Oneness Ministry

Pride Cometh Before the Fall

by Sequoia Elisabeth

This is a re-post from last year. It is so important to understand the words and actions we immerse ourselves in. So read over this blog with a critical eye focused on the inner self. Find the best and share this with the world!

The phrase “Pride cometh before a fall” probably came from the 1611, King James Version of the Bible, Book of Proverbs, 16:18. Some versions say it this way, “Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Either way the point is fairly obvious. A person who is extremely proud of his or her abilities will often suffer a setback or failure, because he or she tends to be overconfident and to make errors of judgment.

Have you ever thought of how Pride fits into your life? If you are GLBTQ then you have probably attended a Pride festival of some type. There is an interesting irony to this event, so I would like to share a few thoughts on Pride since June is rapidly approaching and Pride festivals will be taking place all over the USA and elsewhere.

Let’s look at this word a little closer, Pride [prahyd] noun, verb, prid·ed, prid·ing.

Noun ~

1. A high or inordinate opinion of one’s owns dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc.

2. The state or feeling of being proud.

3. A becoming or dignified sense of what is due to oneself or one’s position or character; self-respect; self-esteem.

4. Pleasure or satisfaction taken in something done by or belonging to oneself or believed to reflect credit upon oneself: civic pride.

5. Something that causes a person or persons to be proud: His art collection was the pride of the family.

If we again look even closer one word seems to jump out in the definition, Ego. Look at the synonyms for Pride – conceit, self-esteem, egotism, vanity, vain glory, implies an unduly favorable idea of one’s own appearance, advantages, achievements, etc., and often applies to offensive characteristics. Pride is a lofty and often arrogant assumption of superiority in some respect: Pride must have a fall. Conceit implies an exaggerated estimate of one’s own abilities or attainments, together with pride: blinded by conceit. Self-esteem may imply an estimate of oneself that is higher than those held by others: a ridiculous self-esteem. Egotism implies an excessive pre-occupation with oneself or with one’s own concerns, usually but not always accompanied by pride or conceit: His egotism blinded him to others’ difficulties. Vanity implies self-admiration and an excessive desire to be admired by others: His vanity was easily flattered. Vain glory, somewhat literary, implies an inordinate and therefore empty or unjustified pride: puffed up by vain glory – boast.

The antonym is humility! Jesus taught us to have a humble approach to life and not get caught up in our own achievements. Life is about what you have to offer – what you give! Pride has its uses and serves to balance life, but it is a trap so many of us fall prey to. Celebrate your successes, feel good about yourself, know that you have great worth, and do it with humility, so you can avoid the fall!

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH

😀 Sequoia Elisabeth

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Label Me Please

by Sequoia Elisabeth

“Label me, define me, nail me down with cold words and

that box will be your coffin, for I do not know who I am” — Rumi

Using labels to define existence provides us with a tangible experience. Boxing something or someone’s identity allows the observer to have a personal idea of not only what that item or person is, but more importantly to know their self! Rumi has it right in that we are all that is, but in order to fully experience this earthly life one has to be in a box or all is nothing!

Try this wonderful exercise and see how it feels to you. Choose a random moment, pause, look around and say to yourself – “I am That”… “I am”. You could be looking at a beggar on the street, a flower in your yard, or the computer you sit in front of right now. Experience what it feels like to “Be” that item or person. Take your time and let it sink in.

How does it feel? Did you have a transcendent experience? I know I often experience a feeling of connection to everything in the Universe during that exercise, but sometimes I don’t feel a thing. It depends on what I put into it! Taking my time and relaxing into the process is key. A fun place to do this exercise is somewhere you don’t normally go or particularly like being. It stretches the mind and broadens the senses to a point of acceptance, depending on how much you resist the feelings of course.

Where do you find yourself feeling awkward or uneasy? Prisons, Churches, Gay Bars, Tall Buildings, at sea on a small boat, a room full of animals, sitting in your cubicle, _______ fill in the blank? The feedback you receive is insight to your make up and conditioning, but does it really tell you who you are? Now try the exercise in reverse, where do you find yourself feeling safe, welcome, and at home? Your own living space, sitting at your desk, in the arms of your lover, with family, with friends, in a forest, all by yourself, _________ fill in the blank?

Now think back to a tranquil picture you remember seeing, does the feeling you get seeing the picture compare to actually being there? For instance, seeing a picture of Yosemite National Park compare to actually being there? Do you expect it to? The idea is for the picture to remind you of past experiences. If you have never had the experience then the photo can inspire you to visit the place or have the experience. Fantasy pictures are more about invoking an emotional response sense going there is not an option. What does “Be a Unicorn” mean to you? If you see a pretty picture of a Unicorn can you image being the Unicorn? Are you in the Unicorn box? Do you see the purpose boxes provide?

Without a box or identity how can you experience anything in particular? I find being in a box (labeled identity) helps me more fully experience life, whatever that life is at the time. When I was living as a man the box allowed me to more fully embrace the experience of being a man. Now that I live as a woman whether I label it as transwoman or not I have a clearer idea of who I am. I live based on my own ideas of what a woman is, while also feeling my way through the experience. The clothing, behavior, and thought process is very natural and takes little effort on my part.

I have sat in a field and put myself in Tree box, imagining myself to be a tree, feeling the sun, sinking my roots deep into the earth, and feeling the connection to all the animals, insects, and other plants! It is a cleansing experience, one that humbles me, and reminds me how important each living thing is in this world. Without the box though, this would not be possible.

On a side note labels are simply a tool, and can be used to separate you from other things and people. If you go around saying I am not that, or that is a tree and I am not a tree, then the feeling of separation takes over – the feeling of fear sets in. Connection is a feeling of Love and perhaps this is the purpose of the whole exercise! To feel Love! Have fun on your Journey of Love.

🙂 Sequoia Elisabeth

Unity in Gender Diversity

Slight of Mind Revisited

by Sequoia Elisabeth

The actions you take are necessary as proof to yourself that it is not only possible but reality. The concept of reality is not as fixed as one would believe and because of this we are constantly testing reality. If it happens then it must be true is the mentality we use.

Have you ever been to a magic show? Is that reality? Does the rabbit really disappear from the hat? Of course it does, the question is where does it go? If reality was fixed could we even believe a trick like this? Don’t we have to know there is a possibility of the rabbit actually disappearing to make this trick work? Deep down we all know that this 3d world is an illusion.

A trigger is required for us to believe a certain event. Let’s take surgery for instance. Say a large benign tumor exists, can be seen on x-ray and with a large bulge in the skin. We wish this tumor to be gone. How do we make it go away? We go to a surgeon and he cuts it out. Why don’t we go to the magician to make it disappear? Belief, personal experience and precedent!

We need matching action of a believable nature to create the result we seek. The movies use this technique all the time. Two scenes are shot at different times and spliced together to give the appearance they happened in sequence. (Called Matching Action) It is a trick for the mind! In fact movies are all about tricks, they are actually a series of still images shown very quickly ~16 frames per second (sometimes faster up to 32 FPS) and appear to be moving…appear to be real.

Surgery is the matching action, like in the movies, which allows the mind to perceive a miracle cure! When in reality it is done at a level beyond the mind. Reality exists beyond the mind and the mind is our lens to this world. Without the ego mind this world does not exist! This is why the mind needs proof, i.e. surgery to experience the healing. The Spirit does not need this trick, because it operates at the level of reality and knows there is no tumor at all. There never was, because in reality we are perfect beings of light/energy made in the image of God/Universal Intelligence/Great Spirit.

