Jump to content
  • Welcome to the TransPulse Forums!

    We offer a safe, inclusive community for transgender and gender non-conforming folks, as well as their loved ones, to find support and information.  Join today!

Two Spirit Individuals


Danee

Recommended Posts

I found this article describing early indigenous cultures having two spirited individuals that were revered as healers and caregivers. Before European colonization of course. :/ I was happy to discover that it's slowly making a comeback as it was part of the culture.

http://www.dancingtoeaglespiritsociety.org/twospirit.php

The second article in has a photo documentary of modern day two spirit gatherings.

Link to comment
Guest Denise007

I've been in the company of more then a few Native American persons that were quite old. I've been told I have an old spirit without my telling i was trans. For a time I bought into the idea that I'm 2 not one person and spirit. It seemed right at that time, and I like so many of us, had no idea that male and female can exist as one person or spirit. Now for me to think or try think of myself as 2 can just; well can give me a migraine!

I see way too many TGs talk in the 3rd person or refer to their female self. I'm sorry, that way of thinking just doesn't work in the long term for me. (opinion)

Link to comment
  • Admin

I am a member of a Transgender Spirit Circle where we accept many of the old beliefs as the basis for working out the conflicts that we encounter in our daily lives as Trans* people who are at a wide range of places in our lives. I even have some posts here that talk about this, including a few in conversation with one of our members who has been more fully trained in "The Ways" of First Nations spirituality. This is not a way for everyone who is Trans* to find what they need, but the overwhelming concept of acceptance, especially in the early phases of discovery, can give something that few have had before then and give permission for becoming fully open if only to a small group. I know it has saved lives for those who have been there. I am several generations away from the Full Blood of my Native American ancestry, but I felt it and embraced it long before I even suspected that my discomfort with life was based on my being Trans*. For many Trans* people I know today, it is an opening and a point of beginning. They feel excluded from many spiritual avenues in the beginning of their journeys and that exclusion also makes it harder for them to seek adequate counseling from qualified professional help.

Trans* is not a one-size, one-way only life. Things have and do change almost from day to day.

Link to comment

I've met a two-spirited individual, one born with both sexes. I was glad that they took their time to explore all aspects of both genders. Their an interesting person. And it gave me a new way of looking at the whole spectrum of lifestyles that fall under the gender fluid to TG way of life.

Reading this article made me proud to be Metis. I hope to one day bring my wife to one of these gatherings. I think it would be healing for both of us. Is there a Transgender spirit circle in Canada that you know of?

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

Danee, This is certainly something that you as a Metis can be proud of. The idea of two spirit is a First Nation concept. I recently read an article about how many in the Native American population are upset about the concept being usurped by the anglo population. That seemed a pity to me as it described the lives of so many of us.

Hugs,

Charlize

Link to comment
  • Admin

Reading this article made me proud to be Metis. I hope to one day bring my wife to one of these gatherings. I think it would be healing for both of us. Is there a Transgender spirit circle in Canada that you know of?

I do not know of any in Canada I am sorry to say, but I would think that there would be one or more. The circle I am part of is very small one in North Carolina and I live in California. It is possible that a call to a Tribal center would get that information, and who knows but that you might even start one!!

Link to comment
Guest noeleena

Hi ,

As a ? i wonder why western socitey at large , though when i think about it i doubt one can blame society as a whole so comes down to who started to control how people accepted things such as people like us , I know with my interaction with some people they cant or don't wont to accept a difference we have and have stated very strongly they wont accept us ,

And even when explaining why one is different , its like western thinking has been blocked off , sad to say they belive what they have been taught .and they wont check the facts out to find out ,

A good write up and I have read some many years ago ,

...noeleena...

Link to comment

That's one thing I love about traditional First Nation culture. They are accepting of all cultures, races and different gender/ sexual orientations.

I guess I could go to the Thunderbird house and ask them. They might know of a group here.

Link to comment
Guest noeleena

Hi Danee,

Thank you .

I.m fortunate in having many friends who just accept what i am and who I am as a person yet they know my difference yet does not come into what we talk about , unless an other matter is brought up that comes with in my difference other wise im just a normal female bottom line is im not and do they care no, ,

I know over the years each group I,v become a member of some 8 and I'm put incharge of different aspects and two others doing cooking for many 100,s of people and you have a working staff of 15 who are your responcibilty then that says something in your favour and it happens so many times ,

I never ever thought would I be accepted let alone be given charge of so much and people ,, it certainly humbled me .

