#natib qadish

[elegantshapeshifter]

Steven Dillon's conversion to Christianity: what does it mean to Hellenism and Pagan Community?

Steven Dillon, the author of "The Case for Polytheism" and "Pagan Portals - Polytheism: A Platonic Approach", recently returned to Christianity.

This event made me think a lot. I think this event can teach us that the more you are concerned with "the One" and you think it can respond, the more likely you will go towards monotheism.

The point is that "the One" is us, and is "a thing", not "somebody".

The One is not a person. This is the reason why we worship the Gods, they are persons.

The One, the All, is so big that the idea that it can listen is nonsense.

Monotheism emerges when you think the entire universe can listen to you. Polytheism is the humbleness to understand that only certain parts of the Universe can listen to you.

And when you think you are talking to the One you are always actually talking to a part of it.

This is the reason why Christ, Yahweh, Allah, etc. are parts of the One and not the One.

Even attempts to interact with the entirety of the One are just interactions with parts of the One, ie one of the many Gods.

This is confirmed by Aleister Crowley's experience, we can read from the Liber Astarte Vel Berylli that he considered Allah, Christ and Yahweh as Parts or Aspects of the One, exactly as other Polytheistic Deities, and not as the All/the One in its entirety:

"Let the devotee consider well that […] Christ and Osiris be one […]".

"As for Deities with whose nature no Image is compatible, let them be worshipped in an empty shrine. Such are Brahma, and Allah. Also some postcaptivity conceptions of Jehovah".

"[…] the particular Deity be himself savage and relentless; as Jehovah or Kali."

-

Moreover, Dillon was (is?) Platonic, and the problem is even worse, because sadly the reaction to the problem of evil is very similar between Platonism and Christianity.

However, the Stoic (and maybe the Hindu and Buddhist) worldview completely destroys the problem of evil, because if the Divine is good and we simply don't perceive the goodness and that is what evil is, ie ignorance or misperception, then the problem of evil is solved.

If we, instead, perceive the evil as something real and the Gods as totally good not evil, the problem of evil remains.

-

Finally, a Pagan that comes back to Christianity usually doesn't know history very well, and is unaware of Natib Qadish, ie Modern Canaanite Religion or Neopaganism.

If you listen to Natib Qadish (ie Canaanite and Israelite Polytheistic Neopaganism) and Wathanism (Arabian pre-Islamic Polytheistic Neopaganism) practitioners' voices, you cannot come back to Christianity.

In fact, Christianity doesn't make any sense: Yahweh is a Storm God that comes from Edom to Israel through the Kenites or Shasu, which were nomads. His name meant "to blow", and so he was a variation of Baal Hadad.

In the origin, El was the father of Baal/Yahweh, and his sister was Anat and his mother Asherah. Later, El ie the Sky God and Yahweh ie the Storm God, merged and so Yahweh was seen as the husband of the Goddess Asherah.

In fact in Kuntillet Arjud it's possible to see blessings by "Yahweh and his Asherah". Moreover, even the Bible (read The Book of Judges) witness that people worshipped Asherah/Astarte and Baal together with YHWH.

In Elephantine in Egypt there was a Jewish temple for Yahu-Anat, ie both Anat and YHWH.

So how can Jesus be the son of the only God Yahweh if Yahweh was never a monotheistic God before the Josiah's reform that made Judaism monotheistic?

If Judaism is originally polytheistic then Christianity makes no sense.

By reading the "Cycle of Baal" we'll discover the origin of the Biblical Deity (or Deities?).

I end my dissertation with some interesting quotes from the Bible:

Jeremiah 7:

"17 Do you not see what they are doing in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 18 The children gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough and make cakes to offer to the Queen of Heaven."

Jeremiah 44:

"17 We will certainly do everything we said we would: We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and will pour out drink offerings to her just as we and our ancestors, our kings and our officials did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and were well off and suffered no harm. 18 But ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have had nothing and have been perishing by sword and famine.”