The magic trick diverts the attention while the appearance is manipulated, but in reality the rabbit does not even exist so anything that is done is perfectly believable. Now that we have this information, do we still need surgery to remove a tumor? Or make a rabbit disappear? This depends on your level of belief and faith in reality!

🙂 Sequoia Elisabeth

Ps. Apply this to SRS/GRS and ask yourself if you really need surgery to believe who you are? In the Spirit world there is no gender… perhaps this is what you desire.

Acceptance is Key

by Sequoia Elisabeth

The Transgender Journey is much like any journey. Preparation helps all go smoothly while being ready to handle the unexpected becomes a valued skill. Learning to accept what you have and working with it is both the beginning and the end of the journey. The “what you have” is dynamic as is the journey. So let’s begin.

First of all find out who you are. This is not as simple as it may seem. The person you see in the mirror is not necessarily who you are. The body is simply a vehicle rather than who you are. Just like your car is not who you are, neither is your body. Getting to the point where you are happy (accept) with the image in the mirror and with yourself is sometimes a long road. There is no right way to get there, so leave the GPS at home and use your intuition instead.

Introspection comes easily for some of us and much harder for others, so if you are one of those who does not like to look within, then this will be even more important to you, although you may need to get help.

The journey goes something like this, look in the mirror, what do you see? Ok, this is your vehicle. It was given you for a reason and most likely that reason is that it will take you where you need to go, not necessarily where you want to go. Accept this gift! Right here and now, STOP thinking you know where you are going. Stop thinking you know who you are. Let go of any preconceptions you may have acquired. Each day is a new day and one with the potential to discover your true self.

Now that you have discovered your vehicle go take it for a ride. Test the cornering ability, the acceleration, and the stopping distance. See how good you are at changing situations, demands on your services or skills. On the road keep a notebook with you and record your best features, skills, and attributes. Get to know what you are good at and what you need work on. Accept where you are as perfect in this moment, all is well.

You have a long list now and are ready to pursue this even further. Stay focused on the desirable features, skills, and attributes, the ones you put on your list and have already accepted. Staying motivated at this level is about focusing on your goodness and forgiving all else. If you noticed any undesirable attributes on the list you can acknowledge them, thank them for being a part of you, and then let them go. To symbolize this write them down on a piece of paper. In a safe location, burn the paper while focusing on gratitude – be grateful for the learning they afforded you. Everything in your life serves a purpose so be grateful while at the same time do not get attached to them. For instance, fat is often a shield we use to protect us from perceived danger or undesirable situations. Notice I did not say “real” danger. Once you become comfortable with the situations in your life and can accept your gifts of physical beauty and vigor then life supports this reality. It all starts with your acceptance and willingness to see the beauty no matter your perceptions.

What is next for you? Be optimistic and joyful, you have just let go of all your troubles. The process continues and goes deeper each time. Accept and repeat. Life will evolve and get better and better! Before you know it love and acceptance will exist in you on a deeper level than you even knew existed! As this occurs your experience in the outer world conforms and reflects this reality. The only real way to change the world is to change yourself! The world is just you reflected!

Remember a few things along the way. Everything happens for a reason, resistance is futile, and everyone is going through a similar journey, so give them what you would wish in return, acceptance. Joy is in the journey!

🙂 Sequoia Elisabeth

Meaning of Marriage

by Sequoia Elisabeth

Marriage is between a man and woman, specifically, the social institution under which a man and woman establish their decision to live as husband and wife by legal commitments, religious ceremonies, etc. (Dictionary.com) Here is another definition of marriage I found in a blog, “”True Meaning of Marriage” The true meaning of marriage is love. By love, I mean not just what we feel but what we do. Love just as a feeling is very flimsy, an up and down roller coaster. Love is an action! In order for it to become the ultimate force and for us to rediscover the true meaning of marriage, love has to be unconditional. You are not looking for acceptance or validation. You are giving of yourself to another not because of them, but because of your values. A death to ones self so that another may live and benefit from your sacrifice. This is not an easy road to walk. But it is the most rewarding road however. An old Buddhist saying goes like this, ‘I want peace.’ If you take your ego (I) and your desires (want) out of the equation, i.e., the self, you will have only peace left. The true meaning of marriage is expressing love unconditionally to another. It is an unstoppable force that can endure anything. How do you find it? Within yourself. You have to draw strength from you. Neither seeking validation nor acceptance, just seeking the opportunity to show love.” (TalkAboutMarriage.com)

Here is another quote which exposes the issue of marriage nicely, “The meaning of marriage can be looked at from a legal perspective. Legally, marriage is a binding contract between the two parties that joins together their possessions, income, and lives. Marriage is recognized by the state, and the dissolving of the contract can only happen through the legal process of divorce.

But, for most people, marriage has meaning beyond the legal sense. Marriage is also an agreement between the man and woman. Husband and wife take certain vows, to love one another, to cherish one another, and to stay together through sickness and health, for better and for worse. In most cases, this agreement includes sexual faithfulness, and a promise that each person will do what they can to make the other one happy. For some people, this agreement between man and woman takes the form of a covenant between not only the couple, but God as well. Thus, many marriages are performed within the rites of various churches and religious institutions.

The meaning of marriage should be looked at from a sociological perspective as well. A marriage is the conduit by which children are born; a marriage provides both a mother and a father for the children. The family unit, the relationship between parents and child, are all based on the marriage relationship.” (laboroflove.com)

Now let’s break this down and apply it to the current debate over same-sex marriage. The first thing to notice is marriage is between a man and woman, not necessarily a male and female, although there are arguments about having children. It is also monogamous, supporting, and legal. Marriage is a social construct created by man for mankind. Religious institutions use it to control their congregation and impose their ideology. The Government further supports this manipulation by imposing financial benefits and legal constrictions on the nuptials.

There is a saying which applies to marriage nicely, ‘two heads are better than one’. Partnership just makes sense in surviving and thriving, so the question becomes how important is Love to the equation? Having been married twice and divorced twice I would say it is imperative! I will further posit that same sex marriages have one partner in the man role and one in the woman role by nature. It is possible the roles flip from time to time and that even happens in hetero marriages. Also, the financial aspects of marriage are of great importance being the leading cause of divorce. Marriage these days is often simply about security and insurance against loneliness. For the same-sex community it is about being accepted by society and feeling loved by their peers. It is just another way to fit in and this goes for all marriages, gay or not!

Ideally, I would say the “true meaning of marriage” is Love, a selfless unconditional love. Let us pray this remains the primary reason to marry and to stay together. We can also acknowledge the facts that marriage is about financial, physical, and emotional support between two individuals of consenting age (now 18). Equality is about everyone, having the right to equal benefits, and opportunities. The whole Same-Sex marriage movement could be reduced to the right to file taxes as married, share insurance, and make legal decisions with/for your spouse. Take money out of society and this entire issue dissolves and marriage will return to its original purpose of sharing love, but this is another story, the many benefits of a moneyless gifting economy.

Love needs no legal document or government/religious approval. Love is boundless until we put up walls. We put them there so we can also take them down. There is no greater and important principle to preserve in our world than Free Will. It is our inalienable right to make our own decisions, to love whom we choose, and to experience the gifts this produces. Do we really even need marriage at all? Why put limits on who you Love, who you live with and who has your children (who’s children you have), especially if you are not going to honor your vows over your entire life? Certain Truths hold themselves to be self-evident. The only true relationship you have is with Divine Source (God). This larger relationship expresses through the smaller ones with the people in your life, your relationship to mother earth, and to yourself.

