piece-meal, titillating us with scandal and paparazzi snippets of people’s sexual indiscretions and clothing mishaps.  Is sex naturalized when it becomes the centerpiece of drug marketing campaigns?  Is sex naturalized when tween clothing lines are cut for sexual allure while, at the same time, anyone acting on that sexual allure would be put in jail for pedophilia (which they should be, IMO… sex with a 12-year-old isn’t appropriate, but neither is dressing a 12-year-old in clothes that say “Let’s do it, baby.”)  Is sex naturalized when 13-year-olds can watch movies with riotous gunplay and violence, but nudity commands an automatic R-rating? 

The modern world could learn a bit from Wiccans.  We know that male and female are equally needed for life — not merely the creation of it, but the sustaining of it.  We know that sex is a beautiful rite in and of itself and that it is one of the most powerful moments we experience as humans.  We know, also, that sex is a physical metaphor for the metaphysical interplay between the active and passive elements in our Universe, whether that Universe be within the mind or all around us. 

Principle #4 is the generative core of Wiccan belief.  It can be seen in our relationships with the world, with each other, and (most importantly) within each of us.  We are all masculine and feminine.  Just because we end up with one type of sexual organs doesn’t mean that we are not still partly our Mother and partly our Father and thus, we are both. 

Imagine how it would change the world if everyone woke up tomorrow and realized their dual-genderedness.  Imagine how it would change the world if it were ok to enjoy sex while everyone also respected the immense potential for creating life that sex carries.  Imagine how it would change the world if men and women were truly equal and sex was simply a sacred act instead of a dividing line.

If you can imagine that, then you can imagine the kind of world that Wiccans embrace and create every day.

Follow-up Questions for Readers:

1.  Do you agree with Principle #4?  Why or why not?

2.  How aware are you of the flow between masculine and feminine energy in your daily life?

3.  How does the masculine polarity of the Creative Force manifest within you?  How does the feminine polarity of the Creative Force manifest within you?

4.  Do you believe that it will be necessary for women to become truly equal before society will embrace the Divine Feminine again?  Or will it be the other way around — the Divine Feminine must be brought to the forefront before there is any chance of equal rights for women?

5.  Within Wicca itself, has the pendulum swung too far the other way, elevating the feminine above the masculine while most of Western society elevates the masculine above the feminine?  Does this “balance out” the transgressions of patriarchy or does it perpetuate the “either/or” philosophy?  Explain.

6.  Based on Principle #4, would you say that Dianic Wicca (very pro-feminine) is a contradiction in terms?  Why or why not?

7.  Principles In Action:  How do you honor both the masculine and the feminine energies on your path?  Do you find yourself working with both masculine and feminine deities?  Is it necessary for the individual practioner to balance his or her path between the masculine and feminine?  Why or why not?  Is it necessary for covens to work in balance?  Why or why not?  Is sex an acceptable form of religious expression for you?  Why or why not?  Are you comfortable with the fact that Wicca openly admits to embracing sex and masculine/feminine balance as central tenets of this path?  How or how not?  Could you explain to someone else how sex is a sacred moment for you?  What would you say? 

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Photo by Eddi 07 (via Flickr).