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- Newsgroups: alt.magick.tantra,alt.fan.kali.astarte.inanna,alt.magick.tyagi,alt.religion.sexuality,alt.answers,news.answers
- Subject: alt.magick.tantra FAQ
- Followup-To: alt.magick.tantra,alt.magick.tyagi
- Approved: news-answers-request@mit.edu
- Summary: A FAQ for alt.magick.tantra that answers the common
- questions that arise in the newsgroup and which we've
- received daily in e-mail.
- Keywords: tantra, karezza, sexuality, mysticism, magic, magick,
- sex, faq
- Replaces: 1999/10/04
- URL: http://www.luckymojo.com/altmagicktantrafaq.html
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-
- Archive-name: magick/tantra/faq
- Updated: 1999/11/04
- Posting-frequency: monthly or by inquiry
-
- ---------------------- The alt.magick.tantra FAQ ---------------------
-
- CONTENTS
-
- 1.0 TANTRA, KAREZZA, SEX MAGIC, AND USENET
- 1.1 What topics are fit for discussion in alt.magick.tantra?
- 1.2 What topics should not be discussed in alt.magick.tantra?
- 1.3 What distinguishes the newsgroup alt.magick.tantra from
- the newsgroup alt.religion.tantra?
-
- 2.0 PHILOSOPHY AND HISTORY
- 2.1 What is Tantra Yoga?
- 2.2 Do you have to be a Hindu or a Buddhist to
- practice tantra yoga?
- 2.3 Can a person with no religious affiliation practice
- tantra yoga?
- 2.4 What is karezza?
- 2.5 What is Taoist sex-alchemy?
- 2.6 What is meant by "neo-tantra"?
- 2.7 What is meant by references to "Western, non-religious
- tantra yoga"?
- 2.8 What is sex magic / sex magick?
- 2.9 Is a sex religion like tantra yoga the same as ceremonial
- or folkloric sex magic/k?
-
- 3.0 TECHNIQUES
- 3.1 What are the tantra yoga techniques that prolong
- intercourse?
- 3.2 How do tantra techniques differ physically from karezza
- techniques?
- 3.3 Are tantra yoga and karezza techniques the same as extended
- sexual orgasm (ESO)?
- 3.4 Will refraining from orgasm harm one physically in any way?
- 3.5 How can one interest one's partner in tantra or karezza?
- 3.6 Can a solitary person practice tantra or karezza through
- masturbation? Can sex magicians work with masturbation?
- 3.7 Do tantra teachers or sex magicians advocate any sort of
- "standard practice" religious ritual or physical
- techniques? If so, could you outline them?
- 3.7.1 Yoni puja and linga puja
- 3.7.2 Control of orgasm
- 3.7.3 Avoidance of orgasm
- 3.7.4 Passive copulation
- 3.7.5 Eye-gazing
- 3.7.6 Breath-control
- 3.7.7 Circulation of subtle or aetheric energies
- 3.7.8 Antinomianism
- 3.7.9 Lifestyle
- 3.7.10 Deity worship
- 3.7.11 Meditation
- 3.7.12 Use of asanas (postures) and mudras (hand gestures)
- 3.7.13 Use of mantras (chants) and yantras (symbolic images)
- 3.8 What are the goals (stated) and effects (stated and not)
- of tantra and karezza?
- 3.9 Is it possible to learn tantra yoga or karezza without
- a guru or teacher?
- 3.10 How can a gay practice tantra? Where is their kundalini?
- Isn't it the case that for tantric experiences and sex
- magic a male and a female are required?
-
- 4.0 REFERENCE MATERIALS
- 4.1 I would like to learn more about these subjects, but am
- extremely wary of "teachers" and especially so in this
- context. There are a lot of fakes out there. Can you
- provide references that I can read to learn more?
- 4.2 Is the Kama Sutra of any real significance to tantra
- yoga? It seems like an ancient marriage manual more
- than anything else.
- 4.3 Are there tantra videos, courses, or seminars?
-
- ============================================================
-
- 1.0 TANTRA, KAREZZA, SEX MAGIC, AND USENET
-
- 1.1 What topics are fit for discussion in alt.magick.tantra?
