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HI Dr VELKOBORSKA, I hope you have spoken to some transgender men, women, and genderqueer identified pagans... I am sure many of them have done quite a bit of reading on the topic and could tell you what books they sought out. I am sure you will find some good suggestions. Older books on the subject tend to be overwhelmed with the same biological determinism which plagues much modern Paganism. "Androgyne" by Mircea Eliade is one I came across which was partifularly misinformed (he suggsts in a better era gender variant children were murdered) as was "Women, Androgynes, and Other Mythical Beasts" by Wendy Doniger O'Flaherty. The latter cites Germaine Greer's problematic and hateful anti transgender retoric as somehow supporting points in the book. Thankfully time, research, and good scholarship moves on and these books are falling into obscurity. You might look at the writings of Raven Kaldera who is himself intersex and deals specifically with gender variance in Paganism or even Rachel Pollack (78 Degrees of Wison, tarot author) who is a transgender woman. Her experience with paganism and gender informed much of her writing in comics, which in turn influenced Grant Morrisson (who sadly still managed to turn out a poorly researched and borderline offensive trope of a trans* female shaman in his book Invisibles). Rachel Pollack directly dealt with the intersections between gender identity and spirituality in her run of the comic book Doom Patrol. She created the first transgender super hero in a mainstream comic book - Coagula... needless to say there is a lot of Alchemical influence in the book as well. With regards to Randy Connor's "Blossom of Bone" he has since said the language he used is extremely disrespectful to transgender people and if it went to another edition he would correct it. Bear that in mind when using it as a source. Also, just as a sidenote to some other posters here. It is never correct to refer to someone as "transgendered." For example "the transgendered ritualists in Northern Europe" should be worded "the transgender identified ritualists in Northern Europe." If you need to specify the gender identity of the ritualist you would say "the female (or male) identified transgender ritualists in Northern Europe." You can say transgender men or transgender women but please don't say "transgendered." :) Ethan, thank you for the lead on Dr Christine Hoff Kraemer. I have downloaded her article on Pantheacon and plan to read it tonight. I hope some of that is helpful. Best Wishes, Maddie On Fri, Feb 21, 2014 at 11:45 AM, George Hansen <[log in to unmask]>wrote: > Dear Dr. Velkoborska: > > Regarding "theoretical background dealing with" "the problem of > transgender and paganism and perhaps shamanism, or even religion in > general" you might consider examining the work on binary oppositions, > liminality, and anti-structure. Work in structural anthropology from the > 1960s and 1970s might be useful. > > Strong liminality, like pure charisma, is associated with supernatural > power. Liminality is associated with blurring and/or reversal of major > binary oppositions such as heaven-earth, god-human, life-death, > male-female, human-beast. Shamans, and religion in general, have > traditionally dealt with that liminal, betwixt-and-between domain. The > works of Victor Turner, and especially Edmund Leach, provide insight. > > Liminal areas have always been associated with rituals and taboos. As > you are almost certainly aware, there are strongly enforced taboos within > academe against seriously considering the reality supernatural forces. > > > Sincerely, > > George P. Hansen > > Author: The Trickster and the Paranormal > http://www.tricksterbook.com > > https://twitter.com/ParaTrickster > > http://paranormaltrickster.blogspot.com/ > > > > ------------------------------ > *From:* Mgr. Kamila VELKOBORSKA Ph.D. <[log in to unmask]> > *To:* [log in to unmask] > *Sent:* Wednesday, February 19, 2014 5:52 AM > > *Subject:* Re: [ACADEMIC-STUDY-MAGIC] transgender and paganism > > Dear colleagues, > > could you, please, recommend some relevant texts dealing with the problem > of transgender and paganism and perhaps shamanism, or even religion in > general. I´ve got rich fieldwork data but almost no theoretical background, > dealing with gender for the first time. > > Thank you very much! > > Kamila Velkoborská > University of West Bohemia > Czech Republic > > On Fri, Feb 21, 2014 at 11:45 AM, George Hansen <[log in to unmask]>wrote: > Dear Dr. Velkoborska: > > Regarding "theoretical background dealing with" "the problem of > transgender and paganism and perhaps shamanism, or even religion in > general" you might consider examining the work on binary oppositions, > liminality, and anti-structure. Work in structural anthropology from the > 1960s and 1970s might be useful. > > Strong liminality, like pure charisma, is associated with supernatural > power. Liminality is associated with blurring and/or reversal of major > binary oppositions such as heaven-earth, god-human, life-death, > male-female, human-beast. Shamans, and religion in general, have > traditionally dealt with that liminal, betwixt-and-between domain. The > works of Victor Turner, and especially Edmund Leach, provide insight. > > Liminal areas have always been associated with rituals and taboos. As > you are almost certainly aware, there are strongly enforced taboos within > academe against seriously considering the reality supernatural forces. > > > Sincerely, > > George P. Hansen > > Author: The Trickster and the Paranormal > http://www.tricksterbook.com > > https://twitter.com/ParaTrickster > > http://paranormaltrickster.blogspot.com/ > > > > ------------------------------ > *From:* Mgr. Kamila VELKOBORSKA Ph.D. <[log in to unmask]> > *To:* [log in to unmask] > *Sent:* Wednesday, February 19, 2014 5:52 AM > > *Subject:* Re: [ACADEMIC-STUDY-MAGIC] transgender and paganism > > Dear colleagues, > > could you, please, recommend some relevant texts dealing with the problem > of transgender and paganism and perhaps shamanism, or even religion in > general. I´ve got rich fieldwork data but almost no theoretical background, > dealing with gender for the first time. > > Thank you very much! > > Kamila Velkoborská > University of West Bohemia > Czech Republic > >