Deity Profile: Phanes

As we develop a better sense of deities over time, we want to share our findings and encourage others to share their experiences as well. Though some of this information is taken from text sources in ancient Greece, much of it comes from my direct experiences with Phanes. If you have had different knowledge arise from your work with Phanes, please share in the comments!

Pantheon: Greek

Pronouns: He/His/Him or Ze/Zir/Zim or They/Their/Them

Original Text: Orphic Hymn to Phanes

Witches of Transgression: BORN IN THE FIRE

Tonight is the night we complete the spell we have spent the year crafting together! It is DONE. So Mote it Be.

I whirl at the edge of the universe

Like my Ancxters before me

I am a breaker of chains

My love is unstoppable

Holding the Now to my heart

Embodying the future unfolding

There is nothing to fear

I am a Witch of Transgression

On the last full moon of the year, on Dec. 3, 2017, if you are somewhere it is safe to do so, burn a candle all night.  

Our ideals

• Honor for elders, respect for their survival strategies, attention to their stories and the complexities of their lived experiences, continual respect for their choices including correct gendering throughout end-of-life care and into death.
• Communities connected by love and solidarity that center and amplify the the needs and voices of those who have been oppressed, bringing healing and justice
• A world that creates and maintains spaces of creativity, playfulness, and innovation.
• Alternatives to the prison industrial complex that better serve the needs of those who have been oppressed
• Equitable, accurate and accessible information and education which recognizes the intersectionality of sex, sexuality, gender identity and gender expression
• The establishment of public policies and laws which recognize and support the equal rights of all people, regardless of sex, sexuality, gender identity, gender expression, and any other aspects of being and identity.
• Reclamation of the natural and sacred roles of mxgender people in their communities and cultures; reclamation of repressed histories, stigmatized words and expressions; recognition that gender diversity is a sign of a healthy and holistic culture and restoration of that vitality to our living communities and societies by co-creating cultures of hospitality and freedom of being and expression.
• Respect for the self-determined identities of all people; accurate use of the names, gender identities, titles, and pronouns an individual claims, whether they are new or established; acknowledgement that an individual's identity may change over time or society's understanding of their identity may change; easy correction of medical or legal forms that do not reflect an individual's current identity.
• Accessible and appropriate medical care for all people, especially vulnerable populations such as the homeless and incarcerated; medical professionals knowledgeable about the particular health issues of trans, mxgender, and intersex people; medical forms that allow a person to indicate their sex, gender, and pronouns, and allow for these to change over time; an end to restrictive requirements for changing gender or sex.
• Honor for children; an end to unnecessary medical intervention in the bodies of intersex infants and youth; respect for the clothing, toy, activity, friendship and other preferences of children without regard to gender norms; an end to gender assignment before an individual is able to inform others of their identity; resistance to the systematic oppression that threatens children who in some way transgress gender
• Honor for our trancestors and ancsxtors; respect for the various ways their identities have been expressed over the millennia; honor for the unique cultural and spiritual roles they played; honor for individuals that played important roles; acknowledgement of the hardships they faced; reverence for our named and unnamed transcestors and ansxtors.
• Feel free to add any of your own ideals here.

These are the ideals of the Witches of Transgression

We are all forms of identity intersection in body, mind and spirit

We resist, refuse and reject unkind, unnecessary, and unnatural attempts to control or conform our inherent sense of selfhood

From the gleams in the eyes of the parents to the legends after we die, we call for an openness and loving curiosity about gender, sex, ability, spirituality, and all aspects of unique, individual selfhood

Respect the unknown without labeling it and honor that which has been self-identified.

SO MOTE IT BE!

Mxing it up at… "Queers & Comics" 2017 Conference

Hann Lindahl ("Future Husband"), Jaina Bee (me), and Ryan Rose Aceae ("(Non)Binary Star") photo by Yoram

Zines and underground comics have been a lifelong passion for your quirky mxgender priestx reporter (that's me, Baba Bee). Bypassing the gatekeepers of mainstream media, self-published periodicals, cut-n-paste one-offs, and other xerographic tomes have taught me almost everything i know about the lives, loves, dreams, desires and needs of hundreds (possibly thousands!) of people who would otherwise be unheard or unseen in the world. I've been drawing, composing, and collecting comics and zines since i was a kid in the 1980's, and my appreciation for this medium only grows.

At one of the panels i attended at the 2017 Queers & Comics conference (April 14-16 at CCA SF) there was even a discussion about how the medium of comics itself is queer and binary-breaking, because it mixes words AND images in infinitely mutable ways. There was talk of comics as a vital form of queer self-care, as a way to explore alternative identies and expressions before transitioning or coming out, as a record of our ever-evolving LGBTQIA+ history, and as an especially fun way to network and meet new friends and fans.

This last bit cannot be overstated in its importance, especially when many panelists and attendees spoke of experiencing intense fears of leaving the house, of being (or speaking!) in public, and of interacting with strangers. It was a rare experience for most of us, to be in a crowded conference, where EVERYONE was queer—with a few friendly queer allies in the mix. The mention of pronouns did not bring a quizzical expression to anyone's face. (But seriously, where were all the straight comics geeks? Did they think they weren't welcome? Something to work on…)
I could go on and on about how much i enjoyed this conference— how it was the best of all that i have ever attended— however what i REALLY want to do is share with you some of my favorite creations—and creatrxes—of the weekend.

