Note: Many thanks to my wonderful sister for proofreading this post and offering feedback from a trans perspective. Love you!
A transgender person is anyone whose gender identity is different from what they were assigned at birth. This includes binary transgender identities, i.e., trans men and trans women, as well as nonbinary identities. Importantly, someone does not need to medically transition to be transgender.
"Transgender" as a term goes back to the mid-20th century, with the modern meaning cemented in the 1990s. This does NOT mean that trans people didn't exist before the 20th century. The idea of someone's gender being different from the one they were raised in is very, very old and can be found in cultures all over the world. The language we use may change as our culture evolves, but the underlying concepts have always been part of the human experience of gender.
The deities and spirits mentioned in this post are those that resonate with modern transgender experiences, but I want to acknowledge that ancient cultures had their own words for different gender identities, and that their gender models were different from ours. For example, many ancient cultures recognized more than two genders, so our modern masculine/feminine binary doesn't quite fit when discussing those cultures.
Below are a few of the deities and spirits that are strongly connected to transgender identity (A lot of this information comes from my upcoming book, Lavender Witchcraft, coming in August of this year from Moon Books.)
Dionysus is the Hellenic (Greek) god of wine, sex, madness, strangers, and those outside of society. That domain would already make him pretty queer, but the connection runs deeper than that. Like many Hellenic gods, Dionysus is described taking both male and female lovers. He is also shown in primary sources to have a complicated and binary-defying relationship with gender.
Some Hellenic sources say that Dionysus was raised as a girl but presented as a man in his adulthood. In art, he is shown with a very androgynous appearance. Many modern transgender people resonate with these aspects of Dionysus's historic worship.
To connect with Dionysus, consider placing an image of him in your sacred space. You can also write out his name in Ancient Greek to place in your sacred space. (Check Wikipedia to find the Ancient Greek characters for his name.) His symbols include the thyrsus (a type of wand or staff), grapevines, ivy, theatrical masks, the phallus, tigers, and leopards. Like all Hellenic gods, he can be honored with offerings of fruit, flowers, incense, or honey.
Cybele is a Phrygian goddess who was officially added to the Roman pantheon during the Second Punic War, around 200 BCE. She was served by a class of priests called galli (singular: gallus). The galli were castrated males who dressed in women’s clothing. They were part of a tradition of third gender priesthood in the Middle East dating back to the worship of the Sumerian goddess Inanna.
Even though many Romans criticized the inclusion of the galli in religious ritual, Cybele became an important part of Roman religious life and had a huge influence on the cult of Magna Mater ("The Great Mother"), which in turn influenced the cult of Mary among early Christians. (If you've ever been in a Catholic church and seen a shrine to the Virgin Mary, just remember it wouldn't exist without trans priestexes in ancient Rome!)
Cybele is associated with motherhood, mountains, city walls, and the fertility of plants and animals. She was also associated with a black meteorite, which was given to Rome by the kingdom of Pergamum. She was especially popular among Patricians.
To connect with Cybele, consider placing an image of her in your sacred space. You can also write out her name in Phrygian or Greek to place in your sacred space. Her symbols include mountains, pinecones and other conifer cones, hand drums, lions, and the cornucopia. Like all Roman deities, she can be honored with offerings of fruit, honey, milk, wine, flowers, or incense.
Loki is one of the most well-known trans deities in modern pop culture. Loki is a trickster god originally worshiped by the Old Norse. Their main role is as a force of change. Their purpose is to challenge those in authority and to shake up the status quo. This change is sometimes uncomfortable or even painful, but it can also bring great blessings. Loki is not any more evil than any other major force of change. Just because something challenges us or causes discomfort doesn't mean it is bad.
Loki is a shapechanger, and they use this skill to change their gender and sex. They are often masculine-presenting in our surviving Norse myths, but at least once they take the form of an old woman, and in one myth they turn into a female horse and give birth to the eight-legged foal, Sleipnir. (I may have written a retelling of this myth for an upcoming children's mythology anthology. 😉) In other myths, Loki is described as the father of multiple children. Clearly, their relationship with gender is fluid, as are most things with this chaotic deity.
To connect with Loki, consider placing an image of them in your sacred space. You can also write out their name in Old Norse to place in your sacred space. Loki's symbols include webs and nets (they are said to have invented the fishing net!), snakes, spiders, and the hearth. Like all Norse gods, they can be honored with offerings of food and drink. Many heathens, including myself, find that Loki has a sweet tooth and enjoys sugary offerings.
These are only a few of many, many deities and spirits associated with transgender identities. If this is a topic that interests you, I strongly encourage you to do your own research. And if I missed your favorite trans deity, please let me know!
If you enjoyed this post and would like to dive deeper, please consider preordering my upcoming book on queer magical practice!
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