-
- This newsgroup is for the discussion of tantra yoga,
- Taoist sexual alchemy, karezza, ceremonial sex-magick,
- sexual folk-magic, neo-tantra, the archaeology of
- neolithic and pagan sex-worship, the biological basis of
- sex-mysticism, Austin Osman Spare, T.O.P.Y., Paschal
- Beverly Randolph, Alice Bunker Stockham, human sexual
- anatomy as it relates to cosmological schemas and
- religious practices, Hermetic sex-magick, and related
- topics bound together by their common emphasis on
- sexuality, spirituality, religion, and magical practices.
-
- Remember when you post and read the newsgroup that while
- the specifics of Indian tantrism are of great interest to
- many of the people who post to alt.magick.tantra, they are
- of lesser or only general interest to others. Likewise, sex
- magic, sex-mysticism, and magical rituals including sex
- acts in the Asatru, Christian, Jewish, Gnostic, ceremonial
- magick, Thelemic, Hermetic, hoodoo, or neo-pagan traditions
- are of great interest to some readers in alt.magick.tantra,
- but of lesser or only general interest to others.
-
- 1.2 What topics should not be discussed in alt.magick.tantra?
-
- Flaming or disparaging others is never appropriate. In
- particular, the assumption that one's own path is the only
- "correct" way is offensive in a group as diverse as this.
-
- The fact is that people post here in search of some very
- non-tantric things, including bisexual tantric concubines
- (presumably. paid sex workers willing to supply a lesbian
- two-gal act in Hindu drag). Such antics are bound to upset
- or anger sincere religious tantrics in alt.magick.tantra,
- and may even tick off some of the non-tantric newsgroup
- participants who identify as sex magicians, karezzans, and
- students of sex-based folk magic.
-
- Advertisements for personal sexual services (e.g. massage
- or sexual surrogacy) are unwanted, although announcements
- of classes, courses, and new publications are acceptable.
- Sexual (im)personals are harshly frowned upon, although
- requests to meet other practitioners of in a given geographic
- region are fine. The line of demarcation between the former
- and the latter can be extrapolated from these fictional
- examples:
-
- :) OK:
- 35 year old man, new to Boston, hoping to meet members
- of the local tantra yoga community. Please e-mail me
- if you are out there.
-
- :( NOT OK:
- 35 year old single white male, good looking and
- well-endowed, in search of 25-30 year old blonde
- tantra goddess in the Boston area. E-mail replies
- only as I don't read the newsgroups. Send a picture
- with your reply.
-
- ;-( REALLY, *REALLY* NOT OK:
- Tantra - Yoga of Sex. Join our Tantric Club -
- a place for hot people who value and enjoy sex
- naturally. You will have an access to the best
- porno sight you have seen - with real couples! -
- and will have a great discounts on all our products.
- FREE to join and be a member. [URL deleted]
-
- 1.3 What distinguishes the newsgroup alt.magick.tantra from
- the newsgroup alt.religion.tantra?
-
- The creation of this newsgroup was a natural development to
- avoid the spamming of all usenet newsgroups with the keyword
- "sex" in their names that hit the net in 1996. Traditional
- tantrism, karezza, and various forms of sex magic(k) were
- being actively discussed in alt.magick.sex at the time; the
- name alt.magick.tantra was decided upon by a consensus of
- the members then posting to and reading alt.magick.sex.
-
- When alt.magick.tantra was created there was no usenet
- newsgroup extant for the study of tantrism as a religion and
- the creator of alt.magick.tantra (Josh Geller) did not seem
- to see a need to create such a group. When alt.religion.tantra
- finally was created -- in 1999 -- it filled a need for a more
- specialized venue where the specifically religious aspects of
- Indian tantrism could be discussed without reference to other
- forms of sex worship and sex magic throughout the world.
-
- The difference between alt.magick.tantra and alt.religion.tantra
- is one of content and approach:
-
- Alt.religion.tantra has as its sole objective the discussion of
- specifically Indian tantric religious practices.
-
- Alt.magick.tantra includes discussion of traditional tantra, as
- well as many other forms of direct sex-worship (e.g. veneration
- of the sexual organs or metaphorical constructions seen in their
- place) and other religious, mystical, and magical practices
- (e.g. contemplation of the absolute; homage, prayer, or service
- to a deity; invocation of powers, principalities, or spirits;
- etc.) in which sexuality or the sex act may form a part of a
- worship-service. In some cases posts deal with tantrism from
- the standpoint of comparative religion, treating it as one of
- many historical and pre-historic religious, mystical, magical,
- and/or philosophical systems in which sexuality is recognized
- as a prime factor.