"19 The women added, “When we burned incense to the Queen of Heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, did not our husbands know that we were making cakes impressed with her image and pouring out drink offerings to her?”"

"25 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You and your wives have done what you said you would do when you promised, ‘We will certainly carry out the vows we made to burn incense and pour out drink offerings to the Queen of Heaven.’"

[tsalmu]

Yarhibol, the Sun-God Dura-Europos, Syria c. 50 CE Source: The Pantheon of Palmyra by Javier Teixidor, 1979

[elegantshapeshifter]

Natib Qadish is so fascinating *_*

My country has been invaded by Punics/Carthaginians, and so I feel this connection, even if it's only intellectual.

However, I remember when I talked to some Jehovah's Witnesses, and when they knew that I was Pagan, they tried to explain to me the Baal episode, in which Yahweh have done the miracle while Baal apparently not.

My answer was that this meant that Baal was a high Entity, so only lesser Entities, closer to the earthly plan, were able to respond to the earthly needs, while higher beings were more detached by earthly affairs and so from miracles.

I also quoted the Bible that says the same:

"1 If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, 2 and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” 3 you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. 5 That prophet or dreamer must be put to death for inciting rebellion against the Lord your God"

(Deuteronomy 13)

They didn't know how to reply ahahahaha

But after that episode I'm so much in (intellectual) admiration towards Baal and Asherah

[nordseehexe]

Heute versteht man unter Neopaganismus oder Neuheidentum in Abgrenzung vom älteren Heidentum im engeren Sinn neue religiöse Bewegungen, die sich an bestimmten Glaubensvorstellungen und Mythologien alter Kulturen orientieren wie:

abchasische Religion: Abchasischer Neopaganismus

altägyptische Religion: „Kemetismus“

altestnische Religion: „Taaraismus“ (taarausk), „Maausk“

altfinnische Religion: „Suomentum“ (suomenusko)

altsüdarabische Religion: Arabischer Zuismus

altungarische Religion: „Ősmagyar Vallás“

armenische Religion: „Arordi“

aztekische Religion: „Mexicayotl“

baltische Religion: „Romuva-Kirche“

baskische Religion: „Sorginkoba“

germanische Religion: „Heidentum“ („Ásatrú“, „Odinismus“, „Theodismus“, Ariosophie)

altgriechische Religion: „Hellenismos“ oder „Dodekatheismus“, manche Formen des Epikureismus, Platonismus und Neuplatonismus, Pythagoreer#Lehren und Legenden und der Stoa

Guanchen-Religion: „Iglesia del Pueblo Guanche“

Indogermanische Religion: „Perístanom“

keltische Religion: modernes Druidentum, Keltischer Neopaganismus

marische Religion: Marischer Neopaganismus

Mesopotamischer Neopaganismus oder sumerische Religion: „Zuismus“, „Kaldanismus“

mordwinische Religion: „Mastorava“

phönizische Religion bzw. kanaanitische Religion: „Zuismus“, „Natib Qadish“

römische Religion: „Religio Romana“

rumänisch-dakisch-thrakische Religion: „Zalmoxianismus“

skythische Religion: „Uatsdin“

slawische Religion: „Rodismus“, „Rodnovera“

tengristische Religion: „Ayy“, „Burkhanismus“, „Vattisen Yaly“

tscherkessische Religion: „Adyghe Habze“

udmurtische Religion: „Udmurt Vos“

[antlering]

What are some good starting points for someone interested in Levpag and similar religions?

First I’d like to apologize for how many months it’s taken me to respond to these questions! I hadn’t collated my sources all in one place previously and it took a while to start on that.

I’ve just published my “Canaanite Polytheism Resources” page over on my Wordpress! This is not a complete page of resources, particularly when it comes to academic books, but I hope this gives people a jump-start in the struggle to find sources on Canaanite Polytheism. I’ve focused on Ugarit so far but would like to include other Syrian cities in the future. 

