QUEERKEIT▽COVEN

queer/trans-centered study & practice of Jewish magic, mysticism & folklore about FAQ links & resources

[queerkeitcoven]

Radical Jewish Calendar 5781 by Radical Jewish Calendar

Organized by Jewish month, layering Jewish and Gregorian dates, astrological happenings, holidays, and political history. Twelve months of political art, culture, and history made by dreamers, artists, and organizers who want to know what time it is. This project, in their fourth year, was dreamed up by some Jews who were tired of using calendars with advertisements for cemeteries as their only reference for Jewish holy days. This is a collaborative effort between friends and many contributors. All proceeds will go to artists and design contributors, which include farmers, rabbis, candle makers, facilitators, radio hosts, bodyworkers, rock stars, carpenters, Kohenet priestesses, organizers, and more. This calendar is a celebration of Jewish culture that is intersectional, queer, feminist, anti-racist, and that challenges and builds a Judaism and Jewishness beyond Zionism. Because you’ve always wanted to find out when Ta’anit Esther and the anniversary of the BDS Call are, all in the same place. Printed in the Pacific Northwest by union-labor.

hello again friends! i’m excited to share that my artwork “Feygele” & an accompanying poem from my chapbook - together a queer, trans love letter to Jewish demons - is representing the month of Tammuz in the Radical Jewish Calendar for 5781! 

as a contributing artist, i was allowed to choose a date in the calendar to mark in a way that felt important to me, so i chose to commemorate the August 3rd co-founding of this blog (and resulting community!) with the amazing @darkhei-noam in 2016. i can barely believe that this blog is 4+ years old - and our Discord server for LGBTQ+ Jews who study and/or practice Jewish magic & mysticism is 2+ years old and more active than ever with 80+ members (if you want an invite, message us)!

i am so grateful to each & every person who has been active here, and i’m especially thankful for @creekfiend & @kuttithevangu who together were a major guiding light on my way back into Judaism through the more marginal & magic aspects of our history. getting to know them & so many more incredible people through them changed my life. 

which is a long way to say that “Queerkeit Coven” is printed in a calendar now & all of you should feel proud! 

<3 Ezra

[queerkeitcoven]

I really want to read A Rainbow Thread. Is it available as an ebook?

Not to my knowledge... But you can order it at arainbowthread.com. If you need an ebook for accessibility reasons, email the publisher — you can find their contact at shabb.es.

[queerkeitcoven]

Hello! I have a question for any Jewish witches that work with Lilith. How do you view this in the Jewish context of idolatry being forbidden? Is it idolatrous or does anyone here view working with Lilith the same as working with Hashem? Thank you for your time! :-)

hi! can’t speak to this one from experience, but in a traditional Jewish context, Lilith is not a deity, so working with her would be more like working with a sheyd - which could still, i guess, be defined as idolatry in a very orthodox view? but i personally tend to think of idolatry as being defined by worship of something other than the divine (”false gods”). traditional Judaism forbids using a statue or image to represent the divine because it’s deeply limiting & may lead to the misunderstanding that the image IS the divine. if Lilith isn’t divine or being treated as such (beyond the general concept that EVERYTHING has divine origin / sparks of the divine), but rather as a spiritual guide in a similar context to, say, Elijah or another holy figure, that wouldn’t really fall under idolatry. 

that said, there certainly ARE Jewish pagans who practice forms of polytheism, and i’m sure there may be Jewish witches who do view Lilith as a “facet” of Hashem (we’re a diverse community)! if anyone wants to jump in with personal experience, feel free!

