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The Scourge and the Kiss

Page history last edited by Yvonne 15 years, 3 months ago

Pain, symbolism and the sacred in Wicca

 

- Anon. (Used with permission from the author)

 

The practice of scourging is perhaps not so widespread as it once was, except perhaps in the initiation ritual, and even there it is not done so as to hurt. There have even been suggestions that it was all invented by Gerald Gardner because he was into S/M. However, it is clear that since time immoral sexuality and spirituality have been closely associated, and that some people have derived pleasure from pain; hence also there has been a link between S/M and the sacred. Pain makes you feel intensely in your body, aware of every nerve, every sinew. In a spiritual tradition where the connection between mind, body, and spirit is of paramount importance, therefore, anything which connects body and spirit more closely is a valued part of the tradition. It is a shame that the erotic enjoyment of pain has been marginalised by its association with patriarchal ideas about dominance and submission. Most people get off on the occasional fingernail digging into the flesh, or being bitten on the bum, or whatever. It is all a matter of degree.

 

Of course, the experience of the pain is not the only thing evoked by the practice of scourging or the practice of S/M. In any situation where you abdicate control, power relations come into play. In S/M, the power relations obtaining in the world are often deliberately subverted. In the Craft, all must submit to the scourge, and all must use the scourge. So there is never an imbalance of power.

 

"In other religions the postulant kneels while the priest/ess towers above him/her, but in the Art Magical we are taught to be humble..."

 

Previous to my first encounter with the Craft, as a feminist, I thought that SM perpetuated patriarchal ideas. There are various ideas to provide a mythological framework for the use of the scourge. One is that it is of Hecate, because it confronts the parts of the psyche hitherto considered unacceptable. Another is that it is of the higher self, to strip away the ego-bound consciousness (after all, you can't be very egocentric when you're bound and being scourged). In the initiation ceremony, it is a shamanic ordeal, such as is used by traditional societies. The most visually satisfying and elegant idea is that the circle is a threshing floor, the coveners are the grain, and the scourge is the flail. This fits very well with the imagery of Osiris, who carries the crook and the flail.

 

And of course, there is the practical aspect of heating the lower chakras to stimulate the kundalini (in which case, as has been pointed out by some, you need to do it properly, so you can actually feel it). Also, there is the important aspect of safety. Scourging is not something you can just pick up a scourge and do - it needs to be thought about. It is necessary to avoid hitting the kidneys and the spine, so care must be taken not to let the ends of the thongs go over the side of the torso or above the buttocks. When the main part of the thong has been laid on, the rest travels faster, and hurts more on impact. Even someone who is deliberately doing it softly can cause pain in this way. Another useful technique is to 'pull' the blow, as you do with punches in stage fighting. This is done by flicking the wrist up on impact. It hurts less, but it puts a lovely little sting in the scourging. Also, there is no need to hurry. It is a bit like striking a bell - it is much lovelier if you allow the reverberation to die away before ringing it again.

 

Whilst we are on the subject of safety, the actual binding needs to be done with care and thought as well. The idea is to impose a certain amount of sensory deprivation by restricting the breathing and movement of the hands. Doing it too tightly, however, may pinch nerves in the wrists. It is also a good idea to use a quick-release knot. It is important that the binding does not get any tighter.

 

The really clever bit about the whole experience of scourging is that it is mutual (though not in the initiation ritual, where it is balanced by the initiator kneeling before the postulant). The other person does you, then you do them. It creates an intimacy and a sense of trust. The possibility of manipulation is (hopefully) avoided by the mutuality of it.

 

Within the shamanic S/M scene, people have experienced out-of-body experiences resulting from S/M. This is a rationale for S/M that doesn't involve a punishment/reward view of the world. It is an experiment with pain and the boundaries of trust, which is an important aspect of bondage.

 

I think what Gerald Gardner had to say about about scourging was extremely interesting:

 

 

"Of the Ordeal of the Art Magical:

 

Learn of the spirit that goeth with burdens that have not honour, for 'tis the spirit that stoopeth the shoulders and not the weight. Armour is heavy, yet it is a proud burden and a man standeth upright in it. Limiting and constraining any of the senses serves to increase the concentration of another. Shutting of the eyes aids the hearing. So the binding of the initiate's hands increases the mental vision, while the scourge increases the inner vision. So the initiate goes through it proudly, like a princess, knowing it but serves to increase her glory. But this can only be done with the aid of another intelligence and in a circle, to prevent the power thus generated being lost."

