Homosexuality and Wicca
By Robert Huneault
Is homosexuality compatible with male/female polarity?
Over the last few decades, many people have thought that the emphasis on male/female polarity in Wicca excludes homosexuals. This view is simplistic, ignorant and false. Homosexuals as well as other people live in a world populated by men and women. They are born of men and women and most are raised by a mother and a father. They do not have a problem distinguishing between male and female, nor maleness and femaleness, though many have difficulty following gender roles defined by and for heterosexuals.
Most gay men do not get married and support a wife and children. Most lesbians do not get married, clean home and raise a family. These are roles which suit a traditional heterosexual family, but they are of little use to a gay adult (although, as I have pointed out, most are raised in that environment as children.) Of course, there is more to gender roles than simply becoming mommies and daddies; there is a whole slew of behavioural patterns and ways of thinking that go with it. Many psychologists and psychiatrists have studied the minds of men and women and many have concluded that there are definite trends in both (although there are always individual exceptions.) Men tend to be more linear in their thinking, women more intuitive. Men tend to be more competitive, women seem to be more likely to want to co-operate. We can also find a difference in the anatomy of the brain. In the hypothalmus there is a small cluster of cells that seems to be linked to the sex drive. In straight males this group of cells is larger than in straight females. Interestingly, in gay males, this group of cells is smaller, in fact, it is comparable in size to that found in straight females. Unfortunately there is no information as yet on the brains of lesbians. This study gives greater weight to the argument that homosexuality is innate and not a social construct. It has also been found that there is a greater exchange between the right and left hemispheres of the brain among women than among straight men. I am told that this is also the case in gay men.
Of course this is not to say that gay men are like women, though many heterosexuals have jumped to that conclusion. Gay men cannot follow the straight male gender role, because it is not part of their nature. They cannot follow the female gender role either, as this is also not their nature. Homosexuals must either find their own gender roles or accept that they live beyond pre-defined roles. Perhaps one can see a glimpse at this gender role among flaming queens. Queens have very exaggerated gestures, sharp tongues and lots of energy. A straight friend asked me once why such men are referred to as "effeminate", since there is nothing feminine about them. Indeed he is correct — queens usually lack the grace that is natural to women (hence the gestures seem exaggerated), and they seem more crude. Perhaps the answer lies in the fact that the term "effeminate" was coined by heterosexual men. As straight men saw other men who acted differently, they labelled them as "other". However, to a straight man living in a straight male/female world, other means female, so the queer-acting man was labelled "effeminate" or woman-like. This has only led to confusion both for heterosexuals who could not understand a woman-like man, and for homosexuals who had no proper role-model to follow. Being gay, a straight model would be inadequate and, as gay role-models are hard to find, a gay youth often has to make his own path. Some will follow female role-models, but it is interesting to note that the women most often imitated by drag queens tend to be very strong, powerful women, "larger than life", and not very typical of what we usually think of as "feminine".
I propose that the male/female model that we use is, although useful, limited. It is a bit like using black/white, or summer/winter to represent the concept of polarity. White can be divided into the spectrum of the whole rainbow, and to the seasons can be added spring and fall. The human spectrum includes (though might not be limited to) straight male/bisexual male/gay male/transsexual (male to female/female to male)/gay female/bisexual female/straight female. When we look beyond the physical surface, we see that human sexuality is not so black and white. Even beyond negative and positive there are at least six flavours of quarks!
If we accept that polarity doers not refer to an either/or situation, but refers to opposite ends of a spectrum, then indeed homosexuality (and indeed all forms of sexuality) is compatible.
Can an homosexual become one of the "Hidden Children of the Goddess"?
Homosexual men approach the feminine in a manner very different from heterosexual men. Most straight men tend to be ignorant of their feminine side (their anima, if you will) for most, or all of their lives. The straight man will deal with the anima by externalizing it and projecting it onto women. He seeks to unite with the feminine by finding a female mate to balance or complete him.
The gay man on the other hand is aware from childhood that male homosexuality is associated with the feminine. While growing up, he will be aware that anyone suspected of homosexuality will be called "sissy", "fairy", "girly", and any boy who acts in a manner perceived as effeminate will be suspected of homosexuality. It is therefore unavoidable that a boy who realizes that he is homosexual will become aware that his sexuality associates him with femininity, whether that femininity is expressed or not. This connection to the feminine not only makes it possible for a gay man to relate to the Goddess, but may even make it easier.
