The Gendered Wiccan Altar: Examining the Wiccan ... - Fcla

THE GENDERED ALTAR: WICCAN CONCEPTS OF GENDER AND RITUAL OBJECTS

by JESSE DANIEL SLOAN B.A. University of Central Florida, 2005

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts

in the Department of Anthropology in the College of Sciences

at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida

Spring Term 2008

ABSTRACT

Many ethnographic accounts within the annals of anthropological literature describe the religious beliefs and magical rituals of peoples throughout the world. Fewer scholars have focused on the relatively young Neo-Pagan religious movement. "Neo-Pagan," explains Helen Berger in Voices from the Pagan Census (2003), "is an umbrella term covering sects of a new religious movement, the largest and most important form of which is...Wicca" (Berger et al. 2003: 1). This thesis examines the relationship between practice and ideology by analyzing the material culture of Wiccan altars as used by Wiccans in Central Florida, USA. Particular attention is paid to beliefs concerning concepts of gender associated with ritual objects, and concepts of gender and sexuality as understood by practitioners. Many Wiccans see divinity as manifested in two complementary beings: the Goddess and the God. The fertility that these divine beings achieve through sexual union is the subject of an elaborate ritual called the Great Rite. A pair of Wiccans, often a masculine High Priest and a feminine High Priestess, conduct this ritual by manipulating specific objects, which are believed to be strongly gendered. I argue that Wiccan rituals reflect, construct, and reinforce the Wiccan precept of a gender-balanced cosmos through the interaction of these primary ritual actors and the gendered objects they manipulate. As a practicing Wiccan, my theoretical approach is aligned with that of the native scholar. The native scholar faces challenges distancing her or himself from research, but gains opportunities from insider knowledge. Wiccan ideology stands in contrast to heteronormative conventions of gender and sexuality. However, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Wiccans may need to actively negotiate for representation in this movement, where fertility is stressed. Wiccans continuously reinvent established practices in an attempt to create a more satisfying religious community.

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This thesis is dedicated to Scott Stearns, Abraham Kooiman, James W. Price, Patrick Stewart, Jerome Birnbaum, Gary Combs, Jan Deanna O'Rourke,

A. Douglas Wilkey, John P. Graff, Stephen P. Snowberger III, Jason A. Schumann, Tiffany Stone, Casey Trapani and the over 1,800 self-identifying Wiccans who have served and currently serve in the Armed Forces of these United States. Dedication also extends to their spouses, family, friends and dutiful clergy, who led the effort to

have the Pentacle added to the official registry of religious emblems that may be engraved on government-issued memorial markers. May Liberty's torch shine on us all.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Many people contributed their time and energy in support of this thesis. My deep thanks go to Dr. Elayne Zorn, who read dozens of drafts and constantly encouraged me in my writing. Without her counsel and enthusiasm, this thesis would never have been possible. I would also like to offer thanks to many of the faculty and students at the University of Central Florida who generously gave advice and assistance. Thanks to Dr. Claudia Schippert, who helped me broaden my theoretical framework. Thanks to Dr. Allyn MacLean Stearman for her input and her willingness to play the part of my target audience. Dr. John Walker helped me develop my thesis topic as he taught me to think spatially. Dr. Ty Matejowski allowed me to take a directed research course with him and complete a great deal of my background reading. Dr. Rosalyn Howard encouraged me to seek new data, which proved to be an invaluable addition to this text. Dr. Tosha Dupras and Dr. Arlen Chase were there when I needed them, to sign the important papers and help me navigate my way through the new graduate anthropology program. Liz Wallace patiently explained the ArcGIS program to me, and other students, whenever we felt like pulling the plug. Kara Gajentan showed me how to code and analyze my survey data, and gave me a crash course in advanced statistical methods. My thanks go also to my fellow graduate students, who let me rant about my research, my frustrations and my successes, and who proved to be strong allies in the trenches.

My gratitude also extends to my family and friends, who gave me encouragement when it was deeply needed. My father, Leo, taught me that there is a time to work, and a time to relax, and that each is mutually supportive of the other. My mother, Barbara, always offered me a new perspective when I was confronted with a problem, even when I stubbornly refused to see it. To

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my friends, some of whom became informants, and to my informants, many of whom became friends, I can say only this: we all walk the paths set before us by our Gods, but when we're united in the bonds of true and loyal friendship we need never walk alone.

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