So you're ready to try your first skyclad ritual? Whether you are about to take the next step in group workings or are just tired of doing ritual at home in your grubby sweats, working skyclad can add a new dimension to your magick. Skyclad ritual can be an empowering and transcendent experience and the ultimate outward expression of perfect love and trust. Many groups work skyclad because that is the way their tradition was taught to them, and how they best feel connected to nature and to the gods. Doing ritual in the buff also presents some unique challenges and can be flat-out hazardous if you don't know what you're getting yourself into. A few precautions are in order to make sure that your first ritual experience is pleasant rather than embarrassing or even painful.
The first step in becoming comfortable working skyclad is to find a time when you can be alone in your house or apartment. Don't forget to shut your curtains or window blinds. Your neighbor's 10-year-old son is sure to be very interested in what's going on, and if you're not careful, you'll end up with every prepubescent boy in the neighborhood hanging out around your window. If you can't get everyone else out of the house, find a quiet room and lock yourself in. When I say lock, I mean a door with a real, working lock; use it. Nothing will break the mood of a ritual more quickly than your own dear mother walking into a room to find her adult child (whom she did not even know was a witch) standing naked in the middle of the room holding a ritual knife. This is neither a pretty sight nor the best way to come out of the broom closet to your family. This method can be effective in chasing away door-to-door solicitors but is not recommended for beginners.
Once you have secured your location (and shut the blinds), the next step is to make sure that the temperature is comfortable. As most of us learned in college psychology, Maslow's hierarchy of needs illustrates that human beings need to be physically comfortable to reach their full potential. A few degrees makes a big difference when you're not wearing anything. Most people aren't going to feel relaxed and comfortable enough to do serious work when they're shivering. For men, the cold becomes even more of a challenge; it is difficult to feel "godlike" when you're dealing with major shrinkage.
Even when you're behind locked doors safely hidden in your bedroom, danger lurks where you least expect it. Pets can be a huge challenge. That cute furry kitty that you're training as your familiar is not quite so cute when she's jumping up to swat at things that dangle temptingly. For males, this can cause anything from mild annoyance and discomfort to serious injury. Dogs are another story. They love nothing more than to put a cold wet nose on their owner's backside when they least expect it. If you don't want spilled mead or a broken chalice, leave Fido in the backyard.
We all know that we need to be careful of candles and open flames when wearing fancy long-sleeved robes. Unencumbered breasts can be just as much of a hazard around an open flame. Take care when leaning over your altar.
Fire can also be a hazard when working skyclad outdoors. In the 1980s, I was enjoying a bonfire as part of a ritual on a secluded beach near Santa Barbara, California. Just as I was feeling the energy of sea through my outstretched arms and was beginning to enter an ecstatic trance, the fire popped, crackled and sent a burning ember careening towards my bare backside. It was not one of my more dignified ritual moments, but it certainly amused the rest of the group to see me hopping around on the beach trying to put out the fire on my butt.
Even up here in the Pacific Northwest, sunscreen is a must when working outdoors. Unless you are an experienced and well-tanned nudist, it doesn't take much sun to cause a nasty burn on the breasts, buttocks and anything else that "protrudes" from the human body. I learned the hard way when living in Colorado, the higher you go in elevation, the more intense the ultraviolet rays become, and the faster your skin burns. Be especially careful in the mountains if you want to be able to put anything in the way of clothing on your body when the ritual is over. Insects and extreme heat and cold can also make outdoor skyclad ritual more challenging. Bug spray or citronella and drinking water are a must.
Once you are comfortable working alone in what the Goddess gave you, the next step is to gather with one or two trusted friends. My friend Pauline and I shared our first skyclad ritual almost 15 years ago under a triple oak tree in the foothills of the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains. We were excited to be dedicating ourselves to the service of the Goddess and chose a Samhain midnight when the moon was full. A great horned owl hooted nearby, blending with the song of coyotes across the river. The air was filled with song, life and magick that we could feel caressing our skin. It was cold, the wind almost blew out our candles, and we had to make sure that the conservative Christian neighbors were asleep, lest we be discovered prancing around my horse pasture naked, illuminated by the full moon. Even with all those challenges, I would not trade that powerful moment in time for anything.