 

In the initiation rite, at the presentation of the working tools, the initiator says:

 

 

"Next I present the scourge. This is a sign of power and domination. It is also used to cause purification and enlightenment, for it is written: to learn you must suffer and be purified."

 

In the consecration of the water, we are reminded that "as water purifies the body, so the scourge purifies the soul". The scourge is symbolic of all suffering. This of course raises the question of the purpose of suffering. There is a beautiful passage on this in "The Prophet" by Kahlil Gibran:

 

 

"... the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.... the deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain. Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter's oven? And is not the lute that soothes your spirit the very wood that was hollowed with knives?"

 

Scourging could also symbolise the flaying of Marsyas, who cried "Quod me mihi detrahis?" (Why do you tear me from myself?) Renaissance thinkers interpreted this myth as an initiatory experience, in which the dismemberment of the self resulted in a new being.

 

Many traditional societies use pain as a means to enlightenment. Some of these are described in the excellent book "LeatherFolk", which is a collection of essays on S/M. A whole section of the book is devoted to Pagan and shamanic S/M. In the Native American Sun Dance ritual, men would attach themselves to the central pole by hooks, and sacrifice bits of their flesh, which would be torn out as they danced ecstatically (don't try this at home, folks!). In India, adepts learn to pass wire and knives through the flesh, thereby achieving ecstatic states.

 

So what is the biological basis for the ecstasy derived from pain? According to Pat Califia and Cynthia Astuto,

 

 

"The body secretes powerful chemicals, chiefly adrenaline and endorphins, when it is under stress, and these chemicals create euphoria and change the way the brain interprets stimuli which would ordinarily be perceived as painful."

 

It is this euphoria which can often be so intense as to result in spiritual experiences.

 

However, context and meaning are very important. If a scourging is being conducted under circumstances where its meaning is not clear, and the participants do not have a clear visualisation of its purpose, they are likely to end up feeling a bit ridiculous. So a symbolic meaning and a clear magical intent for the process is very important.

 

The kiss is also very important. In one way it contrasts with the scourge. The binding and scourging represent Perfect Trust (in that you have to trust someone to let them immobilise you and take a scourge to you), and the kiss represents Perfect Love. That is why the signs for the kiss and the scourge appear on the Pentacle in juxtaposition. However, I think the kiss has an important psychological function. The person who has been scourged has just had their outer self purified away; the kiss welcomes the inner self to the circle. Also, the prolonged experience of pain can make a different stimulus especially pleasurable, so the kiss acts as a contrast. Each is a different expression of love.

 

Some people may be uncomfortable with introducing this aspect of sexuality into the circle. But there is no boundary between sexuality and spirituality, everything is sacred. "All acts of love and pleasure are my rituals." It is only because the use of flagellation has unpleasant associations with punishment and patriarchy that we regard it as deviant. But the experience of pain opens up whole new realms of sensation. While it is happening, your whole body feels intensely - you inhabit your body more fully. All attention is focused on the area being stimulated. Paradoxically, this can also result in out-of-body experiences.

 

Recently, I went swimming in a very cold sea. At first, the cold seems unbearable, and you think you are going to have to get out of the water. Just at this moment, you suddenly start feeling warmer, hugely euphoric, and very much alive. (This is probably the point at which hypothermia starts to set in.) The experience of erotic pain is very much like this - just the point at which you thought you couldn't take any more is the point at which transcendence is achieved.

 

The use of pain is very ancient, and was employed by people as diverse as shamans and the mystery cults. The devotees of Cybele used scourging, for example. It is one of the known paths to enlightenment, as has recently been rediscovered almost by accident in the S/M community, with the flowering of spiritual awareness amongst some of its practitioners. The Goddesses and the Gods have many aspects - and some of them wield whips and knives. (Kali, for instance.)

 

See also:

 

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