What is a Queer Priestexx? 7 Signs of Your Spiritual Power
My first tattoo is a quote from the White Witch herself, Stevie Nicks, next to a blooming lotus flower. The quote reads,
“I have no fear; I have only love.”
This quote on my skin serves as a permanent reminder to stay grounded and centered in love, and to act intentionally from that place, instead of from fear.
THIS is the way of the priestexx. Like a phoenix rises from the ashes, the lotus blooms through mud. The lotus flower is a symbol of rebirth, renewal, and growing through challenges. Can you relate? Does this sound like your life story? If so, then you might be a Priestexx…
Read on, because this post is all about unlearning the illusion of duality, especially within the context of queer spirituality. We will discuss the great remembrance and awakening of Queer Priestexxes everywhere who are transcending gender binaries, and reclaiming queer joy as spiritual resistance. We will define this term, “priestexx,” and we will discover seven signs that YOU are a part of the sacred Queer Priestexx uprising that is happening on Earth right now.
The illusion of duality…
As a pansexual, polyamorous, nonbinary yoga practitioner, I see everything in the human experience as a spectrum.
For example: While I am non-binary in the sense of having “all the gender,” meaning that most of the time I tend to feel simultaneously very masculine and very feminine… Some folks are agender, meaning that they feel genderless. They don’t identify with either side of the spectrum necessarily, and they are also non-binary. There are still other non-binary people who may identify closer to one side of the spectrum than the other, or whose gender identity feels more fluid and ever evolving. Attempting to list all the possible ways that a person can be non-binary would keep us here awhile.
Point being that there are a lot of concepts within the LGBTQ+ community that are like this; they defy the binary and therefore challenge the illusion of duality. Because queer people have already had to challenge this indoctrinated belief system to some extent, they may have an easier time of challenging the binary and seeing past the illusion of duality in other ways! So what do I mean exactly by this “illusion of duality?”
From a Yogic perspective, the entire multiverse APPEARS to be made up of “binary structures” such as day and night, hot and cold, summer and winter, up and down, fear and love, Shiva and Shakti. But Yoga literally means “to yoke,” “to join,” or “union,” and Yoga philosophy states that these apparent binary structures are part of one giant illusion. In fact, the final stages in the process of Yoga involve freeing oneself from this illusion, so that the practitioner realizes their ONENESS with everything in and beyond this material realm. This experience of our true nature is also known as Self-realization.
The Yoga term Tantra means “to weave,” Spider medicine. The term is derived from the root words "tan," meaning “to expand,” and "tra," meaning “to make free,” suggesting a system that expands consciousness and leads to spiritual liberation. Another way to say this, is that the practice of Yoga + Tantra systematically removes this illusion of separation so that we can realize our true selves, which are already free underneath this illusion. This is called Self-realization.
Consider the Yin/ Yang Symbol. There is darkness within the light, and light within the darkness. Both halves are equal, and both need the other to be completed. So they only appear to be two - to be binary - but really, they are one. To walk the path of this oneness, is to walk the path of the priestexx.
What the heck is a Priestexx?
So, what the heck is a “priestexx” and what do I mean by that? First, we will define the term and explore the archetype, then we will discuss the remembrance and awakening of Queer Priestexxes worldwide who are using queer joy as resistance. This is what I refer to as the “queer priestexx uprising.”
We live in a time of patriarchy, so most of us are familiar with the term “priest” in a Christian or Catholic sense; usually a man who spiritually guides a congregation of church members and facilitates ceremonies such as weddings and funerals. However, the idea that only men can responsibly act as a mediator between humans and the Divine is a relatively recent idea in human history that is rooted in colonialism, capitalism, and of course, patriarchy. There was once a time when societies were mostly matriarchal, meaning they centered and prioritized the wellbeing of children. Women, known as priestesses, as well as gender non-conforming people whom we might call priestexxes, were allowed to serve in this role.
Therefore, “priestexx” is a gender-neutral term for anyone who is seen as a spiritual leader by their community, and is authorized to perform sacred rituals such as marriage, funerals, and other spiritual rites of passage. This may or may not be associated with any specific religion or religious practices. It can also be pagan and self-initiated.
The psycho-spiritual role of the priestexx archetype can be similar to that of a shaman. In indigenous wisdom traditions worldwide, the shaman is the one who goes into the subconscious realm, between worlds or dimensions if you will, and comes back with wisdom to share with the collective. Another word for this is a witch! Whether referred to as a priestexx, shaman, witch, or pagan, cultures around the world have known this archetype or something similar to it.
They were regarded as community healers, spiritual leaders, and often had knowledge of herbs and plants so they could practice the folk medicine of their region. This insight made them powerful, and therefore threatening to organized religion and other institutions such as healthcare and government. If people are empowered with access to knowledge and medicine within their local communities, then they will not feel afraid and will be much more difficult to control.