🙂 Sequoia Elisabeth

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How Necessary Is SRS?

by Sequoia Elisabeth

When is surgery for Gender Dysphoria appropriate and necessary? Should a doctor do the sex change just because an individual says they want one? Gender Identity is a person’s own concept of who they are – it cannot be proven by science, so does a person’s word stand as gospel? These are questions care providers specializing in gender must deal with on a daily basis. The rule many are adopting lately is the informed consent rule, while others stick with the WPATH Standards Of Care (SOC).

Let’s look at both to see what works best. The WPATH Standards of Care 7 was just released in 2011. It is put together by specialists in Gender treatment, including physicians, surgeons, psychiatrists, psychologists, and therapists. One of the first things they point out is gender non-conformity is not the same thing as gender dysphoria and should be treated differently depending on the severity of the individual’s condition. It is largely the mental health care provider’s responsibility to guide the individual to a discovery of the extent and intensity of discomfort or dysphoria they are experiencing and if this experience is constant or intermittent. A copy of this publication can be downloaded for free at this link. (http://www.wpath.org/publications_standards.cfm)

“Surgery – particularly genital surgery – is often the last and the most considered step in the treatment process for gender dysphoria. While many transsexual, transgender, and gender nonconforming individuals find comfort with their gender identity, role, and expression without surgery, for many others surgery is essential and medically necessary to alleviate their gender dysphoria (Hage & Karim, 2000).” (SOC 2011) (Italics and Bold added)

Informed consent as I refer to it here is not the traditional form used in all medical procedures for legal reasons, it is simply the verbal understanding between patient and provider of how the individual identifies and then treatment ensues based on the individuals testament. It is used because as stated before no one can prove a person’s gender identity. Even the individual may have doubts about it which are to be taken in consideration by the provider. This is why counseling therapy is so important in my opinion; because if the person has other psychological conditions they may get the idea they are transgender when it is simply a masking by this overlying condition. It is also good to get several different opinions to confirm the person’s gender dysphoria before prescribing hormones or doing any surgery. The big difference is the SOC method recommends a letter from a licensed practitioner and the informed consent method does not. The provider just takes their word for it.

Obviously the question of which works best is still being worked out, so I will leave it to you to decide while sharing my opinion from experience. The SOC have been in use since 1979 and takes a conservative approach to treatment. The informed consent method is more cavalier and puts the responsibility squarely in the hands of the individual which may be the appeal for both the practitioner and the patient; however I question if it is really in their best interest.

To wrap this up it is every individual’s responsibility to ask questions, do research and know as much as possible before reaching any conclusions or taking any actions. Make sure you know which method your provider uses and what is required of the individual in the treatment path. Trust your gut! Or to say that another way, listen to your soul. It knows the path you need take and get a second opinion before making any life changing decisions like living full time, taking hormones, or having surgery. It is my opinion that surgery is a last resort used in the most severe cases of dysphoria. I also believe that everyone, yes even cisgender individuals experience gender dysphoria although it is often a brief experience precipitated by an external event perhaps through someone else’s dysphoria. There are other types of dysphoria also, like the feeling you are from another world or are really a non-human being, but that is another story all together! Those individuals are referred to as Wanderers if you would like to do further research. Till next time readers, Blessings on your Journey of Love ♥

Sequoia Elisabeth 🙂

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Redefining Masculine and Feminine Continued

by Sequoia Elisabeth

Let us continue the discussion of Masculine and Feminine, how we define them and use them. As I mentioned before the Universal Laws play a pivotal role as to how we view and use Masculinity and Femininity. All the laws are applicable and important, however we are concerned here and now with the Law of Polarity without which relationships would have no passion.

“The Law of Polarity (Mutable): The fourth of the seven Universal Laws tells us that “Everything is dual, everything has poles; everything has its pair of opposites; opposites are identical in nature, but different in degree”. It is also the first of the mutable or transcendable Universal Laws. It means that there are two sides to everything. Things that appear as opposites are in fact only two extremes of the same thing. For instance, heat and cold may appear to be opposites at first glance, but in truth they are simply varying degrees of the same thing. The same applies to love and hate, peace and war, positive and negative, good and evil, yes and no, light and darkness, energy and matter, (man and woman). You can transform your thoughts from hate to love, from fear to courage, (from masculine to feminine) by consciously raising your vibrations. This is what in the ancient Hermetic Teachings is called the Art of Polarization.

Rising Above the Law of Polarity: This Principle of Duality may appear to be very real in your life but it operates only in the physical and mental realms, not in the spiritual realm where All is One. As it says in the Bhagavad-Gita, “God is Above the Opposites”. By always placing the all-powerful, all-knowing Great Spirit of which you are a part behind your every thought, statement and action, and by always focusing on the “good”, even when things appear to be going “bad”, then in time you will rise above the Law of Polarity.” (Tania Kotsos 2013)

Remember that all Love is Self Love, because we are One. In reality there is no one else, ony Infinite Intelligence, Prime Creator, Divine Source or God (different names for the One). Individuation is how God experiences Self!

Till such time as you have transcended Polarity, it is useful to understand it better in regards to the relationship between man and woman; male and female. It is also important to realize the distinction between them which most never think of. Since I identify as a male woman (transgender) it has been of utmost importance to me. I think it can also be of great help to you no matter how you identify.

“A man may have a feminine core and a female may have a masculine core, or they could both be more balanced in their masculine and feminine aspects, but as long as one partner is willing to play the masculine polarity while the other plays the feminine polarity, they can enjoy sexual interaction with each other in a satisfying manner.” (Luminessa Enjara, Sep. 14 2011)

“The feminine is pure, boundless and infinite energy moving freely without any particular direction. It is directionless but immense, ever changing, beautiful and destructive. The feminine is the force of life and source of inspiration. The feminine moves in all directions, the masculine moves in one direction. The feminine needs the masculine to give it direction, focus and purpose. The masculine needs the energy of the feminine to give it drive and passion. The masculine and the feminine need each other. The masculine directs while the feminine projects. This is the relationship of yin and yang.” (Blog, Evolution of the Male Part I)

“The secret (to use sexual polarity) is that you don’t actually use it, you just live it. Once you start living deep inside your energy it encourages your partner to live deep inside hers (theirs). When both of you are there the electricity just happens. There is no active working on it, no trying to prove yourself, no performance. You just relax into yourself and let the natural male (or female) inside you live. You trust that your presence and certainty will come out, naturally.” (Graham Phoenix 2013)

Now it is up to you to search deep within and discover your polarity which is some percentage of maleness and femaleness, regardless of your physical sex and gender identity. Think of it as a spectrum with he curve looking like two mountains with most people being in the neighborhood of a 75/25 split one way or the other. (See graphic) I wish you Blessings on your Journey of Love!

🙂 Sequoia Elisabeth

Redefining Masculine and Feminine

by Sequoia Elisabeth

Redefining Masculine and Feminine and how they fit into society & culture. As the human race evolves our gender roles and sexual definitions are changing. It is fascinating to look back at things as simple as the bathing suit to see how it has changed over time, just Google the history of the bathing suit/swim suit. Or look at women in the military and the roles they play there. How about men’s fashion? In some cultures the clothes are becoming more androgynous and the boundaries are breaking down. Examples would be Europe, Japan and the more cosmopolitan cities around the world.

