This was an post of sorts that I thought would only be one little essay, but since, after a lengthy introduction and a discussion of how social constructs put blinders on us when we approach the gods, I realize that now it will probably be a series of sorts on the subject.
The gods you can expect to hear about in the future are:
- Hera
- Innana & Ereshkigal
- Loki
- Thor - which was a surprise to me, as the Snorri myths are pretty rife with inflated, overblown masculinity, but I will explain in due time.
- Artemis
- Freya
- Dionysus
- and last but certainly not least, dearest, darling Baphomet - a deity who is the most responsible for helping me reclaim my omnigender/genderqueer identity.
As a witch more specifically, I think that if I am going to ask for aid from deities and spirits alike, I better damn well know who they are and have a relationship based on respect, not just an approach that is a "one-stop-capitalistic-god shop" that only invokes them in magic circles when it suits me, and ignoring them the rest of the time. Witchcraft is spiritual empowerment for me, but I will not misuse the names of the gods and the spirits by not taking the time to get to know them, both through research and UPG.
As a queer bodied person coming more firmly into their own body, I must make time to ask the gods who I have worked with previously how they transcend the cis/het and misogynistic narratives they were packaged into in the past and how they challenge these structures in their divine works.
I will never be the polytheist who thinks the gods only want blind obedience. I think understanding is the key for a strong reciprocal relationship, and so this post sets a foundation of trans and genderqueer positivity & safe sacred spaces that I need to help dispel dysphoria and fear in my spiritual life.
The gods are not defined by human notions and stories alone - what these reflect more than anything, is our limited understanding of them and our own societal values. I think often times the gods come to us within certain constructs and under certain themes since that is how they will communicate more effectively within our own culture. But if we do not recognize and challenge how constructs such as gender and institutions of sexism shape how we work with those values, we have cut ourselves off from the fullness in experiencing deity, and often times, given power to systems of oppression (against others and ourselves).
I want to give my gods the space to voice acceptance for the queer body. Trans/queer/intersex people deserve to know that they are loved by the deities they love and honor. And so this post is a chance to explore through writing the ways that love has been made apparent to me.
Gods and People are plurality.
Ge is many faced, held by the sun, holding the moon, in the science of perfect love. And we, the non binary, are coming out of their sacred caverns, blooming like manifold petals from the quantum lotus. And I will learn from the theologies, both old and new, and from many schools of magical thought, and where this cave spills out upon, as daimons in body and heart, we will spill out across Ge's 21st century.
We are kicking down the temples to build up new ones -
doric pedestals in which the transgressive body takes a stand to say
We are sacred, too. Our bodies are hallowed by the dawn, too
Innana's children, Ereskigal's spooks, we come in many forms.
And we are not letting the old paradigms swallow us whole EVER again.
Up next in the series: more on social constructs, and an introduction to Hera's non-binary safe space. :)
Thank you for reading,
Ecco
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