I’m always open to suggestions for new sources! Please let me know what you find helpful, what was completely repetitive, what was too brief or too confusing to read. I will continue to add useful books and sites as I find them!☀️🌴

[palmsofourhands]

2020 Goals: Keeping Up with the Iluma - ‘Ashuru Shamni

This year I started off with the Festival of Oil, ‘Ashuru Shamni. Beforehand, I randomly checked the Shanatu Qadishti from Tess Dawson’s (the founder of Natib Qadish) website for the New Moon/Full Moon/Festival dates. I had exactly 7 days from the date (1/2/2020) to prepare for ‘Ashuru Shamni. This is just one solitary Qadish doing what she can to celebrate the Ugarit/Canaanite Gods.

I bought the most expensive bottle of extra virgin olive oil I felt comfortable buying (on sale!). Then every night leading up to the date, I poured about an ounce of olive oil into a larger bottle, followed by about 21 drops of myrrh, then swirled it around. (Alas, extra virgin olive oil smells waaaaaaaay stronger than 21 drops of myrrh, and myrrh is not a weak smell, tbh).

To ritualize it and invite the Ilumas’ blessings, I searched youtube for ‘Canaanite music’ (usually brings up Near Eastern/Middle Eastern musicians) and ran that playlist. I then lit a candle to Choranu, inviting His aid and presence to purify me and the oil of any khat’sa (ritual/spiritual impurity, somewhat akin to the Greek idea of miasma). Then I would leave a drink offering for Choranu to enjoy while His candle burned. I also lit a candle to Ba’lu Hadad, because He is invoked during ‘Ashuru Shamni to bless the oil and to protect the city of Ugarit. Generally I would let the candles, oil and offering sit for at least an hour. I myself would do journaling or other quiet activities conducive to Their presence. Do this 6 more nights and you will have at least one half liter of olive oil and myrrh to have as a magical base for any other anointing oils.

For the actual night of ‘Ashuru Shamni, I fried up some fish fillets and latkes from Trader Joes. Got the music and candles going. Invited the Iluma by Their Names one by one (I invited Ilu, Athirat, Ba’lu Hadad, ‘Anat and Choranu). Blessed Their presence and presented the big bottle of myrrh oil I had been preparing.

I made the first pour (half an ounce) for Ba’lu Hadad, and added essential oils (EO) of myrrh and cedar (cedrus atlantica, smells SO nice). This time around, the EO stood out more than the olive scent. Then presented the fried food, and some pomegranate juice for Them. Lit the candle for Ba’lu Hadad and recited blessing prayers from Whisper of Stone and The Horned Altar (both by Tess Dawson) and my own prayers. 

Then I sat and ate my own fried foods (yum). This next part was impromptu: I planned on saving the first oil I had poured out for Balu Hadad (now considered the Oil of Blessing for me). I had been planning on using the oil to bless and protect the thresholds of my place. I picked up the small dish--and got inspired to anoint every door frame. Just a dab, but at every door. (My roommate wasn’t home, and her door was closed. I dabbed her door anyway; she is understanding of my path and my ‘ways’, so I know she would not mind.) Also anointed every window that is able to open to the outside.

That done, I poured the remaining oil (still a lot) into a new bottle. It was messy and I spilled some in the sink. HOWEVER! I learned a very special protocol while cleaning this up; do not wash the oil away. It is not dirt. For clean up of this holy oil, I instead wiped it carefully with paper towel, then respectfully threw that in the garbage. Why this, I have no idea. I just know that once I needed to clean up, it was downloaded in my head as “do it THIS way, this is important”. 

Thus done, I thanked the Iluma. The Iluma I invited by Name, I bid Them goodbye by Name as well. The ritual was then closed.

