Video: Consent and Initiation

Initiatory religio-magical traditions (including, but not limited to, traditional Wicca) face a unique problem: Initiates are sworn to secrecy about the details of their rites, which means that anyone joining one of these traditions undergoes initiation without really knowing what they’re getting themselves into. Potential initiates can’t give informed consent for the rites they’re about to partake in, because they can’t be properly informed. So how do we, as members of initiatory traditions, create a culture of consent? How do we respect the autonomy of non-initiates and their right to decide what does and does not happen to them, while still preserving the secrecy of our mysteries?