-
- ____________________________________________________________
-
- 2.0 PHILOSOPHY AND HISTORY
-
- 2.1 What is tantra yoga?
-
- Tantra yoga is a general name for a confluence of mystical
- and religious systems developed in India over the past
- several centuries in reflection of certain traditional
- texts, called 'Tantras,' often attributed to divinities
- or mythological beings.
-
- Tantric systems maintain a variety of cosmological
- presuppositions, sometimes biological in metaphor (e.g.
- disks or wheels -- chakras -- of energy or 'prana' that may
- be found throughout the body and in particular along the
- spine), sometimes religious in character (e.g. the
- disciplines which attempt to influence the deities Siva
- and/or Sakti, thought to be resident to the human body).
-
- Typically yoga is an ascetic set of disciplines recommended
- by a historical or tutelary guru or instructor and is
- presumed to aid the practitioner in purificatory, conscious,
- or moral development.
-
- Tantra (sometimes "tantric") yoga in particular often
- includes a context of sexual symbolism, if not actual sexual
- activities, which are described as constituting this aid.
- Often there will also be an ultimate aim supposed (e.g.
- "moksha" or "liberation") which serves to bolster the
- practices based on a presumed cosmology (e.g. better
- rebirths or an escape from rebirth into the world).
-
- For a further historical description of some the varied
- traditions of Indian tantra yoga, see also
-
- http://www.hubcom.com/magee/tantra
-
- This site provides an overview of a variety of Tantras
- [texts], including many techniques and basic ideas. It
- also includes a bibliography that will point you toward
- more sources.
-
- Buddhist tantra yoga developed as an offshoot from Hindu
- tantra centuries ago. Some lineages of Chinese Buddhist tantra
- also incorporate concepts and practices from Taoist sexual
- alchemy. One contemporary teacher of Buddhist tantra yoga
- is Grand Master Lu, a Taiwanese-born monk working in the
- Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Some of his articles on
- contemporary tantric Buddhism are archived at these URLs
-
- Three Basic Homework Assignments for Tantric Practitioners:
-
- http://www.luckymojo.com/esoteric/religion/buddhism/tibetan/thre
- ehomeworks.txt
-
- Consort Practice:
-
- http://www.luckymojo.com/esoteric/religion/buddhism/tibetan/cons
- ortpractice.txt
-
- 2.2 Do you have to be Hindu or Buddhist to practice tantra yoga?
-
- Generally tantric yogis or yoginis are Hindu, and by this
- generalization we may presume that they accept a cosmology
- or have been assimilated by a culture which is Saivite,
- Saktiite, or, in some unusual cases, Vaisnavite. Some
- schools of Buddhism (but by no means all) endorse tantra
- yoga or tantric practices; this is especially true in
- Tibetan Buddhism. In addition, there are Taoists who
- incorporate tantra-like disciplines into their teachings,
- although they are not likely to use the term "tantra."
- It is assumed by most scholars that both the Buddhist
- and Taoist forms of tantra derived from Hindu sources
- centuries ago. However, with the popularization of books
- as sources of mystical disciplines, it is possible that
- some of the instructions provided by these cultures may be
- followed by interested people quite outside Hindu, Buddhist,
- or Taoist traditions.
-
- For a comparison between Hindu and Buddhist tantra yoga and
- the sexual mysticism of other cultures, see also
-
- http://www.luckymojo.com/tktantradefinition.html
-
- 2.3 Can a person with no religious affiliation practice tantra yoga?
-
- Tantra yoga is a Hindu and Buddhist religious practice. Even
- stripping away the Asian parts of it will not remove its
- essential religious nature. The loose use of the term tantra
- these days to signify any sex-positive, sex-mystical, sex-
- magical, or sex-religious discipline is deplorable. Tantra
- includes and often transcends sexuality; preparation for
- sexual tantra includes serious work that is not sexual in
- nature, and tantra practices are diverse and conflicting
- on this topic even in their native cultures.
-
- For further study of classical tantra yoga, see the newsgroup
-
- news:alt.religion.tantra
-
- 2.4 What is karezza?
