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I read in a book talking about Wicca, you knbow that Solitary Practitioners one and its said when you perform rituals the best state to be in is Nakedness and I was like OOOOOOK. So then i thought i'd ask everyone about it! So does anyone here when doing rituals be Naked? Don't be shy! I am only doing this for knowledge not because i'm weird!!! stare

Many stricter covens, particularly Gardnerians, perform rituals skyclad, because that was the way Gardner declared it to be. It is a practice that is also much more common in England, where nudity is more accepted socially, as opposed to the US, where nudity is something of a taboo.

The main idea is that clothing inhibits the energies flowing in, out, and through you. When skyclad, you are completely open to the energies and the divine that you are working with.

Of course, Gardner was a nudist as well, so that is also where some of his favor for being skyclad comes from.

There is another saying, and forgive me, I forgot the source, but I will ask again at study group on Sunday, that says that Witches will be skyclad until they have no oppressors, and until they can practice freely. Again, I will ask the leader at group on Sunday exactly why that is, or if it was just written as so and accepted. Regardless, some people take this to mean that in the US, where it is more common to do ritual clothed, that Witches are free of oppressors here. I agree with our group leader though, that those who oppose us are still out there, and that in the US more Witches wear clothing because of our society's concept of the importance of being clothed. In the US, as I mentioned above, the naked body is something to be hidden, something "bad", not something beautiful.

As for solitary practice, you do not have confines of covens and their practices to adhere to. If you follow a specific tradition that says ritual must be skyclad, then if you do not, you can't really consider yourself of that tradition. (Although most of those traditions are coven-only and a solitary wouldn't be able to rightfully consider himself/herself a part of that tradition anyway.) But for the most part, as a solitary, you can chose whether to do ritual skyclad or clothed, and can change from ritual to ritual. For example, you may decide to be skyclad in the privacy of your bedroom, but if you do a ritual in your backyard, you would most likely prefer to be clothed. And of course, if you are on public property (a park for example), public indecency laws pretty much decide for you that you are to wear some kind of clothing.

One thing that I have found common among the local community is that most, if not everyone I've talked to will at the least take their shoes and socks off, and any gloves or hats. I think having "skyclad feet and hands" is a good idea, as hands and feet are primary receptors for energies. Your feet are touching the ground, connecting you to the earth energy, and most likely you are aware of working energies with your hands. If you follow physics and general electrical properties, rubber, such as on the soles of shoes, is a poor conductor of energy. It all but stops the flow of electricity. Thus it is not unreasonable to assume that the rubber on the soles of shoes would inhibit the energies that your feet send and receive to and from the earth, and if the energy can't get past your feet, it can't raise up to the rest of your body. I don't know if you've ever tried a grounding meditation with shoes on (assuming you aren't lying flat on your back), but I find it incredibly more difficult with shoes on. The energy flow just isn't there.

i don't think nudity is a big deal, or should be seen as inappropriate...look at European nude beaches...i personally am not that comfortable with myself yet, and i like to do outdoor rituals, and i live in town... and it's winter 12 months of the year here so...not reallly gonna work to well, but i do try to do outdoor rituals in the summer, barefoot, if that counts?

I always wear clothes outside. I don't really mind just running around in a bikini in my yard though. In other public areas bare foot is fine.^^ I'm sorry you have bad winters too. Where do you live?

I agree with you there. I don't rally have that much of a problem with nudity, just in the winter. Maybe if I lived alone, away from people that would be fine too. My neighbors might report me if I ran around naked in the yard though.

I could never do that, I have unexplainable issues with some stuff, and that happens to be one of them. I just don't do nude. sweatdrop I really perfer my kimonos for rituals, it's very confortable for me and puts me in the right mind set for the ritual.

I think that as long as you feel comfortable and feel you can connect with the gods, that's all you really need. Robes, or even regular clothes should work fine if you believe they will.

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