The purpose of this blog is to open your mind to the changes that are happening all around you right now. I am sure this depends on the environment in which you live, but it is not restricted to just cities. For hundreds if not thousands of years women would work around the farm performing work most men these days would balk at. So this is not necessarily a new trend, but one which has been building over the past several hundred years. Men are staying at home to raise the children and women are running board rooms and companies. The business look is becoming more androgynous with women wearing pant suits and dark colors to compete with the men.

So what are these trends all about? Why now? Where is all this going? I have done much research on the new Age of Aquarius and feel this is largely responsible for the changes you are presently experiencing. There are also a few Universal Laws to consider as well. Both of which I have blogged about before. Focusing on the Zodiac cycles for now, it is well known that we just passed the 2012 end date for the end of an era. We know there are 12 signs in the zodiac and the total period of the cycle is equal to 25,920 years so this makes each era 2160 years. There is also a cusp period of transition between eras, making the period of change about 200-600 years. From all the data I have reviewed the end of this transition period is between 1860 and 2600. “The Age of Aquarius is an astrological age, which shifts roughly every 2,150 years. It’s defined by the sun’s position at the time of the March, or vernal, equinox. The Age of Aquarius begins when the March equinox point moves out of the constellation Pisces and into the constellation Aquarius. But there’s no definitive answer as to when that will be.” (EarthSky.org) What this means is the influence of Pisces has been waning since about 1860 and the Age of Aquarius has been waxing. When you look closely at the traits of each it is easy to see this phenomenon in action.

“The Age of Aquarius is the Age of Freedom, Technology (especially electricity), and the Water Bearer.” (Weaver, Sandra 2012) While ‘The Age of Pisces has been a very spiritual age. It is a time of gentleness, materialism and artistry, but also it is about impracticality.’ (Weaver, Sandra 2012) War has been the theme of Pisces and Peace is the theme of Aquarius. Duality has ruled the Age of Pisces with the male and female being polar but this is changing as the Age of Aquarius slowly takes over. The Age of Aquarius is denoted by androgyny and bi-sexuality. This makes perfect sense when you take into count the cosmology of each age. Aquarius is all about Oneness and connection, peace, love and sharing. Pisces on the other hand was about separation, duality, materialism, and conflict. The lessons learned from Pisces are profound and offer a divine contrast to the world we are moving into. Understand neither is the “right way” to experience life, but instead are simply a way to experience life. Variety is what makes life interesting and we are moving into very interesting times indeed!

Sequoia Elisabeth 🙂

Man I Feel Like A Woman

by Sequoia Elisabeth

Do you feel like a man or like a woman? What is a certain gender supposed to feel like? How do you know? I realize that most cisgender people have not considered these questions, but for a transgender or transsexual individual it is of constant concern. Gender incongruency is something ~98% of the population can’t even fathom. Consider the possibility the concept of gender as taught in the schools is inaccurate?

First understand the difference between sex and gender. Sex is determined by the parts between the legs and gender is determined by the parts between the ears. At least this is the modern or current understanding by science. Consider the possibility that each person is here in this world for a purpose and they have chosen the roles they are to live before they are even born.

What if in fact gender is determined by consciousness, the Source Field which surrounds the body and makes up everything in this world? What if no one has a gender until they acquire one? Much like sexual orientation it must be discovered by the individual. I cannot tell my brother that he is gay or straight or if he is man or woman. These are things he must discover. Life is a discovery! And we are explorers.

The prevalent teaching about God, Great Spirit, Universal Mind, Infinite Intelligence (or whatever you choose to call this energy) is that it has no sex or gender. Eastern philosophies have known this for centuries and slowly the western philosophies are accepting that God is not a man sitting on a throne up in heaven. Our philosophies are merging, especially here in the USA where we are surrounded by both all the time. A new understanding is emerging and I call it Oneness. We are all One.

The idea I present here today is that God is all there is and since God is all, so are we. This means that no one has a gender or a sex in reality! Those things only exist in the reality we call life on earth. We are indeed all androgynous beings of light! You may have seen this image presented before as alien life, for instance in the movie Cocoon (1985) or in episodes of Star Trek and in multiple instances in the media. Everything is energy.

I mention the idea of androgyny here because I feel this is the truth of nature. I believe that hetero, homo, bi, pan, or a sexuality are creations of the human mind or the mind of man. This goes for the concept of man and woman also. How do you know what a man or woman feels like? You do not know any more than anyone else does! Just because you seem to have been born male or female does not mean you know what a man or woman feels like. It is what you say it is.

The core of our being is pansexual androgyny, meaning we are characterized by the potential for aesthetic attraction, romantic love and/or sexual desire for people, regardless of their gender identity or biological sex. And we are neither men nor women, but a combination of both to varying degrees across a spectrum. In some individuals this can shift back and forth as well. You will define it as is comfortable for you.

In the end you feel like YOU. Accept this feeling and get comfortable with it; it is all you will ever have in this lifetime. No matter what you change on the outside, the inner core remains the same. The experience will change as this is the point of the material world. Enjoy the ride, act with authenticity, and live with pride! This is your role in life and it is mine.

🙂 Sequoia Elisabeth

Transgender Suicide

by Sequoia Elisabeth

“Transgender Suicide Report

For the last five years Laura’s Playground has prevented Transgender suicides on line. (Click Here for a link) The estimate of transgender suicides in our community is between 31% to 50% depending on who in the community we talk to. Few outside our Community acknowledge or believe these numbers including Dr Kenneth Zucker and Doctors Blanchard and Baily. Until now it’s all been guesswork. Actual numbers were hard to come by as it is hard enough for families to admit there was a suicide let alone that the victims were transgender. The fact is most medical examiners do not know if a person was gay or transgender due to families too embarrassed to report it. Here we have 5 suicide prevention crisis rooms in chat that are all busy. Our staff both moderators and supervisors are certified in youth suicide prevention. The fact is we have actual numbers not just an estimate. In a 5 year period here this site handled 78,800 suicidal crisis’s online. They were of 3 types. Type 3 being suicide ideation, Type 2 being suicide ideation with a plan and Type 1 being actual suicide attempts.

Type 3 = 46933 Type 2 = 20238 Type 1= 11629

In addition, in a survey here over 50% of Transsexuals had at least one suicide attempt by their 20th birthday some as young as 7. This was also verified by chat transcripts of the crisis’s especially in the early years. Reasons given for suicide in order:

1) Problems coming out to homophobic friends, families and co-workers. Homophobia in general including slurs.

2) Body Image Distress or disgust – puberty

3) Discrimination – Housing – Employment – Church’s

4) Victims of Hate crimes and/or violence

These are actual numbers and reflect what is really going on in the community. Many had more than 1 reason combining 1 and 2 and others. The biggest surprise was the role homophobia played in suicide ideation. If homophobia stopped tomorrow the suicide rate would be significantly reduced which means it is preventable.” (Laura Amato 2012)

The one reason I see lacking here is money. Many transsexuals lack the money to have any treatment at all and most lack the funds to have SRS/GRS. We are talking 50k to 150K depending on surgery, electrolysis, therapy, and hormones. Those who are most severely dysphoric are most likely to end it all due to a lack of funds. It is an option I keep in the back of my mind and review quite often. Fortunately, I understand I am not my body and removing the body will not fix anything. I even hesitate to have surgery at all knowing that ultimately it changes only my appearance. My soul has no gender, but that is another story.