As to being a HIDDEN child, well, that’s easy! Almost all homosexuals have spent at least a part of their lives hiding. The Craft laws tell us that in the old days it was necessary for a witch to keep his or her identity a secret to escape torture and death. To the gay child, this is the case today. A gay child who grows up in a society which considers homosexuals as deviants will grow up afraid of losing the love of his parents, siblings and friends should they discover his orientation. Such a child will know that if he comes out, he may be kicked out into the streets, or beaten up, or even killed. Homosexuals are no stranger to being hidden; it has been a means of survival. Unfortunately, remaining in the closet leads to other problems: You become lonely and depressed. This often leads to alcoholism and drug abuse, which is a form of spiritual suicide. In some cases, the closet can also lead to a more physical suicide. The best move is to emerge from the closet, be cautious, brave, hope for the best, and know that you are not alone.
Can homosexuals work magic?
Of course homosexuals can work magic. Sexual orientation has never been a barrier to this. The berdache, or two-spirited people, of many North American tribes were particularly noted for their spiritual/magical work. These people did not fit traditional male/female gender roles. These men would often dress as women, or wear something that was not generally worn by men, and would tend to perform women’s chores. They would often marry men, and were often prized as wives, for they tended to be able to do more than most women. As these people could go between the genders and beyond, they were also believed to be able to go between the world of men and that of spirits. Indeed, it was their non-conformity to gender roles that made them particularly good as medicine men.
In traditional Craft, we are often told that magic between two men is impossible or even evil. This is nonsense. Much of the magic that we perform in Wicca stems from ceremonial magic, yet most magicians have historically been men. Although ceremonial magic was often practiced alone, it was also common to have an assistant, who would usually be another man or boy. In modern times, magicians often meet in lodges which tend to be predominantly male.
I have myself worked with male and female partners, and I have never noticed a difference in the quality of the magic performed as a result of the gender of the other person. Alex Sanders himself once produced a magical child by working with another man. (J. Johns, 1969, King of the Witches). I think much of the problem arises when people confuse polarity magic with gender magic. Polarity magic is performed by two people who act as different poles in a magical circuit. Gender magic is performed by two people of opposite genders using their sexual energy and magnetism to produce a magical effect. This is simply heterosexual sex magic. Homosexuals can achieve the same effect, except it will be with a member of the same gender.
Can homosexuals understand the mysteries?
The mysteries of the Craft, as found when we look beyond our legends of the God and Goddess, can be experienced by anyone who has grown to a certain spiritual level. If people are not drawn to the Craft, our legends will probably not speak to them, but if they are spiritually mature, they will have experienced the mysteries in some other way.
In Wicca, these mysteries are particularly visible as the interplay between the male and female principles of the universe. As the reader has seen by now, a gay man is no stranger to interactions of male and female; he simply sees them from a different perspective. So it is with the mysteries.
Can homosexuals become High Priests or High Priestesses?
As there is nothing about homosexuality which limits a person’s spiritual growth, a homosexual can be initiated into the High Priesthood, that is to say, to the second or third degree. However, in traditional Wicca the rituals are, at least to some extent, a re-enactment of the legends of the God and Goddess. In solitary work this does not matter as one can invoke either the God or Goddess, or both, but in coven the God and the Goddess should be represented. It is for this reason that covens are led by a man and a woman. This should be the case regardless of the sexual orientation of the participants. Although in theory a person could represent either the God or Goddess, in practice this can be awkward in a skyclad coven.
Can homosexuals perform the Great Rite?
Traditionally the Great Rite is the union of a couple with each other and with the Gods through the medium of sex. If the couple is gay and of the same gender, they should be able to achieve the same effect. Some, though not all, homosexuals can also perform sex with members of the opposite gender. In that case they may also be able to perform the Great Rite with a member of the opposite gender.
The Great Rite is also a part of the third degree initiation ritual. As initiations within traditional Wicca are always cross-gender for reasons that relate to the mysteries, this may seem to cause some problems. However, there is a version of the Great Rite which does not involve sex that can be used for this initiation. This version of the Great Rite is often referred to as "symbolic" or "in token", although "platonic" may be more appropriate as the same magical effect should occur, except without the use of sex.
