| Revision as of 04:29, 8 January 2019 editRMCD bot (talk | contribs)Bots, Template editors1,006,199 edits Notifying of move discussion on Talk:Wicca and LGBT people← Previous edit |
Latest revision as of 14:24, 28 August 2022 edit undoXqbot (talk | contribs)Bots, Template editors2,335,928 editsm Bot: Fixing double redirect to Modern pagan views on LGBT peopleTag: Redirect target changed |
| (18 intermediate revisions by 14 users not shown) |
| Line 1: |
Line 1: |
|
|
#REDIRECT ] |
|
<noinclude>{{User:RMCD bot/subject notice|1=Wiccan views on LGBT people|2=Talk:Wicca and LGBT people#Requested move 8 January 2019 }} |
|
|
</noinclude>{{Unbalanced|date=May 2010}} |
|
|
Various ]n traditions hold a wide range of differing beliefs about ]. ] is known for stressing "male/female polarity" in their theology and rituals. |
|
|
], the founder (with ]) of ], particularly stressed heterosexual approaches to Wicca,<ref name=WT>Gardner, G.B., ''Witchcraft Today'', p.75, London:Rider, 1954</ref> whereas ], the founder of the Gardnerian offshoot, ], came out as ] later in life and created new rituals in which sexual orientation was irrelevant. Newer Wiccan traditions do not usually hold to this historical aversion to ]-friendly approaches to Wicca.<ref>''The Wicca Bible'', Anne-Marie Gallagher</ref> |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
{{Rcat shell| |
|
The Wiccan "]" says "All acts of Love and Pleasure are My rituals".<ref name="Gardner 2004 p.70">]. ''Witchcraft and the Book of Shadows'' (2004) Edited by A.R.Naylor. Thame, Oxfordshire: ], p.70. {{ISBN|1-872189-52-0}}</ref> |
|
|
|
{{R with history}} |
|
|
|
|
|
}} |
|
==LGBT issues in Gardnerian, Alexandrian and Dianic Wicca practices== |
|
|
|
|
|
===Anti-homosexuality=== |
|
|
] and other more traditional groups form their covens from male-female pairs.<ref>{{cite web|title=Wicca|url=https://wicca.com/celtic/wicca/wiccas.htm}}</ref> This practice may stem from the influence of ] who wrote (ostensibly quoting a witch, but perhaps in his own words):<blockquote>The witches tell me 'The law always has been that power must be passed from man to woman or from woman to man, the only exception being when a mother initiates her daughter or a father his son, because they are part of themselves' (the reason is that great love is apt to occur between people who go through the rites together.) They go on to say: 'The Templars broke this age-old rule and passed the power from man to man: this led to sin and in doing so it brought about their downfall.'<ref>]. ''Witchcraft Today'' (1954) London: Rider. p. 69</ref></blockquote> However, the above quote is in the context of a section in Gardner's book examining why the Templars were executed by Gardner himself, so it is entirely possible that the reference is to Gardner's own opinion of homosexuality. Gardner goes on to defend the Templars by saying that the charges against them were "trumped up". |
|
|
Gardner was rumored to be homophobic by ], one of the High Priestesses of the ] coven:<blockquote>Gerald was homophobic. He had a deep hatred and detestation of homosexuality, which he regarded as a disgusting perversion and a flagrant transgression of natural law.... 'There are no homosexual witches, and it is not possible to be a homosexual and a witch' Gerald almost shouted. No one argued with him.<ref>] ''Dancing with Witches''. (2006) London: Robert Hale. {{ISBN|0-7090-8074-3}}. p.38. (Hardback edition first published 1998).</ref></blockquote> |
|
|
However, the legitimacy of Gardner's rumored homophobia is disputable because Gardner showed much more evidence of an open and accepting attitude about practices in his writing which would not be characterized by the hatred or phobia which was common in the 1950s: |
|
|
