Queer Ancestor Spotlight: Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz

Queer Ancestor Spotlight
Written By White Rose Witching

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, also known as Doña Inés de Asbaje y Ramirez de Santillana, a Hieronymite nun who lived in colonial Mexico in the 17th century. She was a writer, philosopher, composer, and poet. She predominantly self-educated and would become on the acclaimed masters of the Spanish Golden Age, gaining the nicknames “The Tenth Muse” and “The Phoenix of America.” As a nun she focused on issues of love and feminism, which would lead to her condemnation by the Bishop of Puebla.

Portrait of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz by Miguel Cabrera, circa 1750

Doña Inés de Asbaje y Ramirez de Santillana was born near Mexico City in November 1648. She was born out of wedlock and most accounts state her biological father was not present in her life. Her mother, however, was part of a family that owned a very productive hacienda which allowed Inés to live a comfortable life. As a child she spent much of her time reading her grandfathers books teaching herself how to read and write Latin, do accounts, learn to compose poetry, master Greek and logic, and learn the Aztec language of Nahuatl - all by the age of thirteen. In 1664 she was sent to live in Mexico City. She asked permission to disguise herself as a boy so she could attend university but this request was denied, as women were not permitted to attend educational institutions.

In 1667 she entered the Monastery of St. Joseph, but by 1669 she entered the Convent of Santa Paula run by Hieronymite nuns which had more relaxed rules. During this time she changed her name to Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. Her choice to become a nun allowed her one of the few pathways for women to devote themselves to education and intellectual pursuits. In fact, she converted her cell from an ascetic place of religious reflection into an intellectual salon and library. It’s estimated her personal library contained over 4000 books, making it the largest collection in Mexico at that time.

She gathered wealthy and influential patrons who supported her and had her works published in Spain. She wrote poetry about love and feminism, penned essays critiquing the hierarchical and misogynistic structure of religious authority, and advocated for a woman’s right to a formal education. She positioned herself as an intellectual authority as she advocated for putting women in positions of authority. These stances earned increase criticism from the Catholic Church who believed So Juana, as a nun, should give up writing and philosophy and commit herself to prayer and community work.

Her quarters became an intellectual hub and she entertained many of Mexico City’s intellectual elite. One of them was Countess Maria Luisa de Paredes, vicereine of Mexico City. Sor Juana and Countess Maria would become passionate friends. It is unclear how the two women would have defined their relationship but it undoubtedly had an impact on Sor Juana’s works. The Countess would inspire love poems such as:

That you’re a woman

is no hindrance to my love:

for the soul, as you well know,

distance and sex don’t count

By 1693 she stopped writing and relinquished her vast library. It is unclear if she was formally censured by the Church. It is also unclear if she sold her library or if the Church confiscated her books. She died in April 1695 while ministering to nuns stricken during a plague. While she is not considered a formal saint by the Catholic Church she is informally honored by many LGBTQ+ people of faith, especially in queer Latin communities. The convent where Sor Juana spent her life as a nun is now a private university called the Universidad del Claustro de Sor Juana.

White Rose Witching
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