Pagans Enjoy Final Days of Summer, Debate Skyclad Tradition

Nude Reaches for Thing on High Shelf
by Karl Struss

This Labor Day, American Pagans flock to nude beaches, naturist communities and remote wooded groves to celebrate and make the most of the final days of summer clad in nothing but warm sunlight and gentle breezes. For many, the holiday weekend provides an informal mark to the end of the season for skyclad rituals and the beginning of autumn, when chill temperatures and inclement weather often discourage many Pagans from attending outdoor gatherings in the buff.

"Nothing beats the feel of grass between your toes and wind against your cheeks when you're communing with the spirits of nature and the Earth Mother," said Gary Hunter, 32, High Priest of the Circle of Milkweed of Allentown, Pennsylvania. "But as a Witch, I honor the changing seasons the way my ancestors did: by wearing a sweater and remembering to put all the storm windows down."

"Anyway, you really don't want to step on a chestnut in bare feet. Seriously. Ouch," he added.

For some Pagans, the end of the skyclad summer season is not a matter of practicality, but of decorum. Susie OakCrow, 56, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, told reporters, "It's still pretty hot down here until well after Samhain — but skyclad ritual in November? It just doesn't seem right. My mother always taught me it was very poor manners to go skyclad after Labor Day."

However such traditions may be dying out as a younger generation of Pagans scoff at what they see as an example of outdated etiquette. "Nobody cares if you still go skyclad after Labor Day anymore," said 19-year-old New Hampshire Witch, Angelique Widdershins. "And thanks to global warming, you can enjoy warm weather for most of the fall without having to worry about frostbite." Widdershins says she and some of her friends often continue to celebrate their rituals skyclad even into the winter months, while others refuse to go skyclad at all, insisting on wearing practical, comfortable clothing all year long. "I guess we're like a lot of teens that way, rebelling against the rules that our parents set for us," she remarked.

Still, elders like OakCrow remain less than enthusiastic about the change. "Kids today only care about feeling comfortable about their bodies. They don't appreciate that part of the sacredness of ritual is being surrounded by other pasty, flabby covenmates who feel just as awkward as you do."

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Should today's Pagans keep the old tradition alive? Do you go skyclad after Labor Day?
Lanx Satura wants to know what you think! Share your opinion in the comment section.