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P. Sufenas Virius Lupus

Columnist

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus is a metagender and a founding member of the Ekklesía Antínoou (a queer, Graeco-Roman-Egyptian syncretist reconstructionist polytheist religious group dedicated to Antinous, the deified lover of the Roman Emperor Hadrian and other related gods and divine figures). E is a contributing member of Neos Alexandria and a Celtic Reconstructionist pagan in the filidecht and gentlidecht traditions. You can find Lupus' work published in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina volumes dedicated to Hekate, Isis and Serapis, Artemis, Zeus, Hermes, Pan, the Near Eastern Deities, Thoth, the science fiction anthology, Hephaistos, and many more to come. E has published a book of poems, The Phillupic Hymns (2008), as well as the books The Syncretisms of Antinous (2010), Devotio Antinoo: The Doctor's Notes, Volume One (2011), All-Soul, All-Body, All-Love, All-Power: A TransMythology (2012), A Garland for Polydeukion (2012), and A Serpent Path Primer (2012); e also has poems printed in the Scarlet Imprint anthologies Datura:An Anthology of Esoteric Poesis (2010) and Mandragora: Further Explorations in Esoteric Poesis (2012). Follow Lupus' work on the Aedicula Antinoi blog!

Works by P. Sufenas Virius Lupus

Queer I Stood: An Exit Interview

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | May 28, 2014

I will end with an echo of how I began this column, as the shadow of where I stood here......

De Draconibus Dormientibus Nunquam Scribete: Reviewing...

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | April 27, 2014

Unfortunately, Don Cerow's "When the Dragon Wore the Crown: Putting Starlight Back Into......

The Ekklesia Antinoou in Fifty Years

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | March 14, 2014

Can I at least speak for the Ekklesia Antinoou, the group I founded? Truthfully, no;......

Mega-Patheos Pagan Breakfast and/or Beverages Time!

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | February 20, 2014

If I am to be colleagues with someone in my religious community, or they are within my......

The (Non-) Queer Polytheist Olympics

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | February 05, 2014

If it isn't queer and polytheistic, it hardly deserves the name of "Olympic Games."...

Unlikely Allies and the End of Homophobia

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | January 09, 2014

The old queer-activist maxim of "don't assume anything!" needs to be remembered and......

Eyes On the Stars: A Review of "Imhotep the African"

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | December 22, 2013

It reads much like a mystery novel, even as it attempts to present a unique......

Thank You for the Mystai

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | November 19, 2013

It isn't easy re-building a cultus to a late antique super-syncretistic deity who was a......

Polytheism Is Not Relativism

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | November 07, 2013

The difficulty in all of this, thus, comes with the notion that polytheism and its......

To Keep Silent

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | October 22, 2013

I suspect something quite unexpected and possibly even wonderful will emerge from the......

A Mature Approach to Sexuality, Theological and Otherwise

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | August 29, 2013

If more of the commenters on the VMA performances had Pagan and polytheist views, there......

It's Hard to "Think of the Children"

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | August 08, 2013

If a Pagan or polytheist religious tradition is good enough for ourselves, why do we......

What Queer Theology Isn't

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | July 25, 2013

Queer theology should offer options, not orthodoxies, and possible solutions, not......

Where Do We Go From Here?

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | July 04, 2013

The Supreme Court's recent decisions are not all worthy of celebration. The Pagan......

When Persecution Isn't, and What To Do About It

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | May 16, 2013

New scholarship suggests that the martyrdom of early Christians is much exaggerated. How......

One Defining Moment

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | May 02, 2013

Waking up in the hospital can radically change one's priorities. In my case, it set me......

One Angry Queer

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | April 18, 2013

Even as same-sex marriage moves toward legalization, many queer people and other sexual......

Why I Am An Antinoan Celtic Syncretistic Polytheistic...

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | April 04, 2013

PSVL tackles the Patheos challenge to explain "Why I Am a..." in 200 words....

Ferocious Beauty

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | March 21, 2013

There are places in polytheism for devotion to both the peaceful and wrathful sides of......

Sphinxes in the Library: A Review of T. Thorn Coyle's...

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | March 04, 2013

T. Thorn Coyle tackles discernment, privilege, and more through the structure of the......

Seeing the Forest for the . . . Ents?!?

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | February 08, 2013

Modern Paganism isn't "nature worship." There's a difference between worshipping nature......

Belief, Trust, and Faith without Creedalism for Modern...

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | January 24, 2013

There is no reason to "believe" in the gods outside of experiencing them. But are we......

Bringing Back the Gods

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | January 10, 2013

One of the "points" of modern Paganism is to bring back the gods. Why are so many Pagans......

Reincarnation: The Old Normal?

