African Wisdom Teacher Malidoma Some of the Dagara Tribe brought his tribal understanding of gender and sexuality to the West in the 1990s. He, and his wife Sobonfu Some, both taught that it was accepted in their culture that a person’s inner gender may be different to their physical sex, and that the sexuality ofContinue reading “GAY LOVE COULD SAVE HUMANITY”
Author Archives: shokti
Gay African History: Zanzibar
During the 19th century European ‘scramble’ for Africa, the Zanzibar archipelago, off the African east coast, was a British Protectorate from 1890 until it became part of Tanzania through it’s union with Tanganyika. In the 16-17th centuries the region had been under Portuguese control, before coming under the influence of Arabic cultures under the SultanContinue reading “Gay African History: Zanzibar”
Uganda’s Gay Issue
April 26th, 2023: President Museveni of Uganda sends the Anti-Gay Bill back to the Parliament, requesting various amendments: “According to the legislative processes, legislators could pass or reject the President’s proposals. Technicality if President Museveni fails to assent to the Bill on second enactment, it will regardless gain the force of law. In the eventContinue reading “Uganda’s Gay Issue”
Homophobia: History Repeating
In 18th century England a growing “hatred of sodomites, generated by disgust and fear, was justified, even encouraged, as a defence of society, love and of women. This virulent hatred, and the spontaneous acts of violence it inspired, were enough to stop those people who objected, such as philosopher Jeremy Bentham (1738-1832), from making theirContinue reading “Homophobia: History Repeating”
Two Ram New Moons
These times of change are hitting hard: 2 Ram New Moons, Aries fire of Self striking home because human consciousness is shifting to another zone. 2 Ram New Moons in 2023 they may knock us into sickness, physical, emotional or mental but the thing to remember is this is how it’s meant to manifest forContinue reading “Two Ram New Moons”
John of the Cross: On the Creation
He created the world A place for the bride Fashioned with great wisdom And divided into two rooms. One above and one below. And the lower part of the place Was made of infinite differences, But the one above was adorned With glorious jewels So the bride might know her Bridegroom. Full poem below… ThisContinue reading “John of the Cross: On the Creation”
Interview on Queer Spirituality
QUEER SPIRIT FESTIVAL, 17-21 August 2023 at Bridwell Park in Devon, UK, is a celebration of the creativity, love and spirituality of LGBTQ+ people. Our theme this year is RECLAIMING QUEER NATURE in all its magical, world-changing, enlightening and liberating potential. I gave this interview to Brian Madigan of GayGuru.com about the origins and aimsContinue reading “Interview on Queer Spirituality”
Gay Priests of the Goddess
“Our beautiful lovely sexuality is the gateway to spirit. Under all organised religions of the past, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, there has been a separation of carnality, or shall we say of flesh or earth or sex, and spirituality. As far as I am concerned they are all the same thing, and what we need toContinue reading “Gay Priests of the Goddess”
Harry Hay’s Queer Spiritual Vision
Harry Hay (1912-2002) was founder of the first national organisation campaigning for gay rights in the 1950s, the Mattachine Society, and one of the founding father-mothers of the, now global, tribe of Radical Faeries. His life-long passion to liberate gay people from religious, legal and conformist pressures was motivated, he said, by a “vision I’veContinue reading “Harry Hay’s Queer Spiritual Vision”
Pluto is in Aquarius
Pluto is in Aquarius from March 23, 2023, to June 11, 2023, later from January 20, 2024, until September 1, 2024, again from November 19, 2024, to March 8, 2043, at which point it will weave in and out of Aquarius and Pisces. “Pluto in Aquarius is the beginning of a new era. Just likeContinue reading “Pluto is in Aquarius”
ENLIGHTENMENT THROUGH TRUE VADA
Back in the late 1960s the BBC radio comedy show Round the Horne brought camp characters and polari, the secret language used by many gay men of the time, to the British nation. The gay innuendos and sexual references went over the head of most listeners, but shone a light on a queer underworld forContinue reading “ENLIGHTENMENT THROUGH TRUE VADA”
Gay Mythology Reveals More Than Biology
