#trans rite

Hi comrades! We did our closing divination yesterday and wanted to share some of our results. We asked the Ancestral Helping Spirits that we’ve been working with whether they thought the new format was effective, and they all were in agreement that it was! We asked if there were any changes that they wanted us to make for future years, and we got responses that were a little hard to understand. They all seemed to think there were some changes we should make with regards to the timing — how many nights we do the rite, or when in the year, whether the nights are sequential or more spread out — and so we’ll be doing more work with them before next year to figure out the best plan, but they are happy with this year’s work and believe it was effective, so that’s great news!

If you did the rite with us this year, how did it go? Did you notice anything different from previous years? We would love if you shared your reflections with us!

My trans rite altar for this year’s elevation. This is the first time I’ve had the energy, space, and time to go all out, which is a rare combo for me. My original plan for it was a bit more simple, but when I asked the spirits I was honoring if they needed anything else on it, the unanimous response was “more shiny things!”

[images: The first two images depict my transgender rite of elevation altar from 2017 on day 1 and then again on day 9. The first night altar includes a small cup of water, two battery powered candles, a blue aragonite crystal, a rose quartz crystal, and a large amethyst crystal all surrounded by smaller clear quartz. A testosterone bottle sits at the center. The ninth night altar includes water, the crystals, a small sculpture of a pair of outstretched hands holding tiny clear and amethyst beads, a hand made clay pendulum, and the battery powered candles, all on top of a blue box that I use to hold my testosterone supplies. Below the box on the table are more crystals, the testosterone bottle, a makeup pencil, an earring, a heart button, and a “trans rights are human rights” button. Below those two pictures are pictures of my altar today. On a shelf, a rainbow boa borders the altar on three sides. The same water glass is present, now draped with a set of small prayer beads made of blue lace agate, fresh water pearl, and a pink tassel. On either side sit large ceramic figures of dfab and dmab bodies, with cur outs in their chests to reveal various items like mirror shards, glass gems, jewelry, dried flowers, and bells. A tarot deck sits on the left, and a pocket knife on the right. Three unlit tealights surround the water, as well as the pendulum, hands holding gems, and buttons, with the addition of a large trans flag button at the center.]

My Transgender Ancestor Altar Space

this year i participated in the transgender rite of elevation for the first time. Shortly before learning about the rite, I was given advice from tarot to seek out my family connections, and know my roots better. I have a very poor understanding of my family history, and I felt that perhaps that wasnt exactly what I was being asked to do anyway, so i waited. Then i happened upon a post about the rite and knew immediately this is what I was meant to do.

I was living at a temporary residence but i decided that i wasnt going to let that stop me from completing the ritual for all nine nights. I had very little supplies and not a lot to offer, but i designated time and space, and participated in divination and meditation. All nine nights i journaled a new focus for the night, spoke aloud prayers to the ancestors, raised the altar, and participated in divination. On the last night I attended an event, and a small altar had been set up there for people to leave offerings. I had a blue lace agate crystal, that I had felt strongly had to stay in my pocket for the previous couple days, and knew that was the offering i was meant to give. It wasnt expensive or extravagant, but meaningful and precious in a way. I went home, did the ritual for the last time, and ended the rite.

The experience was very rewarding, and so I have decided to keep a permanent space on my altar bookshelf so I can continue to pay my respects and communicate with my ancestors year round. I managed to acquire some blue lace agate beads to make a set of small prayer beads from to help me focus during mediation and prayer, and I have since been able to adorn the altar with trans-centric statuary and other odds and ends. 

I am a trans/nonbinary tarot and oracle reader, and I am about to present a workshop about gender inclusivity in tarot at a local tarot/metaphysical shop. It is scary to put myself out there and not know what kind of people will come and how well the information will be received. But every time I practice my craft at home, or practice for that workshop, I think of all the incredible trans people who came before me and all of the work they did so I could be where I am today. And I know theyre looking to me knowing that I will do great things for those who come after me.

Night 8 Divination by Rocket 

I've been feeling sort of shaky and uncertain, so I thought I'd do a bit of a spread last night in front of my altar. My altar is on a flight of stairs in my house, moving up a stair each night, so I set on the step below where it was sitting and started shuffling.

I use Egypt Urnash’s Tarot of the Silicon Dawn, and this deck has kicked my ass up one way and down the other during the time I’ve had it. Instead of dealing spreads, I just shuffle until cards hop out and smack me in the face.