The good news is there are organizations working hard to remedy this predicament many of us face. Advocacy groups are working to change the insurance laws and get transgender care including surgery added to most plans. The AMA has come out and stated that surgery is a medically necessary treatment for Gender Dysphoria, see my website for link to statement. As it stands now, a few carry it as a rider and most of these are because the Corporation or Municipality negotiated/demanded them into the options they offer.

Many larger communities have organizations who offer low cost therapy and Denver has several. The Gender Identity Center, who I volunteer with, offers therapy and hormone letters to those in need on an ability to pay basis. Here is a link to therapists who specialize in gender care. If you can’t afford them, ask for options in your area. I am happy to help if I can, also check my website for other resources.

The Jim Collins Foundation offers a grant for surgery to those meeting their qualifications, click here for info. Some surgeons offer scholarships or grant programs to assist their clients in payment. Check with your surgeon to find out what they offer. I do know Dr. Reed in Miami has a program for the first 13 per year who apply. There are companies like Satori Medical who help clients find low cost surgery in Thailand and other locations. Many creative solutions have been found over the years by many a resourceful individual. Necessity is the Mother of Invention after all!

The best way to deal with a perceived lack is to help someone else fulfill their need. This is one reason I started this website, to give what I need! If you know of a need in the world, reach out and help, you will be helping yourself.

🙂 Sequoia Elisabeth

Unity in Gender Diversity

Celebrating Diversity Revisited

by Sequoia Elisabeth

Transitions Blog is meandering along and in keeping with topics related to Gender and Sex I am re-posting a blog from 2010. It is fairly basic, but I bet many of you have not thought of sexual orientation as I present it here. Thanks for reading and please share your ideas for new topics.

Sexual expression comes in many different flavors, and is possibly as unique as the number of people on our beautiful blue planet. The old school wants us to conform to the old ‘boy meets girl, girl has baby’ scenario and while that does serve its purpose as a race we are moving beyond that. Relationships are so much more than adding one more baby to the rising population, or even the aspect of replacing the self. The world may appear to be a binary system with only men and women, but I can assure you it is not.

Sexual orientation is an aspect of gender that Dr. Carl Bushong describes as “Brain Sex”. “Our love/sex patterns, and how we relate to others on a social and interpersonal as well as sexual level, often referred to as our “Sexual Orientation”.” (1995) This aspect, like gender identity, is hard wired from birth, which means our brains, being much like a computer, are programmed to be attracted to certain physical attributes, genders and personalities.

To restrict every person on the planet, all 6.8 Billion +, to being either heterosexual or homosexual is unrealistic. Instead it is much more feasible that each person on earth has their own unique sexuality which falls into several categories. The categories as they exist today are, heterosexual, homosexual, asexual, bisexual, and pansexual. There are a few other words being used but overlap these so I will stick with this list. Within each category will be a sliding scale so that each person falls somewhere on the scale and is not necessary stuck exactly in that spot, although they will stay within a category.

Just briefly hetero means opposite sex attraction, homo means same sex attraction, The (a) in asexual means no sexual attraction, The (bi) in bisexual means both sexual attraction, and the (pan) in pansexual means all sexual attraction. I do not like the term bisexual because it implies there are only two sexes, male and female. This is the old world paradigm and no longer works (if it ever worked). Pansexual includes everyone and applies to anyone that is sexual but not strictly attracted to the opposite or same sex. This term is far more appropriate in today’s society.

The whole labeling game gets a little absurd after a while because the terms become contradictory and putting people into boxes is both confining and inaccurate. For instance, a transwoman who is attracted to women is lesbian or are they heterosexual since they were born into a male body? And what about the woman who was attracted to this person not realizing they were transgender? Does that make them a lesbian? So what if it does?

The world is coming out! We are becoming more aware of gender identity and sexual orientation, which is leading to more understanding and eventually to more acceptance. I ask only that you stay away from the labels as much as possible and simply love the person. This is why I like the Pansexual label best because it is defined as “A sexual orientation characterized by the potential for aesthetic attraction, romantic love and/or sexual desire for people, regardless of their gender identity or biological sex.” (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pansexuality#English, 2010)

Who you are attracted to should not be grounds for discrimination. (In reality there are no grounds for discrimination) Could you imagine if the world judged you on the grounds of your attraction to hair color? “Oh you like redheads, uggg or ewww”! Actually Blondes often get joked about and while it may be in fun, it is only fun to the person joking. Sexual orientation is just another of many category’s that are used to separate or define humans. Being unique is a gift, and it makes us lovable and desirable. Just think of a rare diamond or rare flower. Uniqueness is a desirable trait in our society, so why not extend that to your relationships. Celebrate differences and LOVE the person – stop separating! We are One – one big family of Human. Love the One your with!

😀 Sequoia Elisabeth

Self-Image

by Sequoia Elisabeth

Self-image is very simply who you think you are. It is based on feelings, past behaviors, and feedback from others. While this seems simple it really is not because life is interwoven beyond comprehension. Our minds cannot wrap around who we really are so it does the best it can to extrapolate meaning and identity. The mind uses the physical universe for the basis of this identity and employs many techniques of deception and subterfuge. At a young age we simply accept what we are told as to who we are. For instance, if you are born into a middle class white family with male genitalia and dark hair it is just assumed that you are a Caucasian boy from an average family who has dark hair and pale blue eyes. Identity is based on appearance. The reality of this identity is only as real as the material world.

Mixing in feelings and behavior, identity can be further clarified. First of all behavior is often driven by feelings which in turn feeds more behavior leading to self-image. If you feel average, act average, look average then one would assume you are average. I would say the ego mind sells this version of reality to most everyone whether it is true or not, and most of the time it is not true. What is normal after all and what/who is used as a baseline or model?

Feelings come from within and can vary depending on many factors both external and internal. Hormones for instance can determine how a person feels, as well as many other brain and body chemicals. From the exterior things as simple as the weather can have an effect on feelings, is it raining, sunny, windy, etc.? Other people can affect feelings if we let them by reacting to their actions or words. So the bottom line is we often base our self-image on false data!

How does one figure out who they are then? From experience self-image is learned and can be changed with some concerted effort. Identity is a personal thing and evolves over time in sync with the environment and personal choices. The more I delve into this subject and it has been an important factor all my adult life, the less I am inclined to believe the standard teaching on self-identity being hardwired into the brain. I believe the brain to be far more malleable than we realize. In fact, I view the brain as a computer processing center and without input it has no output.

So who are we? First we need to know who we are NOT! We are not our body or any part of it. We are not who others think we are even though this does have an effect on who they are. We are not our feelings or behaviors although they do have an effect on our appearance to others. …We are who we think we are!

“I think therefore I am” Descartes

Going back to the previous example, if you believe (think) or agree with what others think of you then this is who you will be, a white middle class boy with dark hair and pale blue eyes. If however you think yourself to be a rich white upper class girl with blonde hair and hazel eyes, then this is who you will be! I can speak from experience here as this has precisely been my experience. Ultimately, I know I am neither!

