To Be Queer is Divinity in Its Purist Form
To be queer is divinity in its purest form. Every single one of us possesses divine feminine and divine masculine within our spirit—some leaning more heavily in one direction or the other. Those among us who fully embody this spectrum of divine energy are sacred beings to be held in high regard. And it has been this way across cultures since the beginning of time.
This isn't metaphor. This isn't modern reinterpretation of ancient texts to make ourselves feel better about contemporary struggles. This is the documented reality of how human communities have understood the sacred nature of gender and sexual diversity for millennia.
When I say that queerness is divinity in its purest form, I'm speaking to something that goes deeper than identity politics or social movements. This truth is as old as human spiritual understanding itself. Those who naturally transcend the boundaries others accept without question carry within themselves a more complete expression of divine energy.
The divine itself contains multitudes. Creation and destruction. Nurturing and challenging. Gentle and fierce. Most humans spend their entire lives learning to integrate these contradictory forces within themselves. But some are born already embodying this integration. Some arrive in this world as living demonstrations of divine wholeness.
Long before modern society imposed rigid norms, communities understood the power of living authentically and recognized the sacredness in those who chose to live outside the mainstream. Then, queerness included anyone who lived differently—those who remained single, chose not to have children, or followed alternative paths. These individuals were seen as vital to their communities and to the spiritual fabric that held societies together.
They understood what we have forgotten—that the force which creates worlds operates beyond human categories. That those who naturally exist outside conventional boundaries might be closer to divine truth than those who never question the walls they've inherited.
Sacred Roles Across Cultures
Two-Spirit Traditions of Turtle Island
Among the Indigenous cultures of Turtle Island (North America), Two-Spirit people held positions of extraordinary reverence. These individuals, who embodied both masculine and feminine energies, were recognized as natural healers and spiritual leaders. Their existence in the space between traditional gender roles was understood not as confusion or deviation, but as a form of divine balance made manifest.
Two-Spirit people occupied ceremonial roles that only they could fulfill, serving as bridges between different energies and different worlds. Their unique perspective—informed by their experience of gender fluidity—equipped them with insights that benefited entire communities. They often served as matchmakers, naming ceremonialists, and keepers of sacred knowledge that required the balanced perspective they naturally possessed.
The Galli of Ancient Mesopotamia
In the ancient world of Mesopotamia, the galli priests who served the goddesses Inanna and Cybele represented another powerful example of sacred queerness. These priests transcended the binary gender norms of their time, following spiritual callings that superseded societal expectations about masculinity and femininity.
Inanna herself, one of the earliest recorded deities, embodied the divine feminine in all its complexity—she was simultaneously the goddess of love and war, creation and destruction, fertility and death. Her priests, the galli, reflected this divine multiplicity in their own beings. They were entrusted with the most sacred rituals, serving as intermediaries between the human and divine realms. Their transformation of gender identity was understood as a form of spiritual dedication, a way of more completely embodying the goddess they served.
African Wisdom Traditions
Throughout the African continent, numerous tribes and cultures have long recognized queerness as a natural and revered state of being. The Yoruba people of West Africa, whose spiritual traditions continue to influence communities worldwide, honor those who embody non-traditional gender roles as individuals with direct connections to the divine realm.
In Yoruba cosmology, the concept of divine balance requires the harmonious interaction of different energies. Those who naturally embody multiple gender expressions are seen as living demonstrations of this cosmic balance. Their presence in communities is understood to bring harmony precisely because they demonstrate in their own being the possibility of transcending artificial divisions.
Irish Bards and Filí
Ancient Ireland offers yet another example of how pre-Christian cultures honored those who lived outside conventional boundaries. The bards and filí—poets and seers who held positions of tremendous power and respect in Irish society—frequently lived beyond the constraints of traditional gender and sexual roles.
These figures were understood as channels to the Otherworld, individuals whose very existence outside normative structures equipped them to serve as mediators of divine wisdom. Celtic folklore and mythology consistently portray those who lived outside heteronormative family structures as possessing heightened spiritual abilities and deeper connections with the unseen realms. Their difference was not merely tolerated but actively celebrated as a source of spiritual insight and community guidance.
Journal Prompts for Reflection
Take some time to sit with these questions. Allow yourself to explore without judgment, knowing that there are no right or wrong answers—only opportunities for deeper understanding of yourself and the sacred nature of divine diversity.
For Personal Exploration: When you imagine the divine feminine and divine masculine energies within yourself, how do they show up? What would it look like to honor both aspects more fully in your daily life?
For Cultural Reflection: What messages did you receive growing up about people who lived outside conventional gender or relationship norms? How might these early messages be influencing your spiritual practice today?
For Community Recognition: Who in your life embodies the role of spiritual intermediary or wisdom keeper? What qualities do they possess that might connect to their willingness to live authentically outside mainstream expectations?
For Historical Connection: If you could serve as a bridge between worlds like the Irish filí or Mesopotamian galli, what wisdom would you want to carry between the seen and unseen realms?
For Sacred Integration: Where in your own life have you felt called to transcend conventional boundaries? How might these experiences connect you to the ancient tradition of sacred outsiders who serve as spiritual bridges for their communities?
This understanding of sacred queerness as divine expression offers us a pathway back to ancient wisdom that honors the full spectrum of human spiritual experience.
Meet the High Witch
Erin Harker
I'm Erin Harker, a practitioner of ancestral magic and student of Druidry whose path weaves together Irish, Scottish, and German heritage with modern spiritual practice. My journey began in childhood with candlelit spells and family traditions, growing into a devotion to sacred hospitality and community care. Today, I serve as a bridge between worlds—helping others reconnect with their own magic through Magick Makers community, workshops, and spiritual guidance. Whether you're just beginning your journey or returning to a practice long forgotten, you'll find a welcoming space here where ancient wisdom meets modern needs.
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