Queer Saints
A Radical Guide to Magic, Miracles, and Modern Intercession
Will be published approx. on 2. July 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
240 pages
978-1-57863-907-6 (ISBN)
Description
Boldly redefining and broadening the meaning of sainthood, magic, and miracles.
Everyone has patron saints, even the marginalized who may feel abandoned and removed from the tradition of saint veneration. Antonio Pagliarulo, author of The Evil Eye, grew up among Italian immigrants, practitioners of folk magic and saint veneration. A lifelong lover of saints, he seeks to bring their blessings to those who have long felt cut off from these traditions. Queer Saints is not only a compendium of queer people who have lived extraordinary lives, accomplished extraordinary feats, and who now dwell comfortably in the spirit realm; it is also a spiritual gateway that invites you to explore more deeply the power of folk magic and its practices, of co-creation, allyship, and mystical solidarity.
Saints derive from many spiritual and religious traditions, not just Roman Catholicism. No canonization process is required for folk saints, also known as unofficial saints. Pagliarulo offers readers a wide range of saints that includes the traditional, such as Mary Magdalene, Francis of Assisi, and Hildegard of Bingen, as well as re-envisioned saints specifically for a queer constituency. These include Saint David Bowie, Saint Freddie Mercury, Saint Alexander McQueen, Saint Moms Mabley, and Saint Andre Leon Talley. Pagliarulo offers practical information on how to venerate them-from building altars to making offerings. Whether queer themselves, or people whose allyship or achievements are embraced by the queer community, queer saints are a new and needed paradigm for those seeking new paths to meaning.
Both a primer on magical practice and a guide to radical transcendence and transformation, Queer Saints makes change and self-empowerment accessible to readers of all faiths and belief systems by spotlighting the transformative impact queer saints have had on our world and their burgeoning influence on our spiritual future.
Everyone has patron saints, even the marginalized who may feel abandoned and removed from the tradition of saint veneration. Antonio Pagliarulo, author of The Evil Eye, grew up among Italian immigrants, practitioners of folk magic and saint veneration. A lifelong lover of saints, he seeks to bring their blessings to those who have long felt cut off from these traditions. Queer Saints is not only a compendium of queer people who have lived extraordinary lives, accomplished extraordinary feats, and who now dwell comfortably in the spirit realm; it is also a spiritual gateway that invites you to explore more deeply the power of folk magic and its practices, of co-creation, allyship, and mystical solidarity.
Saints derive from many spiritual and religious traditions, not just Roman Catholicism. No canonization process is required for folk saints, also known as unofficial saints. Pagliarulo offers readers a wide range of saints that includes the traditional, such as Mary Magdalene, Francis of Assisi, and Hildegard of Bingen, as well as re-envisioned saints specifically for a queer constituency. These include Saint David Bowie, Saint Freddie Mercury, Saint Alexander McQueen, Saint Moms Mabley, and Saint Andre Leon Talley. Pagliarulo offers practical information on how to venerate them-from building altars to making offerings. Whether queer themselves, or people whose allyship or achievements are embraced by the queer community, queer saints are a new and needed paradigm for those seeking new paths to meaning.
Both a primer on magical practice and a guide to radical transcendence and transformation, Queer Saints makes change and self-empowerment accessible to readers of all faiths and belief systems by spotlighting the transformative impact queer saints have had on our world and their burgeoning influence on our spiritual future.
Reviews / Votes
"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
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
Red Wheel/Weiser
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
b&w illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-57863-907-6 (9781578639076)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
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.