Rose Ariadne's Chitchcraft Blog

Dear friends,

Depending on where you live, the idea of going skyclad might sound preposterous. If you live in the middle of the city, with lots of neighbors and little more than a patio for a yard, then it might not be the best idea. However, if you live in the country with acres and acres of land than forgoing your clothing and performing a ritual outdoors in little more than your essential oils might be plausible.

I often have people ask me if I perform my rituals skyclad and while the conversation can sometimes be humorous I usually find myself realizing that few people truly understand the reasons for doing it in the first place.

If you’ve ever had this conversation with someone, then you know how it might go. You might have someone lewdly ask you if you “perform spells naked” or you might find yourself in a conversation with someone really interested in the topic and your beliefs and truly want to know the “whys.”

So why do we do it?

Well, as a female, I think there is much power and sexuality in the female form, unclothed or not. While there have definitely been times that I have not been happy with my body, for the most part I do find the human body exquisitely beautiful and interesting. We are born naked and clothing changes so often when it comes to styles and what’s acceptable and what isn’t that it really matters little in the scheme of things.

There are times when some practitioners feel very sensual and powerful when they perform a ritual skyclad. It makes them feel more at one with nature and the universe in general to be shed of earthly belongings and clothing.

We’re not entirely sure how it got started, or when, but more than likely it goes as far back as spirituality in general. It’s not just a practice that is shared by Pagans, either. In fact, ritual nudity has been performed by the Jains, a small sect of Hindu worshippers in India.

Hindus in general are very fond of animals for obvious reasons and it has been suggested that they occasionally went skyclad during ceremonies so as not to endanger even tiny insects that could possibly get caught within their clothing. This could be a joke, however. More than likely it was for the same reason that we do it-because without the outer layers one can sometimes be more receptive for the energies that one is trying to create and harness.

Some people believe that by removing clothing, you’re more equal to everyone within your group. This might be so, but when you’re alone does that really matter? Not really.

I believe it comes down to internal reasons. Psychologically, when you remove your clothing you’re becoming more “open” and you’re removing barriers. Albeit, you are removing physical barriers, but even then that can be psychological. The more open you are, the more receptive you can be. Even though you could technically achieve the same results with an Eskimo suit on, without the right frame of mind you’re not going to be as successful.

If you don’t feel comfortable going skyclad, then I would recommend that you not do it. Sometimes, vulnerability can make us more open. Other times, it can make us more closed off. If you’re standing there with your nudity and you’re completely focused on it and worried about someone seeing you then you’re not really in the moment and the whole thing is going to be lost on you.

However, if you want to try it gradually and you are open to experiencing doing a ritual a different way, then exposing yourself in this literal manner might be beneficial to you.

Remember, that you don’t have to go skyclad to practice Wicca. It’s not a requirement. You won’t “fail” if you don’t. However, different covens might have different ways of practicing and this could very well be one of them so this is something that you might want to be aware of.

While there are various reasons as to why some people prefer to conduct rituals in this manner, for some, they might simply like the way that the cool or warm air feels on their bodies. There’s nothing wrong with that, either. Wind, after all, is one of the elements.

I wish you success and peace, no matter which way you choose to perform your spellwork and rituals.

Brightest blessings,

Rose Ariadne
Your Warm and Caring “Resident Witch In Charge”