This Week In Heresy

In this episode we talk to Rev. Wilma Jakobsen, the first ordained woman in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, and an anti-apartheid activist during the worst, and last years, of apartheid South Africa. We not only talk about her story, but we also talk about her reactions to Ferguson, and working through white privilege. We also talk about the future of not only her home country, but of the civil rights movement here in America. What does it mean, as a white person, to be a witness and ally to the experiences of People of Color? What does it mean when we say people are equal in the eyes of God?

Wilma Jakobsen was born in Cape Town, South Africa of immigrant parents from Denmark and Britain. She earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Cape Town, worked as a high school physical science and math teacher, then came to the United States in 1984 to attend Fuller Seminary, Pasadena.

After obtaining her Master of Divinity from Fuller, she returned to South Africa to be ordained as a deacon. Four years later, when the Anglican Church of Southern Africa finally allowed it, she became the first female priest ordained by Archbishop Desmond Tutu. She worked for 15 years in the Diocese of Cape Town, in parishes in black townships, university towns, the cathedral, a rural parish with fishing and farming communities, and a 19-month stint as chaplain to Archbishop Tutu. During the apartheid years she was an anti-apartheid activist in church and faith based organizations, which crystallized her conviction of the connection between faith and social justice.

In 1997 she obtained a Master of Sacred Theology from Union Theological Seminary, New York. She was the Anglican chaplain at the University of Cape Town for six years, then joined the staff of All Saints Church, Pasadena in 2003, serving most recently as Senior Associate for Children, Youth & Families, Students & Young Adults. She is passionate about the integration of spirituality in all areas of life, and her belief that “ ministry built on a solid basis of prayer, relationships, loving pastoral care, mutual ministry with priest and people as equals, contemplation and action, creativity, Eucharist and social action, can transform people’s lives.”

Links

St. Jude’s Episcopal Church, Cupertino, CA: http://saintjudes.org

Wilma’s Email: [email protected]

This week we talk with Schmian Evans about education, marginalization, and what we can do about it. What is considered normal? How do we educate and empower people, especially children, when they have be constantly told by the system they are stupid, can’t learn, or not worth people’s time? How do we navigate the grey areas? We also talk about spoken word. how their spoken word ministry can connect to others on a deep level, and how art is treated in our (U.S.) culture.

This episode was recorded on location at City of Refuge UCC during The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries Convocation on July 17, 2015.

Schmian Evans is a Master of Divinity and Certificate of Sexuality and Religion student at Pacific School of Religion. She also serves as the student representative on the Inter-Cultural Justice Committee and student trustee on the Board of Trustees. She holds a Certificate of Ministries Studies from PSR and a B.A. in Gender Studies from California State University Stanislaus. Schmian has served as an advocate for those considered at-risk and marginalized, for several years, as an educator, mentor and organizational leader. A poet, performer, and City of Refuge Minister, Schmian remains dedicated to the work and service of creating a more just world.

Links

Lost Voices by Darius Simpson and Scout Bostly (Spoken word piece on YouTube)

Email: [email protected]

In this episode, recorded after the multi-faith traditions panel at The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries Convocation, we talk to Queen Mother about syncretism and the way that spirit works in the world. She describes the traditions that she belongs to and how they work together for her. We discuss the responsibilities of priests, aspects of initiation, and how magick, and the gospel, is a tool of spirit that can be used for both good and ill. We also discuss her role at City of Refuge and how she relates to Jesus. What can both traditions learn from each other and how do we navigate the misinformation and misconceptions of each?

This episode was recorded on location at City of Refuge UCC during The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries Convocation on July 17, 2015.

Oloya Adedapoidle Tyehimba-Ford carries the title of MaShiAat (Queen Mother), and is co-founder and presiding Queen Mother and Spiritual Leader of the Temples and Kemetic Spiritual organization: The Kindred of ShiEndra and its conglomeration of affiliated Temples. MaShiAat Oloya is an ordained Kemetic Priest, an Iyanifa in the Ifa tradition and an Ordained High Priestess within the original Dianic lineage of the Wiccan Goddess/Great Mother tradition.

She is also a Holistic and Spiritual Practitioner and Midwife, holding numerous degrees and certifications in nursing, Iridology, Esthetics, indigenous and complementary healing. She is co-founder of the Kephra Holistic Institute and co-creator of the Kephric Transformational Platform both dedicated to the concepts of complete wellness through holistic, indigenous, and naturopathic modalities.