If you haven't yet encountered the graceful and elegant tales of Maia Kobabe, you're in for a treat. Though eir "Genderqueer" comics series was designed to be viewed on a phone (on eir Tumblr, Instagram or Patreon), e discovered that the three-panel sets fit perfectly into a mini 8-fold format! Effin' brilliant. (OK, full disclosure—i am not only a fan of Maia's, i feel a bit like an elder cousin to em as well. So, yes, i am fairly biased.) I dream of handing out to everyone these poignantly insightful glimpses into discovering and expressing one's genderqueerness. In the more Pagan realm, e is a contributor to the upcoming queer tarot-themed anthology, Tabula Idem, where e collaborated with our mutual friend, Alexandra Genetti (creatrix of the "Wheel of Change Tarot"), on a story about an annual Solstice-related ritual we have shared together many times. Genderqueer + paganism + art? Friends, this is my jam.

My most thrilling moment at the conference was when i was standing next to someone at a merchant table and they suddenly looked at my array of badges and bling and said, "Hey! Are you enby?! Here, have one of my comics!" And it was about mxgender witchcraft!!! "(Non)Binary Star" is about Ryan Rose Aceae's experience growing up in a Wiccan family, and the spiraling path they journeyed to find their own place in the binary-oriented worship of the God and the Goddess. Highly recommended for all folks exploring spirituality and religion beyond the binary.

Right as my jaw was hitting the floor, another excited person walked up to us and introduced herself (it really was quite the friendly conference). Hann Lindahl is a queer intersex activist and the creator of a beautiful two-color mini-comic, "Future Husband," about the effects of a doctor's casual presumption about why a teen-age Hann should start taking estrogen. She packs a heavy punch into that little 8-fold! She's one of the organizers for the 4th annual Queer Comix Expo in SF (July 8-9).

Anna Vo spoke in a couple of panels i attended.  I quickly noticed that i was trying to write down EVERYTHING they said, because they are able to articulate brilliant and radical social justice ideas in a righteous and hilarious manner. We traded zines, and i got "The Swan The Vulture" #6, which collects the prolific explosion of Anna's first year of making comics, which was, like, last year. Phenomenal.

Tittybar Tales is a gorgeous, full-color book by Alex L Combs, who is entering the CCA MFA in Comics program this summer. (Congratulations!) I first met him at the SF Zinefest last summer, and was enticed by the little preview of this comic which splays out the ups and downs and around-and-arounds of his experiences as a stripper, when he was still presenting as a woman. It's actually a lighthearted and funny collection, with no dreadful horror stories (other than razor burn and an aching body). Wow.

The most mesmerizing and beautiful comic i came home with was "Burning" by Bex (a surprise gift from a friend of mine who happened to be attending the con as a sign language interpreter for Bex). Dark, glowing, dreamy and visionary, she glides from her travels within the Arctic Circle on a sailboat full of artists and her travels into a richly detailed world within her mind.

Radical Faerie Church Funnies (2017 Special Edition for Q&C Con) is something i picked up in the merch area. I did not meet Vaughn Frick, the talented creator of this comic book satirizing the "Secret Gay Elite" that bunches up fundamentalist panties of all stripes. The disclaimer says it better than i ever could, "This Radical Faerie Comic Church is a fictional phantasm of dirty eunuch clowns, perverted fruit-bat capitalists, gender cyborgs, old gods, power-tripping ghouls, pagan fundamentalists, and whatever creature or thing I feel fit to draw. It's only about you if you so wish it."


And those are but a few of thedelights that came home with me. I hope to continue to compose reviews. And i am planning to have my own mxgender witch zine ready for the QCE this summer!

The rainbow sparkly tip of the queer comics iceburg!

Rainbow Moon Circle offers the Loving Moon honoring Hermaphroditus

Come As You Are To…The Rainbow Moon Circle’s Loving MoonA Full Moon Circle Honoring and Celebrating Gender Diversity
Saturday, May 6, 8:00PM
Doors open at 8:00PM, circle is cast at 8:15PM
Please arrive on time, no one is admitted after the circle is cast.

The Sacred Well, 536 Grand Avenue, Oakland (wheelchair accessible)

$10-$20 donation accepted, no one turned away for lack of funds

The mxgender Priestxes of Come As You Are Pagan Congregation invite people of any and all genders - or none - to join us in honoring and nurturing our loving nature. We recognize the places where we have been wounded or torn and seek healing and wholeness within ourselves. We call on Hermaphroditus, the intersex love deity of the Greek pantheon, to share Their message.

You are welcome to bring an item to charge on the altar, as well as cakes and ale to share after the circle is opened.

Our Mission: The Rainbow Moon Circle is a safe and sacred space for all to explore the spectra of gender and identity. We honor the holistic experience of self-determined identity and its infinite intersections. We celebrate the glittering prism of Divine existence that is powerful, delightful, enthusiastic, playful, transformative, magickal, compassionate, and reverent. Live the Spectra!

At the Beginning

Phanes is the intersex creator deity of the Greek pantheon.

At the Beginning

I asked Phanes

How was it, at the beginning?

And Phanes answered:

It was like cupping the world in my palms

Like breathing the sacred breath

into them

The only source of light in the world.

I

in the black darkness

My great snakes coiling about me

With this tiny impossible spark

Shimmering, its surface shifting

A complexity beyond imagination.

My wings unfurled

And my daughter, Nyx, curled around this new world,

cradling it

I could let go

My heart breaking with fear and joy

Giving everything for the hope that

this life would survive