By Troy Tolley
While many religions and spiritualities are caught up with internal debates about dogmatic interpretations of gender and sexuality (not to mention abortion and gay marriage) others are choosing to walk away from organized religion and instead seeking a kind of spiritual enlightenment that is much more personal. Even in the strictest and most morally regulated religions such as Christianity, many still find a way to mix it up with a dash of Jane-Austen-styled sense 'n sensibility and a generous heaping of Mama Love, looking more towards their own hearts for answers. For those who've struggled to escape ideas and beliefs forced upon them in childhood — such as anti-gay beliefs — it can be a relief to realize that there are a myriad of alternate paths to follow in the search for spiritual enlightenment.
“Spirituality” is a term that many followers of the less mainstream philosophies prefer to “religion”, since it comes with less negative baggage. One of the oldest and most popular alternate belief systems is Wicca. Wicca's views on gender and sexuality honor classic notions of male and female polarities, seeing them as dualities that all people embody to varying degrees. Wicca welcomes gays and lesbians, transgenders, drag queens, heterosexuals, and everyone in between.
Traditional Wicca is rooted in ancient pagan fertility rites, which is guaranteed to push the buttons of Christianity’s bible-thumping homophobes. After all, Christianity has been doing its best to stamp out polytheistic beliefs for thousands of years. Old habits die hard. Far from being anything lurid or objectionable, Wiccans view fertility as a natural pillar of life and they embrace the full spectrum of human sexuality as vital and necessary to the natural order of things. Same-sex partners are more than welcome to take part in marriage ceremonies, too — such as the beautiful Wiccan ritual of hand-fasting, a gesture that honors a commitment between two individuals while also acknowledging the fact that relationships are not always forever.
Wicca's recent growth in popularity has resulted in various spin-offs from the main tradition. You can now find everything from Faery Witch Covens to the Minonian Brotherhood and Sisterhood. If you’re interested in exploring wicca and learning what it’s really all about, a couple good places to start are Wikipedia and The Witch's Cauldron.
Another interesting movement to consider is Gnosticism. Gnosticism has existed (in various forms) for eons. Most recently, a fictional distillation of some of its beliefs has blipped on the mainstream radar with movie hits such as The Matrix Trilogy and The Da Vinci Code. Gnostics see the Christian God as an evil entity bent on creating an elaborate illusion to ensnare us. Relgious dogma and piety are seen as negative influences which encourage us to live with closed eyes. Gnosticism is the rare spirituality that is willing to confront our assumptions about good and evil and to forego conformity in the pursuit of ultimate truths.
In another camp, Gay Shamanistic groups draw inspiration from Native American traditions such as“journeying,” a practice that dates back to the Stone Age. Journeying purports to take initiates into altered states and unseen realms through meditation. Oh — and there’s the peyote and other natural hallucinogens, too... Initiates focus on chanting, drumming, and visualizing natural archetypes such as birds, animals, and insects.
If Gnosticism and Shamanism aren’t your cup of tea (or if the idea of anything organized is unappealing) you can look into the more neutral and personalized teachings of mystics and channellers. Channellers claim to possess the ability to alter their own consciousness in order to give voice to non-physical entities (and extra-terrestrials) who wish to offer their guidance and teachings. Consider it an intergalactic spiritual correspondence course for the hopelessly Earthbound. These teachings tend to focus on self-realization and personal development, with emphasis on personal responsibility and acceptance of others. The better known teachings include The Emmanuel Teachings, Orin and Daben, and The Michael Teachings, which are communicated through a gay channel. Channelled information tends to appeal to gays and lesbians because of their tendency to be accepting of differences. These teachings also focus on understanding personal choice and using it as a tool. They dismiss the romantic notion of an omniscient, patriarchal God who must be obeyed at risk of eternal punishment. Instead, they often view the individual soul as a unique being that is undergoing a personal evolution. Many channeller's believe that our souls must experience many lives in order to learn from the full range of human experience: gay, straight, rich, poor, etc. When we think of “repeat visits”, it’s usually in the context of dental appointments or AA meetings. But in this post-New Age world, it also applies to each and every one of us. Concepts of good and evil are seen as being relative and individually defined, based on a person’s own unique life experiences and personal interpretations of reality.
Wherever you turn for spiritual development — whether to an organized religion or to some form of spiritualism, humanism, or atheism — the trick is to find the one that truly resonates with you and best represents who you are and who you want to be — and not what any other person or doctrine dictates. Personal integrity should lay at the heart of any spiritual pursuit. As Pony said to SodaPop in The Outsiders, “Stay Gold.”
Troy Tolley is a writer and spiritual counselor living in New York. For more information, visit his website at www.truthloveenergy.com
