Or, Spirituality & Sexuality
Over the years I’ve studied a wide variety of spiritual traditions; nature-based ‘pagan’ as well as ‘major world religions’. As an infant I was baptized in the United Church of Canada; and in The Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto as a young adult. The first is a mainstream Canadian denomination that has a strong track record of acceptance. MCC was founded in 1968 “to provide a Christian sanctuary for LGBT people” and is now “an international denomination committed to radical inclusivity in all areas.”
My early Ministry in Toronto was most visible as a Sister of the Toronto Order of Perpetual Indulgence. I now identify as a non-theistic spiritual humanist. I recognize gods as allegorical representations of a spiritual reality that is neither quantifiable by, nor reducible to, a modern scientific approach.
I have been openly gay/queer for over 40 years; coming out as gay in 1978 and self-identifying as queer for almost two decades. Introduced to the Tarot by my partner in 1980, together with our roommate we studied cards, astrology, numerology and other divination tools. The cards spoke to me the most strongly; although I’m versed in astrological and numerology symbolism. Kabbalah, tea leaves, runes, I Ching and other forms do not resonate as deeply with me.
I’ve used Tarot Cards for self-reflection, and offered readings to friends and neighbours, for almost 40 years. About 15 years ago I added a few decks based on North American indigenous spiritual traditions. While visiting old friends back in Toronto in 2018, I was gifted 3 decks designed by Doreen Virtue. Many such oracle decks are created around a specific subject or theme. This makes them great for a focused reading. They may also be used to bring focus to a tarot reading; tarot’s 78 cards cover a lot of ground.