The biggest challenge for most people working skyclad in a group for the first time is feeling embarrassed, fearing that they're being stared at (or trying not to stare at others) or worrying that an uncooperative body part will rise up to say "hello" against their wishes. It is not uncommon for people to feel embarrassed and begin to giggle when they first try to work naked with others. I know one priestess who gives new participants a chance to "giggle and get it out of their system." It works for her, but I personally feel that it is best to find another place and time for new ritualists to get that behavior out of their system. Hippie hot springs are one of the best places to get used to public nudity. Many of them are "clothing-optional" so that you do have a choice and can work towards nudity at your own speed and comfort level. As a general rule, the people that frequent these establishments or remote locations come in all shapes and sizes and are not there for a cheap thrill. The first time I went to the Ouray Hot Springs in southwest Colorado, my friends and I took bathing suits to the clothing optional area. As I relaxed in the warm water, in a natural pool lined in Dakota sandstone, surrounding by wildflowers and spectacular snow-covered mountains, the thin piece of Lycra I was wearing seemed ridiculous and to be keeping me from connecting with nature. I lasted about 30 seconds before ripping it off and tossing it to the side of the pool. I am not as familiar with the local hot springs as I would like to be. My favorite hot spring spots are in Colorado, Idaho (up the Payette River from Boise) and California. Falcon Press has a book titled Hiking Hot Springs in the Pacific Northwest that I recommend to anyone looking to check out the hot springs in this area.
It is often difficult in our culture to grasp the concept that nudity does not necessarily equate with sexual behavior. Being naked is a natural and beautiful thing, even if we don't all look like athletes and supermodels. One of the most moving and powerful stories I have ever read involved an older, slightly overweight woman going to her first clothing-optional beach. She didn't realize that her body and bodies of all shapes and sizes are outward manifestations of the Goddess and was intimidated by the potential to be compared with nubile young girls. That is, until she saw another woman walking down the beach, hand in hand with her husband. The woman has obviously undergone a recent mastectomy yet was willing to proudly walk down the beach enjoying the feel of the sun and ocean on her skin. She wore her "battle scars" proudly and held her head high. The woman telling the story in a national women's magazine wanted to "thank the sun goddess on the beach, for showing her what true beauty and womanhood was all about."
As with any situation where you are leaving yourself vulnerable emotionally and physically, make sure you know the people you are with, or have at least checked them out through trusted friends. Groups that work skyclad do so for many reasons other than "that's the way it is in our tradition," including the belief that when people are naked and unadorned they are not separated or classified by the type of clothing they wear. Entering a circle naked also takes perfect love and trust in those you are with. It can also be very intimidating to those who have a history of abuse, body image or weight problems or low self-esteem. For some, there are issues that need to be worked out before being comfortable enough to work skyclad in a group. If the group you are considering working with does not understand that and respect your feelings by giving you time or opening up other options, then it's usually best to move on to another group. Some people believe that working skyclad is necessary because clothing "impairs the movement of energy" (if that's the case, then I recommend honing your energy working skills); others feel that it was added to Wicca because "Gerald Gardner liked to see naked women."
There are those who insist that our ancestors worked skyclad and that if we don't, we are not following our traditions as they were originally practiced. I'd like to think that my ancestors in the north of Scotland had enough sense to put on robes in the dead of winter. When I lived in southern climates, I worked skyclad and outdoors more than I do now that I live in the cold, wet Pacific Northwest. Our desire and/or willingness to bare it all for the gods should not come out of a need to fit in or fear of ridicule. It should come from a desire to connect with all that is glorious, wonderful and magickal. It should be a natural and free expression of our love and trust in the Goddess, and in ourselves.