Witches of Transgression Full Moon Magick

AN INVITATION TO THE WITCHES OF THE WORLD - PLEASE SHARE WIDELY!

2017 Witches of Transgression Working:

BORN IN THE FIRE

The Divine Spiraling Rainbow Tribe is a Circle within the CAYA Pagan Congregation devoted to exploring and honoring sacred mxgender Mysteries. Our Priestxes embody the experience of identity beyond the gender binary, and celebrate the glittering prism of Divine existence that is Powerful, Delightful, Enthusiastic, Playful, Transformative, Magickal, Compassionate, and Reverent. We invite people of all genders or none, but especially mxgender and non-binary people, to join us in our first year of doing a public, world-wide working to bring a better world into being. By performing this ritual in our own spaces all over the world each Full Moon, we grid the Earth with the energy of the Divine, toward a shared vision of intentional change.

I want to participate. What should I do?

If you would like to join us in this effort, please:

1. Share this working and its intent with other people you know, or in your own social media, using the hashtag #witchesoftransgression
2. Follow our blog.
3. Perform the following ritual at your own altar each Full Moon between now and December 3, 2017. We begin Jan. 12, 2017, but join us whenever you wish.

THE RITUAL WORKING: EVERY FULL MOON

You will need:

• a red seven day candle
• a copy of our ideals

The Working:

• Light your candle. If you are not able to get or use a candle safely, please feel free to instead watch this video: https://youtu.be/IrR2u4_8LLg
• Gaze into the fire, feel the strength of your own inner flame burning inside you. Envision your inner flame manifesting in the world. Contemplate our ideals and the ways you embody them and act upon them. Do not dwell on the fears and pains of the past. Instead, know that the world we wish to create is already coming into being. When you feel ready, recite the Witches of Transgression prayer.

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.  

We welcome binary-identified people to lend us energetic support in this ongoing project, and we thank you for your alliance. We invite you to embody and exemplify our ideals, as we also are doing. You may also wish to join our sisters in the Mothers of the New Time prayer, our brothers in the Fathers of Change prayer on the dark moon, and families in the Children of Promise working.

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!

Midsummer growth and gratitude

I have lots of room for growth.

This is a mantra I have been working with recently. It fits so well with being in an ally role, which is what I am as a Rainbow Sparkle, in my service through the mxgender circles CAYA offers (Rainbow Moon Circles and Divine Spiraling Rainbow Tribe sabbats). I am a cis woman, and am navigating my way in serving the non-binary pagan community in a respectful and supportive way.

One key for me is grooving out to the harmony part in the song the Priestxs co-create for each public ritual I help offer (metaphorically speaking). Not needing to be in the spotlight to know that I’m doing essential and valued work. Really relishing being a pillar of support. I think of my harmony part as similar to when I was Second Alto in a college choir: I never had the melody, but always had these rich tones to carry that added to the complexity and beauty of the music. Plus I got to listen to the melody without being engaged in creating it myself, which let me revel in hearing that part (metaphorically: receiving that wisdom). Many people are forced into the position of second (or fifth!) fiddle, so I know choosing it actively is a privilege. And I am SO grateful to have that choice, and to learn about the community I serve, and about myself, by singing harmony.

Because one thing I have learned so far: I have lots of room for growth.

I think of myself as socially liberal, as knowledgeable about and respectful of individuals’ chosen identities, as kind and curious. And I am those things. But that doesn’t mean I already know all the gender identities that exist (partly because there are an infinite number!), or that I didn’t learn a few new things about myself by reading The Gender Book (by Mel Reiff Hill and Jay Mays, and Co.) (and also, it’s gorgeously done, if you haven’t had a chance to read it yet!). And it didn’t mean I already understood the three-axis distinction between sex and gender and sexuality until after I’d completed a BA in Sociology. And it certainly doesn’t mean I know anything about a person’s gender identity until I ask, or have been informed!

So maybe particularly if you’re cis-gendered (or know an ally who is!), and not used to thinking about gender variance in all its rainbow glory, consider whether you know your 3D identity (or maybe it’s 5D?!?) as accurately, at least in the moment, as I’ve come to know my own:

Sex (based on anatomy/physical traits): female

Gender (based on personal perception/experience): woman

Sexuality (based on who I find attractive): pansexual

There are so many intersecting aspects of identity that you might easily be a hyperspatial, multidimensional being! But at least for me, it’s been enough of a learning curve just to get those three accurate. ;)

And still: I have lots [more] room for growth.

