Faith History.
A friend of mine requested I make a post detailing my particular spiritual path, so - for I am an accomodating creature when possible - I decided it would be interesting to write out and see where I've come, as well as where I've been. I'm curious as to what paths other people have/are taking, as well, if you feel like sharing.
I in no way believe in proselytizing. What I write down as what works, works for me. I do not expect nor require that anyone share the system of beliefs I do.
I was born into an extraordinarily religiously-open family. My dad's agnostic, and has been some time, but is fascinated by folklore, myths, and creation legends; my mother is Wiccan. When both my sister and I were born, they determined that it was up to us which religion we chose, if any, and so set out to educate us as to the variety of options. My mother and father ensured that we visit a Jewish synagogue, a Christian church (Protestant and Catholic), a Muslim prayer meeting, a Hindu celebration, Buddhist meditations.... Anything and everything. I was also fortunate to witness my mother's form of worship growing up, also, and she readily introduced me to Wicca, although she never demanded I participate. Whatever my sister and I requested, my parents attempted to accomodate.
Frankly, I found most major religions offputting for the sheer lack of attention to people like me, transgendered, folks who didn't identify as male or female. A single patriarchal god felt inherently oppressive to me and a single matriarchal goddess didn't seem to fulfill me either. I ping-ponged around, at one point identifying as Satanist, at one point identifying as Buddhist, until I finally embraced Wicca. One of my main reasons for that was because the God/Goddess aspect of the religion was so deeply meaningful to me, an androgyne who wanted to inhabit both gender spheres. The second reason was because I loved the Sabbats and the warmth and life and togetherness they meant for my family as well as the just-generally-affirming nature of Wicca that seemed to encompass what so many religions rejected. And finally, in terms of my own spiritual fulfillment, I love rituals, ceremonies, and all the good accoutrements that come with Wicca - I get so much out of them, they're so meaningful to me, and they're a way of expressing myself that I've found nowhere else.
However, a year or two into college I grew - not disenchanted with Wicca, per se, but restless with the desire to seek for something else. And that is how I found Feri witchcraft (no, it isn't a branch of Wicca), the path with which I believe I will remain from here on out. It encompasses many of the things I love about Wicca -ceremonies and rituals, even Sabbats, many-gendered deities - but adds elements that personally enchant me: a deep element of communion with the preverbal, primal, innocent, sexual self, a passionate embracing of alternative sexualities and genders, and philosophies/worldviews that adhere more closely to my own. Feri fits like a second skin, and it feels more me than any other faith I've known. I enjoy it; I play with it; I learn from it; I grow from it; I love it.
My sister ended up embracing a Christian-mystic-shamanic faith that is both lgbt-affirming and quite mystical, that has led her to grow spiritually as well. It's so interesting when we all come together - my mother with her Wiccan stuff, me with my Feri stuff, Luce with her arcane, ecstatic stuff - and are just able to celebrate the joy of learning about ourselves and growing more mature and more connected to ourselves and the people around us every day. If anything, to me, my personal faith is about fulfilling myself and loving others more deeply, and being able to share it and be myself in an environment where I can also love and respect the differences in others - is so immensely awesome to me, and I'm so grateful to my family for letting me seek on my own.
Whatever path you take, I hope it brings you a lot of peace - and joy, too.
I in no way believe in proselytizing. What I write down as what works, works for me. I do not expect nor require that anyone share the system of beliefs I do.
I was born into an extraordinarily religiously-open family. My dad's agnostic, and has been some time, but is fascinated by folklore, myths, and creation legends; my mother is Wiccan. When both my sister and I were born, they determined that it was up to us which religion we chose, if any, and so set out to educate us as to the variety of options. My mother and father ensured that we visit a Jewish synagogue, a Christian church (Protestant and Catholic), a Muslim prayer meeting, a Hindu celebration, Buddhist meditations.... Anything and everything. I was also fortunate to witness my mother's form of worship growing up, also, and she readily introduced me to Wicca, although she never demanded I participate. Whatever my sister and I requested, my parents attempted to accomodate.
Frankly, I found most major religions offputting for the sheer lack of attention to people like me, transgendered, folks who didn't identify as male or female. A single patriarchal god felt inherently oppressive to me and a single matriarchal goddess didn't seem to fulfill me either. I ping-ponged around, at one point identifying as Satanist, at one point identifying as Buddhist, until I finally embraced Wicca. One of my main reasons for that was because the God/Goddess aspect of the religion was so deeply meaningful to me, an androgyne who wanted to inhabit both gender spheres. The second reason was because I loved the Sabbats and the warmth and life and togetherness they meant for my family as well as the just-generally-affirming nature of Wicca that seemed to encompass what so many religions rejected. And finally, in terms of my own spiritual fulfillment, I love rituals, ceremonies, and all the good accoutrements that come with Wicca - I get so much out of them, they're so meaningful to me, and they're a way of expressing myself that I've found nowhere else.
However, a year or two into college I grew - not disenchanted with Wicca, per se, but restless with the desire to seek for something else. And that is how I found Feri witchcraft (no, it isn't a branch of Wicca), the path with which I believe I will remain from here on out. It encompasses many of the things I love about Wicca -ceremonies and rituals, even Sabbats, many-gendered deities - but adds elements that personally enchant me: a deep element of communion with the preverbal, primal, innocent, sexual self, a passionate embracing of alternative sexualities and genders, and philosophies/worldviews that adhere more closely to my own. Feri fits like a second skin, and it feels more me than any other faith I've known. I enjoy it; I play with it; I learn from it; I grow from it; I love it.
My sister ended up embracing a Christian-mystic-shamanic faith that is both lgbt-affirming and quite mystical, that has led her to grow spiritually as well. It's so interesting when we all come together - my mother with her Wiccan stuff, me with my Feri stuff, Luce with her arcane, ecstatic stuff - and are just able to celebrate the joy of learning about ourselves and growing more mature and more connected to ourselves and the people around us every day. If anything, to me, my personal faith is about fulfilling myself and loving others more deeply, and being able to share it and be myself in an environment where I can also love and respect the differences in others - is so immensely awesome to me, and I'm so grateful to my family for letting me seek on my own.
Whatever path you take, I hope it brings you a lot of peace - and joy, too.