I want to be more organized and do more devotional activities for the Iluma this year. And inspiration is either faint, or it just downloads all at once for me, so reading what I do, please take with a grain of salt. I can say that I felt only good vibes/quiet approval of the ritual. 

There were other things I wanted to do that I ended up abandoning; 

crochet a special mat for Ba’lu Hadad (since it is His presence traditionally at the festival to bless the city) but didn’t use bc it wasn’t finished and it was lopsided. 

Make other prayer oils at the time, and with other types besides olive oil. I even tried putting frankincense EO in, but when I tipped it, nothing came out (this is a full bottle btw). I felt that maybe They didn’t want/need it at the time.

[larnax]

[ id: a blog description in cursive font on a pink background reading:

"Was @/authentically-woman | 22 | Bi (Febfem) | Hellenic/Roman Polytheist | Romuva | Catholic Syncretism / Folk Catholic | Shinto | Natib Qadish | Pagan-Traditionalism | Traditionalist | Witch | Animist Devotee of Hekate | Cultural Feminist | Moderate-Conservative | Paternalistic Conservatism | Social Democracy | Pro-Life | Anti-Communism & Anti-Anarchism | Pro-Monarchy | Queer-Phobic | Anti-Woke | Anti-BLM | Anti-Marxism | Devotional Blog/Grimoire | Aesthetics | Politics | Proud Feminine Woman [swan emoji, high heel emoji, purse emoji, lipstick kiss emoji]

/ end id ]

anyway normalize women not wanting children as a happy ending

[solanderlily-blog]

Yo Levpags!

How on Earth do you find any resources for Choronu.  The deity of healing, (health?), exorcisms.  I’m trying google but whenever I put -’Choronu’, Horon, or any other spelling I get nothing but recipe’s and like random links.

I know JOSTR is popular but are there any other resources one could try?

[pagansquare]

In Which the Goddess Returns to Jerusalem

Evarékhekha ve-Asherá u-ve-Yahvetá

"I bless you by Ashera and by her Yahweh."

Read more...

[divinum-pacis]

Natib Qadish: Ethics

The Canaanites’ concept of sin, hat’a, denotes an act performed with malicious intent or an act which causes entropy, suffering, or fragmentation. The later Western concepts of sin differ from the earlier Canaanite concept, where sin often suggests a deed committed in disobedience of a deity. Canaanite and ancient Near Eastern ideology may have perceived sin as a deed that has thrown off the balance of nature, or has created a ‘disruption of natural sequence’. The Canaanites believed that sin spoils beauty, causes imbalance, and fragments wholeness within the one who has committed the deed. Taking action to ensure rectitude, musuru, restores balance by healing the misdeed. In days past, the tribal Amorite donkey sacrifice was one method of restoring rectitude (musuru). The ancient Near Eastern idea of ‘sin’ perhaps encompassed an idea of cause and logical effect which reflects the laws of nature and universal order.

Del Olmo Lete divides the Ugaritan concept of misdeed into three categories:

Transgressions in cultural practices: In ancient times, this misdeed may have encompassed adopting foreign customs. In modern times, I [the author] modify this concept to mean infringement on reasonable social mores or involvement in a cultural situation that you feel negates your spirituality.

Transgressions against a general standard of morality: These sins may include acts of violence, anger, and aggression; acts of cowardice; and acts of civil negligence. This concept typically includes breaking laws of the local government.

Transgressions in ritual acts: These infringements include committing accidental or intentional misdeeds in ritual activity and religious services, devotions, or sacrifices. This category may include ritual deceit, holding or participating in a rite for unworthy ends, or using ritual for personal gain at the expense or harm of another being.

Source: Whisper of Stone by Tess Dawson, pg. 26.

[goddessfinder5]

Introductions?