For all the above reasons I feel that homosexuals cannot be barred from traditional Wicca, nor from the High Priesthood on the basis of sexual orientation. "There is no part of us that is not of the Gods", and that must include our sexuality. As Alex Sanders once said (The Alex Sanders Tapes, vol. 1, 1987): "Always; the God, the Goddess; a man, a woman, two women; two men. A perfect triangle of power. And these stand out particularly if you work and discover the mysteries and myths of the Wicca that I was taught."
Final Note
I must apologize to my lesbian sisters for not having mentioned them very much in this paper. Although I suspect that much of what I have said would apply to them as well, I did not wish to be so bold as to speak for them. Surely men have spoken on behalf of women far too much as it is. I also leave it to bisexuals and transsexuals to speak for themselves.
References and suggested reading:
Conner, Randy P. Blossom of Bone – Reclaiming the Connections between Homoeroticism and the Sacred. Harper San Francisco. 1993
Hopcke, Robert H. Jung, Jungians and Homosexuality, Shambhala, 1991.
Johns, June, King of the Witches — The World of Alex Sanders, Coward-McCann Inc., 1969.
Sanders, O. Alexander, The Alex Sanders Tapes – Witchcraft as an Initiatory Path; Vol. 1: Exposition of the Wicca and Vol. 11: Rites and Ceremonies, Ordine Della Luna, 1987.
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This was in my Ethic Folder in my BoS on my computer. I am no stranger to homosexuality. While I am a "straight" (Once Bi-sexual due to curiosity) I still have many gay and bisexual friends. I found this article both heartwarming and truthful and found that perhaps I could pass it on. Sadly this was done before I realized I should always attach a web address into the file as well. Still all credit to the author.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
A sample of my Ethic Folder
Friday, November 2, 2007
Incantation and a new baby!
So for those who were paying attention, I told you guys about a incantation I repeated over and over one day so that Halloween would be a pleasant one.
Well, it worked. It wasn't WARM but it was indeed pleasant. Me and my friends were out for a good 3-4 hours that night. It was cold but we were moving around and so excited that we barely felt the cold. So in reality it worked! It just wasn't the way I was expected.
On other news:
I'm an Aunty for the first time. My older brother, Douglas; and his lovely girlfriend Jamie had a baby girl 11:30 on the First of November. She's 1 pound 12 ounces. She was due in February but due to a complication that I'm not fully educated in, she was delivered early. From what I gathered, Jamie had a complication that made her body reject the fetus. Her blood pressure went straight up and both of them were in danger. They gave Jamie a lot of medication to try and get her BP down, and keep the baby inside for at least another month. When it came apparent this wasn't working, they allowed her to give birth to the child.
Her name is Grace, and by the Grace of the Lord and Lady she's alive. Though she's still at a lot of risk, she'll be just fine.
I'm asking for advice if anyone knows how to do a baby blessing. While I don't want this to be a "Wiccaning" I do want it to bless the child to the new world. Her parents are both Christian but her mother understands my faith and knows I would never mean harm to her child.
Blessings to all
Blessings to you Grace
May your tiny feet leave big foot prints in the world
May your voice speak like angels
May your Grace bless all those you meet.
You truly are a miracle
Monday, October 29, 2007
Halloween is Near
So it's that time of year again. Our Year is ending, and our Beloved Lord is in his lovers arms, dying slowly. His last few days are upon him and all we can do is remember he will not be gone for long.
I found it amusing, to say the least; that there were very little information about his death. When he dies, he rests for a period of time, allowing his soul to re-energize before embedding his soul into his unborn son. Now is Son will be born as Him at the time of Yule.
I like writing Wiccan Sabbat stories. So here is one I'm writing as I write this post. I'll probably edit, delete, repost and so on 'till I get it right.
The little ginger cat looked curiously at her witchy friend, her eyes blinking as she saw the young witch put up decorations. The tabby was still a kitten, and had only been around for a few Sabbats. The hallway was covered in cobwebs, the kitchen table had a black cloth with bright orange sparkles on the edges, with bats and other scary creatures. There was a skeleton hung on the back of a door and whats worse, there was a monster with blood dripping from his mouth and an open wound on his neck.
The kitten puffed up and took off from the kitchen area in such a fuss. The young witch could only blink in surprise. Deciding to finish putting up the black and orange streamers on the top of the walls, she contemplated where her kitten would have went to hide. There were decorations everywhere so the kitten would probably be under the bed or under the pillows in her room.
