Polarity and Single Sex Covens
                                        By: Marios

           M>      Here's my latest question for theological debate:  
           M> Given the emphasis on male/female polarity within the 
           M> structure of Craft mythology, can a group that is entire 
           M> same sex gay or lesbian legitimately claim to be 
           M> practicing Wicca?  Or is it something else pagan, that 
           M> is not Wicca? Please give reasons for your answer... 
           M> I've found this to be a really sticky one.

                  In a word, "YES". Try this on for size:

          1.  Craft as  an immenentalist  religion, recognizes  the "fact"  that
          individuals  contain both  "male"  and "female"  parts. Polarity  work
          takes advantage of this situation. After all, we  recognize solitaires
          as  practicing Wicca, so we  have already accepted  that polarity work
          may involve only one person. As a logical extension of this:

          2. Given  that  polarity work  includes immanent  "male" and  "female"
          components,  we must assume that a group situation will take advantage
          of this  fact in  their workings.  But, since  polarity work  may take
          place  within an  individual,  the actual  genders  of the  group  are
          unimportant. However:

          3. While  it can be  argued that  polarity work is  possible, and  off
          necessity, takes place in same sex groups, can we state  that they are
          practicing  Wicca?   That  must  depend  on  how  one  defines  Wicca.
          Personaly,  I would say "Yes",  however, the central  mysteries of the
          Craft can be interpreted as demanding a heterosexual couple.

          4. I suspect that certain rituals (e.g. the Great Rite) can easily be
          reworked  from   their  current,   heterosexist,  form.   However,  if
          "practicing Wicca" is defined by a strict  adherance to the LITURGY of
          Gardnerian  derivation, then a same sex coven cannot be practicing the
          TOTALITY  of Wicca (or certain of its  main rituals). They may, on the
          other paw, be defined as practicing PART of Wicca.



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