The Campfire Theatre’s production of Merboy, penned by Liam Sesay and directed by Scott LeCrass, took our imaginations beyond the labels put on queer people by biology and psychology to access a deeper knowing within, a knowing that humans have long been reaching mythologically. The queer lad hero of mixed heritage, played with hypnotic passionContinue reading “Gay Mythology Reveals More Than Biology”
Bloch on Sex and Religion
Ivan Bloch (1872-1922) worked with Magnus Hirschfeld in Germany’s Scientific Humanitarian Committee, the first institution advocating for homosexual and transgender rights. In his book The sexual life of our time : a complete encyclopaedia of the sexual sciences in their relation to modern civilisation, published in 1907 Bloch declared: “Homosexuality – love between man andContinue reading “Bloch on Sex and Religion”
Galli: ‘sacred as they are’
In the 2nd century CE Lucian of Samosata wrote a description of a Goddess temple in Syria and the activities of the sacred, gender-bending priests that worked there. ‘De Dea Syria’ (of the Syrian Goddess) describes the temple as dedicated to Atargatis, a local name for Ishar/Astarte, whom Lucien synchronises with the Greek goddess Hera:Continue reading “Galli: ‘sacred as they are’”
Third Sex in Hinduism
“What does Hinduism teach about homosexuality? Ancient Hindu teachings describe homosexuality as a “third sex” (tritiya-prakriti), an inborn nature combining both male and female properties. Homosexuals and transgenders were recognized for their unique nature and incorporated into Vedic society accordingly. They were not punished or persecuted under ancient Hindu law and elaborate descriptions of homosexualityContinue reading “Third Sex in Hinduism”
On Addiction
“We are human beings. And a human being has a divine creative intelligence. One way or another that creative intelligence is going to find an outlet. If it can’t find an outlet through the imagination, which is its natural route, it will find it in a concretized way. That becomes compulsive because there’s no wayContinue reading “On Addiction”
Queer History of Africa
the rich queer history of Africa emerges…. “African history is replete with examples of both erotic and nonerotic same-sex relationships. For example, the ancient cave paintings of the San people near Guruve in Zimbabwe depict two men engaged in some form of ritual sex. During precolonial times, the “mudoko dako,” or effeminate males among theContinue reading “Queer History of Africa”
Same Sex Marriage
The Church of England has been divided on the issue of SAME SEX MARRIAGE for a long time, with the issue threatening to split the global Anglican community. This week the Church’s General Synod has voted to allow blessings of same sex relationships but retains its ban on marriage services. There is a glaring, unacknowledgedContinue reading “Same Sex Marriage”
Amma’s Urgent Message
BOTTOMS, JEWELS & TWO SPIRITS
At the third annual intertribal Native American/First Nations gay and lesbian conference in Winnipeg in 1990 the identity ‘Two-spirit’ became popular as a term chosen to replace the imposed, non-native words ‘berdache’ and ‘gay’, as a way to express the Native/First Nations’ distinct approach to gender identity, sexual identity and and gender-variance. “Two-spirited” or “two-spirit”Continue reading “BOTTOMS, JEWELS & TWO SPIRITS”
The Affectionate Shepherd
English poet Richard Barnfield (1574-1620), a contemporary of William Shakespeare and possibly the ‘rival poet’ Shakespeare referred to in sonnets addressed to a young man. Barnfield wrote such sonnets too and, in 1594, aged 21, published ‘The Affectionate Shepherd’ – telling the story of Daphnis’ love for Ganymede, which sold well but drew censure becauseContinue reading “The Affectionate Shepherd”
William Drummond Mystic Poet
“Whom grace made children, sin hath now made slaves” William Drummond (13 December 1585 – 4 December 1649) was a Scottish poet, son of the first laird of Hawthornden in Midlothian, John Drummond and Susannah Fowler, sister of a poet and courtier to James VI of Scotland (who became James I of England), William Fowler. William Drummond studied lawContinue reading “William Drummond Mystic Poet”
Victorian Cosmic Prophets
Some saw it coming in the Victorian age – prophets such as Whitman, Carpenter, Blavatsky, Bucke and James – the Cosmic Human soon to be born a race no longer lost, confused, forlorn – reunited with the Spirit of Life of Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Love with the Heavenly Son and the Divine Daughter movingContinue reading “Victorian Cosmic Prophets”
The Mother’s Ten Sacred Suggestions
