Thoughts from the Dean's Desk

In Wicca and Paganism, as our population ages the question of how is Sacred Sexuality expressed in our lives as we age. Beyond the Great Rite in ritual or a May Pole dance at Beltane, must someone who has been a practitioner leave the practice as they age?  Or can someone older begin the practice as they have more time in their life to focus on their personal pleasure? 

Sacred sexuality is a living current in a river that flows through every season of life, reshaping its banks as we grow. It is not bound by age or appearance; it is a spiritual force that deepens with wisdom, softens with compassion, and expands with experience. To walk this path is to honor the body as temple, desire as prayer, and intimacy as a gateway to the divine. 

The body is not merely flesh; it is a sacred archive of every joy, sorrow, and ecstasy we have ever known. With age, this archive becomes richer, layered with stories and sensations that younger bodies cannot yet fathom. Wrinkles are not signs of decay; they are hieroglyphs of wisdom. Scars are not imperfections; they are sacred seals of resilience. We don’t stop being sexual beings as we age, even if our desire and our physicality changes. 

Mystical traditions teach that the body is the first altar. We talk about the body as a receptacle for deity when we invoke in Wicca, so treating the body as sacred is an important part of that practice. As we age, this altar becomes more potent, vibrating with the energy of lived experience. Practices like body blessing rituals, where we anoint ourselves with oils or scented waters while speaking words of reverence and empowerment, remind us that every curve and crease is holy. Breathwork and slow, intentional movement such as yoga or qigong allow us to feel the body as a vessel of divine presence. 

Desire is not a flame that burns out; it is a fire that changes color. Desire naturally ebbs and flows at any age. In youth, it may blaze with urgency; later, it glows like embers, warm and steady. This transformation is not a loss; it is liberation. Freed from the tyranny of performance and cultural scripts, desire becomes spacious, soulful, and deeply attuned. It becomes something we want instead of an urgent need.  Something to look forward to instead of something that must be catered to. 

Sacred sexuality invites us to see desire as a creative life force. When we reclaim desire in later life, we reclaim our connection to the cosmos. Erotic energy becomes prayer, a way of saying yes to life. Practices like eye-gazing, breath synchronization, and heart-centered touch can awaken this energy gently, reminding us that pleasure is not about speed it is about presence. Pleasure is something to be savored and reveled in. 

As we age, we step into archetypes that carry profound spiritual power. The Crone or Sage is not a figure of decline but of sovereignty; they hold the keys to mystery and transformation. They have loved and experienced pleasure many times and know how this practice can enlighten and transform. The Elder Lover is a keeper of erotic wisdom, teaching that intimacy is not confined to the bedroom but woven into every act of tenderness. That touch between intimate companions can help transcend the stress and pain that life sometimes brings. 

Working with these archetypes can be deeply mystical. Through guided visualization, journaling, and ritual, we can invoke their qualities within ourselves. Imagine lighting a candle for the Crone and whispering: “Teach me the beauty of endings and the magic of beginnings.” These archetypes remind us that sexuality is not just about orgasm it is also about depth and connection. 

Hormonal shifts, physical changes, and emotional evolution are not obstacles they are initiations. Each change invites us to surrender old identities and embrace new forms of pleasure. Sacred sexuality teaches that adaptation is not a compromise; it is creativity. When joints ache, we explore positions of ease. When energy wanes, we discover the ecstasy of slowness and the amazing wonderfulness of sensual touch. It is not the burn of youthful desire, but the low fire that lasts well into the night, allowing lovers to return again and again to the sensuality of touch. Stoking fires until they burn bright and then settle into a glow. 

Mystical practices like yoni and lingam blessing rituals, chakra meditations, and sound healing can help us integrate these changes with grace. They remind us that sexuality is not static; it is a spiral, always inviting us deeper into the mystery of embodiment. It grounds us in the reality of the moment, inviting us to extend the moment and resonate in an infinite breath. 

Sacred sexuality across life stages is a pilgrimage, a journey from the outer landscapes of desire to the inner sanctum of the soul. It asks us to honor the body as holy, to embrace desire as divine, and to share wisdom as a sacred gift. In doing so, we transform aging from something to fear into a luminous rite of passage.  We bring pleasure, beauty and spirituality along with us into a time of life where things slow down, and our focus shifts from struggle and work to days of leisure and connection. 

Last night, 
I saw the realm of joy and pleasure. 
There I melted like salt; 
no religion, no blasphemy, 
no conviction or uncertainty remained. 
In the middle of my heart, 
a star appeared, 
and the seven heavens were lost in its brilliance. 

~ Rumi 

** In January of 2026, Magic 392: Introduction to Sacred Sexuality will be offered at WSTS.  This can be taken as an elective in a traditional program, as a stand alone class or as part of our new Professional Skills Program track of classes. If this post interests you, this course will allow you to delve deeper into the topic. Register Here!