Blessed Midsummer!

And blessed be your journey of self-discovery!

- Shell

---

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!

To Paniris

You
Child of Rainbows
Light-hearted, You carry a message on the wind
You dance between heaven and earth
Graceful and stumbling
Joyful as You weep
You embody contradictions

Rainbow Moon Circle at Pantheacon

CAYA Coven's Rainbow Moon Circle presents the Rite of the Sparkling Spectra at Pantheacon in San Jose! Sunday, February 19 at 9pm.

Priest/ess/xes and Dedicants of CAYA Coven invite people of any and all genders—or none—to join us in this sacred rite to recognize and celebrate gender diversity in our deities, in our communities, and in ourselves. We will invoke Panprosdexia (All-Acceptance); the Agender deity of the Tetrad++, to guide us in transforming the corrosive shrapnel of life's conflicts into glittering balls of magick to empower our work and play in the world.

Also, we will be enjoying nut-free, vegan hot cocoa with rainbow sprinkles, thanks to Yeshe!

This is an all-ages ritual, and completely ADA accessible, though attendance is restricted to members of the conference. Our next public, NOTAFLOF ritual will be on May 6, at The Sacred Well in Oakland. We hope to see YOU there.

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!

Mxgender Mxer at Pagan Fest this Saturday!

Come As You Are to… The Rainbow Moon Circle Stitch-n-Witch—Saturday, May 7, 11am-noon, MLK Park, Berkeley— FREE!!!

Mxgender members of CAYA Coven will be hosting a crafty social hour at our CAYA Coven booth at the 13th Pagan Festival in Berkeley this weekend. Honoring this year's theme of Ancestral Wisdom, we will be decorating jackets, bags and whatever we wish to with colorful quilt patches of beloved Transcestors—our beloved dead of countless genders and sexes.

Transcestor quilt patch from Rainbow Moon Circle Rite of Release

DIY! The sticker machine will be loaded and ready to make archival-quality stickers from your own photos, prints or drawings of beloved Transcestors, too. Tasty refreshments will be served and we will share stories of our loved ones and conspire about creative ways to support living members of our vast and varied communities.

They do not rest in peace—THEY RISE IN POWER!

We hope you will come on over and introduce yourself, enjoy a snack, and get crafty! Live the Spectra!

Blessed be.

Rainbow Moon Circle's Rite of Becoming Feb 27 at The Sacred Well

CAYA Coven’s Rainbow Moon Circle presents The Rite of Becoming

A sacred circle honoring the full spectra of gender diversity

Saturday, February 27, 2016

8pm (no one is admitted after the circle is cast).

The Sacred Well

536 Grand Ave, Oakland

wheelchair accessible

$10-$20 donation requested—no one turned away for lack of funds.

Come As You Are Pagan Congregation’s Rainbow Moon Circle invites people of any and all genders —or none— to join us as we reveal the possibilities and potential in ourselves and each other. What will we choose to bring forth into the world? We will call upon Panprosdexia—All-Acceptance; the Agender deity of the Tetrad++ pantheon, to support this work. Together we will witness and honor the first public Initation into The Divine Spiraling Rainbow Tribe—CAYA Coven’s Mxgender Mystery Tradition. Bring something to charge on the altar and a treat for Cakes and Ale following the ritual— and Come As You Are!

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!

Mark your calendars for Trickster Moon; Saturday, April 23, 7pm at The Qultural Collective, Oakland.

Share your sparkles with us on FB & G+ RainbowMoon

http://www.cayacoven.org/rainbow/

Be a Gender Diversity Ally! Just Ask Me How.

Pantheacon, the annual San Francisco Bay Area pagan conference, is coming up this weekend. Let’s show our beautiful gender diverse community some love!

• Use the name and gender that the person currently uses. You can find it on their handy dandy badge and ribbon. Or you can ask! It’s great that you’ve known Pond (they/them/their) since they were Lauren (she/her/hers). Honor their now!  

• Accidental misgendering/deadnaming happens. It’s a bummer for both parties, but we are evolving beings and sometimes we aren't up to date on everyone. Apologize, use the correct gender/name and move on. Accept that gentle correction (“I go by Sylvia - please use the pronouns e/em/eir.”). This person is trusting you to have this information and it is an honor.

