Spirituality and Orientation/Gender

[AtLast]

Originally Posted by foxyshaman

Third Gender is a term I have used for myself for many years... or tri-sexual. I do not use the term in reference to my sexual orientation, rather my spiritual identification. Shamanism is my love. Shamans have often been considered the third gender. They were often times the ones in the community who could and would speak/negotiate/heal both genders. Many traditional cultures had titles and designations for the shamans (also known by other names). I have felt as though I have straddled both genders simply because of the role I have been assigned spiritually.

I call myself a dyke, but that is another thread .

Spirit has called me to practice and study shamanism, and my training has been as a warrior. I tend to see my spiritual life as my masculine/Animus self and my living life as my feminine/anima self. In this way I see myself as a third gender, that space in-between F and M. Encompassing both as a balanced spiritual practice/balanced spiritual human.

When shamanic cultures were being explored/discovered most of the individuals recording what they saw came from a binary culture, with little or no understanding of a third gender. Often times the orientation of the shaman was not written about, because it was simply not recognized. In different traditions shamans would have to undergo rituals which included changing their gender. Or it would be that women shamans were not allowed to 'shamanize' if they had children and could only be considered a shaman if their children were past the age they needed their mother. Male shamans were often dressed as women and often took partners who were male or very masculine females, what we might term as butch.

Shamans have crossed the barriers of gender for generations. It simply was a part of their calling to encompass and understand both genders and the specifics required to 'shamanize' the different genders.

Anyway those are just some of my thoughts.

Thank for these thoughts.

This speaks to my internalizations of both gender and sexuality as a butch. The barriers about gender as well as sexuality have been so misinterpreted in modern cultures, I believe. And the tension created internally as well as externally due to this is so hard for some and so fed with the Puritan Ethic (well, as we view this ethic, today- this is what messing with history leads to).

I'm a blend (well, we all are, really) and am grateful for being at peace with this. Two-Spirit as well as the ways of the Shamanism seem to just be barrier free in terms of gender and sexuality which is a positive energy force as I experience it. I am grateful for this as many do not have this peace and flow. Although, everyone has their own way to get where they want to go!

I often think about the relationship of anima and animus with taking either testosterone or estrogen and how many transpeople begin to experience sexual attraction thereafter with many finding themselves attracted more to the gender of their own transition (male to male, female to female). Jung would have a field day if he were alive today and able to study this! For me this puts bisexuality as well as homosexuality on a whole new level.