<blockquote>Also, though the witch ideal is to form perfect couples of people ideally suited to each other, nowadays this is not always possible; the right couples go together and the rest go singly and do as they can. Witchcraft today is largely a case of "make do".<ref>]. ''Witchcraft Today'' (1954) London: Rider. p. 125</ref></blockquote> |
|
|
Most traditional ]ns worship the ] and ],<ref name="Farrar1989">{{cite book |title=The Witches' God: Lord of the Dance |publisher=Hale |location=London |author=Farrar, Janet |author2=Farrar, Stewart |pages=170–171 |year=1989 |isbn=0-7090-3319-2 |oclc=59693966}}</ref> and a central part of Wiccan liturgy involves the ];<ref>Farrar, Stewart. ''What Witches Do: A Modern Coven Revealed'' (1973) London: Sphere Books. pp85-94.</ref> an act of actual or symbolic ritual sexual intercourse between the two deities. This is traditionally carried out by a priest and priestess who have had the deities invoked upon them, and the conventional practice appears to be exclusively heterosexual. When performed 'in token' this involves the ] (representing the masculine principle) descending into the chalice (representing the feminine).<ref>Crowley, Vivianne. ''Wicca: The Old Religion in the New Age'' (1989) London: The Aquarian Press. {{ISBN|0-85030-737-6}} p.234</ref> However, there is no evidence to suggest that a gay priest or lesbian priestess could not carry out this ritual for the sake of what it represents. |
|
|
|
|
|
According to ], a professor of women's studies and long-time author of many books related to Wicca, "there is a moralistic doctrine or dogma other than the advice offered in the Wiccan Rede... The only 'law' here is love... It matters that we are gay, straight, bisexual or transgender– the physical world is sacred, and celebrating our physicality, sexuality, human nature and celebrating the goddess, Giver of ALL life and soul of ALL nature."<ref name="Gallagher2005">{{cite book |title=The Wicca Bible: the Definitive Guide to Magic and the Craft |first=Ann-Marie |last=Gallagher |publisher=Sterling Publishing |location=] |year=2005 |isbn=978-1-4027-3008-5 |oclc=61680143}}</ref> |
|
|
|
|
|
===Anti-Transgender=== |
|
|
|
|
|
], Co-Founder of the Alexandrian Tradition of Witchcraft, is well-known to emphasize the concept of male-female polarity and the fact that Alexandrian Wicca is a fertility religion. She also expressed concern about a proper functionality of transgender people (referred to as "transvestites" along with "they're not happy people") within coven practices. Her warning for "these people" as she puts it, is to look at other traditions that better fit their needs.<ref></ref> |
|
|
|
|
|
], the founder of Dianic Wicca, is a ] and excludes all ], including trans women (who she does not consider women), from her women-only circles.<ref></ref> |
|
|
|
|
|
==More recent beliefs and practice== |
|
|
According to the Pagan Federation of Canada: 'Over the last few decades, many people have thought that the emphasis on male/female polarity in Wicca excludes homosexuals'.<ref>Huneault, Robert.''Homosexuality and Wicca''. Pagan Federation/Fédération Païenne Canada website, accessed 11 May 2007. </ref> However, this source goes on to make the case for the validity of LGBT orientations even within traditional Wicca, suggesting that gay men and lesbians are likely to be particularly alive to the interplay of the masculine and feminine principles in the Universe. |
|
|
|
|
|