• Don’t share a person's history without their consent. Last year Rosewood (she/her/hers) may have gone by Thor (he/him/his). It is an honor knowing a piece of her history, but it’s up to her to decide who to share it with!

• Speak up when you hear misgendering/deadnaming. This is a multi step process and so very important. Be sure that you know the name and gender pronouns are correct for that person. Ask if they consent to you sharing that information if needed. Gently correct the person if you have consent to do so (e.g. "Root prefers they/them/their.")

• Time and place are important. If a person’s name is on their badge and they’re wearing a pronoun ribbon, then it is public information - within the Pantheacon environment. Just like with magickal names, the person may not be safe to use their true gender in the mundane. Say hi when you bump into each other at Trader Joe’s, but find out their preference.

• Don't assume pronouns based on gender. I'm genderqueer and use they/them/their but another genderqueer person may use ze/hir/hirs. Just ask if you're not sure.

Honoring our community members is as easy as listening and respecting each person’s wishes. If you're unsure, ask if you may have a conversation with the individual to find out how you can honor their gender.

And for Pantheacon specific support the Circle of Cerridwen has been so kind as to get pronoun ribbons to append to your badges at Pantheacon. As CAYA Initiate Kitsune put so well in a recent blog post:

I want to encourage my cisgender readers to wear the ribbon with your pronouns on them, in solidarity with your fellow Pagans who are trans and/or non-binary.

Have a great con!

Rainbow Moon Circle's Spring Ritual

On April 4, 2015, CAYA Coven offered our very first Rainbow Moon Circle—a full moon ritual celebrating the sacred expressions of gender diversity. Our Spring theme was The Journeying Moon—a time when the energies move us to stretch out of our wintery nooks and explore wider realms. For this endeavor, we called to Hindu deity, Hanuman, to guide us and protect us. His hybrid nature—part man, part monkey—and shape-shifting powers felt kindred to the intentions of our circle.

Lord Hanuman with mace and mudra of protection (photo by Lady Yeshe)

The colorful altar included red flowers and fruits for Hanuman, and candles that have colored flames (photo by Lady Yeshe)

We wrote on dissolving paper the things we were ready to release. The water was later poured into the receding tide of the ocean during a waning moon, with reverent prayers. (photo by Lady Yeshe)

Sixteen beautiful people—representing a lush variety of genders and a CAYA spectrum ranging from founder to newbie—came together in the circle to sing, light candles, share stories, laugh, cry, trance, discover… These relatively common ritual elements framed a profoundly moving and rare opportunity. How many of us gender-variant Pagans have ever had the chance to recognize, acknowledge and respect this particular aspect of ourselves and each other in sacred space? When before did we look around a ritual circle and know that we were not the random or token (or shamefully secretive) non-cisgendered person in this group, but among kindred spirits who nod knowingly at our shared lived experience? It was a first for me. I felt a fierce love and protective impulse for this circle, and made a promise that I would do all I could to continue this work. I pray that moments like these will become less rare, that such circles will proliferate joyfully wherever people need them. Until then, feel free to see what we're up to at The Rainbow Moon Circle, and make your calendars for our next ritual, August 29. Blessed be.

—Jaina Bee; e/em/eir

Living the Spectra with Jaina Bee

A quarterly exploration of issues and events related to gender diversity in the context of a Pagan practice.

After a year of seeking out and announcing "trans*/pagan" events, I'm redirecting my focus toward this new series of posts wherein I share about my recent adventures and discoveries in service as a metagender member of CAYA Coven's clergy. I am hoping to include book reviews, interviews, events listings, event reports, and anything else that may enlighten and inspire those who, like me, value the wisdom and well-being of Pagans Beyond the Binary. Please let me know if there's anything you'd like me to check out. Blessed be!

Happy birthday, Kate Bornstein!

Pantheacon 2015: Seeking and Co-Creating Gender Variant Hearth & Hospitality

When I was very kindly invited to share what "metagender" means to me at the evening session of Dee Shull’s excellent roundtable discussions on gender diversity and safe spaces, I was speechless for a moment. Then I awkwardly stuttered through a paraphrasing of descriptions written by P. Sufenas Virius Lupus, who was sitting right next to me. How could I be so nervous and shy in a room full of Pagans representing so many unconventional genders?

