The Queer Spirituality Podcast: Recent Episodes
Julian Crosson-Hill
Hosted by spiritual life coach, Julian Crosson-Hill, the Queer Spirituality Podcast is about how queer people are finding a path to the Divine that celebrates their queerness rather than merely accepting it. Each episode explores the ways that the sacred is revealed through the lives and stories of everyday queer people
About The Guest(s):
Devin Hunter is a bestselling author and an expert in witchcraft and spirituality. He is the author of several books, including "The Witch's Book of Power," "The Witch's Book of Spirits," and "The Witch's Book of Mysteries." Devin is also the founder of the Sacred Fires tradition of witchcraft and the co-founder of the Black Rose tradition of witchcraft. He hosts the Modern Witch podcast and is the co-owner of Datura Trading Company.
Summary:
Devin Hunter, a bestselling author, and expert in witchcraft and spirituality, joins the Queer Spirituality Podcast to discuss his journey in queer spirituality. He shares his initial resistance to the term "queer" and how he eventually embraced it as a celebration of the mysteries within ourselves. Devin also reflects on the challenges and growth he experienced as a queer person in the Midwest and the liberation he found in California. He emphasizes the importance of empathy and inclusivity within the queer community and the need to support and uplift each other. Devin discusses his current projects, including writing fiction and focusing on psychic development and solitary practice in witchcraft. He encourages listeners to listen to diverse voices within the queer community and incorporate their wisdom into their spiritual journeys.
Key Takeaways:
- Queer spirituality is about identifying and celebrating the mysteries within ourselves, regardless of their origin or manifestation.
- The occult is inherently queer, and there is queerness in all aspects of spirituality.
- We must listen to and support diverse voices within the queer community and incorporate their wisdom into our spiritual journeys.
- Empathy should drive our spiritual progress as a community, and we should make space for others to share their stories and experiences.
- Solitary witchcraft can be empowering, but it is important to create a spiritual foundation that is beneficial and personalized to oneself.
Quotes:
- "Queer spirituality is identifying and celebrating those mysteries inside of ourselves, regardless of where they come from or how they might manifest." - Devin Hunter
- "The occult is inherently queer. No matter where you go, no matter which way you're looking at it, there's some queerness going on." - Devin Hunter
- "Empathy should drive our spiritual progress as a community, period." - Devin Hunter
- "Listen to some other people's stories, listen to some other wisdom, incorporate it into your own, and not only will you be a better person for it, but the world will be a better place for it." - Devin Hunter
Find Devin at https://www.modernwitch.com
Find Julian at https://www.queerspirituality.net
Learn more about the Sacred Kin Samhain Retreat
About The Guest(s):
Morpheus Ravenna is a gender-fluid sorcerer, artist, and writer residing in the East Bay area of California. They are a dedicant of The Morrigan with a practice rooted in animism, folk magic, and Celtic polytheism. Morpheus is an initiate of the Anderson Fairy Tradition of witchcraft and has practiced devotional polytheism and the magical arts for over 25 years. They are the author of "The Book of the Great Queen" and "The Magic of the Otherworld" and a priest and co-founder of the Coru Cathubodua Priesthood. Morpheus also works as a tattoo artist, creating devotional artworks and sorceress crafts in various media.
Summary:
In this episode of the Queer Spirituality podcast, host Julian Crossenhill interviews Morpheus Ravenna, a gender-fluid sorcerer and devotee of The Morrigan. They discuss the concept of queer spirituality and how it relates to breaking free from societal limitations and embracing liminality. Morpheus shares their journey of finding their spiritual path through witchcraft and their deep connection with The Morrigan. They also talk about their involvement in the Coru Cathubodua Priesthood, a Celtic polytheist religious order, and their upcoming book "The Magic of the Otherworld," which explores sorcery and magical practice rooted in a Celtic worldview. The conversation touches on the intersection of magic and activism, the importance of finding supportive communities, and the resilience of queer people throughout history.
Key Takeaways:
- Queer spirituality is about embracing a way of being in the world that transcends societal conventions and limitations on gender and identity.
- The Morrigan and other Celtic deities can be seen as transgressive of gender norms and provide a spacious framework for queer spiritual practice.
- Activism and magic are most effective when combined with on-the-ground efforts and involvement in the community.
- Having spiritual protection and a network of spirit allies is essential when engaging in magical activism.
- Queer people should remember that they have always been a part of humanity and cannot be erased.