Just because a person has certain DNA and gene structure when born it does not mean they will or have to follow this path. Choice plays a far greater role than given credit for, however I also know that fate or destiny also plays a role. Now, please understand that I do not suggest that a person chooses to be gay, straight, transgender, or black consciously, but we do choose a destiny before birth so as to have certain experiences for spiritual growth. Fulfilling this destiny is the only way to move on. So it is best to embrace this path by looking deep within and with all the courage you can muster, step onto this path fully, with open eyes and open heart knowing all is well. We are Spiritual beings having a human experience after all. The Spiritual Principle, “As above, so below” applies perfectly here. As we evolve spiritually, our physical expression changes.

🙂 Sequoia Elisabeth

Mirrors of Friendship II

by Sequoia Elisabeth

Transition is a long and sometimes arduous journey so it is very important to treasure each moment of Joy and each success along the path. Doing this alone is certainly possible, but the Joy grows exponentially when there is someone who cares to share the experiences with.

Often the decision to begin the transition journey i.e. come out to your partner or parent(s) is the biggest challenge. Will they accept you? The real question is do you accept yourself? The only way to know if you accept yourself is to observe how others treat you. I know this may seem backward or strange, but this is just how it works. Understand this… you are all there is, all else is a reflection of who you are. This may seem odd and self-centered, but it is the Truth and it is both good and bad news.

I call this the mirror principle. Life is often like living in a house of mirrors, and it can get pretty confusing. This being said let’s get back to your partner who is having difficulty with your coming out news. Each person in your life has their own vision of you… as a reflection of themselves, because from their perspective they are the only person there is! So, be gentle with your expectations of them just as you are gentle with your expectations of yourself. Do on to others as you would have done on to you, because they are you! We are One. Each person is an individuation of the whole; the One; all there is. All those who are close to you will transition with you or they will fall out of your life. Transition/change is like walking into a new room, if they do not come with you,… well you get the idea.

When you think about this it explains a lot about the reactions and treatment you get from others. You may or may not be treated well, however the longer and deeper your understanding of this reality the better life gets. Those who see themselves to be like you or see something in common are going to be supportive and understanding (and vice versa). This is a great reason to join a support group! The internet is a great place to look for one, or you could ask around, network with friends and if you still need help, contact me – I am here for you. The time spent with others on a similar journey will help you to better understand yourself and give you the opportunity to grow self love. The Love you give is the Love you receive! Not only do support groups offer much needed information such as where to go to get the things you need, what to look out for along the path, and who can help you; they show you who you are and I find this to be the greatest gift anyone can offer!

🙂 Sequoia Elisabeth

Unity in Gender Diversity

Transgender Day of Remembrance

by Sequoia Elisabeth

TDOR is not a day about those who have died it is about those who are living! The dead person has moved on and those who are left behind are the ones dealing with the pain and grief. Separation is always painful but it does not have to be this way.

Today I would like to shine the light on why it is important to remember events of the past and to honor those who have gone before you. The obvious answer and the one I have heard many times is, “learn from your past or you are doomed to repeat it”, but this falls short. Perhaps it is these individuals are important as human beings and kindred family and while this is absolutely true the real gift here is injustice is brought to light.

Awareness is raised in the minds of all people and they see the destruction and injustice violence brings. Transgender Day of Remembrance brings our community to the main stream consciousness in a cry for equal rights. It is a statement of we are people too and deserve to be treated as well any other person. The fact which often gets lost is we are all human beings and a valuable part of the whole of life; however it is not us against them! Let me emphasis this point. It is never about US vs. THEM in any situation. When this perspective is taken it becomes a losing proposition. One if not both parties loose. The Equal Rights movement is about equal rights for everyone. No one person is better than any other or more deserving or less deserving of common basic human needs such as personal security, love, self esteem, personal fulfillment, cultural security, and participation, plus a right to life, liberty, freedom of thought, expression and identity, and equal treatment before the law. Let us focus on the things we all desire because this is about the living!

The Universal Law of Attraction states, “What you focus on grows”. Or to say it another way, the energy of attention funnels this power where ever it is pointed. If you are focusing on the things that are wrong or broken or painful then you get more of them. However if you are focusing on what is working, how systems are supporting you and what you like about a certain person, place, or thing then you get more of that!

Please take advantage of this Day of Remembrance to focus on what you loved about these people who have lost or taken their life. Let go the hatred which got them killed. Let’s not make this about blame or fault but instead focus on the laws which do protect us and the give thanks to those who love us and work to expand protections for all people. Share your dream of the world you wish to live in! It is important to be heard, so listen to others and treat them the way you wish to be treated. There are no victims only volunteers, thus I honor all the beautiful people who have volunteered to be symbols of change and to shine the light on a community’s needs. Blessings to all who have passed before me and may God have mercy on those who took what was not theirs to take.

🙂 Sequoia Elisabeth

What Does It Mean To Be Transgender

by Sequoia Elisabeth

What does it mean to be Transgender? While this is a personal question it does apply to at least 3% of the population. The LGBTQ population is estimated to be around 10% so let us take a closer look to see the relevancy of the “T”.

First off the term transgender is fairly new being coined in the Sixties and meaning simply a person appearing to or attempting to be a member of the opposite sex, such as a transsexual or habitual crossdresser. It is an umbrella term often used to include the entire community of individuals who cross gender boundaries on a consistent basis. This brings us to a terminological issue. There are many terms being used these days with new ones popping up frequently. Just to name a few, Transsexual, Crossdresser, Gender Queer, Gender Variant, Gender Bender, and Misogynist. (see TransTerminology for definitions) The point is we each have a different view point on identity, so take this blog as my view and adapt it to yours, … or not.

Gender Identity is an innate trait expressed with terms and understandings available to the individual at the time. So, those who haven’t the education on such things have no way to express in words how they feel. They can of course dress and present how they want given the social fortitude to do so. Which is precisely the point most meaningful to all of us, Are you comfortable in how you present to the world? Do you present your comfort to the world or do you conform to social pressures?

Understand there is a big difference between conformity and comfort. Authenticity is another level of expression often over looked. I think the process often runs the gamut from conformity when young and first dealing with society, comfort when alone or in a safe space, and then extending out as the “safe space” extends. The end goal is comfortable authenticity at all times which is no small task to a person who perceives themself as different. While this is painfully true with Transgender individuals it is often a “rite of passage” for everyone to some degree, shape or form. The awkwardness of adolescence is only compounded by a variant gender identity, often without the individuals even realizing it. This is something peers and family usually bring to issue.

Authenticity is expressing your true self in a comfortable and honest fashion. It requires a complete acceptance of who you are and total honesty with both yourself and others. On one level you do not concern yourself with others, while at the same time you pay attention to how you are treated because you know this is a valuable clue to how you feel about yourself.

The meaning of being Transgender undergoes an evolution then from simply being different and separate …to total acceptance of being just one of an infinite array of unique individuals unified as a whole of mankind. It is important to understand that everyone is unique and offer wonderful gifts of their own, just as you do. There is no shame in celebrating these gifts with all the world, in fact the shame is in not doing so! Be easy with yourself and get help along the path. Reaching this point sometimes takes a lifetime or more.

🙂 Sequoia Elisabeth

Unity in Gender Diversity Read more about Sex and Sexuality! Click Here

What Is Your Story

by Sequoia Elisabeth

We are each on a carousel ride, the same carousel. The ride goes round and round while we each view and experience things differently. Even if you are sitting in my lap, you experience it different. What this boils down to is we each have our own story, the story of our lives. The part we share is the carousel!

