A succinct visual description of my religious practice.

My practice is a Mystery. Like most Mysteries, it comes from the gods.

This past March I started reaching out spiritually to Powers I felt suited me. I was raised Jewish and I value highly what that gave me, so I began by courting Lilith--a peculiar combination of goddess and demon--as an aspect or other side of the Shekhina, the Presence of God, She who bears the souls of the righteous dead on her wings, the Sabbath Bride, the Mother of all good and pure souls. It seemed right. I'd been reading Raphael Patai's The Hebrew Goddess, which discussed both the Shekhina and Lilith and mused upon their connection.

I wrote about my spiritual response to this book; I mused upon the connection myself. Then, anxious but inspired, I undertook a small but intensely personal photography project dedicated to Lilith. It involved nudity--potentially a daunting prospect for anybody, but especially demanding of a transgender person like myself.

Not long after that devotional project was done, I was preparing to take a shower--I stepped into the tub, and I got a firm nudge. Turn off the lights.

I turned off the lights.