Because I'd never before been in a space where everyone was Pagan and no one was cisgendered. Because for the very first time, I was speaking to a crowd where I didn't have to deal with resistance to the idea of non-binary genders AND my Pagan practice was as accepted as my need to stay hydrated. I was speaking to "my people." It was a completely weird experience for me to feel so normal. I didn't know how to handle it.

Until I’d read PSVL’s Transmythology (mere months ago), I really didn’t have a satisfactory term for my own relationship with gender. I’d very casually been trying out genderqueer for a few years and half-heartedly considering “they” pronouns. For decades, queer has been my default identity on many fronts—sexual, gender, spiritual and just about any other part of my life that needed an adjective. All of the various terms I tried on fit me like off-the-rack garments from a discount store—parts of me did not squeeze into them and hung out awkwardly and often shamefully. Queer was my identity muumuu.

It was the story of Paneros that finally hit home.

Born of a MTF deity and an FTM deity, Paneros is the first non-binary deity of the group. Not half-male/half-female, like Ardhanarishvara or Hermaphroditos, but something else entirely. Meta means “beyond” and gender means “type.” (The character actors of the gender world, who cannot be typecast?) Paneros is much like a mirror to every individual e meets. Eir mother calls em “she,” eir father calls em “he.” Even the few who know what e is, such as eir grandfather Antinous, cannot speak eir name or pronouns until the child speaks them emself. Pushed to the edges of everything and beyond, the child finally releases all forms of sex and gender hatred from emself while simultaneously freeing their antidotes into the world. E is Paneros: ALL LOVE. (my synopsis is so bare and stilted, please read the original!)

So I’m reading this on a packed plane, laughing and crying and kissing the book and frantically underlining and circling and drawing stars and hearts all over the pages. After years of inklings and doubts, I’ve finally got some language that clears the air like a thundercrack. I finally know my name and my pronouns. I never knew what a difference that would make until it happened.

What I wished I could have said to that beautiful roomful of gender variant Pagans: metagender opens up uninhibited freedom to be myself; a one-size-fits-me label that is no particular gender but neither is it agender. It is a slippery, slithery gender that evades every attempt to define it; a trickster gender. (Every person in this conformist culture who does not identify with their assigned gender is forced in some way to become a trickster, even if they would not be otherwise. Metagender is trickster to the core.) Ask nine metagender people what metagender means and you'll get twelve answers. Wow, wouldn't it be amazing to be in a room with NINE metagender people!???!!

All of this is a rambling explanation of why Dee Shull's two round-table discussions (neither of which were in the main program, by the way) provided a desperately needed service at Pantheacon. When one finds oneself in a safe and hospitable space, deeper understandings and vaster opportunities open up. Many closeted Pagans experience this joyful feeling of inclusion and community by attending events such as Pantheacon. The conversations Dee facilitated brought forth the challenges and solutions we need to consider in order to expand that generous spirit to include currently marginalized members of our community. One wise and wonderful participant posted this excellent clarification of the essential differences between accommodating and providing accessibility.

In my explorations of gender-related issues, I have found the most useful language and questions in the words and works of our many brilliant Pagans of Color. In Bringing Race to the Table, Crystal Blanton drops this mindblower into our laps, "If the mainstream within Paganism is not cognizant of the effects of racism in the overculture, and does not become active in promoting a culture of change that is inclusive of people of color, then we should be honest that diversity is not our goal." Once you read that, you cannot unread it. Enjoy!

Many thanks to the Pandemos Hospitality Suite and to the Pagans of Color Hospitality Suite for opening their spaces to host these events! You lead the way with heart and soul.

With hospitality and safe, sacred space in mind…

CAYA Coven's newest ritual offering: Rainbow Moon Circle at The Sacred Well

 

Come As You Are to…

The Journeying Moon

Presented by CAYA Coven’s Rainbow Moon Circle

Saturday, April 4, 2015, 8pm

The Sacred Well

536 Grand Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610, 510-444-WELL

by donation—no one turned away for lack of funds

Join us for the inaugural rite of our newest moon circle to explore and honor gender diversity in ourselves, our communities, and in deity. We will Journey with the Hindu god, Hanuman—who is noted for his ardent devotion and trickster qualities of transformation— to find our healing powers within and dance with joy to celebrate each of our unique gifts. You are welcome to bring a contribution to cakes and ale, but most importantly— bring your beautiful self!