-
- Karezza is a term derived from the Italian (meaning "caress")
- which is applied to Western religious or spiritual practices
- in which slow, mindful sexual union (or masturbation) creates
- a path to the experience of spiritual ecstasy. Some of these
- Western practices arose during the 19th century, apparently
- by spontaneous discovery -- although one American
- popularizer of Western sacred sex, Alice Bunker Stockham, is
- known to have travelled to India to study Hindu tantra yoga.
- While karezza shares certain common sexual techniques with
- traditional Hindu tantra yoga, it fits conveniently into
- Christian, Jewish, or Transcendentalist conceptual
- frameworks, obviating the need for the practitioner to adopt
- a culturally "foreign" religion.
-
- George Washington Savory is the most outstanding example of a
- writer working in the Christian religion with essentially
- tantric ideas. His book "Hell on Earth Made Heaven, the
- Marriage Secrets of a Chicago Contractor" (1905) is a
- straightforward application of tantric techniques stripped
- of any relation to Hindu or Buddhist cosmology and applied
- instead to Christian cosmology. He did not refer to karezza
- by name in his writings, but his location in Chicago and the
- time period in which he wrote indicate that he was familiar
- with Alice Bunker Stockham, the Chicago doctor who coined
- the term "karezza" in the late 19th century.
-
- For a further historical description of karezza, see also
-
- http://www.luckymojo.com/tktantradefinition.html
-
- 2.5 What is Taoist sexual alchemy?
-
- Taoism is a Chinese philosophy and religion which
- has been influenced by Chinese animism and Buddhism.
- It integrates a polar and complementary symbolism and
- ambiguous scripture to mystical and semi-scientific
- ends (life-extension, enhancement of consciousness,
- the transmutation of matter). Its anarchistic and
- revolutionary elements are balanced by an arguably
- quietist approach to nature-worship.
-
- The alchemy of Taoism focusses largely upon extension
- of human life (especially in concocting the Pill of
- Immortality), and the methods which are used to create
- it sometimes include specifically sexual activities in
- order to prepare the one who will be ingesting the Pill
- or to inspire the creation of some internal condition for
- which the Pill is merely a metaphor.
-
- There are complex systems of physical and/or psychic
- developments described within Taoist alchemical texts,
- often purely through implication (called "shadow
- language"), but sometimes in terms that are unequivocally
- sexual. Such texts at times seem to make explicit references
- to copulation, though interpreters differ in their instruction
- as to how much the reader ought take literally and how
- much to understand as solely symbolical. Features such as
- inner furnaces and crucibles, mythical animals such as
- dragons and phoenixes, and living species like tigers and
- tortoises become references to internal and external mystical
- and sexual elements only decoded by those who have the proper
- keys.
-
- 2.6 What is meant by "neo-tantra"?
-
- "Neo-tantra" is a term coined recently to distinguish
- between traditional Asian tantra yoga and modern syncretic
- techniques for spiritual sexuality being taught in "workshops"
- and through periodicals and books in Europe and the
- Americas. Neo-tantra typically makes use of the
- traditional tantra yoga asanas (positions), breath
- control, and meditation, but it is taught outside the
- framework of Hindu culture and religion. It differs from
- karezza in that its emphasis is not so openly eclectic and
- mystical. Unique to neo-tantra is a modern or New Age
- tendency to include massage (so-called "tantric massage"),
- Reichian body-work (e.g. "bio-energetics"), and even
- counselling (e.g. "sexual healing") to the course of study.
-
- Some prominent neo-tantra teachers (all of whom,
- regrettably, claim they are teaching tantra yoga) are
- Lori Grace, Margo Anand, and the Muirs.
-
- 2.7 What is meant by references to "Western, non-religious tantra yoga"?
-
- "Western, non-religious tantra yoga" is an oxymoron. Tantra
- yoga is always Asian in origin and always religious in nature.
-
- The term "Western, non-religious tantra yoga" may be naively
- applied to the syncretic Western form of sex-mysticism that
- is more properly called neo-tantra (see above), but since
- even the most heterodox of neo-tantra teachers strive to
- preserve and transmit truly mystical and spiritual insights,
- clothed though they might be in New Age self-help paradigms,
- they cannot really be said to be "non-religious."
-
- Very often the label "Western, non-religious tantra yoga"
- is just a cover for what were previously called "swingers'
- parties" or "promiscuity." As such, this term capitalizes on
- the paltry education provided to modern adults regarding
- sexuality in order to sell itself as a mystical tradition.
