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A lot of faiths out there have different views on everything, for some you can’t seem to do anything without getting some type if reprimand, with others the rules are a bit more relaxed, however slight. But what beliefs does Paganism hold about homosexuality?

That depends on what you define as paganism. There are two ‘types’ of paganism, at least that’s what it seems like when the faith group is being talked about. The first form is the actual definition if paganism, which is essentially any non-Christian faith; this covers a wide swath if religions. When you use the typical application of Paganism as any nature-based faith that believes in the practices of communing, protecting, and celebrating the changes of the earth, then we’re talking about my crew.

So what does nature-based Paganism say about homosexuals? Good question, we say, “WELCOME!!” The thing one must realize about eco-Paganism is that we’re very accepting to the LGBTQ community, even if you don’t see all of us having rainbow flags on hand. Its not like other faiths where being LGBTQ is a strange foreign thing, instead, you’re more likely to get weird looks if you don’t believe in gay rights. It impossible to be a practitioner of nature while denying the most basic form of it, which is sexuality. It’s perfectly natural to feel however you may feel about sexual orientation because unlike what others may say, transvestism, bi-sexuality, and homosexuality exists extensively throughout nature.

Freedom, love, independence, and ALL natural rights are things that we as a faith value highly. And even though we aren’t as perfect as we wish we were, having our own squabbles, all out brawls and what have you on occasion; we do our best to ensure that all who take the Pagan banner are free to do as they wish.

As an African-American Pagan, sometimes I feel the pressure of discomfort as I celebrate my faith. Its not as if I feel alienated by others within my faith because of my skin color, not by a long shot. The discomfort stems from having very little contact with other pagans who happen to be black as well.

Its odd that so many people who have pagan ancestry are vastly detatched from that spirituality in my eyes. Within my own community I see plenty who honor their African ancestry with the garb and regalia and sometimes speech, yet once you try and go into the spiritual aspects that went along with the clothing suddenly they flatline.

I understand that during the time of slavery we were heavily indoctrinated with the Christian mindset, either that or be erroneously punished; but now that we don’t have to worry about such a reprimand, we as a people seem to blackout that religious time period.

As I look at the people who are around me I sometimes feel the insecurity of feeling like the “other”, as if I don’t belong with the swaths of red, brown, blonde and black hair. As if I’m unwelcomed, not by others’ actions or deeds, but by having no one to relate to me on a cultural perspective of being a black Pagan. I have no issue with my brothers or sisters of European descent, I just wish there were more African-Americans like me who know how it feels to leave the predominantly Christian culture.

All is one and one is all

Everything that we see is made of the one creative force that existed since the beginning of the universe. The transfer from the formless but fertile mass of the darkness to the zest and dazzling shine of the light.

There may or not be a God/s,Goddess/es, of spirit/s, but whether there is or not is irrelevant because we will be working from the premise of there being one or more.

When many think of the God and Goddess, however they may be thought of, there is usually the distinction between what associations are in the God’s realm and what is the Goddess’s. This division, in my eyes, is incorrect for the simple fact that it limits one form or another to a singular aspect, which is in contrast to the nature of the universe.

Of course, each practitioner of nature is free to believe what they choose, my opinion is of my own just as yours is of you.

I take the usual God and Goddess astrological correspondence of the Moon being of the Goddess and the Sun being of the God. Why is this so? Why can’t the God be of the Moon, emotions, magic(k), dreams and occult practices and the Goddess be of the harvest, Sun, the wild and nature? We sometimes get so wrapped up in what we’re told is the “right” thing to think that we start making a dogma, which of itself is dangerous.

We see enough of this in other faiths, where one is told not only what to believe, but also considered not of the faith if they stray from the traditional teachings. This is something that I advocate against, especially in more eclectic pagan faiths where tradition is bent to fit the individual’s wants and needs. By opening your mind and questioning the the things that you’re taught, you allow for a more diverse practice and spirituality. My practice for example is unique to me, not being centered on usual pagan beliefs but instead on all. Anything can be used to represent anything and I do my best to ensure that I limit as little as possible when I do things such as ritual. Some things I do that are in conflict with most spiritual teachings and pagan practices (one of the most known being Wicca) comes with how I do ritual.

My invocations are done counter-clockwise, my elemental directions aren’t the usual earth=north, air=east, fire=south, and water=west. For me, earth=south, fire=east, air=north, and water=west. The sun and moon don’t have fixed gender correspondences in my eyes since they are one the same.

God and Goddess, just gender terms to describe archetypal forms, they are of and beyond gender, part of the cohesive mix that ties the knot keeping the universe whole. Once you open your eyes to mixing both forms and see their mark in all that you see will you gain new insight.

All in all, don’t be afraid to think out of the box, Deity is a very bendable concept that can fit into any person’s imagination. All you need is faith and the will to think outside the box, then like a blind who sees for the first time, you will see beauty in the most mundane things.