MaShiAat Oloya lectures and facilitates workshops with many local and national community activists and spiritual leaders. She is often considered a bridge between mainstream religious churches and indigenous spirituality, making it a personal crusade to dispel myths, expose the truth and similarities between the philosophies of these religious groups with the intent to build understanding, respect and unity among the people as a whole.

Links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mashiaat

Website: http://www.ancestoralley.com/

What is Druidry? In this episode, Dr. Brendan Howlin explains his Druid path and how to be a urban Druid. We also discuss how science and spirituality coexist together, and how it’s not automatically the case that you have to give up your religion to be a scientist.

Dr Brendan Howlin is a professional scientist and Druid. He’s been a scientist longer than a Druid but has been a member of OBOD (the order of Bards, Ovates and Druids), the largest Druid order worldwide, for 18 years. He is science correspondent for the Druid journal Touchstone regularly writing articles on where science and Druidry meet and touch. He acts as a mentor (tutor) for Bards and Ovates, which he has been doing for 15 years. Last year he published ‘The Handbook of Urban Druidry’ with Moon Books, which seeks to show how the principles of Druidry are accessible to all regardless of religious belief or location. He cofounded the local Druid Grove in Surrey, which is called the Light of the Oak, which has been running for 3 years now. He passionately believes that the spirit of acceptance found in Druidry is badly needed in today’s world.

Links

Email: [email protected]

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/urbandruidry

Books

The Handbook of Urban Druidry: Modern Druidry for All

Monica Joy Cross joins us in this episode to talk about her experiences as a transgender Person of Color in a primarily white denomination. What do we need to do to have the conversation about race in our society? Do we need a more radical solution? How do we, both black and white, see beyond our personal experiences to see the systems that keep us in this cycle of mutual destruction and create change? How do we create the Kingdom of God in us to create the Kingdom of God around us?

Monica Joy Cross is a Transgender Scholar-Activist who serves as an Associate Minister at Tapestry Ministries, Disciples of Christ, Christian Church in Berkeley, Ca. Monica received a Masters in Divinity from Pacific School of Religion in 2012 and a Masters in Religious Leadership for Social Change from Starr King School for the Ministry in 2014. Her Journey with the Holy has led her from the citadels of conservatism to the liberal bastions of enlightenment and queer realities. Monica is a Board Member of The Community Collaborative Planning Council of Alameda and Contra-Costa County for policy and allocation of funding in the San Francisco Bay Area around HIV/AIDS; the Founder of Global Prayer Network and a Different Imagination for a Just and Sustainable Humanity; has authored: Reflections of a Prophet Without Honor - a book of reflections which emerge from her life with God; Authenticity and Imagination in the Face of Oppression - Autobiographical, it addresses gender , race, religion, sexuality, and strategies towards liberation due to be released in September 2015; and has a Blog entitled: The Transgender Scholar. While being a native of Southern California Rev. Monica Cross currently makes her home in Richmond, California.

Links

Monica’s Facebook

Email:

Blog: http://transgenderscholas.blogspot.com/

What is inclusive Wicca? In this episode we talk to author Yvonne Aburrow about her new book "All Acts of Love and Pleasure: Inclusive Wicca" which was also recently reviewed on The Wild Hunt. How does this manifest in traditional British Wicca? How has the craft evolved over the years? Why do people still cling to these outmoded and outdated traditions, and why are they so resistant to change?

Yvonne Aburrow has been a Pagan since 1985 and a Wiccan since 1991. She has an MA in Contemporary Religions and Spiritualities from Bath Spa University, and lives and works in Oxford, UK. Her most recent book is "All Acts of Love and Pleasure: Inclusive Wicca". She has also written four books on the mythology and folklore of trees, birds, and animals, and two anthologies of poetry. She is genderqueer, bisexual, and has been an anarchist socialist green leftie feminist for the last thirty years.

Links

Patheos blog: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/sermonsfromthemound/author/yvonne/

YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKSb364RP4H16lXpBHGiSmQ

Review on The Wild Hunt: http://wildhunt.org/2015/05/book-review-all-acts-of-love-and-pleasure-inclusive-wicca.html

Books

"All Acts of Love and Pleasure: inclusive Wicca" Publisher’s Page: http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/catalogue/wicca-witchcraft/inclusivewicca/

All Acts of Love and Pleasure: Inclusive Wicca (Amazon Link)

Other Books By Yvonne Aburrow

In this meandering and irreverent episode, we talk to YouTube personality and magician Billy Brujo. We talk about many things including the nature of magick, why he started “The Black Magick Cooking Show,” why art is an important way to tell us about ourselves, and why we shouldn’t take ourselves quite so seriously. Also, Batman. And Fight Club. And DragonBall Z.