-Ezra

[queerkeitcoven]

so, I've been looking through your tags and I was wondering if you know anything about Baal Kadmon? He's an author who wrote a big ol book on solomon's seals and a ritual to go with each of them to cleanse/charge/use them. when I read the post your reblogged on the seals, I'm still left relatively uncertain as to whether or not I am allowed to use the seals/if they will work for me (i'm not jewish)/if they work at all.

looks like we need to make an FAQ, because this keeps getting asked & answered in many ways!

i can’t speak to whether or not “Baal Kadmon” is Jewish in addition to clearly being a western occultist. i would bet money that he’s not, and has - like some historical western occultists, adopted a fake Jewish-sounding name (Baal Kadmon is nobody’s birth name, anyway) - though i could be wrong! but literally every single thing to do with “Solomonic” magic/seals is not Jewish.

whether or not they will “work” for you is very subjective - from a historical perspective, they are entirely made up by Christian occultists based on antisemitic tropes mixed with some mangled appropriation of actual Jewish mysticism. so if you’re looking for some kind of authentic cultural tradition dating any earlier than the middle ages (a time absolutely rife with oppression & violence towards Jews), this ain’t it. 

some people don’t seem to care about that, and appear to treat the “demons” and rituals in those books as spiritually useful in some way regardless of their origins, but i can’t say i really understand that line of thought & i certainly don’t have much respect for it as a Jew. those same people often seem to think that because ceremonial magic is not authentically Jewish, that means it’s not really appropriation, which is also fairly confusing to me because it literally wouldn’t exist without antisemitism. 

but it’s obviously entirely up to you what you choose to do with this information now that you have it!

- Ezra

[queerkeitcoven]

hi there. i hope this isn't too annoying of a question haha. i have an acquaintance who doesn't believe that ceremonial magic has appropriated Kabbalah and thinks the Kabbalah found throughout ceremonial magic is an entirely separate tradition/version from the one for Jewish people. this was part of a debate in an occult server, but since i am not Jewish, i didn't feel as though i was informed enough to counter this and stepped out of the discussion. my question is: is that true? (1/2)

If you are practicing some form of ceremonial magic (ex: i wanted to learn about planetary magic, but im not sure if thats culturally appropriative), do you think its a different tradition at this point? or can be practiced like one? I don't want to learn about planetary magic if it has appropriated aspects in it, and what that person said in the debate doesn't sit right with me, so I thought it would be best to ask someone Jewish (since we both arent) who has knowledge of the history. (2/2)

hi! where does your friend think all the Hebrew & “Kabbalah” in ceremonial magic came from? at what point does something taken from one culture by another culture actively oppressing & committing genocide against its living people become “a different tradition”? is it fine after several hundred years of “syncretism” (and ghettos, and pogroms, and the Shoah) even when it rests on a foundation of blood libel? does it matter that Jews, who originated Kabbalah as an inextricable part of our religious & cultural history, are still presently experiencing the same violent combination of antisemitism & fetishization that lead to the appropriation of our mystic tradition in the first place?

some questions to think about as you read our cultural appropriation tag & at least the first chapter of Joshua Trachtenberg’s Jewish Magic & Superstition (free online). for more in-depth history on who actually authored the original texts of ceremonial magic (and why), check out Grimoires: A History of Magic Books by Owen Davies, as well as Trachtenberg’s other major work on medieval & modern antisemitism, The Devil and the Jews.

thanks for being open to learning! - Ezra

[queerkeitcoven]

Amulet by the Arizal for protection against plagues

[queerkeitcoven]

hey there!! ive found myself in a research-hole and wondered if i could get some other views- could jewish witches incorporate demons into their craft?? i assumed the answer was a straight up no but now im doing research into jewish demonology and its (somewhat unsurprisingly) a lot more complicated :')

hi! just to clarify - are you looking for the opinions of contemporary Jews who self-identify as witches, or are you trying to find historical evidence of Jews interacting positively with sheydim? 

if it’s the first one, i think the answers are going to be highly varied! but i’m sure there certainly ARE Jewish witches who incorporate demons/sheydim into their practices, though they may not be a majority. 

from what i’ve read, Jewish historical views on sheydim have ranged from total fear/rejection of them as dangerous or “evil” (though our concept of evil is decidedly not the Christian one - sheydim are part of the divine universe & have a distinct role to play, they aren’t in opposition to divinity or enemies of divinity), to considering them more like faeries in other cultures - something to be wary of, certainly something that could hurt you if angered & therefore something you should at least try to avoid or appease, but potentially useful in certain situations. the legendary relationship between King Solomon & Ashmedai (king of demons) seems to fall into this latter category. 

