*Thank you NetGalley for this ARC, in exchange for an honest review*

I picked this book up because I wanted to learn more about the concept of gender within spirituality with an emphasis on non-binary people. I will say that the book touches on that, but the spiritual pieces aren't in alignment with my own practice. I was able to get a little from the book, but the spirituality lens within this book didn't sit well with me. I would recommend this to others who may be more aligned spiritually.

Such a fantastic look at gender in the world and pagan/spiritual community. As a gender queer person, this book made me feel seen. I really appreciate the insight.

This should be mandatory reading for all pagans and witches, in my opinion. Serpentine writes with an elegance that goes straight to your heart and really makes you think. As a gender fluid nonbinary lesbian, pagan spaces can be…very binary, cissexist and gender essentialist. This is not inviting, and I end up feeling like I don’t fit in with my religion, same as I did when I grew up Catholic. This book has changed all that. The journaling prompts were fantastic as well! 5/5 stars.

This is the book I needed when I first was exploring paganism as a trans person. Often it feels like everything is broken up into the two camps of masculine and feminine in pagan traditions, so this book was a breath of fresh air. The author obviously knows what she is talking about and finds the space for trans people in pagan traditions that others have overlooked or ignored. If you are trans and want to learn more about paganism and where you could fit into it, definitely give this book a try.

This was a really great book, not just for transgender or nonbinary individuals, but I also saw how good it could be for cisgender individuals to explore just exactly what gender means to them in their practice. The reading came off to me like having a conversation with a good friend who just happens to have a lot of knowledge of the subject. It never felt like it was heavy-handed or talked down to the reader for not knowing things.

I do feel like this book goes well with coming in at some point into your spiritual journey. Perhaps not an out right beginner so more of a 102 book of witchcraft/spirituality. The author also writes from a very open perspective so that you can really integrate this into any practice that you might be following.

One small thing I did notice that may turn off a couple people, is while it does mention Norse and Celtic mythology. It leans very heavily into Greek, which is not surprising after learning that the author is connected to Dionisys. But it really wasn't hard to switch a few words around in the rituals written within to make it work for your own personal paradigm.

I can even begin to express how much of a blessing this book is. Getting an ARC for it and the opportunity to review it before it’s out has been an honor and a pleasure.

Ariana Serpentine is a gift both to the Pagan and to the trans community. This book is positive, reassuring, political in the best way possible, modern and empowering. Reading her words is like getting an hug from a wise mother, and I’m so grateful to exist in the same time as her. Hopefully I’ll get to read more and more books from her in the future.

As a non-binary Pagan practitioner living in a Christian household with some strongly transphobic relatives, of course, I’m not out of the closet or the broom-closet with many of them. This book felt like a long needed hug, it made me feel valid, strong, holy and powerful.

Sacred Gender is a beautiful tool and workbook for trans and non-binary Pagans, as well as cisgender allies seeking to make their trans peers feel included in their Pagan communities. The exercise in this book truly lead you towards a better understanding of yourself, which is essential both as a Pagan and a trans person.

Deeply in love with this book, again, it’s a real blessing.

Centering the experiences and perspectives of trans and nonbinary persons, Sacred Gender takes a spiritual approach to exploring gender and makes the case that no religious or spiritual path (or society) can be healthy or whole without the inclusion of all those whose gender identities cannot be wedged into a simplistic binary. Author Serpentine begins with a graceful overview of gender terminology and explains that gender is more than a physical or mental expression of identity: it is also spiritual in that it cannot be measured physically and yet makes a tremendous impact on the individual. Offering examples of gender variance throughout history and mythology, Serpentine gives the reader ways to deepen their understanding of gender and reintegrate trans and nonbinary perspectives into spiritual paths that too often rely on assumed male/female or masculine/feminine frameworks. Her particular strengths lie in examining the relationship of gender to ancestor work and deities as ways to find loving support within a polytheist or Pagan path.

The book includes exercises and journaling prompts to help the reader break down gender preconceptions and find personal spiritual truths. The appendix also provides thoughtfully crafted rituals for gender initiation to affirm one's identity in solitude or in community, a prayer for protection in a world that still threatens the safety of trans and nonbinary individuals, and other spells to incorporate gender into one's spiritual path in an uplifting way.

Overall, the book is an incredibly supportive guide for those who follow a polytheist path yet struggle to find space for their gender identity or even their gender questioning. It's also an excellent read for anyone seeking to understand, support, and be an ally for trans and nonbinary loved ones.

Thank you, Llewellyn Publications and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.

As somebody who has been questioning where they fit in both in terms of gender and religion, I was very excited when netgalley approved my request to read this book. I went in hoping I could learn something about myself by reading this, and I did.

This book discusses the connections between transgender and nonbinary people and spirituality. It includes various gods who are or represent trans and nonbinary people, such as Dionysus, Loki, Hermes, and more.

It also includes a variety of exercises to help the reader learn more about, and help, themselves, as well as the people around them. I plan to take what I learned from this book and use it to grow.

This was a very intriguing read, I would recommend it to anyone who feels like they could learn something from it.

Thanks to netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.