The young witch got off her foot stool and began calling out Kia's name. For about 10 minutes she heard not a single mew. She looked at first in the bedroom, under the bed, pillows and even blankets. Puzzled she tried the living room. She couldn't find her there either. Not in or under the cushions, in the flower pot (she loved to take naps there) or even behind the book case. Deciding she try somewhere else, she tripped on a lump underneath the rug. The witch landed with a thug and looked to see how that happened. Underneath the carpet was an unharmed ginger tabby, puffed up still like a porcupine fish.
"Now what has gotten into you?" She asked, picking up the kitten by the scruff of her neck and holding her gently, but firmly, in her arms.
The ginger kitten looked up at her, tawny amber eyes wide.
"Monsters an' creepy things... why?" She was only a kitten, and learning to speak in ways for the witch to understand wasn't easy.
"It's Samhain. It's the time of year that people like to have spooky things around and have fun. It's nothing to be scared about though, the monsters in the kitchen aren't real. Although, it wouldn't be unusual if you saw a ghost."
"Real ghosts?"
"Yep. The spirit realm is at it's very thinnest. Most mean no harm, but a few do. Here." She said, putting the kitten on the table, beside a jack-o-lantern with a face carved into it. The kitten sniffed it and scrunched her nose a few times. Raw pumpkin didn't smell the best.
"What's that?"
"That is a Jack-O-Lantern. It guides the dead around safely and scares off any that would might wish harm upon others."
"Does it work?"
"I haven't had any bad ghosts bug me during this time of year, so I yes it does." She said with a smile.
The kitten looked at it, it had a scary face but she put a paw on it, moving it slightly off balance. It wiggled back and forth when she stopped pushing on it.
"It's neat looking. I like it."
"I'm glad." Said the witch.
The kitten looked at all the decorations. She was still confused about it, but like the rest of the sabbats, she knew there was something special about this one. It wasn't often her entire house was themed off of a holiday. In fact, she couldn't recall one that required such elaborate decorating.
"Morgan, what is Samhain about? Is it an important holiday?" The kitten asked, Morgan looked sad and picked up the kitten, carrying her to the living room. They sat down on Morgans favorite chair.
"Samhain is a very happy, and yet a very sad time of year." She said, her voice a bit quiet.
"Today is the day the great Lord has rest his head in peace after taking his last forsaken breath. He died today in the Lady's arms." The kitten looked at her. Kia knew about the God and Goddess. How they controlled the seasons, plants and animals. Though she knew very little about their life cycles. She didn't know God's could die.
"Wh... what about summer? Don't we need the God for his sun?? Will the sun never rise again?"
"The sun will rise again. It will just be very cold and faint. Don't worry though, his lover will give birth to him in December."
"Born again? When?"
"December 21, when the sun rises. Then he will grow and grow into spring and summer, and slowly wane back into fall and die before winter. It's how it's always been. During his transition from death to birth, his soul rests for awhile. When he feels he has enough energy, he puts his soul into his unborn son. When his son is born, it is the God who is reborn again. It sound confusing now, but you'll understand better as you get older."
"Oh. So is that why there are a lot of spooky things around?" Kia asked curiously.
"I suppose so, I understand that the veil that separate us from those who have crossed over is very thin. Perhaps it's because the Lord has crossed over and his power is so great that it thinned the wall. But, that is only what I think. Not everyone thinks the same." Morgan said, stroking the kitten.
"Samhain... is the time to remember those who have passed away." Morgan looked at a picture of a big orange tabby tom cat. He wore a leather spiked collar, made for a dog, and looked like he was smiling. A tear ran down her cheek.
"Like father?" Kia said sadly.
"Yeah, like your father." Morgan said, solemnly.
"And my grandparents, my friends, and even people we wish to not remember - or plainly not welcome. Some ghosts are just best to be left alone, especially if they're malicious and like to play tricks on us."
Kia looked at the picture of her dad. Her mom belonged to someone else, but her brothers and sisters all found good homes. Her dad died after becoming ill. She was born shortly after his death. Morgan petted the kittens soft fur, reminding herself how Luke felt when he was that small. She missed her boy very much, but was glad for the bundle of fur in her arms.
