Cassell's Encyclopedia of Queer Myth, Symbol, and Spirit: Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender LoreDid you know that in medieval French folklore a person might change sex by passing under a rainbow? Or that same-sex unions have been celebrated by peoples of the ancient Mediterranean, Africa, China, and Indigenous America? Or that Sappho, da Vinci, Emily Dickinson, Nijinsky, Benjamin Britten, Mishima, Adrienne Rich, Audre Lorde, Keith Haring, Boy George, and Derek Jarman number among those who have explored the spiritual dimension of gender and sexuality in their works? While the terms many of us employ today to identify ourselves - 'queer', 'lesbian', 'gay', 'bisexual', 'transgendered' - differ markedly from those of peoples of other times and places, we are nevertheless the bearers of a rich spiritual history that has been ignored or suppressed, a history encoded in sacred texts as well as in works of art, music, dance and other media. Drawing upon religion, mythology, folklore, anthropology, history and the arts, the Encyclopedia is a cornucopia of queer spirituality, containing over 1,500 alphabetically arranged entries from Aakulujjuusi to Zeus. |
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Page 116
... rites . He began to instruct male practitioners to worship the phallus and to practice ritual , including mutual , masturbation . Semen resulting from these rites was often offered to the Goddess , represented by the altar or a talisman ...
... rites . He began to instruct male practitioners to worship the phallus and to practice ritual , including mutual , masturbation . Semen resulting from these rites was often offered to the Goddess , represented by the altar or a talisman ...
Page 237
... rites such as those of the Celtic feast of Samhain , roughly synonymous with Halloween , and the rite of the Hooden ... rites forbidden to them by the Church . Rituals included ceremonies of same - sex unions and mock birthing rituals ...
... rites such as those of the Celtic feast of Samhain , roughly synonymous with Halloween , and the rite of the Hooden ... rites forbidden to them by the Church . Rituals included ceremonies of same - sex unions and mock birthing rituals ...
Page 350
... rites honoring the spirits of the earth known as the feng shan 350 rites . Wudi spent a great amount of time studying Taoist alchemy . Through this study , he hoped to discover an elixir of immortality . Among Wudi's male lovers was the ...
... rites honoring the spirits of the earth known as the feng shan 350 rites . Wudi spent a great amount of time studying Taoist alchemy . Through this study , he hoped to discover an elixir of immortality . Among Wudi's male lovers was the ...
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Common terms and phrases
Agdistis Amazonian Amazons anal intercourse ancient and/or androgynous APHRODITE APOLLO appears Artemis ARTEMIS/DIANA artists associated Attis beautiful became become believed beloved bisexual Buddhism castration celebrated ceremony Christian companion cultures Cybele dance death deity depicted described devotees DIONYSUS divine dressed erotic especially eunuchs Euro-western female feminine flowers Freyja galli GANYMEDE gender variant gender variant male Ghede Goddess Reverence Greek hair healing HERACLES HERMES heterosexual HIERODULES Hindu homoerotically inclined homoeroticism homosexuality honor inspired Jesus Krishna lesbian linked living lover magic masculine mother mystical myth mythology orishá pansexual passion patron persons poem poet practitioners priestesses priests Queen queer queer-identified Radical Faeries referred relationship religion rites ritual role Roman sacred Saint same-sex eroticism Sappho sexual variance shamans Shiva signifying spiritual functionaries spiritual traditions suggests symbolic tale temple third gender transformed transgendered transgendered male transgenderism TWO-SPIRIT vampire Vodou warrior wearing woman women worship writes Xochiquetzal young ZEUS