Connect with Morpheus Ravenna
https://www.bansheearts.com
Quotes:
- "Queer spirituality is any spirituality that is unbound from conventions that seek to limit us in terms of our gendered experiences or our non-gendered experiences." - Morpheus Ravenna
- "We've always been here. We always will be here. They cannot eradicate us." - Morpheus Ravenna
- "Be gay, do crime." - Morpheus Ravenna
About The Guest(s):
Jack Chanek is a Gardnerian Wiccan priest and the author of "Queen of All Witcheries: A Biography of the Goddess." He has been reading Tarot since he was eleven years old and has taught workshops on Tarot, Kabbalah, and Wicca. Jack is a CIS gay man and believes that spirituality and queer identity go hand in hand.
Summary:
Jack Chanek discusses the importance of queer spirituality and the celebration of queerness in spiritual spaces. He shares his own journey of coming out as both queer and Wiccan and emphasizes the need for supportive and inclusive communities. Jack also talks about the evolution of Gardnerian Wicca and the changing attitudes towards gender roles within the tradition. He highlights the unique characteristics of the modern goddess and the influence of Joseph Campbell on the understanding of myths. Jack encourages queer men to explore their spirituality and find connections to something larger than themselves.
Key Takeaways:
- Queer spirituality celebrates and uplifts queerness, rather than merely tolerating it.
- Gardnerian Wicca has evolved over time, with some covens being more inclusive and accepting of queer members.
- The modern goddess is a distinct deity that has taken on a life of her own, influenced by various historical and magical practices.
- Queer men are drawn to the goddess because they often feel excluded by patriarchal religions and societal norms.
- Queer spirituality offers a sense of transcendence and connection to something larger than oneself.
Quotes:
"Queerness is already a magic of its own kind."
"The goddess is a real specific modern deity who has taken on a life of her own."
"Queer men are drawn to witchcraft and goddess spirituality because they don't fit comfortably in the established order of things."
"Surround yourself with people who will love and support you for who you are in what you're doing."
"Queer men have the ability to step outside of convention and see things from an outsider perspective."
Connect with Jack:Website
Facebook
YouTube
Connect with Julian:
Queer Spirituality Website
Sacred Kin Samhain Retreat
About The Guest(s):
Ben Stimpson is a therapist, lecturer, student, and spiritual director. He is the author of the upcoming book "Ancestral Whispers: A Guide to Building Ancestral Veneration Practices." Ben has developed courses on various topics, including ancestor veneration, the power of story, and folklore. He is passionate about helping people reconnect with their ancestors and explore their own spiritual paths.
Summary:
Ben Stimpson, author of "Ancestral Whispers: A Guide to Building Ancestral Veneration Practices," joins host Julian Crosson-Hill on the Queer Spirituality podcast. They discuss the importance of queer spirituality and the role of ancestors in our lives. Ben shares his personal spiritual journey and how it led him to explore ancestral veneration. He explains that ancestral work is about unlocking our vastness and connecting with our higher selves through our queerness. Ben also emphasizes the need to expand our definition of ancestors beyond blood relatives and embrace the idea of affinity ancestors and conceptual ancestors. He highlights the healing and empowerment that can come from working with our ancestors and encourages listeners to write their own stories and connect with their ancestral lineage.
Key Takeaways:
- Queer spirituality is about unlocking our vastness and connecting with our higher selves through our queerness.
- Ancestral work is not limited to blood relatives; it can include affinity ancestors and conceptual ancestors.
- Ancestor veneration is a way to heal and empower ourselves by connecting with our ancestral lineage.
- Spirituality should impact every area of our lives, not just during religious rituals or ceremonies.
- Writing our own stories and connecting with our ancestral lineage can bring healing and empowerment.
Quotes:
- "Queer spirituality is the idea of unlocking my vastness by unzipping, by taking down constructs, by moving and experimenting with parts of myself in this liminal space of temporal reality that we exist in right now." - Ben Stimpson
- "Ancestor veneration can give us the tools to begin to heal those relationships of those individuals who are dead. They're dead. The relationship changes. We don't need to put up with their bullshit as much anymore." - Ben Stimpson
- "Ancestor work is about relationship and coming back to oneself." - Ben Stimpson
Ben's Links:Website
Facebook
Ben Stimpson - YouTube
Learn more about Queer Spirituality & Julian Crosson-Hill
https://www.queerspirituality.net
Sacred Kin Samhain - Queer Spirituality
I got an opportunity to chat with Charles Harrington, author of the upcoming Tarot of the Vampires from Llewellyn Worldwide. Being a tarot enthusiast, we talked about the cards a lot while also managing to cover many other topics.
