Description: Saints are the powerful, benevolent dead. They remain connected to the living to provide assistance, especially in times of need. Everyone has patron saints, even the marginalized who may feel abandoned and removed from these spiritual traditions.
Brief description: Antonio Pagliarulo's work has been published by The Washington Post, NBC News, New York Daily News, The Wild Hunt, and Religion News Service. He is the author of Out Magazine's article "The Catholic church named a millennial saint--when is it going to name a queer one?" He is the son of southern Italian immigrants and was raised in a home where the magical arts were commonplace. He lives in New York City.
Review Quotes:
"In Queer Saints, Antonio Pagliarulo celebrates the miracle workers, visionaries, and radiant souls, whether they come from monasteries, abbeys, and convents or from concert stages, ballrooms, runways, the pages of activist history, or the bright corners of culture. These are the people who changed the world simply by refusing to be anything other than themselves. A daring, joyful, and deeply magickal guide to devotion, transformation, and the power of the blessed dead, this book reminds us that while some saints wear halos, others wear leather jackets, sequins, impossible hair, or the courage to live exactly as they were meant to. Pagliarulo provides a wonderful guide to connecting with and honoring the queer saints in one's spiritual or magickal practice, from Saint Sebastian to Saint David Bowie."
--Mat Auryn, author of Psychic Witch
"Antonio Pagliarulo has crafted a vibrant, multifaceted guide that honors the courage of the queer spirit. In Queer Saints, the redefinition of holiness becomes a true transformation through the power of modern intercession. Approachable, well-researched, and profoundly fresh, Pagliarulo's work moves beyond recovery of a heritage that invites us to find the divine in the human struggle for authenticity."
--Amber Highland, publisher of The Cartomancer magazine and author of The Oracle of Knotty Weave
"Saints have always belonged to the masses; they are our heroes and healers, intermediaries to help us deepen our relationship to the divine. In Queer Saints, Antonio Pagliorulo redraws the parameters of sainthood in a way that honors queer elders, ancestors, and icons while empowering and uplifting people of all walks of life. This book won't merely inspire your magical practice--it's an invitation to breathe new life into forgotten history and celebrate the beauty and resilience of the LGBTQ+ community."
--Nicholas Pearson, author of The Witching Stones and Stones of the Goddess
"In magic, the broom is the line between the living and the dead. In religion, saints are the intercessors between the living and the dead. As a queer witch, it can be difficult to find representation in your magic because of the focus on the binary: male/female, god/goddess, living/dead, or queer/straight. In Queer Saints, Antonio Pagliarulo brings to life the saints of days past in a way that is bright, life-affirming, and shows the humanity in the divine and the divine in humanity. It contains rites and rituals designed to bring you the magic you have been searching for, even if you didn't know that's what you needed. This book is a coming home for queer witches the world over."
--Amy Blackthorn, queer witch, high priestess, and author of Blackthorn's Botanical Shadow Work
"A delightful collection of stories about queer saints and ancestors and ways to recognize them in our daily lives that will delight anyone interested in vernacular Catholicism, queer spirituality, and LGBTQ+ history."
--Sabina Magliocco, professor emeritus, University of British Columbia
"This book is not merely about saints but a whole practice that can be incorporated into any system. . . . I love [Antonio Pagliarulo's] approach, his take on the craft, and his saints. Anyone can practice these techniques almost anywhere, especially the illuminated inner altar, with minimal supplies that you most likely already have in your cabinets. I'll be returning to this book often for reference and inspiration and incorporating Antonio's advice and examples into my daily practice. I also already have at least one name I'd like to add to the list of Queer Saints!"
--Melissa St. Hilaire, award-winning author of 30 Real Signs from the Afterlife
"In Queer Saints, Antonio Pagliarulo unsettles long-standing expectations about holiness--and reminds us that it's for all of us."
--U.S. Catholic