The Rainbow Moon Circle is a safe and sacred space for all to explore the spectrum 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. We co-create rituals and hold space for supportive, loving community. We reflect and uphold the Mission and Vision of our shared CAYA Coven community.

The Rainbow Moon Circle offers rituals and sacred services which honor and celebrate the full spectrum of gender diversity.

For more information, check out our online community.

Book Review

Tango: My Childhood, Backwards and in High Heels

Justin Vivian Bond

2011; The Feminist Press; New York, NY

Told in v's signature chatty, witty, and astonishing style, Mx. Bond lays bare the most tender and quivering bits of a childhood that may or may not be as uncommon as some people think. Oh, it's certain v is a most unique individual—as a writer, a performer, and a fashion trendsetter—however, I am beginning to wonder if suburban neighborhoods are rife with children doing strange and unspeakable things to each other. Or maybe it reveals more about that bygone era of the mid-60's, when family members were protecting their privacy from the nosey neighbors rather than soliciting "Likes" from them on social apps. No one really knew what the kids were up to in that treehouse. Or if they did, no one was publishing a book about it. It seems that the adults of Hagerstown, Maryland always knew that there was something different about the chatterbox young 'un that would grow up to be an award-winning performer. Justin's beloved Pop-Pop called his grandchild "twinkle toes" with nothing but affection, but Mom threw a fit when she caught her 6-year-old son leaving for school wearing lipstick. All of us who grew up uncertain about living up to the gender expectations around us know how such inconsistency leads to second-guessing our every impulse— completely thwarting our childhood spontenaeity. Justin Vivian unpacks all these closets and more in v's little book.

What is Trans*? What is Pagan?

 A memo that started out as a short message to the other members of Beyond the Binary became an unfolding exploration I'd like to share with you all.

This week has given me much food for thought in the realm of our studies and service in Beyond the Binary—from the PACO panel discussions on POC, gender and the intersections of identities, to the Rainbow Moon (a seedling CAYA group) Circle's brainswarm on Monday to spending all of yesterday in the company of P. Sufenas Virius Lupus (birther of the Tetrad++ group of gender-variant deities)! WOW.

What is becoming clear to me is that it is important to acknowledge that many gender identities (if not most, if not all) are inherent, and deserve to be recognized as primary and central to each individual's experience— rather than in their relation to the binary, cisgendered cultural "norm." In that context, using the word Trans* no longer feels correct as the term to use in my events listing, or in my description of whom I serve. Trans* is included, yet still not the central focus, nor the umbrella term that works for me. Many people who identify as Trans* also identify as binary, besides. There are ritual spaces for women or men. This is not where I serve.

I have been questioning the usefulness of my Trans*/Pagan events listing for a few months now, wondering if it is necessary to include every all-gender event that is Pagan, or focus only on events that address variant-gender inclusiveness, though many are binary-oriented. Are Buddhist sanghas, yoga classes, healing clinics and workshops that focus on or include the needs of Trans* people appropriate to list on a Pagan events announcement?

What is Pagan? What is Trans?* That could be (and will be) the title of the blog post this is clearly becoming. (Though I won't be opening the can of worms called "Pagan" at this time. It's about as useful as "Trans*" is to me these days.)

Frankly, I included all of those aforementioned options because I haven't found very many events that could be considered Trans* AND Pagan. If my service as a public Priest/ess is to minister to the needs of nature-based spiritual practitioners who do not identify with the gender binary, then WTF do I call it? C'mon, Hermes, give me the language!

The intersection of personal identities within an individual is difficult— perhaps impossible— to sort out into neat sections. The phrase that seemed to resonate with brilliant intensity this week was "Gender is a holographic experience. Identity is a holographic experience."

While I sort this all out, my events listing will go on hiatus. Is it transitioning to a new identity or simply recognizing what it was all along?

Archetypes

I've been thinking recently about what archetypes might be of service for trans* folks. What bridges our life experiences, speaks to different stages we grow through, touches both transsexual women and men and those of us with non-binary gender identities? The results of my musings are hard to swallow in places, but that seems about right. Being trans* is hard at times, too.

Traitor

Many of us begin our journey by being accused, either overtly or subtly, of being traitors. We are called traitors to our gender, to what it means to be a man or a woman, to our communities, to feminism, and sometimes to our sexual orientations. Transmen who love women are particularly vulnerable to this last accusation.