Although there is a blurb about me at the top of my blog, I'd like to post a little more now. I have just, effectively, started walking the path of Canaanite revivalism, with major help from Tess Dawson's books (especially Whisper of Stone). For several years, I've been "working with" or devoted to? what I've believed was the "feminine" aspect of the Jewish/Christian?/Muslim(?) god that I've called Sophia. It has seemed there was a Divine 'woman of valor' peeking through the Jewish Wisdom literature. At the end of Proverbs, for example, there is a hymn to valiant woman who runs her household with skill and grace. It's apparently about a mortal woman (and recited by some Jewish men to their wives on shabbos), but if you read it, it seems no one person could do that much. There's a whole Lady of the Cosmos vibe about it, to me. And, as I've done more research, it's become more and more likely seeming that She was really Asherah/'Athiratu of the Canaanite region (and/or Phoenicia). 'Athiratu was depicted doing housework by the sea in texts from Ugarit. One of Her epithets is something like Owner of the World. While I'm still not completely sure it's Her, though, I've started to approach 'Athiratu and 'Ilu by Name and to honor them in ritual. And I am all about Them right now. And Natib Qadish as well, tbh. They don't seem to bothered by me yet, so I plan to stick around and to start working on honoring many more of their family/pantheon if they'll have me. I would love to interact with anyone who knows Them/honors Canaanite gods or follows Natib Qadish. It would be great to get to know others!

[elegantshapeshifter]

The Devil, Yahweh, Baal, Bael and the confusion: why Natib Qadish (ie Canaanite Paganism) is important to avoid confusion in European Traditional Witchcraft

Hello everybody!

Many of you asked me why did I begin to talk about Natib Qadish, ie Canaanite Paganism, on this blog, whose main topic is European Traditional Witchcraft.

First of all, what is Traditional Witchcraft? Is the contemporary attempt to reconstruct European Pagan Survivals in Middle Ages and Early Modern Period.

While these survivals were usually heavy Christianized, many of them were demonized or "fairicized".

So we have three kinds of Pagan Survivals: Christianization, such as Gods who became Saints, Fairicizations, such as Gods who became Fairies and Nature Spirits or "Neutral Spirits", neither Good nor Evil, and finally Demonization, ie Gods who became Demons.

While Christianization lead to the eventual complete assimilization of those Gods with saints, at such extent that nowdays no devotee of such saints see them as "masks for the ancient Gods", there was still a definitive distinction and independence of the Demonized and Fairicized Characters from mainstream Christianity.

However, this opposition between the Gods-Demons and the Christian pantheon, lead us to think: is this opposition not only cultural but also theologically relevant?

Is this opposition between Yahweh and the Demonized Gods theologically relevant or is it just a cultural particularity?

Because, while we can and should respect all the religions, Christianity included, we cannot say just "let's respect Christianity and let's stop to think".

Because, while Christianity historically (not necessarily nowdays, because a lot of Christians see the Gods as other ways to their God, but I say from theologically informed view from the Gospels and mainstream Christianity throughout most of the centuries) saw the Gods as Demons, how should we see Yahweh?

Who is Yahweh?

We know that many of those Demons who appear in Grimoires and also in legends and tales all around the Middle Ages and Early Modern Period have strange names, such as "Bael", "Astaroth"... where are those name from?

They were ancient Canaanite Gods. Yeah, Canaanite Gods who still were worked with as demons in Christian Middle Ages and Early Modern Period.

So, let's recap:

Pagan Gods survive

They survive but as Demons

Demons are usually named as Canaanite Gods

So... why are those Gods/Demons Canaanite? And what is the relationship of all this with Yahweh?

We know from historical sources and the Bible that Ancient Israelites worshipped many Gods, such as Baal and the "Queen of Heaven", Asherah or Astarte.

The difference between the Bible and historical sources is that the Bible says that it was a Canaanite influence from foreigners, while the historical sources says that Israelites were originally polytheistic and indistinguishable from other Canaanites.

And well, those names, those same names, Baal, Asherah and Astarte, are the names that will appear in the names of demons such as Bael and Astaroth.