Key Points:
- Vampires as the personification of otherness and repressed fears
- Why mainstreaming tarot as a psychological tool was a bad idea
- Why theater and drama contribute to a good tarot reading
- The liminality of receiving a tarot reading
- Tarot and queer portrayals in the cards
- Queer people, liminality, and otherness
Charles' Links:
Twitter
Tarot of the Vampires
Queer Spirituality Links:
Website
Sacred Kin Samhain Retreat
Instagram
Facebook
Nicholas Pearson joined me recently to talk about his work with crystals, his own spiritual journey, and the role that queer people will play (and are playing) in the coming spiritual awakening. Nicholas is a flower essence therapist, Reiki practitioner, & teacher. He is also the author of several books
Key Talking Points:
- Spirituality is simply finding meaning in life
- How queerness is inherently other and disruptive
- How queer marriage disrupts the status quo
- The goal of spirituality
- How to partner with your crystals and stones
- Why people need to get back into relationship with nature
- How queer people are the shamans of our time
- How queer and femme identified people are leading us to understand Divine love.
Connect with Nicholas at https://theluminouspearl.com or on instagram https://www.instagram.com/theluminouspearl
Find other episodes and more at https://www.queerspirituality.net
I'm joined by Normal J. Liverpool IV, coach and author of Over the Top Living: Walking in Next Level Confidence Every Damn Day.
Key Talking Points:
- Coming out and dealing with religion
- Finding spirituality after growing up in an unaffirming religion
- The many pressures queer people face to be someone else
- How the media influences the images we try to live up to (and that others measure us by)
- The process of dismantling so that you can live authentically
Learn more about Norman Website: https://overthetopliving.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themrliverpool
Pagan musical artist, David Wood, joins me for a conversation on the expansion of queer identity. We chatted briefly about being queer in the music industry and then we got right into talking about how much more expansive queer identity is today versus when we were coming out. I remember a time when it pretty much boiled down to gay, bisexual or lesbian with very little being recognized or discussed outside of those parameters. We're fortunate today that people don't have to try to fit in such tiny boxes. Key Talking Points:
- As queerness has become more mainstream, it's easier to just be yourself
- The queer community has evolved to understand many more types of queer identity
- Understanding one another requires taking the time to learn and educate
- While many advances like gay marriage were focused on a small group of the community, it also released energy that had gone into defense to understanding the broader spectrums of queer identity
Connect with and follow David Wood at https://www.davidwoodmusic.com/
While reading a collection of essays called “Why Are Faggots So Afraid of Faggots”, I was inspired to talk about the power of telling our queer stories. When we tell our stories, we often challenge one another. Each of us has been conditioned to believe that our experience of being queer is the same as others. That’s not true. Also, in our current society we most often hear the stories of the affluent and the white. Much of queer culture has been condensed down to the experience of affluent, white, gay men. We need to create opportunities for hearing the stories of all queer people—trans, non-binary, bisexual, people of color, disabled, and more. Telling our stories is only part of the equation though. The power of telling our queer stories is only truly released when we listen to one another without judgement. Our current queer culture is obsessed with making judgements and affixing labels. In order to build a strong and supportive community, we need to release our own judgements.
Key Talking Points:
- How we arrived at a culture that largely tells only one subgroup’s stories
- How telling our stories can create understanding
- The importance of letting go of judgement
- How fear plays a role in judgement
Visit the website: https://www.queerspirituality.net Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/queer_spirituality Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/queerspirituality Private Discussion Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/queerspirituality
DISCLAIMER: The link to the book in this description is an affiliate link. The producer of this podcast will receive a commission when you purchase from this link.
What exactly is queer spirituality? In essence, queer spirituality is about how queer people envision, relate with, and connect with their higher power. There have been multiple paths of queer spirituality over human history but even so, queer identity is a modern construct. That simply means that modern queer people should feel free to create a vision of the divine that fits their needs. Authentic queer spirituality, as opposed to spirituality that accepts queerness, has several hallmarks.
Key Points:
- Queer spirituality celebrates queerness
- Queer spirituality sees queerness as special and important
- Queer spirituality is sex positive
- Queer spirituality allows us to see our reflection in the Divine
- Queer spirituality reveals the sacred in everyday living
- Queer spirituality brings out the highest and best in us
Read more on the blog and find past episodes at https://www.queerspirituality.net
Follow me on Instagram at @queer_spirituality
Continue the discussion in our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/queerspirituality
Join us at Wild Spirit Festival in September https://wildspiritfestival.com