So what is there to celebrate about being a traitor? I look to mythology to give me a broader picture. Prometheus, who brought fire to humanity, was no doubt called a traitor. When Inanna kept the me (divine powers) that Enki gave her while intoxicated, or when Isis forced Ra to giver her his secret name, betraying the trust those gods had in them, they acted as traitors. To be a traitor is to betray something or someone. In these myths, we see that to be a traitor is to be a revolutionary, to overthrow or threaten the current power structure.

To embody the archetype of the Traitor as a trans* person means to question whose power we are being asked to uphold. It means to acknowledge that, YES, actually, in many ways we are betraying the gender binary. It means to be a wedge, a hammer, creating cracks through which others might see that they are walled in. It means giving others space to question what they support and why. It means doing all of that from a place of deep integrity with the intent of doing good.

Trickster

A lot of us hear "trickster" as well. Gender tricksters are not what we seem. What's under our clothes and especially what is in our pants is a surprise. We are fakers somehow, illusionists intent on messing people up. The voices that call us tricksters most loudly are those that are outraged.

Many mythological tricksters do not blindly cause mayhem. They have specific targets. The fey who whisk away greedy mortals for a night of dancing that turns out to be a century in the human world are tricksters. Rabbit feigning fear of Coyote to lure him into defeat is a trickster. Hermes trading his lyre to Apollo in return for the cattle Hermes had stolen and a share of Apollo's power is a trickster. Odysseus claiming to be Nobody to the Cyclops is a trickster. Tricksters take on the arrogant, the power hungry, those who are too certain of themselves and what they deserve from the world.

To be a trans* Trickster is to acknowledge that we unmoor gender from its fixed point. We are a sign that sex and gender don't always align, or even conform to binary categories. We are not fooling anyone about who we are, though. Rather, people are fooling themselves. We are (or at least, I am) not trying to pass as something other than what we are. We are just living our truths. Our targets create themselves. How people choose to read us is up to them. Their outrage is the result of finding out that their assumptions were wrong. It is on them, not us, to come to terms with this newly revealed world.

Shapechanger

Many of us literally change our shapes, making additions or subtractions to the upstairs and downstairs, as it were. We take hormones to harden or soften our lines. Others of us use more temporary means: binders, carefully glued hair, the cut of our clothes, soft or hard packs, make-up, and body language to pull people's perceptions one way or the other.

Shapechangers abound in mythology. Loki, who brings the end, appears as both male and female. A number of mortals, male and female alike, have their shape changed in Greek mythology as punishment, to escape an untenable situation, or as a sign of respect for their life. Cerridwen changes shape in the pursuit of Talisman and in the end consumes him and rebirths him with many gifts.

Changing shapes signifies an end to one thing and a beginning to another. It is a new life. Shapechangers also bring to the forefront of our awareness the connectedness between human beings and animals and plants.

Embodying the Shapechanger archetype as trans* person means holding space for all people to change. It means recognizing the subtler shifts in gender expression in ourselves and others. It means giving people space (physical, emotional, psychic) to not be something anymore and instead to be something new.

Outsider

There are, in straight up numbers, not very many of us. Statistics suggest 3% of the population is trans. In queer communities, which are generally more welcoming than straight ones, we are still on the outside. As one person put it, we are the Gl(b)_t community. If we are recognized as trans*, many doors are shut to us.

Pagans, too, are outsiders. We have been the old woman at the edge of the village, the medicine man who goes into the forest, the monk on the mountain top. We pagans know the power of crossroads, of being outside the normal stream of things. Many circle castings include some variation of the words, "In a space outside space and a time outside time."

Trans* Outsiders consider the unique gifts we have to offer our communities. We take the time to see patterns invisible from the inside and call attention to them. We tap the medicines and knowledge from the wild places accessible to us through our unique positions. We gather together to share and celebrate. We are deeply rooted in our sense of Mystery.

These archetypes will not resonate for everyone. They were drawn from my personal experience as a genderqueer pagan and from conversations with others in the pagan and trans* communities. In grand pagan tradition, please disregard what doesn't work for you. Or, better, figure out what does work for you and share it. The more options trans* pagans have to draw from, the better!

What archetypes resonate for you? Share in the comments.