- These posers call what they are doing "tantra" merely because
- it involves sexuality. Spiritual and religious elements are
- removed in favour of mostly sexual instruction. While there
- is nothing wrong with instruction on the techniques of
- sexuality, categorizing this as "tantra," "sex mysticism,"
- or "karezza" robs these important references of their deeper
- meanings.
-
- 2.8 What is sex magick / sex magic?
-
- Ceremonial sex magick (often spelled with a k) is the ritual
- utilization of sex -- or a context in which sexual energy is
- used -- to produce magical effects. It is often considered
- in a two-fold evaluative system divided into low magick (i.e.
- materialistic, sometimes selfish) and high magick (i.e.
- .mystical, spiritual, or religious) The energy from the sexual
- activity, which is sometimes supplemented with ritual
- incantation or imagery, either facilitates or is applied to
- the change desired, and often sexual effluvia are used within
- sigils, consecrations, or spells so constructed.
-
- Some prominent sex magicians of the 19th and 20th century were
- Paschal Beverly Randolph, Theodor Reuss, R. Swinburne Clymer,
- Austin Osman Spare, Aleister Crowley, and Kenneth Grant.
-
- For more information on the sex-magical theories taught by
- Paschal Beverly Randolph, see
-
- http://www.luckymojo.com/tkpbrandolph.html
-
- For those interested in the sex-magick of Austin Osman
- Spare, a web page of introductory material is at
-
- http://www.luckymojo.com/austinosmanspare.html
-
- In folkloric terms, sex magic (never spelled with a k) is any
- use of a charm, incantation, amulet, talisman, ritual, herb,
- sexual effluvia, oil, potion, sigil, sachet powder, incense,
- candle, and/or bath to obtain magical results in the sexual
- sphere. Typical results might be to obtain sexual desires
- (e.g. "love-drawing"), to stop another from enjoying
- complete sexual freedom (e.g. "hoodooing a man's nature"),
- or to control and dominate another through sexuality
- (e.g. by constructing a nation sack), increasing sexual
- vigour, attracting a new lover, aiding fertility and
- conception, or gaining a proposal of marriage
-
- Generally, practitioners of sexual folk magic seek to obtain
- results in the realms of sexuality and relationships, while
- those involved in ceremonial sex magick may have similar goals
- or may wish to use the energy of sex or its physical adjuncts
- (such as semen, menstrual fluid, or vaginal fluid) to achieve
- other goals, including money-drawing, improved health,
- casting curses, contact with discarnate entities or spirits
- (e.g. the dead, angels, demons, and deities), mental telepathy,
- psychic visions, and so forth.
-
- For practical lessons in folkloric sex magic, see
-
- Introduction to African-American folk magic (hoodoo) at
-
- http://www.luckymojo.com/hoodoo.html
-
- Folkloric love spells and love-charms at
-
- http://www.luckymojo.com/lovespells.html
-
- Assorted folkloric and ceremonial magick love spells at
-
- http://www.luckymojo.com/altmagickfaq/fukspls.html
-
- How to make and use a nation sack at
-
- http://www.luckymojo.com/mojo.html
-
- Hoodoo spells of female domination at
-
- http://www.luckymojo.com/femaledomination.html
-
- 2.9 Is a sex religion like tantra yoga the same as ceremonial sex
- magick or folkloric sex magic?
-
- Ceremonial magick is a Hermetic enterprise which assimilates
- what it can from a number of global mystical disciplines as
- it is able to apprehend them. Tantra yoga has preceded
- ceremonial sex magick (of various types) by centuries, but it
- is often re-interpreted within the Hermetic framework to add
- mystery and draw membership. It is often engaged by individuals
- who are members of an occult group and often presumes the
- "expertise" or "power" of physical (rather than merely symbolic)
- sexuality as a part of the ritual.
-
- Folkloric sex magic has roots that go back to the neolithic
- period. Insofar as tantra yoga is thought to derive from a
- prehistoric form of goddess-worship, it shares some imagery
- and beliefs with folk magic, such as the notion that there
- are special magical consequences attendant upon contact
- with menstrual blood or other sexual effluvia. However, the
- distinguishing characteristics of yoga -- body postures,
- breath control, and meditation -- are generally absent in
- folk-magic. Folkloric sex magic is most often embarked upon by
- solitary practitioners or by professionals (e.g. a root worker)
- on behalf of a client. It often presumes the efficacy of an
- object (herb, mineral, charm) or an incantation (spell or
- prayer) in the manipulation of sexuality.