Historically, the Christian church and lay-people have believed that more women than men are involved in paganism and witchcraft, which can be seen as far back as 1487 with the printing of the '']''<ref name="malleus">{{citation |title=The Malleus Maleficarum of Heinrich Kramer and James Sprenger |author=M. Summers (trans.) |year=1971 |publisher=Courier Dover Publications |isbn=0-486-22802-9 |page=47}}</ref> Several modern authors of Wiccan books state that, in current Wicca, the situation is the same.<ref name="amh">{{citation |title=The Way of the Green Witch |first=Arin |last=Murphy-Hiscock |year=2006 |publisher=Provenance Press |isbn=1-59337-500-X |page=xii |nopp=true}}</ref><ref name="otterzell">{{citation |title=Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard |first=Oberon |last=Zell-Ravenheart |year=2004 |publisher=Career Press |isbn=1-56414-711-8 |page=24 }}</ref><!-- |
|
|
The following paragraph smacks of entirely too much WP:OR. I'm teasing out the gender issue, since I've found some sources for that, but the rest needs to be sourced to be included. |
|
|
|
|
|
There are probably around the same or greater percentage of LGBT persons practicing traditional Wicca, as the percentage of LGBT persons in the population at large. This, and the imbalance of female and male practitioners, can sometimes be a practical obstacle to gay people and women who wish to join traditional circles, an obstacle often shared by single people. The actual sexual orientation of the individual is not an issue. --> |
|
|
|
|
|
An exception to the traditional male/female dualism is ] (also known as Feminist Witchcraft and/or Feminist Spirituality), practiced almost exclusively by women. While most adherants are heterosexual, preferring to practice their spirituality with other women in pursuit of ], the tradition takes pride in its acceptance of lesbian and bisexual members. Many rituals function to affirm lesbian sexuality, and some covens exclusively comprise lesbian and/or bisexual women.<ref name=Barrett>Barrett, Ruth Rhiannon. “Lesbian Rituals and Dianic Tradition.” Journal of Lesbian Studies, 7.2 (2003): 15-28. Web. 12 Feb. 2015.</ref> Dianic Wiccans worship a ] but not the god, and form female-only ]s, for the most part. There are some mixed-gender Dianics, specifically the ]s, who practice in either all female or mixed-gender circles, and who may or may not include the god in their workings.<ref>''Gender and Transgender in Modern Paganism'' ISBN 978-1- 105-43378-8 p. 93</ref> |
|
|
|
|
|
Since the 1980s, a number of all-male or "Mithraic" circles have been formed. These masculist circles worship both the god and the goddess, but tend to emphasise the role of the god in their lives. It is thought that these circles may have been formed In response to Dianic Wicca.<ref>''Youth, Education, and Sexualities: An International Encyclopedia, Volume 2'' {{ISBN|0-31332754-8}} p. 825</ref> |
|
|
|
|
|
==Gay- and lesbian-oriented traditions== |
|
|
{{Refimprove section|date=September 2008}} |
|
|
] is a religion that welcomes lesbian pagans and celebrates their perspectives on feminism, sexism, and women's empowerment within patriarchal culture. However, despite this welcome of LB women, many woman-exclusive Dianic covens ban transgender women, claiming they are solely for natal women ("]").<ref name=Adler>{{cite book|title=Drawing down the moon: witches, Druids, goddess-worshippers, and other pagans in America|last=Adler|first=Margaret|year= 2006|publisher=Penguin Books|pages=126}}</ref> |
|
|
|
|
|
Although not specifically Wiccan, one branch of traditional Witchcraft has provided a home for many Neo-Pagan LGBT men and women. The ] is very open to all sexual orientations and some sources encourage ] during rituals to reach states of ecstasy. The ] should not be confused, however, with other spiritual traditions bearing the name Faery (including the ] as well as branches of Wicca that focus on fairy/faery lore.) |
|
|
|
|
|
Faery Witch covens of gay men only have been formed and are readily accepted among the larger group of Faery Witches. Both heterosexual and LGBT couples are married and handfasted in Faery Witch ceremonies every year. |
|
|
|
|
|
