Ep. 21: Honoring Our Ancestors and Embracing Our Power

The Queer Spirituality Podcast

Summary: In this episode of the Queer Spirituality podcast, Julian Crosson-Hill discusses the significance of Halloween for the queer community. He explains that while Halloween is a time for fun and dressing up, it also has deeper spiritual aspects. In pagan circles, Halloween is celebrated as Samhain, a festival that honors ancestors and recognizes the thinning of the veil between the worlds. Julian reflects on the concept of queer ancestors and how they play a role in the spiritual journey of queer individuals. He categorizes queer ancestors into three groups: the giants who championed LGBTQ rights, the spiritual intermediaries who opened doorways for queer people to explore their spirituality, and the personal connections we have with individuals who have impacted our lives. Julian emphasizes the importance of remembering and honoring our queer spirit ancestors, as they provide a sense of empowerment and courage to live authentically.

Key Takeaways:

• Halloween is a time for the queer community to celebrate and have fun, but it also has deeper spiritual aspects.
• Queer ancestors are not limited to blood relations but can include spirit ancestors who have contributed to the LGBTQ community.
• Remembering and honoring queer spirit ancestors can provide a sense of empowerment and courage to live authentically.

Quotes:

• "When we remember them, when we tell our stories and our history, we keep those people alive on a level, on a spiritual level."
• "We are connected spiritually to them through our queerness. And we have that same courage and that same power in our bones that they had in their bones."
• "When we think about those people and the challenges that they stood up to, we can say we're not going to live that again. We're not going to slide backwards."
• "What's remembered lives."
• "Take a moment to connect with that and see if it doesn't make you feel more empowered to live authentically as who you are."