"Will I ever see my dad?" Kia asked, licking the tear from Morgan's cheek.
"One day I'm sure. I don't think his spirit is strong enough yet to meet us though this year."
Morgan placed the kitten back on the ground and got up. She still had some work to do. Halloween was only a few days away.
"Come on girl, let's go to the market and pick up some apples and sweets. Trick-Or-Treaters will be visiting our home soon."
Morgan looked once more at the picture of her beloved friend.
"I hope to see you this year, my friend. If not then I'll be waiting."
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Two Wolves
I cannot remember where I found this, but I did not write it and I do not claim it as my own. This was just one of the files I had under my "Ethics" folder on my computer.
Two Wolves
Peaceful and relaxing
An elder Cherokee Native American was teaching his grandchildren about life. He said to them...
“A fight is going on inside me... it is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One wolf represents fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego.
The other stands for joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.
This same fight is going on inside you and every other person, too.”
They thought about this for a minute, and then one child asked his grandfather... “Which wolf will win?”
The old Cherokee simply replied... “The one you feed.”
But I must say, it's words to live by.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Testing yourself
So we've all been here, long trip to the bathroom.. bring a book!
Well... just because I spend nearly 80% of the day on my computer (sometimes up to 95%) doesn't mean I don't read books. I don't have tons mind you, but I do have a decent collection.
However, I've never really completed one of my Wiccan books before. To fix this "getting a Wiccan book but never using it" mode I came up with this.
YOUR OWN BOOK QUIZ!!!
Fun right!? I'm hearing the LoL's from here! Ok I'm serious! This is just a thought from nearly 35 hours of no sleep so I haven't tried this yet, but it sounds plausible.
Pick up the book you wish to study. Find key points of each chapter, read * on the bottom of the pages if the author put * beside a word or sentence. Do a quick scan and ask yourself, what did you pick up? Something you didn't understand? Completely boring?
It's all good. Ask questions about the chapter. "What did I learn?" "What should I go back and study for again?" "Why does this work?" Things like that.
Don't forget the all important "What do you think this means? Why?" Questions!
An essay at the end of the book is another great idea.
TAKE NOTES, STUDY THE BOOK, AND LEARN FROM IT!
Worse comes to worst... you might actually learn something!
The things I come up with when I'm sleep deprived.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Good afternoon.
Hello again, as of last night I came up with a brilliant idea!
I have a BoS on my computer. It's a file that's on my other harddrive where I've copied things I've put onto notes and placed the articles in the files.
My BoS is HUGE 997 files and 152 folders. There is a reason why I don't anything into binders or an actual BoS, there's just no way!
If anyone knows how to personalize their desktop, then you've probably have put a picture on your folders to describe the folders content better.
If you don't know what I'm talking about then here's how you do it.
1. Find the folder you wish to personlize
2. Right click the folder and go down to Properties at the very bottom
3. Go to the Customize tab on the far right of the Property window
4. Go to "Choose Picture"
5. Browse your computer and find the picture that you want to put.
And there you go. No matter how many pictures or files you have stored in that folder, it'll only show that picture for now on. You can change it when ever you want too.
But see.. just CHOOSING a picture didn't seem personal to me enough. It wasn't what I wanted and it's taken me nearly a year to figure out why it didn't feel right. Then it occurred to me: Make my own!
I use the GIMP program. It's a free paint program similar to that of Photoshop or MS paint. I'll give you a tutorial, but I do apologize that it IS for GIMP and not PSP or MS Paint.
Anyways, two example folders inside my BoS is my Ailments and Therapies folder (natural cures, tinctures, medicines, and common illnesses and natural remedies) and my Animal Folder.
So, I've learned to make background images and manipulate pictures and the like and came up with an idea. I created these instead.
So don't let anyone tell you that just because you have your BoS on your computer, that you can't personalize and customize it to your liking. There are a lot of things that you can do to make it beautiful!
Enjoy!
Monday, October 15, 2007
Halloween Incantation
I've been chanting this since this evening.
Today was beautiful, it was warm and bright and very unusual weather here where I live.
Because of this: I want to make sure that it's nice out on Halloween so I can actually go out with my friends. This is VERY short.
Repeat as often as you feel necessary.
I did this when riding on my Vino Scooter (Yamaha) going back and forth to my boyfriends house. I know it's going to be a wonderful day.