The ] was founded in 1977 in ] by ], an elder in the Gardnerian, WICA and New York Welsh Traditions, in order to create a Craft tradition for gay and bisexual men—one that would celebrate and explore the distinctive mysteries unique to men who love men.<ref name=glbtq>{{cite web |last=Aburrow |first=Yvonne |title=Wicca |work=] |date=2007-06-21 |accessdate=2007-08-16 |url=http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/wicca.html}}</ref> The Minoan Sisterhood was founded as the Women's counterpart to the Brotherhood soon thereafter by ] and Lady Miw-Sekhmet in collaboration with Buczynski, based on his work with the Brotherhood. Legitimate Minoan initiations and elevations are all conducted in same-sex only circles. Both traditions continue to this day. The Brotherhood and Sisterhood are oath-bound, initiatory mystery religions which use a ritual framework descended from Gardnerian Wicca. |
|
|
|
|
|
The ] was founded in the summer of 2004 by seven gay men from diverse traditions such as ], ], and pre-] witchcraft in order to create an ecumenical ] tradition which serves the community of men who love men. The mandate of the Brotherhood is to help gay, bisexual, and transgender men overcome the burden of societal labels. The Brotherhood rejects the limiting beliefs and prejudices of modern culture and religions that preach intolerance and hate. Instead of didactic teaching, they stress a simple Neopagan principle: "Find the Divine within your own experience." To impart this principle, they hold public rituals near the eight common holidays of Neopagan tradition where they celebrate the embodiment of the gay male divine through the life-cycle of human experience. |
|
|
|
|
|
There is another predominantly gay male, Neo-Pagan oriented group called the ], which emphasizes ] spirituality. Certain branches are exclusively focused on gay male spirituality; others are open to all genders and orientations. |
|
|
|
|
|
==See also== |
|
|
{{Portal|Wicca|LGBT}} |
|
|
*] |
|
|
|
|
|
==References== |
|
|
{{Reflist}} |
|
|
|
|
|
==Further reading== |
|
|
*Barrett, Ruth (2003), « Lesbian Rituals and Dianic Tradition » in Ramona Faith Oswald (ed), ''Lesbian Rites: Symbolic Acts and the Power of Community'', The Haworth Press. |
|
|
* ] (1993), ''Blossom of Bone: Reclaiming the Connections between Homoeroticism and the Sacred'', San Francisco: Harper. |
|
|
* Conner, Randy P., Sparks, David Hatfield, and Sparks, Mariya (1997), ''Cassell’s Encyclopedia of Queer Myth, Symbol and Spirit'', London and New York: Cassell. |
|
|
* ] (1978), '']: A Radical View of Western Civilization and Some of the People It Has Tried to Destroy'', Boston: Fag Rag Books. |
|
|
* ] (2005), ''The Path of the Green Man: Gay Men, Wicca and Living a Magical Life'', New York: Citadel Press. |
|
|
* Kaldera, Raven (2002), ''Hermaphrodeities, the Transgender Spiritual Workbook'', Xlibris Corporation.{{Self-published inline|certain=yes|date=December 2017}} |
|
|
* Moon, T. (2005 June 16) "", ''San Francisco Bay Times''. |
|
|
* Omphalos, C., Polanshek, J., Pond, G., Tanner, P., Thompson, S., eds. (2012), ''Gender and Transgender in Modern Paganism'', Cupertino: Circle of Cerridwen Press. With contributions by Ruth Barrett, ], ], and Raven Kaldera. |
|
|
* ] (2003), ''Gay Witchcraft: Empowering the Tribe'', Newburyport (MA): Weiser Books. |
|
|
* Rodgers, B (1995), ''The Radical Faerie Movement: A Queer Spirit Pathway'', Social Alternatives, 14:4 pp 34–37. |
|
|
* Malychite, (2014) '''', California: Ankh Eternal Publishing. |
|
|
|
|
|
==External links== |
|
|
* |
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
{{Religion and LGBT people}} |
|
|
{{WiccaandWitchcraft}} |
|
|
|
|
|
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2010}} |
|
|
|
|
|
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lgbt Topics And Wicca}} |
|
|
] |
|
|
] |
|