there’s also a story about 2nd century sage Shimon bar Yochai collaborating with a sheyd (some sources say “Ben Temalion”, some say Ashmedai again) in order to favorably influence the Roman emperor - the sheyd agreed to possess the daughter of the emperor so that bar Yochai could exorcise her & receive a reward, which was the abolishing of a decree against Jewish observance! 

so there’s precedent for sheydim being not-totally-antagonistic towards Jews, and also going out of their way to help us against greater enemies. on a personal note, i’m moving more & more towards considering sheydim a kind of patron of queer/trans/otherwise-marginalized Jews in my own spiritual practice, so you can mark me up on the “yes” side. - Ezra

[fox-teeth]

Did you miss out on the initial run of my Yiddishkeit Evil Eye patches?

Good news: I just paid the invoice on another round of them! Coming to my Gumroad store and MoCCA Arts Fest in April!

(Note: unlike last time I am not doing pre-orders on these because they’re being made by a different manufacturer, and I want to have updated photos available of the second round of patches out of caution in case there are noticeable differences. Watch my social media for sales announcements.)

[queerkeitcoven]

was lucky enough to pick up one of these at FlameCon last year, now you too can get yourself a very good fish! 

<3 Ezra

[queerkeitcoven]

בין הערביים: between the blendings by Ezra Rose

a short collection of queer/trans Jewish poetry

something i put together pretty quick for Poetry Jam; February 2020 but i’m fairly proud of it! a condensation of lots of thoughts/feelings i’ve been having about queer/trans Judaism & Jewish myth/magic/mysticism, with a side of trauma processing (nothing queerer or more Jewish, etc.)

totally free, .txt version available for folks with screen readers. much love to you all!  - Ezra

[queerkeitcoven]

The Hadassah-Brandeis Institute is proud to present “Ich Bin Di Sitra Achra (I Am the Other)” by Shterna Goldbloom. Goldbloom’s wistful photographic self-portraits bridge memories and experiences of the artist’s own Hasidic upbringing, with historical and invented personae. As the artist transforms herself in each composed image through dress, posture and setting, her photographs come together to present a singular but complicated expression of self as a queer Jewish woman. 

Goldbloom reinterprets the Hasidic term “Sitra Achra,” used to describe things considered to be on the "other side" of holiness — like queers and women who don't fit traditional definitions of femininity. In “Ich Bin Di Sitra Achra (I Am the Other),” the artist presents the many faces that can exist between tradition and heresy. Her gesture before the camera makes these conflicting identities visible, giving agency to those who might otherwise be obscured.

love this queer usage of “sitra achra” - very relevant to what we’re about! if you’re near Boston, go check out this show!

[queerkeitcoven]

are you Jewish, LGBTQ+, AND interested in the study and/or practice of Jewish magic & mysticism? we want to hear from you!

https://forms.gle/AvyVo3979zXNbaaRA

mod Ezra here - as you know, this community & the intersection of topics that brought us together is near & dear to my heart, so it’s been a goal of mine to try to understand that connection better in order to collect/create more resources specifically for us! this survey, which is mostly open-ended short written response, was created as a tool to help get bigger conversations rolling & collect some data for us to think about. there’s more info at the link about how the information will potentially be used/shared, but in short - it’s up to you if you want to be totally anonymous or if you want to be cited and/or interviewed at more length. 

i’ve got a couple of related projects in the works & possibly some opportunities for where this might go - right now i’m mostly interested in gathering info & keeping it open. please share widely & don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns about the survey! 