During the process of patriarchal colonization, regional pagan deities and spiritual leaders who honored the Earth and the old ways were systematically targeted, killed or jailed, then replaced with Christian leaders. This is the true origin story of many saints known today, such as St. Brigid (originally Celtic goddess Brigid), or St. Olaf of Norway, a Viking who forcibly Christianized Norway by destroying pagan temples and killing pagan resisters. The Christian church has very clearly been used as a weapon by patriarchy and capitalism. This fascinating topic is outside of the scope of this blog post, but please ask me for additional resources.
Either/ or thinking creates an “us vs them” mentality. The idea that there is only one right answer, and if you are “wrong” you are damned for all eternity. This creates fear which means a population easier to control. Black and white thinking is fear based thinking. It’s the illusion of duality, the illusion of separation. The more we “buy into” that illusion, the more fear we feel. But the more we connect with and experience our true Selves, our higher selves, that is - Self-realization - the more LOVE we feel. And a population that feels grounded, calm, and rooted in LOVE, is very difficult to control.
Whether you’ve thought about this before or this is a brand new idea, you may feel it to be true in your body and your bones. That was certainly the case for me, when I began to learn more and be initiated onto this path by my teachers.
If something about this theory strikes a deep resonance within you, without requiring additional logical proof (most of which has been destroyed by the powers that be anyway), then your body may be remembering a past life as a priestexx.
So… Are YOU a Priestexx in this lifetime, or were you one in a past incarnation? ✨
Here are seven signs that YOU are a part of the sacred Queer Priestexx remembrance + awakening that is happening on Earth right now…
You feel connected to the Divine Mother everywhere, at all times. Deep in your heart, you have always known intuitively that having a relationship with the Divine does not require going to a specific building on a specific day and time.
In fact, you feel most connected to the Divine when you’re in nature, surrounded by the elements. When you’re there, you may become so present that you lose track of time.
You understand that Divine Connection is not exclusive to any single group, place, belief system, or practice. Many paths lead to the One Truth, and you don’t see any one path as being superior to the others or the only correct one.
You believe that Divine Connection belongs to everyone by birth right, and that gender, sexuality, race, ability, and class cannot affect this simple truth. You may also feel inclined to protect or fight for the rights of the marginalized or downtrodden.
You see through the capitalist idea that spiritual progress can simply be purchased in the form of philanthropic donations or certification programs. You know that even if money is no object, sincerity has no price. There must be longing for communion with the divine.
You know that Divine Connection can be directly experienced by anyone, regardless of whether they have ANY degrees, certifications, disposable income, or even PERMISSION. Sometimes material wealth and knowledge clouds our intuition.
If institutions label Divine Connection as “witchcraft” when it comes directly from our own inner power, instead of from an external authority, then you resonate with this definition of being a witch, pagan, shaman, or priestexx.
Take a moment to reflect and journal on these seven signs. Which ones resonate, and which don’t? You could include a half point if some of them only partially resonate for you. Count up your total. Journal about what this means for you personally, and how the illusion of duality comes up if your life and effects you most.
Stay grounded in love beyond all the binaries that appear to divide us: political parties, religions, races, genders, and more… the TRUTH beyond the illusion is that we are ALL ONE.
Another powerful sign that you are a priestexx, either in this lifetime or in previous lifetimes or both, is that you feel called to travel. ✨
You may have a very specific intuitive connection to a certain place or culture, or have felt called to visit a certain place from a very young age without really knowing anything about it. This could be literally anywhere - across time and cultures this archetype has existed so you may find that it’s a place your ancestors are from or a place that you don’t have ancestral connection to in this lifetime but you have always felt an intuitive calling or spiritual connection to that place.
For me, there are a few places that I’ve always felt intuitively connected and called to their sacred land and culture, even when I was too young to explain or really have a reason why. I take this is a sign of having lived past lifetimes in those places. I am so blessed to have visited several countries now, and travel is absolutely a potent spiritual experience in so many ways. It is my great privilege and honor to guide others through that experience, and I’m excited to share in the coming months a few opportunities to travel with me early next year to attend Yoga retreats in two of my all-time favorite places! Make sure you follow QSA on Instagram; over the next several weeks I will be posting hints of the two places we are going! Can you guess where?
The first trip will be announced on May 1st, and the second trip will be announced on June 1st. So if you want to be among the first to know about all of the trip details, itinerary, and snag one of the early bird discount spots, you’ll want to join our email list ASAP! Scroll down to the bottom of this page to sign up.
Would you rather listen than read this blog post? Check out the podcast episode below!
Thank you for reading, and until next time — let’s stay connected, and stay witchy.
With all my love,
Lee Devi ✨