I started shuffling, and before I’d even started asking questions, the Queen of Cups fell into my lap. Water of Water. The healing balm of a lover’s kiss, as deep as the boundless blue sea. Hello to you too!

I asked, “What do you need?” and the next card to present itself was the Six of Swords – craft. A calm, centered place amidst the conflicts. You’re dealing with sharp things; be careful and meticulous. Whatever you’re making, make it well.

I asked, “What should we do?” and got the Prince of Cups, Earth of Water. The Prince of Cups is trusting, unguarded, and unconditionally open despite how much it hurts – they are in pain, but they still have hope. They will give, and give, and give.

I didn’t have another question to ask, but I felt that there was something else, so I shuffled again and got one of this deck’s Alternate Strange Arcana – the card Aleph(four). Aleph(four) is the fourth kind of infinity, an infinity so great that it has not been definitively proven to exist. This is the card of the connections that bear up the world, the Higher Selves that care whether or not you believe in them as much as you care about one of your fingers believing in you. This card has always functioned in my experience to say “You’re tapping into something. The connection is live.” We also got this card when Alder asked me for a reading, months ago, about whether this rite was a good idea. I’m reading this to mean “This is doing what you wanted it to do.”

As I picked up the deck to put it back into its box, four cards fell off the bottom. Because of course, this fucking deck, they were: the High Priestess, the Empress, the Seven of Pentacles (Valor), and Death. Though I’m reluctant to be that guy, I thanked Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and Leslie Feinberg for visiting my reading with the Lady Death by their side.

Thank you to everyone who’s been by our sides in this, who’s sent us pictures, writing, video, eulogies, stories, thoughts, opinions, critiques, and resources, from the bottoms of our hearts.

Praise to the Beloved Dead, our queer and trans ancestors, those who carry us. Through this rite and into the future we strive to give you care, and give you honor and libation, and give of ourselves, and give all we can with boundless hope. May you never thirst.

For Our Trans Fallen

Hail, Goddesses, Gods, Healers, Spirits Those of many powers, many faces, many names, Hear our prayer, our plea, our purpose, Our recognition and acknowledgement of You, Your Power in its numerous manifestations,  And our request for your assistance in our Rite. We yearn to elevate our Trans Fallen, Every last one, Out of abject pain, anguish, broken glass And into the ranks on high, so willing. Holy ones, we pray, help and guide us this night.   Hail, Helping Ancestors, we call on you To carry our message of peace, healing, and honor forward To those Fallen, named and unnamed. May our efforts be joined, delivered, and received, so willing. To all our Fallen, named and unnamed and renamed,  Near and far, old and not so old, Hail! I am with You this night on Your journey, You are not alone. I offer You my honor, my attention, my love,  My Touch, May it soothe and heal You, Comfort and raise You. My loves, my dears, I am Yours And I remember. Have of my cup this water. May you never thirst. Journey on.

Hail, Ancestors.

Hail, fem(me)s, giants in your heels, offering us your shoulders.

Hail, queens, embodiments of every goddess throughout the ages,

Mothers like willow trees, Grandmothers with jewels between their lips,

and hail to the Maidens, uncountable crowds of them, fingers interlaced

and beautiful as a flame – hail to your pain and your parched throats,

and hail to the way you laughed.

Hail to the bois and the boys and the butches and the brothers and the

strength we may find in holding and bearing up.

Loves, the world is dry and desirous of tearing us apart.

It wants to drain us and then drag

until the muscles that hold our arms around you part like brittle leaves and

your lips on our foreheads become no more than a whisper. It wants

to crush our power and I swear to you –

for you, family, we will resist.

for you, mothers and sisters, we will smash the dams and let the water swallow the barriers between us.

for you, fathers and brothers, we will make our arms strong enough to hold tight.

for you, parents and siblings and beloveds, we will build something new – a world that would not have killed you.

A world that may not kill us. A world that will not kill our children. With one hand in yours

and one hand in theirs, shoulder to shoulder sideways through time

we stand with you. We honor you.

We honor your fear and your joy -

we honor the moments when you knew so truly that it bled

that this rusty world was not made for any of us.

Hail to the palms of your hands and the futures you imagined.

Hail to your fists and your teeth and your open eyes in the mirror.

Hail to the Mother of All who gathers her aching children into the circle of her arms

and offers them water, warmth, and rest.