Had something cross my dashboard last night, which is prompting some thought.

There seems to be some idea that there’s been a creeping, insidious increase within Wicca regarding sex, and fertility, and that makes things uncomfortable for asexuals.

I have an inkling of how frustrating it must be - our society is highly sexualized, and there’s a heavy emphasis in North American neo-paganism on fertility thanks to the outer-court stuff they’ve taken from observing public Wiccan practices. They don’t always understand it, they don’t always get it right, and often it’s out of context (which makes it worse).

But…

Wicca has always been a fertility witchcult.  There has always been an emphasis on the necessitate of sexual procreation that is present in nature, vital to both agriculture, and the continued survival of humanity. If you’re going to practice Wicca, you need to be comfortable with the polarity Wiccan practice requires, and with sexuality and sexual activities.

Wicca in and of itself doesn’t care what your sexual orientation is; all may Seek initiation. But a proper person accepts and understands that they will have to work with the concepts of polarity and fertility as they exist in the rites, even if it runs against their own personal preferences. Some people can’t get past that, and thus Wicca is not for them.

And I want to point out yet again that not everything that calls itself Wicca is. If it’s not a lineaged tradition of Wicca, it’s usually eclectic neo-pagan witchcraft trying its’ damndest to be Wicca. And that eclectic neo-paganism often misrepresents the Wiccan faith and its’ practices quite badly.

Wicca is one small, self-contained pagan religion. Wicca focuses on the rites of two specific British deities, and its’ rites follow a ritual calendar designed specifically for Wicca. It has a core of practice that you can’t take away from or fundamentally change - doing so means you’ve removed yourself from Wicca entirely. Wicca was not meant to be all things to all people, or to endlessly balloon to fit in whatever else people want to include. If you’re not at all interested in fertility, don’t even stop on Wicca’s doorstep. There are many other pagan religions and practices that might be a better fit for someone than Wicca.

There is no shame in that. I can not seem to say this enough. If you are not a fit for Wicca, it’s not the end of the world. There are myths out there that will speak to you. There are gods and goddesses who will fit your needs. There are religions that focus on other concepts.

Picture it this way: You’re in a shop. You try on ONE shirt - in some instances it might be the first shirt you lay eyes on. Other times it might be that you’ve heard -so much- about that brand of shirt you only want that. And then the shirt isn’t the right fit for you in some way. But instead of trying on other shirts, you insist the company makes that shirt they way YOU want. You want their shirt, but custom made just for you. And you insist they change, instead of just trying on a different shirt or brand of shirt that might fit you much better.

If that seems irrational, you’d be right. Which is why I have a hard time understanding when people think that religions should work that way.

Wicca has no obligation to alter itself for your needs. For those within Wicca, it already fits them well. Asking Wicca to change for the needs or desires of non-initiates is simply unrealistic.