The Mirror Within: Abuse and Hope in Devotional Spirituality
- Izzy Swanson
- May 8, 2023
- 1 min read
Updated: Sep 11
Izzy Swanson presented the following paper at the recent Harvard Divinity School Conference “Uses and Abuses of Power in Alternative Spiritualities”. He kindly agreed to let ASI share it on our blog. Izzy is a devotee of the Morrigan. He is a founding member of the Order of the Crows Priesthood and a hearth member of the Coru Cathubodua Priesthood. In his day-to-day work, Izzy is an Energetic Safety and Trauma Specialist and the owner of Feileacan Ministry in Austin, Texas.
EXCERPT: It is an unfortunate truth that modern spiritual communities are perpetuating a culture of abuse. Disempowerment is happening in the form of shame, humiliation, manipulation, forced isolation, and retaliation. These experiences mimic the indoctrination and behavior patterns of dominant religious institutions, the very same institutions that many of us seek to break free from.
My name is Izzy Swanson. I am a devotional polytheist. I was raised in a Pentecostal Cult in a small town in Texas. I am here today to share a little bit of my story with you and tell you about how my experiences in paganism mirrored my experiences growing up in the Church....
