In O.T.O. culture, we’re all brothers and sisters. We’re a friendly lot. We’re sex magicians. Hugging is how we express affection, say hello, goodbye, congratulations, and so on.
But even among sex magicians, consent matters. Not everyone wants to be touched all the time. Just because you’ve hugged someone before doesn’t mean you have the right to do so again.
Some tips:
- If someone looks uncomfortable when you hug them, please stop hugging them.
- If someone shuffles away when you stand beside them, don’t move closer to them again.
- If someone shrugs your hand off their shoulder, don’t put your hand back on.
- If someone says they don’t like to be touched, I don’t care how much it “offends” you. Stop touching them.
While we are not, strictly speaking, pagans, the Pagan Pope has advice to be sure that your touch isn’t intrusive: Hugging and Consent.
