Is Nudity Necessary For Ritual?

An interview with new age practitioners. Get the story on the reasons for individual naked worship. Find out why it creates a greater sense of spirituality.

I had the opportunity to sit in on a gathering of new age ritualists recently. Some call themselves pagan, others use different terms. Basically they are nature worshippers.

These happy relaxed people celebrate the seasonal changes, the Earth, air, fire and water. They dance around bonfires in joyous worship of the spirit of all around them. The sing, they shout and sometimes they make love, all in celebration with their gods.

Many celebrate nude.

Naked, they consent to answering my question, each taking the seat next to me. That night I saw a bevy of breasts, butts and bountiful beauty. The naked body in the most natural of settings. As I sat talking with each, the huge bonfire threw sparks these seasoned nudists easily avoided.

My question - What does nudity do for your spirituality?

Brendon: Nude ritual for me, is a way to express my freedom. A way to show the Lady and Lord that I place myself before them without the confines of this mundane world and in the spirit of natural worship.

Cassandra: Clothing blocks my energy flow. I need to be naked to feel the energy of the celebration and become one with it.

Butch: When I wear cloths I feel like I’ve put a block between the gods and myself. I feel as though I am insulting the forces of nature to restrict my human body in the presence of the divine powers of the universe.

Sam: I like the naked women. But seriously, I love the freedom being naked gives me. I love the feeling of the wind or air element on my skin, the grass under my feet and the freedom to love my body in celebration of my faith.

Angela: I do ritual both clothed and naked. Either way, it depends on the work I’m doing. I prefer my robes for rituals of a healing nature. I prefer nudity when doing the seasonal celebrations.

Talisha: I really feel that to be naked before my Lady is a true show of respect for the body she’s given me. She has housed a part of herself within it and for me to show it in all its glory during ritual is a high nothing else can compare to.

Doug: I think the biggest thing for me is the aspect of duality within me. Our bodies celebrate duality. We carry both male and female genes. Our physical aspects are shared. Skin, hair, etc. We are not that different. The one visible difference is our genitals. And celebrating naked shows the differences and sameness at the same time. So, we’re celebrating the Wholeness of it.

The debate continues.