From The Return of the Mother by Andrew Harvey (published 1995) “The essential message of the Divine Mother to us can be summed up… in the following Ten Sacred Suggestions… suggestions, and not commands or commandments, because the Mother does not issue commands. At all moments in our relation to her, we are left freeContinue reading “The Mother’s Ten Sacred Suggestions”
The Anal Chakra
Anal sex became the great taboo, the worst sin, the unmentionable sin in the Western world under the influence of Christianity, but in the more mystical lands of the East, where the spiritual potential of bodily pleasure retained the high, sacred status it had once held in pagan times in the Middle East and Europe,Continue reading “The Anal Chakra”
Self Hood
All living beings have Self-hood trees, plants, animals, humans but only humans question where this sense of Self came from the rest of Nature dances in the bliss of Self while only humans are ignorant of the deep Self that is the same Self in all Beings, That’s why nature gives us plants that canContinue reading “Self Hood”
Liberation is the Queer Game
Warriors of Infinity Ambassadors of Peace Dionysian Devi Worshippers and Handsome Holy Beasts… Proud Bottoms, Tops and Masters Sexworkers and Dancers Ravers who saw the Light and People who love the Night… Radical Ladies who Love Ladies Wild Women who work Magic Ungendered Uranian InBetweeners and people whose nature transcends even these Queer possibilities… TheContinue reading “Liberation is the Queer Game”
Gloria Anzaldua: Half and Half
GLORIA ANZALDUA: From Borderlands (1987) Half and Half There was a muchacha who lived near my house, La gente del pueblo talked about her being una de las otras, “of the Others”. They said that for six months she was a woman who had a vagina that bled once a month, and that for theContinue reading “Gloria Anzaldua: Half and Half”
Why The British State is Crumbling
We are living in a false reality, a fake dream of separation, competition and scarcity. This dream has been imposed and its days are ending. In Britain the accelerating breakdown of the unfair, unequal, manipulative political and economic system is the fake dream breaking down. At the same time, more people are waking up toContinue reading “Why The British State is Crumbling”
Trussed Up
The new British Prime Minister Liz Truss looked pretty scared out of her wits as the message contained in the words she was reading, at St Paul’s Cathedral during the memorial service for Queen Elizabeth II, sank in. She read from the New Testament, Romans 14, verses 7 to 12. For none of us livesContinue reading “Trussed Up”
Alan Watts: Lightness of Touch
Chesterton once said that, because they take themselves lightly, angels can fly. One sees so many faces dulled by a seriousness which, if it were born of grief, would be understandable. But the kind of seriousness which drags man down to the earth and kills the life of the spirit is not the child ofContinue reading “Alan Watts: Lightness of Touch”
NEW BLOG ON MEDIUM!
Dear Friends and Followers of the Rainbow Messenger blog! Thank you for your interest and support! May I ask you to also check out my new blog page on Medium.com – I noticed that there was a gap in the conversation there when it came to queer spiritual matters, so I hope to in someContinue reading “NEW BLOG ON MEDIUM!”
Why Men Have Nipples
“The material world is all feminine. The feminine energy makes the non-manifest, manifest. So even men are of the feminine energy. We have to relinquish our ideas of gender in the conventional sense. This has nothing to do with gender, it has to do with energy. So feminine energy is what creates and allows anythingContinue reading “Why Men Have Nipples”
THE GODDESS ENERGY IS TRYING TO SAVE US
MARION WOODMAN (1928-2018), Canadian mythopoetic author, poet, analytical psychologist and women’s movement figure, from her work Conscious Femininity, published 1993: “… the goddess energy is trying to save us. If we go on with our power tactics, we’re going to destroy the earth. That’s why we haven’t got a long time to evolve. We’re eitherContinue reading “THE GODDESS ENERGY IS TRYING TO SAVE US”
The Second SEXUAL REVOLUTION.
I’ve been on the London sex scene for 36 years: long before the Age of the App I used to seek other queers in Cruising Grounds from Hampstead to Clapham Cottages from Wood Green to Balham; Saunas when they were raided to when they were abundant, to when they shrank away again; Porn cinemas whereContinue reading “The Second SEXUAL REVOLUTION.”
rainbow messenger 