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | January 02, 2013

A few generations ago, past life stories used to carry some mystique. Do reincarnation......

The Elder in the Mirror

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | November 27, 2012

The teacher whose lessons I have trusted the least, whose authority I have feared the......

Reincarnation: "The New Normal"

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | November 20, 2012

Why do racist, homophobic television characters get laughs?...

The Indigeny Debate

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | September 06, 2012

When some modern Pagans and polytheists identify as "indigenous," I get uneasy and feel......

Late to the Feast

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | August 23, 2012

The Hunger Games is essentially a film about human sacrifice....

Finishing What One Starts

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | July 26, 2012

If I were to die tomorrow, my biggest regret would be what I didn't yet have the chance......

A Matter of Pride

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | June 28, 2012

How pride is becoming commercialized....

I'm Your Worst Nightmare...

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | June 14, 2012

By being exactly who and what I am, I qualify in the minds of at least some people as......

"I'll Wait For You": A Traveler's Tale

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | May 31, 2012

Being a good fellow traveler is a matter of virtue, not convenience....

Religion on the Road (Again)

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | May 17, 2012

Doing religion on the road involves more than simply taking a trip....

Fully Inhabiting a Role

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | April 26, 2012

What's your true identity, and what does your religious experience tell you to do about......

Passive Versus Active Reconstructionism

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | April 19, 2012

Reconstructionism involves a lot more than just re-building the temples; it includes......

Populating Polytheist Pantheons: What To Do With "New...

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | March 29, 2012

What about the reality of totally new deities?...

You Might Build It, But Will They Come?

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | March 15, 2012

If your religious practice can't be done without a temple, having a temple won't give......

Retreat and/or Advance

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | March 01, 2012

There's too much retreating in religion. How about some advancing instead?...

Meditation vs. Prayer: A Great Debate

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | February 10, 2012

If you meditate for three hours a day but never pray at all, the gods may not be getting......

Reproduction and Recruitment

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | January 27, 2012

The gods have not identified barriers between genders and sexual orientations; humans......

Cee Lo, Truth, and Consequences

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | January 13, 2012

Religions are equal not because they share truth, but because they all lack truth....

The Christian Persecution Complex

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | December 16, 2011

I'm sorry for what my spiritual ancestors did to you. But you can't claim to be a......

Occupy "The Holiday Season"!

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | November 25, 2011

The phrase "Holiday Season" dismisses the many, many holidays that take place year......

The Importance of Indexing

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | November 11, 2011

When a book is long and complex, creating the index can lead to bibliomancy....

High Holy Days Heck!

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | October 24, 2011

October's end heralds many sacred holidays in many Pagan traditions....

Meet the Gay Gods!

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | October 06, 2011

Is there such a thing as a "gay god"? What about a "queer god"?...

My Religion Is Reasonable; Yours Is Insane

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | September 22, 2011

Absolutism of one religious viewpoint over another is the real problem, not the......

Everyday Gods

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | September 11, 2011

It's not the size of the God, but what they can accomplish that counts....

The Religious Roots of Homophobia

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | August 25, 2011

To vote for anti-GLBT candidates because you agree with them on fiscal issues is to......

What Does Sexual Liberty Look Like?

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | August 11, 2011

When we talk about sexual rights and freedoms, we need to consider just how far we're......

The Dangers of the One-Stop Shopping Mentality

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | July 28, 2011

One never gets to kill two birds with one stone when it comes to daily activities and......

From "just sex" to "Just Sex"

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | July 10, 2011

We won't make progress in human understanding of sexuality until we become comfortable......

A Theological Choice

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | June 13, 2011

Saying "There ain't no other way, baby I was born this way" pretty much has the effect......

The Theological Implications of Being "Born This Way"

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | May 26, 2011

It is not the gods -- any of them -- who have a problem with homoeroticism, it is......

What Makes Queer Theology?

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | May 05, 2011

Within modern Pagan religions, there are also theologies of queerness, and some of these......

What Makes Theology Queer?

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | April 21, 2011

The very project of theology within modern Paganism is a queer thing, in the sense of......

"Coming Out Theology": Is It Necessary for Pagans?

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | April 07, 2011

Queer lives have a lot more in them than just coming out, and queer theologies in any......

Queer I Stand: An Introduction

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | March 22, 2011

The fact is, various questions of queerness are issues that have far wider implications......

Harry Potter and the Unexpected Gay Characters

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | November 19, 2010

I hope that many Pagan readers and fans of the Harry Potter series consider themselves......

Does God Really Talk to Us?

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | November 15, 2010

"Messages" from the Gods are in our own words and understanding, a metaphor for what......

Gender, Queer Spiritual Heritage

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus | September 10, 2010

There is no one "right" way to be gay any more than there is and one "right" way to be......

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