...noeleena...

Link to comment

Hopefully some day soon that will be the case for me and my wife as well. I'm still trying to sort out how to tell people. I've had mixed reactions. Most of Jiszka's have been positive except her mother.

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

This is all good, I know these folks are really on to something, and I have met one of their founding members and she speaks an authentic language. There really is a spiritual aspect to fixing ones "gender issues", it's far more complex than simple medical explanations and treatments.

http://transspiritcouncil.org/

Incorporate all the belief's of native American two spirit culture into a registered, recognized "Religion", once designated a religion or faith, it's members and those who practice could be trans of any other faith(s) for that matter and would receive protections of practicing these faiths under constitution of this country. We are free to practice our religion of "two spiritness" and therefor gain all rights afforded a religion in this country. We therefor use our "Religious Freedom" to be who were are, same as those that would use the same argument to discriminate against us. The members of this church would not be discriminatory however and would practice and promote inclusiveness of all people.

C -

Link to comment
  • 9 months later...

I've been posting over in the Native Two Spirit area because I didn't see this here, but it's simply who and what we are -- we're not trying to "appropriate" anything by saying "Two Spirit." It's a perfect description that has no western equivalent. We are us, a pair that works through one body, male and female both. Literally two separate spirits in one body. The spiritual aspects are also completely accurate for what we do and how we work (spirit realm travels, healing others, energy work), we just can't and don't do it inside a Native framework.

If there's a better way of describing having literally two spirits in one body than with the English words "two spirit" I'd love to hear it. Also, hello and we would love to meet more like us.

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Who's Online   2 Members, 0 Anonymous, 111 Guests (See full list)

    • KathyLauren
    • MaybeRob
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      80.5k
    • Total Posts
      767.2k
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      11,944
    • Most Online
      8,356

    taxicab
    Newest Member
    taxicab
    Joined
  • Today's Birthdays

    1. Amyjay
      Amyjay
      (58 years old)
    2. bettyjean
      bettyjean
    3. Breanna
      Breanna
      (52 years old)
    4. Emily Ayla
      Emily Ayla
    5. JET182
      JET182
  • Posts