What if you were to take your story and toss it in the trash? You think it is inseparable? You are not your story, just as I am not my story. What makes a story? Is the story ever complete? Is it ever over? Do the stories interconnect? You know, like a TV series with successive stories, one episode after another? The characters are the same in each episode, just as they are in your story. If a character loses a contract they are written out of the story, just as people sometimes leave our lives either by dying or by situation, like divorce or simply moving away.

The stories will interweave as characters cross paths, sometimes staying for a while and sometimes only for a brief smile. The paths can pass close without touching or they can collide head on! What does it all mean?

The answer is up to you because there is no meaning until you give it some. The simple fact is there is no story but the one you create by living your life! So is your life living your story or your story living your life? Which came first the chicken or the egg? Funny how we love that question, or at least I do.

I wrote my gender focused story and published it as part of a larger story of Sex and Sexuality. It was therapy for me because I did not understand my own story. I needed to step back and get a bigger picture. It all seems like a dream to me now, in some ways maybe a nightmare. None of it seems real anymore, because I have awoken to a different reality and yet I have only awoken within a dream. A dream within a dream!

Love to hear your story or at least your comments on these thoughts. Maybe you have shared these thoughts or parts of them. I love how a million people can see a beautiful vista and see it differently every time! Maybe your story is more meaningful when it is shared. Maybe it is not yours till you give it away!

Sequoia Elisabeth 🙂

Unity in Gender Diversity Free Sex and Sexuality

Gender Related Spirituality

Two-Spirit Way

by Sequoia Elisabeth

The tradition of gender variance has a long history in the Americas because nature is diverse thus making people diverse. This is the way of Spirit. Accept that each person is unique to the Universe and yet we are all a part of the Whole. One with Great Spirit.

“Two-Spirit people are defined as LGBT and gender-variant members of the Native American community. The term “Two-Spirit” was coined in 1990 by queer Native Americans gathering in Winnipeg. Many contemporary LGBT Native Americans use the term “Two-Spirit” to maintain cultural continuity with their traditions. In many of our cultures, some individuals possessed and manifested a balance of both feminine and masculine energies, making them inherently sacred people.” (BAAITS 2010)

“In Native American culture, before the Europeans came to the America’s, “two-spirit” referred to an ancient teaching. This type of cross-gender identity has been documented in over 155 tribes across Native North America (Roscoe 1988).

Our Elders tell us of people who were gifted among all beings because they carried two spirits, that of male and female. It is told that women engaged in tribal warfare and married other women, as there were men who married other men. These individuals were looked upon as a third and fourth gender in many cases and in almost all cultures they were honoured and revered. Two-spirit people were often the visionaries, the healers, the medicine people, the nannies of orphans, the care givers (Roscoe 1988). They were respected as fundamental components of our ancient culture and societies. This is our guiding force as well as our source of strength.” (Sandra Laframboise, Michael Anhorn 2008)

“The abundance of terms that we find as we study various tribes testifies to the familiarity of Native Americans with gender-variant people. It is important to note that this is different than sexual orientation as such words did not exist in Native languages. Concern for appropriate terminology should always be on one’s mind because ‘Gender’ is an obligatory grammatical category in the English/French and Latin languages. It is a linguistic term and has no connection with biological sex or social identity of an individual. This issue comes to a head in the area where ‘gender’ intersects with the Native people of North America. Many non-natives have misinterpreted two-spirit as referring to people with homosexual tendencies, when in fact, the ceremonies and practices were based on different genders being manifested, and not on sexual preferences or practices.

Many tribes had rituals for children to go through if they were recognized as acting different from their birth gender. These rituals ensured the child was truly two-spirit. If parents noticed that a son was disinterested in boyish play or manly work, they would set up a ceremony to determine which way the boy would be brought up. They would make an enclosure of brush, and place in the center both a man’s bow and a woman’s basket. The boy was told to go inside the circle of brush and to bring something out, and as he entered the brush would be set on fire. The tribe watched what he took with him as he ran out, and if it was the basketry materials they reconciled themselves to his being a ‘berdache’ (Colonial term for Transgender). (Roscoe, 1988)

In another ritual, usually carried out when the child is between the ages of nine and twelve, that helped identify a child’s two-spirit nature, a singing circle would be prepared, unbeknownst to the boy, involving the whole community as well as distant friends and relatives. On the day of the ceremony everyone gathered around and the boy was led into the middle of the circle. If he remained in the centre, the singer, hidden in the crowd, began to sing the ritual songs and the boy, if he was destined to follow the two-spirit road, starts to dance in the fashion of a woman. After the fourth song the boy was declared a two-spirit person and was raised from then on in the appropriate manner (Two Spirit Tradition – internet citation).

These rituals determined if the person was two-spirited and taught young boys to do women’s work in addition to that reserved for men. Similar rituals applied to woman. Children of both genders would also spend time with healers, often two-spirit people themselves. Above all, their childhood was marked by acceptance and understanding by the whole tribe. Multi-gendered adult people were usually presumed to be people of power. Because they have both maleness and femaleness totally entwined in one body, they were known to be able to ‘see’ with the eyes of both biological men and biological women. They were often called upon to be healers, mediators, interpreters of dreams, or expected to become singers or others whose lives were devoted to the welfare of the group. If they did extraordinary things in any aspect of life, it was assumed that they had the license and power to do so, and therefore, they were not questioned.

In everyday life the two-spirit male typically would wear women’s clothes and do women’s work. He might take a husband from among the men of the tribe, or might have affairs with several, depending on the role of the gender the two-spirit man in his tribe. This is very different from homosexuality as we know it today. Two-spirit individuals were expected to behave within the two-spirit gender norms of his or her tribe. Roscoe reports that early ethnographers observed a Mojave two-spirit man who was also faking a woman’s menstruation by scratching his inner thighs until he bled thus faking menstrual bleeding. When the partner threaten to leave the two-spirit male even mimicked pregnancy by adding clothes inside his upper shirt and stop the menstruation cycle. He would then eat foods that would give indigestion and stomach cramps thus faking some of the symptoms of pregnancy. When time came to give birth he went into the woods and came back childless under the pretense of still birth. Generally two-spirit males were not expected to have sexual relations with women. All of these rules, however, were culture specific and even within any given Native culture, there was often room for various expressions of gender variance. Throughout historical documents, we see that type of variation from the norm, change, transformation, and fluidity of roles for those who felt called to that path and yet most often they were welcome and appreciated.

Besides their spiritual abilities, their capacity for work also figured into the high status of two-spirit people. Even though a two-spirit male would have taken on the gender identity of a woman, he would still have the endurance and strength of a man. Thus his productivity was greater than that of most women, and for that reason he would have been valued as a marriage partner. Other characteristics Natives associate with two-spirit people which help explain their desirability as partners were their highly developed ability to relate to and teach children, a generous nature, and exceptional intellectual and artistic skills.

As we begin to understand the great diversity of genders in Native America cultures, and the ways in which sexuality influenced the performance of gender roles, we are drawn back to the original pre-colonial rituals. The inner calling of contemporary two-spirited people, however, is often mixed in with modern understandings of sexuality, thus creating a perception that homosexuality was well accepted in pre-colonization instead of recognizing that these homosexual behaviours were accepted under the role of gender identity. Arguably culture is not static and thus evolves and incorporates all the experiences of life. Therefore today the modern movement of reclaiming Two-Spirit Traditions incorporates sexual orientation and sexual identity.” (Sandra Laframboise, Michael Anhorn 2008)

Now that you have a picture of Native American tradition surrounding gender it is important to see that Polarity is maintained. Either a person is male role or female role, not both at the same time. While they did have fluidity, at any particular moment the person was either male or female. This is because of Spirit or Universal Law of Polarity. Law of Polarity is saying that these things (male & female) are the same just on opposite sides of the spectrum. It is all in how we perceive them and it is up to the individual as to what side of this pole to experience. Without one the other could not exist, because they are One.

