Model Sara Grace Wallerstedt covers the new issue of Numéro Art [IG] #15 2024, devoted to surrealism. Elanur Erdogan styles the accompanying cover story which expands to include Charles Woodley, Leah Simon, Leonardo Brito, Peng Chang, Remington Williams and Tanner Reese lensed by Luigi & Iango [IG]./ Hair by Gonn Kinoshita; makeup by Kabuki

Surrealism and Religion

Surrealism, an avant-garde movement that emerged in the early 20th century, thrived on exploring the absurdities and contradictions inherent in human experience, including those found in religious practices.

Surrealists saw religion as fertile ground for exploring the tension between ancient traditions and modernity's disruptive innovations. Their work often highlighted the paradoxes within religious beliefs, juxtaposing the mysticism and rituals of ancient faiths with the rationalism and skepticism that characterized the modern era.

Ancient religious practices fascinated surrealists, as they sought to reveal the underlying psychological forces driving human belief. They were fascinated by how ancient religious practices, steeped in myth and symbolism, continued to persist in a world increasingly dominated by scientific thought.

Synergy Between Surrealism and the Subconscious

By employing dream-like imagery and unexpected combinations, surrealists aimed to transcend conventional logic and delve into the subconscious, where these conflicting aspects of religion might coexist.

AOC has always maintained an intuitive and subconscious relationship with photographers Luigi & Iango [Luigi Murenu and Iango Henzi], as they probe these key themes of human existence, anchored in symbolism and rituals.

The commentary that follows is my own — how these images affect my own subconscious populated with close to the surface associations and beliefs ignited when I see these images. AOC is confident that my own ancient world storytelling is harmonious with the values and beliefs of most of our readers — even if it’s heresy to those who are not.

A Pantheon of Ancient World Deities

The ancient world was a tapestry of diverse cultures, each with its own pantheon of deities that were embodiments of natural forces, human emotions, and societal ideals. These deities served not only as religious figures but as symbols of identity and order.

Prior to the rise of patriarchy, grounded in monotheism and a single, male God, goddess worship played a crucial role in shaping social and religious structures. In AOC’s decades-long research of this topic, we can confirm today that even right-wingers like J.D. Vance and Steve Bannon will acknowledge the existence of women’s influence in these early pagan societies.

We were devils, of course. But we were real deities and not a pipe dream, and I suppose this acknowledgement represents progress of some kind.

Reverence for the Divine Feminine

Goddesses were often seen as the embodiment of fertility, creation, and power, representing the life-giving forces of nature. This reverence for the feminine divine was prevalent across many ancient cultures, including those in Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, and Greece.

Inanna in Sumer, Isis in Egypt, and Aphrodite in Greece were venerated for their power, sovereignty, and roles as life-givers. These divine feminine figures were often associated with attributes of nurture, love, and warfare, highlighting their complex roles in the cosmos and human affairs.

Masculine and Feminine Energies

The worship of goddesses not only emphasized the sanctity of life and creation but also highlighted the importance of balance between masculine and feminine energies within the cosmos.

Temples dedicated to goddesses served as religious centers where rituals and ceremonies were performed to seek divine favor, fertility, and protection. The priesthood often included a diverse range of individuals, some of whom were men who adopted roles that aligned more closely with femininity. In some cultures, these men formed an integral part of the religious hierarchy, believed to embody qualities of the goddess they served.

Gender and Sexuality in Ancient Spiritual Practices

Men were integral to the Goddess culture, which was not solely centered around women, just as our patriarchal culture is not centered exclusively around men.

By acknowledging and revering the feminine divine, these societies created complex religious frameworks that fostered inclusivity, allowing for diverse expressions of gender and sexuality, including what we might interpret today as homosexual relationships or identities, under the protective umbrella of religious tradition.

Moreover, gender and sexuality were often linked with spiritual practices, with certain rituals allowing individuals to transcend typical gender binaries. Within such contexts, the connection between goddess worship and homosexuality can be seen as a part of the broader tapestry of gender and sexual fluidity that characterized ancient religious and cultural norms.

In Mesopotamia, the priesthood of the goddess Inanna included the gala, who were believed to embody a third gender and possibly had homosexual relations as part of their religious duties. The gala performed sacred rituals and lamentations integral to the worship of Inanna, blurring the boundaries of gender and sexuality in spiritual contexts.

Similarly, in ancient Greece, the galli — eunuch priests of the Phrygian goddess Cybele — participated in rituals that celebrated divine androgyny and fluidity.

Divine Goddess Worship Embraced Gay Men

These divine figures, embodying fertility, creativity, and protection, might have offered alternative visions of masculinity that resonated with homosexual men, creating a sacred connection beyond the growth of rigid patriarchal structures.

The blending of genders and sexual orientations in these ancient rituals suggests an acceptance and even reverence for diverse expressions of identity, highlighting the spiritual roles that homosexual men could inhabit within goddess-centric traditions.

These spiritual configurations came under assault with the rise of monotheism and patriarchy. Sadly, this destructive tension is operating loudly in today’s modern global culture.

This sacred confluence challenges contemporary perceptions of sexuality in the ancient world, revealing a tapestry of belief systems where divine worship transcended rigid societal norms. It’s very possible that goddess worship may have provided a space for homosexual men to find a degree of social acceptance within these specific religious contexts.

In modern times, the legacy of these ancient practices influences contemporary spiritual movements and the reclamation of historical identities. Many LGBTQ+ individuals find resonance in these traditions as empowering reflections of their own experiences, seeing parallels in the fluidity and diversity of the past.

Goddess Worship Appears Worldwide

This revival not only celebrates the historical connections but also asserts a modern narrative of inclusion and acceptance within spiritual practices.

Even America’s indigenous peoples embraced traditions of “third way” people, underscoring the reality that not only was Goddess worship a global practice in ancient societies. The awareness of gender-fluidity was a cornerstone of knowledge about human behavior around the world. Monotheism has dedicated itself to condemning and eradicating this probably innate human behavior in its many manifestations in societies young and old worldwide. ~ Anne