Fertility:

Many Pagans fear fertility. It's a strange statement to make, I know, but I will explain why:

As a group of religions which value the idea of free sex as an expression of their freedom to be whomever they please, Pagans see it as their right to have sex as much, and with whomever they wish. There is nothing wrong with this idea.

The problem lies not in the desire to have sex, but in the fear that still lingers with the idea, and the fact that this fear continues to repress the piety of Pagans everywhere. An excellent example of this fear's manifestation is the maypole dances that occur each Beltaine.

I've been to several Beltaine rituals in my time as a Pagan. At every ritual, at least half the participants in the ritual will not participate in the maypole dance. The overwhelming reason I have heard for this is that these persons not participating in the maypole are afraid of pregnancy.

This is, of course, a legitimate concern when engaging in sexual activity, but the fact that it causes people who seem to really, really want to participate to avoid it altogether is mind-boggling to me. I disagree with their approach to the subject entirely.

Instead of avoiding pregnancy by avoiding fertility, they should work to channel that fertility better. Creativity is a form of fertility, as are beauty, abundance of the Earth, and there is even a material aspect. I suppose that what really needs to be said here is that too many Pagans are focused on sex and fertility as an aspect of sex. By worrying about sex and its consequences to the point of fearing displays of piety, Pagans are only hurting themselves.

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