Three Witches Dance by the Fire

While passing the Circle gate at dusk on the solstice, I was transfixed by three beautiful Wiccans performing their rites in front of a bonfire. In Wiccan tradition, witches perform pagan rituals “skyclad” or naked. Ancient pagan religions had many instances of high priests and priestesses using ritual nudity, it was a practice of separating from the mundane concerns of the quotidian and placing them in the realm of the gods who were routinely depicted nude in sculpture and painting. Going skyclad means going before the Gods and Goddesses in reverent imitation. In Pagan tradition, fire has the power to cleanse, purify, increase fertility. Sky-clad naked dancers jump through fires to strengthen the power of the spells cast.