So, does this mean that we have to choose between Baal/Bael and Astaroth/Astarte vs Yahweh?

Because, if we stop here, from only the acceptance of the biblical and medieval sources, it seems like there is a battle in the sky: Yahweh vs Baal and Asherah or Bael and Astaroth.

You either worship the Demonized Gods or work with demons in Grimoires, and you side with the Canaanites, or you worship God and you side with Yahweh.

However, this is just a superficial way of viewing it.

Another way, it's to see who is Yahweh.

Is Yahweh really in opposition to Paganism?

Where does Yahweh comes from?

And here Natib Qadish help us to understand that actually Yahweh is a variation of Baal Hadad, another Storm God that came from the Shasu or Kenites.

Storm Gods, such as Baal and Yahweh, were then merged with Sky Gods such as El.

Storm is a content while Sky is a container.

Similarly it happened in Proto Indoeuropean religion with Perkunos (Storm God) and Dyeus (Sky God). In fact in many Indoeuropean Paganisms, the storm God absorbed the sky God, such as with Perun, or viceversa the sky God absorbed the storm God, such as with Zeus.

So we don't have a battle in the sky.

The Gods didn't lose against another different God.

We simply have:

Sky Gods such as El and Dyeus

Storm Gods such as Baal, Yahweh and Perkunos

It means that, when somebody in the middle ages worked with the demon Bael, they didn't work with an Entity against Yahweh.

They worked with another name for Yahweh.

However, this give us another worldview.

We can either think that we should "pick a side", either with Yahweh or with the Demons/Gods.

Or we can see that there are multiple cultural expressions of the Sky and Storm Gods, one of which is Yahweh.

So, Canaanite Paganism knowledge is essentially because if we lack these informations, we fall in the idea that there is a Deity that hates our Deities and that there is a battle in the sky, with either one God that is stronger than others, or with one God that can and likes to destroy temples for the other Gods because is an enemy to them and to their devotees.

I don't know you, but I don't like to think that there is a Deity that hates me :D

I think that, despite being Pagans, we should know who Yahweh is, because as contemporary practitioners we usually ask ourselves why did the Gods allowed temples to be destroyed.

And Canaanite Paganism allow us to understand that it's due to a cultural and human interpretation, and not because of a battle in the sky.

Because Yahweh is Baal is Bael, and the Divine spirit of the Storm cannot willingly see itself as the enemy.

Humans, only humans are enemies to each others.

Yahweh is Bael. God and Demon are one.

[tsalmu]

Baal Hadad, God of Storms and Fertility Stele from Tel Burna, Shephelah c. 1400 BCE Source: The Louvre

[phoenyxoftheashes]

This Valentine's Day, remember your gods associated with love

Here's to Aphrodite and Eros (Dodekatheism)

Here's to Venus and Cupid (Religio Romana)

Here's to Freya, Freyr, Sjofn, and Frigg (Heathenry/Norse & Germanic Polytheist/Asatru)

Here's to Aengus Mac Og, Aine, and Cliodhna (Gaelic Polytheism)

Here's to Hathor, Bes, and Qetesh (Kemeticism)

Here's to Astarte, and Nikkal/Yarikhu (Natib Qadish)

I know there are many more deities associated with love, and this is obviously not an exhaustive list. It is, though, a reminder to honor your gods on this day of love

[reina-morada]

FAQ Basics

Hi everyone! Kamal here, an Indigenous bruja trying my best to preserve my traditions especially living in the US. Here’s my basic FAQ for the classic questions about my beliefs, practices, and journey! This will be copied on my FAQ page, which new additions as new questions come up. (This post is long overdue). 

What is your education?

I have one year left studying for my B.A. I’m a double major at a private university: Theology and Chicana/o Latina/o Studies. I actively volunteer for Interfaith organizations and help set up dialogues at my university with Sikh, Hindu, Muslim, and Christian communities. I plan to get my Masters in Comparative Religion.