    • LC
      That is wonderful. Congratulations!
    • Heather Shay
      What is relaxation to you? Nature? Movie? Reading? Cuddling with a pet? Music?
    • Heather Shay
    • Heather Shay
      Having just a normal emotional day.
    • Heather Shay
      AMUSEMENT The feeling when you encounter something silly, ironic, witty, or absurd, which makes you laugh. You have the urge to be playful and share the joke with others. Similar words: Mirth Amusement is the emotional reaction to humor. This can be something that is intended to be humorous, like when someone tells a good joke or when a friend dresses up in a ridiculous costume. But it can also be something that you find funny that was not intended to be humorous, like when you read a sign with a spelling error that turns it into an ironic pun. For millennia, philosophers and scholars have been attempting to explain what exactly it is that makes something funny. This has led to several different theories. Nowadays, the most widely accepted one is the Incongruity Theory, which states that something is amusing if it violates our standards of how things are supposed to be. For example, Charlie Chaplin-style slapstick is funny because it violates our norms of competence and proper conduct, while Monty Python-style absurdity is funny because it violates reason and logic. However, not every standard or norm violation is necessarily funny. Violations can also evoke confusion, indignation, or shock. An important condition for amusement is that there is a certain psychological distance to the violation. One of the ways to achieve this is captured by the statement ‘comedy is tragedy plus time’. A dreadful mistake today may become a funny story a year from now. But it can also be distant in other ways, for instance, because it happened to someone you do not know, or because it happens in fiction instead of in real life. Amusement also needs a safe and relaxed environment: people who are relaxed and among friends are much more likely to feel amused by something. A violation and sufficient psychological distance are the basic ingredients for amusement, but what any one person find funny will depend on their taste and sense of humor. There are dozens of ‘humor genres’, such as observational comedy, deadpan, toilet humor, and black comedy. Amusement is contagious: in groups, people are more prone to be amused and express their amusement more overtly. People are more likely to share amusement when they are with friends or like-minded people. For these reasons, amusement is often considered a social emotion. It encourages people to engage in social interactions and it promotes social bonding. Many people consider amusement to be good for the body and the soul. By the end of the 20th century, humor and laughter were considered important for mental and physical health, even by psychoneuroimmunology researchers who suggested that emotions influenced immunity. This precipitated the ‘humor and health movement’ among health care providers who believed that humor and laughter help speed recovery, including in patients suffering from cancer1). However, the evidence for health benefits of humor and laughter is less conclusive than commonly believed2. Amusement is a frequent target of regulation: we down-regulate it by shifting our attention to avoid inappropriate laughter, or up-regulate it by focusing on a humorous aspect of a negative situation. Interestingly, amusement that is purposefully up-regulated has been found to have the same beneficial physical and psychological effects as the naturally experienced emotion. Amusement has a few clear expressions that emerge depending on the intensity of the emotion. When people are mildly amused, they tend to smile or chuckle. When amusement intensifies, people laugh out loud and tilt or bob their head. The most extreme bouts of amusement may be accompanied by uncontrollable laughter, tears, and rolling on the floor. Most cultures welcome and endorse amusement. Many people even consider a ‘good sense of humor’ as one of the most desirable characteristics in a partner. At the same time, most cultures have (implicit) rules about what is the right time and place for amusement. For example, displays of amusement may be deemed inappropriate in situations that demand seriousness or solemness, such as at work or during religious rituals.
    • Heather Shay
    • Heather Shay
    • Heather Shay
    • April Marie
      Good morning, everyone!!! Two cups of coffee in the books and I am just feeling so wonderful this morning. Not sure why, but I'm happy and smiling.   Enjoy this beautiful day!!!
    • Heather Shay
      A U.S. dollar bill can be folded approximately 4,000 times in the same place before it will tear. -You cannot snore and dream at the same time. -The average person walks the equivalent of three times around the world in a lifetime. -A hippo’s wide open mouth is big enough to fit a 4-foot-tall child in. -Chewing gum while you cut an onion will help keep you from crying.
    • Susan R
      Love it! This is great news. We need more of this to combat the excessive hate-filled rhetoric and misinformation. 👍
    • Susan R
      The experience was the same for me @April Marie. I slept much deeper and I woke up each morning feeling so much more restful sleeping with forms solidly in place. For me, wearing breast forms at night started when before I was a teenager. I had no access up to modern breast forms and certainly no way to buy mastectomy bras back then. I wore a basic bra my mom had put in a donation box and two pairs of soft cotton socks. I have some crazy memories of things I did in my youth to combat my GD but regardless, these makeshift concoctions helped me work through it all.   All My Best, Susan R🌷
    • awkward-yet-sweet
      Colorado isn't exactly a Republican place, and won't become one anytime soon.  I think those folks might be better off not spending their time playing Don Quixote.    We certainly have our share of California "refugees" moving into where I live, so I wouldn't be surprised to start seeing Coloradans too.  I suspect the trend over the next few years will see the blue areas getting more blue and the red areas getting more red as anybody who can relocate tries to find a place where they fit better.   
    • awkward-yet-sweet
      Well, at least it'll be a place some folks could choose.  Options are a good thing.
    • awkward-yet-sweet
      My family would have gobbled that jar up in a minute or two.  When we do have pickled herring, its usually for Christmas.  I didn't grow up with that particular dish, but I grew up in a Greek family so I like just about any kind of fish if I can get it.  However, ocean fish and freshwater fish taste so different.  We usually have more catfish and tilapia to eat than anything else.    What I can't quite get used to is the tons of cabbage my GF insists on eating.  When you live with a Russian, there is always cabbage soup.  Always.  When I first moved in with her, breakfast was "shchi" for soup and either bread or "kasha" which is a bowl of boiled buckwheat with butter and salt.  Those dishes can be made in any number of ways, some are better than others.  In the winter, it can even be salty and sour like kraut.  Not exactly sauerkraut, but packed in tubs with vinegar and salt so it keeps partially for the winter.  But I drew the line when the cabbage soup included pieces of fried snake one day.  😆
  • Upcoming Events

Contact TransPulse

TransPulse can be contacted in the following ways:

Email: Click Here.

To report an error on this page.

Legal

Your use of this site is subject to the following rules and policies, whether you have read them or not.

Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
DMCA Policy
Community Rules

Hosting

Upstream hosting for TransPulse provided by QnEZ.

Sponsorship

Special consideration for TransPulse is kindly provided by The Breast Form Store.
×
×
  • Create New...