*This is a fluid document meant to change, grow, and evolve as new insight is acquired*
Angelic Musings y Virtudes is a temple created to Honor Itiba Cahubaba – Mother Earth – and all of the Life residing upon the planet. We are guided by the values of Peace, Love, and Freedom. In practice, Angelic Musings y Virtudes aims to be a [Spiritual] sanctuary for All who are typically outcast and excluded from [Spiritual] spaces for not fitting neatly into prescribed ideals and principles. Given the often restricting nature of traditional [religious] dogmas and practices, Angelic Musings y Virtudes will stand firm in ensuring personal and Spiritual sovereignty by not [en]forcing any set of beliefs or practices on its community. Thus, members should be united in their desire for Peace, unconditional Love, and Freedom of expression and can be of any religious, philosophical, economic, racial, ethnic, national, or educational background.
As a temple, Angelic Musings y Virtudes does not expect regular service attendance by its members. Instead, all offerings are made available so that members have access to them when they feel they have a genuine need for [Spiritual] healing, upliftment, inspiration, and/or guidance.
Though rooted in the Earth-conscious, Spiritual practices of Indigenous [Taino] culture and the mysticism of Ancient Egyptian civilization , Angelic Musings y Virtudes believes in the inherent truth, overlap, and [possibility for] cohesion between all faiths, [Spiritual] practices, and religions. It is for this reason that teachings and services will aim to be inclusive of ALL Spiritual backgrounds.
Angelic Musings y Virtudes believes in the inherent fluidity of gender and on the [Spiritually and psychologically] damaging effects of unnaturally restricting one’s [gender] expression to fit into rigid societal norms and expectations. It is for this reason that Angelic Musings y Virtudes recognizes the inherent Divinity in queer expressions of gender [and sexuality], while simultaneously recognizing the distinct truths and functions that the spectrum of feminine and masculine identities/energies hold in Life.
Angelic Musings y Virtudes recognizes the necessity and Divine beauty in diversity of thought, form, and Being. As such, we welcome and support all individuals, regardless of sex, gender, race, ability, creed, religion, affiliation, species, affluence, or background.
Angelic Musings y Virtudes believes in embodying and encouraging unconditional Love for ALL and for the Self in all [inter]actions. To this end, Angelic Musings y Virtudes works toward the elimination of shame associated with our natural, bare, Life-giving bodies by taking a [body-]positive stance on consensual nudity. The skin – as the body’s largest organ – provides a [large] interface through which to directly commune with our Inner and outer Universe, including: ourSelf, the Spirits, Mother Earth, Padre Sol, and the rest of the world around us. For this reason, we believe that the more skin that is exposed, the deeper/closer the [potential] communion one can have with ALL1. This also means that bigger bodies have much more [potential] space for Divine communion with the ALL through bare expositions of skin.
Angelic Musings y Virtudes believes in the synchronicity between Spirituality and Science, and that there is no need to keep the realms of Logic (physical) and Spirit (meta-physical) separate when each can be used to inform the other.
Angelic Musings y Virtudes believes that ALL come from the same Divine Source/God/Universe/Spirit and in the existence of other Divine Deities and Spirits (including ourSelves, our Ancestors, Mother Earth, Sol, Luna, etc.) – ALL of which work in tandem to [co-]create reality as we know it. However, we also believe that there is no definite right or wrong way to conceive of or relate to the Divine, so long as Love2 is at the core of one’s belief. Similarly, Angelic Musings y Virtudes believes that each form of religion holds an element, or a key, of truth.
Angelic Musings y Virtudes affirms the sacredness of Life and Death in all their forms. Just as Life serves a Divine purpose, so too does Death. In this way, Angelic Musings y Virtudes believes that both Life and Death are momentous occasions to be honored and celebrated – as Death creates space for more to be born into Life. Angelic Musings y Virtudes hopes to help replace the fear and villainization of Death with acceptance and reverence for It, while offering support for the grieving that is inherent in the process. Death, after all, is but an invitation for us to forge new [or adjusted] paths forward in Life.
Though Death is a necessary part of Life, Angelic Musings y Virtudes believes that there is rarely (i.e. only under special circumstances), if ever, a need for the [unethical] sacrifice of any Life in exchange for another, and that doing so may negatively affect one’s Spiritual progression.
Angelic Musings y Virtudes believes in the sanctity and necessity3 of ALL medicines and nourishment naturally [and ethically] provided by Mother Earth. This includes [but is not limited to] nourishing, healing, elevating, poisonous4, and/or consciousness-expanding plants and fungi. Angelic Musings y Virtudes believes in the [ethical and conscious] consumption and ceremonial use of consciousness-expanding plants and fungi as a means for healing and communing with the Divine (including Madre Gaia, ourSelves, and the Ancestors), as this has been (and still is) a common practice for [Nature-based] Spiritual5 practitioners. However, Angelic Musings y Virtudes acknowledges that the abuse or misuse of any sacred medicines diminishes, if not completely cancels out, the medicinal capacities of them.64
Angelic Musings y Virtudes believes that for Love to be truly unconditional and Divine, it must also be Free. This means that there should be no limit to the amount of Love one can give nor any set of conditions/rules that can define the terms of ones Love for another. This also means that it is possible to Love a person of the same or different sex/gender-identity or more than just one individual at once. As such, Angelic Musings y Virtudes believes in the right of an individual to enter into a sacred [Spiritual] Union of Love with someone of the same sex/gender-identity or with more than one individual at the same time – so long as all parties involved consent to such a Union.
As a [Spiritual] sanctuary, Angelic Musings y Virtudes believes in serving as a refuge for any and ALL who have genuine need of one (regardless of background, identity, or species) – so long as their presence does not cause harm to others in the community. This means we will take it upon ourselves to provide sustenance, shelter, and/or livelihood to those in need to the extent that is reasonable and feasible.
1 This does not, however, condone the harmful, insidious, or unconscious thoughts and intentions behind lustful Spirits that shallowly sexualize one’s Natural form for the sake of base pleasures.
2 And NOT fear.
3 For each individual and unique circumstance.
4 As some poisons dosed at just the right amounts can have [extraordinary] healing properties.
5 Also known as bohiti, shamans, curanderos, or witch doctors.