Sometimes we are faced with situations that don't make any sense to us and even thought we try to make sense of them, they are so out there that we can not even comprehend them. Yesterday I went to PantheaCon for the first time and one of my goals was to participate in Z Budapest's Self Blessing Ritual. This ritual was a women born women only ritual or how they will call it... what was it? Genetically women... something weird like that - end meaning, women who have bled, bleed or will have their periods. Yes - to be a women means that you experience your blood mysteries with your period and you are able to sustain a baby in your belly. I apologize if my oversimplification is upsetting anybody but that's essentially what Women Mysteries mean in a simplified form - fool proof definition if you want to quote me.
As I arrived to my Priestess Sister's house to pick her up, I found out that some women identified women (I think that's the term) were going to be protesting outside our ritual because the rules said you had to be born a woman to participate - not born a man who is a woman now - and that was very upsetting to some. My question to those people is why it was so upsetting to them, what they had to probe if anything. I don't see people protesting outside the Christian Church because they don't allow women to priestess a ceremony or a mass. I did not see women in PantheaCon protesting outside male only rituals. It is ok to be selective. It is ok to write the rules. Nobody complains about the Bible, nobody complains about the Koran, but yes, when it comes to Women's Mysteries we have protests outside our Rites and Ceremonies. Why is that? Why is it ok to protest when we choose to celebrate our mysteries - our sacred blood? I really don't get it and I think there is much to be thought from those groups that were protesting. What do they need to probe? Do you really need to be part of our Rites? Can you leave us have our Rites alone and create your own? Nobody tells you how to be or do, you can write your own book, your own story, your own spirituality. Why fight with those who wrote the book that is specific to one type of spirituality? One thing I like about the USA is that there is freedom of religion, you can find anything you need to practice your spirituality. Don't waste your time trying to change others, focus on yourself and find your path and if you don't find it, just create it.
It is interesting to see that the central topic of PantheaCon was Unity through Diversity. Yes! We are Diverse! We Pagans come in many forms, many shapes, many different traditions and we do not need to try other traditions, we can stick to our own or build our own. "Do as you will as you harm none." That's the rule. If you are ready to protest because you find a boundary, just think again. It's ok to specialize in one area. We are not everything to everyone and if we were, it would not be right. Just find your place and if you don't find it, create it. You have the power. We have enough wars in this world as it is. Let's just have peace and create the world we want to see in the future.
Many blessings,
Lady Carolina
Your transphobic ignorance and complete blindness to what womanhoof really means is staggering. Tou're steeped in femisogynist ignorance, and it saddens me. Your posting made a dear trans friend of mine cry, in deep hurt knowing even in Paegan circles there are still those who shun and devalue her. Why do trans women want to be included in a womens' Circle? BECAUSE THEY ARE WOMEN.
ReplyDeleteIt's not rocket science. PLEASE educate yourself. A GOOD priestess should do no harm. YOU Miss, have just done SERIOUS harm.
Thank you for your comment.
DeleteThis is transmisogynistic and cissexist.
ReplyDelete"Yes - to be a women means that you experience your blood mysteries with your period and you are able to sustain a baby in your belly."
No, that is not what being a woman is. That is a cissexist and ableist definition of womanhood.
No one is ~born a woman~, so there is no such thing as a woman-born-woman. A woman is an adult. No mortal being is born an adult. Many deities are born adults, but not you. You were born a baby.
"I don't see people protesting outside the Christian Church because they don't allow women to priestess a ceremony or a mass."
People actually do argue against the idea that some Christian churches have that only men are allowed to be preachers/priests/pastors/etc. Many denominations have listened to these woman and allow women to lead in their churches. You, on the other hand, refuse to listen to women who are being excluded from women's rituals because of your cissexist definition of womanhood.
"I did not see women in PantheaCon protesting outside male only rituals."
These were women protesting to be allowed in women's rituals. These are not men asking to be allowed into women's rituals. They are protesting to be allowed into women's rituals because they are women. If men were protesting to be allowed into women's rituals, I'd say, "No, you have your own mysteries. Stop invading women's spaces," but these are women that you are excluding.
You are being harmful. You are creating cissexist definitions of who is allowed to be in women's rituals.
Thank you for your comment.
Deleteto be a women means that you experience your blood mysteries with your period and you are able to sustain a baby in your belly.
ReplyDeleteSo women who have had hysterectomies, or past menopause or don't have their period or are infertile for a multitude of other reasons-- these are not women?
Simplification is for simpletons.
Z cannot claim that she celebrates the beauty of women in all its forms and then exclude some of the forms that women take.
If she wants to celebrate the blood mysteries, then she can say so, and she can request that women who don't experience them remain outside if she wants to-- and she can exclude herself in that category.
Nobody complains about the Bible, nobody complains about the Koran,
Are you kidding me???? ????? ?????
It is interesting to see that the central topic of PantheaCon was Unity through Diversity
No, that was the theme-- but carried out? Not so well. The intentions were good, I'll give them that.
Thank you for your comment.
DeleteI agree with you.
ReplyDeleteI am with you! The hate being directed at Z and Dianics of like mind is no different than what they accuse us of - yet we are the haters and they are right? The viciousness is unbelievable. It doesn't matter, we continue to practice as WE see fit.
ReplyDelete"As I arrived to my Priestess Sister's house to pick her up, I found out that some women identified women (I think that's the term)"
ReplyDeleteNo, the term is male identified woman were those who protested. They identify with male interests (in this case male to female transsexuals) to invade and colonize women's mysteries.
Other then that, I enjoyed reading this insightful post.
Thank you for the clarification and your comment.
DeleteStella
ReplyDeleteAll born women had the ability to bleed and know the impact of it in their lives. Your name calling is offensive. Your understanding is limited by your politics and your ignorance of women's mysteries.
Thank you for your comment. Respect is essential in these discussions and name calling has no place in them.
Delete