[image: three small bird-like angels that protect against Lilith, from a diagram in the Book of Raziel, colored with the black & brown striped rainbow flag]

[queerkeitcoven]

hello all - this survey will be coming to a close by the end of February! if you wanted to take it but haven’t, now is your chance (and your chance to share it with your friends, your family, that one cute queer trans witchy Jew you have a crush on...)

i’d love to get 100 responses, and for that to happen, only 2 MORE people need to take it! to everyone who’s responded so far - you’ve absolutely blown me away, the quality of these responses is shaping how i want to present the results & even if it takes me a while to do this project justice, know that i’m committed & planning something good!

many thanks <3 Ezra

[queerkeitcoven]

Magical Princess Harriet: Chessed, World of Compassion|Paperback

“To put it simply, Harris Baumgartner was late to school on the first day of the seventh grade because something he saw in the abandoned lot at the end of his street changed his life forever…”

This is a middle-grade novel starring a trans Jewish Magical Girl, written by a genderqueer rabbi. It’s rooted in kabbalah and it’s also a very cute story. Gib a kuk! 

[queerkeitcoven]

are you Jewish, LGBTQ+, AND interested in the study and/or practice of Jewish magic & mysticism? we want to hear from you!

https://forms.gle/AvyVo3979zXNbaaRA

mod Ezra here - as you know, this community & the intersection of topics that brought us together is near & dear to my heart, so it’s been a goal of mine to try to understand that connection better in order to collect/create more resources specifically for us! this survey, which is mostly open-ended short written response, was created as a tool to help get bigger conversations rolling & collect some data for us to think about. there’s more info at the link about how the information will potentially be used/shared, but in short - it’s up to you if you want to be totally anonymous or if you want to be cited and/or interviewed at more length. 

i’ve got a couple of related projects in the works & possibly some opportunities for where this might go - right now i’m mostly interested in gathering info & keeping it open. please share widely & don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns about the survey! 

[image: three small bird-like angels that protect against Lilith, from a diagram in the Book of Raziel, colored with the black & brown striped rainbow flag]

[queerkeitcoven]

A brief history of Yiddish astrologic practices

some Jewish astrology history from our friends at the Yiddish Book Center!

[queerkeitcoven]

A Medieval Gay Brawl in the Synagogue On Yom Kippur

Sometimes the finds of the Genizah are so incredible that you have difficulty believing that it’s really there, that you are really peering through this window into the lives of medieval Jews around the Mediterranean. This story caught my attention in a footnote of Goitein’s and I thought I would post it for Yom Kippur… It’s not really magic-related, except that I think there’s a certain magic in recovering and reclaiming the past.

The fragment shown here, T-S 8J22.25 in Cambridge, is a letter from a Jewish pilgrim named Hasan ben Mu’ammal, who had gone on pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the High Holidays, Tishrei 4813 = September 1052 CE. He reports that a certain Daniel had wished to see him but he was unable to, because of “the altercation” that had happened in synagogue. Apparently, on Yom Kippur, many pilgrims had gathered from around the Mediterranean, and “a man from Tiberias and a man from [Tyre] became involved in love, and the Tiberian began fondling [?] the Tyrian in the sight of everyone… and the people from Tiberias and those from Tyre began to fight with one another and went out to […] and they brought the chief of the police to the synagogue and […] until the people calmed down.” Hasan goes on to report that Daniel had told him that “such is the behaviour of these people every day,” and concludes the letter with best wishes to the recipients (his brother Abu Nasr and family). A wild ride from start to finish. Goitein drily observes that the letter indicates that homosexuality was regarded as a “vice rather than a deadly crime… [and] it did not form the object of great social concern.” 

Shana tova — welcome to 5777! May all who are fasting have a meaningful, enriching, and affirming day… and hopefully a peaceful one too!

[queerkeitcoven]

A classic post! This source is now available with a full translation and commentary in my book, A Rainbow Thread. Shana tova, and may all who are observing Yom Kippur have a meaningful holiday!

[fox-teeth]

Shana tova u’metuka / Good and sweet new year this Rosh Hashanah

(I recently learned griffins were of great symbolic importance to medieval German Jews and I want to bring them back)

[queerkeitcoven]

The Movement to Create a More Queer-Inclusive Judaism

The Nonbinary Hebrew Project joins a slew of other efforts making space for LGBTQ+ Jews.