What is your racial background?

I am proudly biracial, half Ecuadorian and half American. These labels give you my proud nationalities of which I have dual citizenship.

My Mother was born in Guayaquil and my family can be found throughout the country: Guayaquil, Santa Lucia, Cuenca, Quito, and Esmeraldas. I have African roots from my Papí, Don Guillermo, who is Afro-Ecuadorian. My Abuelita, Doña Rosita, is of indigenous Ecuadorian descent. Because of colonization in Ecuador, it is also likely we have Spanish blood in us.

On my Fathers side, we are a mix of French, Russian, and Eastern European heritage. While I have little association with the religion of my Father’s family, I worship and tend for the huacas of my birth in the Adirondacks.

Are you bilingual? 

Sí! Hablo Inglés y Español. El español era mi idioma materno mientras que el inglés se hablaba en mi escuelas.

What does it mean to be an Indigenous Andean Revivalist? 

For me, this can be broken down into the three words within the label. I am of indigenous descent from my families blood, and it is especially important to me to preserve and document the practices within my family. My mother is an immigrant to the United States and I am first generation, but with each generation we lose more and more of our roots and language. Being Indigenous entails multiple things for me: the desire to keep my heritage and the memory of my ancestors alive, to fight injustice against Indigenous peoples throughout the world whether it be First Nations of Canada, Native Americans, the indigenous peoples of Latin America, and more. Especially from a society that criminalizes, destroys, and weakens indigenous communities. I am part of a number of non profit organizations that contribute to Latinx issues in the Southern California area. The second word here is Andean. My family comes from Ecuador, which is part of the Andean region as well as land once occupied by the Inca empire. Despite the indigenous peoples of Ecuador resisting Inca rule up until the last possible moment, even siding with the Spanish at points to overthrow Inca occupation, the Inca have left their mark on the country both religiously and culturally. I grew up being told how to care for Pachamama by my Abuelita, to respect and watch the cycles of the stars and moon and pay attention both to plant and animal life. While I do not actively worship Inca gods (with the exception of Pachamama and Inti) I participate heavily in Ancestor worship at the forefront of my practice with traditional Andean offerings of quinoa, choclo (corn), beans, and chicha morada for my mountain Ancestors and plantains, ceviche, bolon de verde, and coconut water. Finally, revivalist is self explanatory. I am attempting, as well as I can, to keep my traditions as lived in my family alive. This includes the blend of traditional indigenous Andean beliefs as well as Folk Catholicism, which is strong in my family’s daily life.

What is your history with religion? 

I was raised Folk Catholic, a mix of Catholic and indigenous Andean traditions found in Ecuador. This blend of religion and culture is found in our active Marian devotion, ancestor worship, the occasional Inca deity, and reverence towards huacas (sacred places, objects, or people). As a teenager I began to explore Neo-paganism, beginning with Wicca. I dabbled here and there with Natib Qadish, worship of the Canaanite pantheon, of which I was closest to Ba’al Hadad. In high school, I became interested in Hinduism and began to spend a great deal of time at the ISKCON temple of my city. While I do not consider myself devoted to Vishnu, I interact lovingly and often with Sri Krishna, Sri Matsya, and Sri Kurma. At 16 I became a Shemsu of the Kemetic Orthodoxy and was divined the daughter of Sobek and Taweret, Beloved of Hethert-Sekhmet, Set, Yinepu-Wepwawet, Khnum, Wesir, and Khepera. I have decided to step down from Shemsuhood as of August 2018. As a Theology Major specializing in world religions, I do a lot of community work with the Islamic communities of Los Angeles, the SGI Buddhist organization, and the 3HO Foundation. You will often find me at a number of houses of worship, and I have extensive knowledge on most World Religions with emphasis in Hinduism and Islam.

If you have more questions please feel free to message me about any of the religions I am versed in!