Note: This episode meanders quite a bit and contains some colorful language.

Formerly employed by the L.A.'s most high-end and renown occult shops, Billy Brujo retired due to his disgust with his employer's mob-style sales tactics and the overabundance of charlatans in the spiritual business. However, the master has come out of retirement. Billy Brujo is back, teaching the right teaching, and offering the best custom magical objects available. He also has a little show on YouTube.

Links

Website: http://www.billybrujo.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Billy-Brujo/100006261589089

YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzgXS8lC7kFpiy2BCDsrvHw

Billy’s Spooky Club on Reddit: https://m.reddit.com/r/spookyclub/

In this bonus episode, Lasara Firefox Allen and I discuss her upcoming book which is tentatively titled “The Five-Fold Goddess,” which reconstructs the phases of the Goddess to move away from the more body-centered lore of Maiden, Mother, and Crone. Is the feminine divine, as most Pagan traditions practice it outdated? Why do some groups who claim a feminism that is meant to make us more than our bodies cling to rituals that are based on the uterus? Why does our society assume these roles of women when there are many examples of exceptions to the rule? What does this say about our societal attitudes about a woman’s (cis-, trans-, or otherwise) bodily sovereignty?

Lasara Firefox Allen is the author of the internationally published bestseller, Sexy Witch (Llewellyn Worldwide, 2005), The Pussy Poems (Treasure Finder Press, 2012), and numerous anthologies. She is currently working on her second book for Llewellyn, with the working title of “The Fivefold Goddess.” Lasara is also a clergy member, teacher, coach, and activist. She offers workshops on topics ranging from parenting, to relationships and intimacy, sexuality, body image, feminism, and devotional love, spirituality, and Mysticism. Lasara offers one-to-one and group coaching, spiritual guidance, and intuitive, transformational tarot readings. She regularly offers in-person workshops on the festival and conference circuit, and ongoing web-based courses.

Married to the love of her life, Robert Allen, and mother to two amazing kids, Lasara and her family live in the wilds of Northern California and surround themselves with a community of loving, like-minded souls.

Links

Email: [email protected]

Lasara’s Websites:

http://www.LasaraFirefoxAllen.com

http://www.EmbracingtheRedQueen.com

Class fundraiser: https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/010036/ab/a4gNRe

Class Facebook Event:

https://www.facebook.com/events/1515521785372503/

Books

Sexy Witch

The Pussy Poems

What does it mean to be a multi-faith person in a world where most people except you to be one thing or another? In this episode, Yeshe Rabbit and I discuss her personal multi-faith work and her own evolution of spirit. We also talk about how we are in the midst of change and how our religious traditions are evolving. How do we maintain respect for each other and for all human beings? How do we discuss these topics online without beating each other up online?

Yeshe Rabbit is a holy woman, devotee of the Goddess, and lover of life, a shamanic practitioner, witch, tantrika, and student of the dharma, a seer, a healer, and a priestess. When asked about her spiritual path, She describes it as "Graeco-Tibetan Tantric Nomad Alchemist," and she’s not actually joking. She sings, chants, drums, performs rituals, meditates, brews potions, makes pilgrimages, & travels all over the world for work, spiritual study and growth. Mother Earth is her home. She is also a founder of CAYA Coven in the SF Bay Area.

Links

Way of the Rabbit 

The Sacred Well 

Tea and Chanting Sangha 

Dharma Pagan 

Temple of Aphrodite 

CAYA Coven 

In this episode, we talk to Rev.Fred-Allen Self, who tells his story about realizing his true self, leaving his fundamentalist Christian background, and how he got to where he is in his ministry today. We also talk about how representation is not only important but can literally save lives, how “Fundamentalism” transcends religious or political tradition, and the promise of youth and the internet.

Note: The prisoner on death row who writes about the prison system is Mumia Abu-Jamal. (Apologies for not remembering his name in the interview.)

Fred-Allen Self is a minister of the Progressive Christian Alliance. A one time fundamentalist Christian, he is now passionate about a more inclusive view of the Gospel. He is currently a MDiv Student at Chicago Theological Seminary. In his downtime he loves nothing more than to spend time with his husband and three beautiful daughters.

Links

Progressive Christian Alliance

Email: [email protected] or [email protected]