The other aspect to appreciate is their level of acceptance. They simply accepted each person for who they are and integrated this individual into the tribe as best they could; empowering the individual to choose their path in various ways. Our society today can learn much from our ancestors!

Sex Chakra Explored

by Sequoia Elisabeth

Sex is a complicated subject as well as a multi-dimensional one. Gender is separate so put that out of your mind right now. Our entire life is multi-dimensional when you look at it from the perspective of Chakras. With each of the seven Chakras being one dimension, for the sake of this blog we will only cover the second chakra for brevity. I will also point out there are at least 12 Chakra levels/dimensions which extend from the Root of your being out to the farthest reaches of the Universe. The actual root for us earthlings is our Sun extending to the planets, human beings, the solar system, the galaxy, and the Great Central Sun. The chart below is a view of the metaphysical teachings of the 12 Chakra system. The first seven are most commonly focused on because they directly involve the body.

Now consider the aspect of sex which we all know, the parts between your legs. This is just one level or aspect of sex; Orange, Polarity Chakra. This is the aspect of male/female polarity and in our society the most basic level of sex.

Each being has a system of Chakras which connect them to the whole. The point of connection between us can occur at each level. Sexual intercourse occurs at the level of the orange polarity Chakra. This again is a basic level of sex which serves procreation of our species as well as the transfer of vital energies between partners. It is a sacred act, unless it is not. This means your intention determines the energy shared. Yes, we are conscious beings and we have moved beyond the level of simple procreation. If the intention is to have children then this will occur, however if the only intention is to share energy this is all that will occur, but it must be done on a conscious level; a level of mastery many on our planet are now achieving if they so choose. Unconscious sex, the animal drive is all about procreation, thus the need for birth control. When taken to a higher level of conscious intention and divine love exchange, medical intervention is no longer necessary.

The female shares mental and emotional energies while the male brings physical energy to the sharing. The blend of energies depends on the individuals participating, so if both are female then one will share physical energy and the other will share mental/emotional energies. One of the roles sex plays is it allows us to balance our energies. Having an open and active Orange, Polarity Chakra is important in proper function of this sharing. One of my favorite meditations for this is the singing bowls.

Things get out of balance when sex is forced, faked, or avoided. This of course can happen with any of the Chakras, they become blocked or partially blocked. Meditation is a good tool to keep the Chakras open as well as the other basics such as exercise, good nutrition, and good hygiene. Loving conscious practice is also important in the healthy functioning at all levels. The seven chakra series of singing bowls makes a great way to balance these energies.

One aspect of sex which needs sharing consists of the aspects of masculine and feminine. Think of these as energies, not physical forms. Masculine, the rod, is the energy of a man, such as strong, hard, angular, rough, aggressive, giving and active. The rod is designed to give to the receptacle. It is the energy of penetration and physicality. Feminine, the receptacle, is the energy of a woman such as soft, curvy, voluptuous, receptive, attractive, subtle, gentle and serene. Often this energy is slow moving, emotional, and mental. These are the energies which are shared during sex no matter whether the partners are opposite sex or same sex. Every person has both in a balance depending on their physical sex. Another way to think of this is a spectrum with feminine energy at one end and masculine at the other. Each person falls somewhere in between. The partner attracted will be opposite this balance and the balance is not fixed, so things can change over time; however they do tend to stay close to the same.

So now you have a primer to deepen your exploration of sex and its purpose. The eBook, “Sex and Sexuality – One Woman’s Journey of Discovery” has a whole chapter dedicated to sexual purpose, Ch. 8 Sex as Communication. Blessings on your Journey of Love♥

😉 Sequoia Elisabeth

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Welcome To The Age Of Aquarius

by Sequoia Elisabeth

Pisces is the last of the astronomical ages and the end of a complete astrological cycle. Aquarius is the dawn of the new earth! The changes occurring now are profound. We have all seen a glimpse of what is to come, with the drastic natural events such as tsunami’s, earthquakes, floods, tornados and severe weather, however what I speak of is even more profound.

So what is an age? “Age, astrological (great month) – A period of about 2,150 years, or one-twelfth of the Great Year of approximately 25,800 years. It represents the time required for the vernal equinox to retrograde through the thirty-degree arc of one constellation. According to many astrologers, the Earth is now moving from the Piscean Age into the Aquarian Age.” (Astrology-Numerology.com)

War has been a way of life for the past 2000 yrs or more and it is time to hammer our swords into ploughshares. Peace is the way of Aquarius. An age of perfect harmony is upon us and all we have to do is embrace it. It stands before us like an old friend, so let’s welcome her in with open arms!

Pisces is the old ways of manual labor, chaste systems, fossil fuels, power based monetary systems and dominate masculine energy. This is giving way to the precise opposite – automated labor, equalitarian systems, renewable energy, Love Based Society, Resource Based Economy, and passive feminine energy.

The beautiful part is we each chose to be here now to take advantage of this shift in energy, so embrace this great opportunity to shift your own energies to a higher vibratory level. It is time to shift your consciousness to the next level! This is a choice not a requirement, so those who prefer to remain in the old Pisces ways are free to do so. The shift is occurring over time, roughly 1960-2160 with many claiming it begins Dec. 21^st, 2012. Be this as it may, the choice is still yours to embrace the changes or resist, just remember in the words of the Star Trek Borg, “Resistance is Futile”.

The Aquarian age shows our gender and sexual preferences changing, “Iconclasm such as this is characteristic of Aquarians who are frequently noticed to have “unusual” sex lives, such as androgynous and bisexual. Mind you, by Aquarian standards, nothing is that unusual. That is what it means to be an Aquarian, an individual.” (Fenn N. R., 2007)

Think deeply about what your heart desires. Better yet learn to listen to the heart and not your head, yet another of the shifts. We are moving into the thinking and intellectual Aquarian age so heart based guidance is needed to stay balanced. The brain connects to the mind which we have learned is a wonderful tool, but it is not who you are – this is connected through the Heart.

The Heart is what connects to the soul. You may know this as intuition which is similar. The soul guides you by communicating with “gut feelings”. Have you ever chosen a path and then felt sick in your stomach? Those who are familiar with the chakras know the soul chakra is in the solar plexus or approximately in the stomach region. The Heart chakra connects directly to your Higher Self or Oversoul (heart chakra is literally over the soul chakra). Working with this energy and opening this doorway is key for everyone who chooses to move on to the Age of Aquarius!

In conclusion, I ask you to look closely at your life and see the change taking place and know it is bigger than you! Do your inner work, see where you are, and embrace the Divine Feminine. “You can move into the Aquarian age easily, and with minimum pain, by awakening to the challenge and doing the necessary work within to bring your feminine energy into full conscious partnership, or you can go kicking and screaming, immersed in painful experiences. The more who make the changes within, the easier it will be for everyone.” (Ruback, Stephen, 2006)

🙂 Sequoia Elisabeth

For more on a resource based economy, click here.