-
- Tantra yoga is usually undertaken with the guidance of a guru
- in a religious group and often presumes the "inferiority" of
- practice which includes mere sexuality. It generally involves
- a great many supplementary beliefs about cosmology and the
- nature of divinity that go far beyond magical workings.
-
- Hindu tantrics seem to regard magic per se as a byproduct
- of mystical endeavour, rather than something which infuses
- the accomplishment of mystical disciplines. This premise
- is at odds with how a variety of Western occultists (e.g.
- Aleister Crowley) have portrayed their mystical systems --
- Crowley, for instance, placed yoga as a *precursor* to
- his sex-magical practice.
-
- For further comparison between sex magic and spiritual sexual
- practices see also
-
- http://www.luckymojo.com/tksexmagic.html
-
- ____________________________________________________________
-
- 3.0 TECHNIQUES
-
- 3.1 What are the tantra yoga techniques that prolong intercourse?
-
- Traditional tantra yoga techniques include visualization,
- selection of certain positions, breath control, various forms
- of manual pressure on the genitals, and muscle relaxation.
-
- More remains to be written, but for now, see
-
- http://www.luckymojo.com/tknorthaustin.html
-
- 3.2 How do tantra techniques differ physically from karezza techniques?
-
- Tantra yoga places more emphasis on visualization, asanas
- (body positions), and breath control than karezza does. In
- addition, each tantric school's style is relatively fixed
- and even dogmatic, whereas karezza is eclectic.
-
- More remains to be written, but for now, see
-
- http://www.luckymojo.com/tktantradefinition.html
- and
- http://www.luckymojo.com/tktechniques.html
-
- 3.3 Are tantra yoga and karezza techniques the same as extended
- sexual orgasm (ESO)?
-
- Some of the physical techniques are the same, but ESO and other
- so-called "sex-positive" teachings do not contain a mystical or
- magical component. Interestingly enough, however, people who
- learn the techniques of ESO often report "spontaneous" mystical
- experiences. A theoretical model explaining the biological
- basis of this phenomenon can be found at
-
- http://www.luckymojo.com/tkbiologicalbasis.html
-
- 3.4 Will refraining from orgasm harm one physically in any way?
-
- Apparently not, but overemphasis on avoidance of orgasm may
- lead to a special form of "performance anxiety" or to some
- temporary physical discomfort, especially in men.
-
- In the practice of sex magic(k), orgasm is often the focal
- point of the ceremony or spell, and its resultant products
- (e.g. mingled sexual fluids) may be ritually consumed,
- offered to a deity, or used to create a sigil or talisman.
- Such mingling requires that both parties be free of
- sexually transmitted diseases, for these can be more
- harmful in the long run than refusal to have an orgasm!
-
- 3.5 How can one interest one's partner in tantra or karezza?
-
- That would of course depend on the type of person one's
- partner happens to be. Those who are open to sexuality and
- mysticism are more likely to be persuaded to study or
- experiment, and, personal tastes being what they are, the
- presentation, style, or education of instructors may or may
- not conform to one's partner's tastes or ethics.
-
- A good place to start is by sounding out in discussion what
- the partner's interests and possible limitations might be in
- the investigation of sexual mysticism. If sexuality turns them
- off, then more ascetic and symbolic disciplines may become
- valuable introductions to the subject matter. If mysticism
- brings goose-bumps, then framing the enterprise as an
- exploration and study of consciousness (and the outer limits
- of ecstasy) may prove to be more palatable.
-
- The important thing is not to push too strongly or put such an
- emphasis on the study of the subject that it becomes tantamount
- to an unintentional ultimatum. Sometimes talking about matters
- of intimacy is much more frightening than actually *exploring*
- them, and with the right level of patience, understanding, and
- flexibility, combined with a sincere desire to make it the
- project of a *combined* effort, any obstacles may be overcome.
-
- 3.6 Can a solitary person practice tantra or karezza through
- masturbation? Can sex magicians work with masturbation?
-
- To "practice tantra" is not the sole privilege of the
- partnered or polyamorous. First, the wide range of
- descriptions for the practice and its goals allow a variety
- of possible objectives, and second, the exploration one
- does on one's own easily becomes invaluable groundwork for
- what one does with any future lovers.
-
- Although some tantric gurus forbid the practice, many
- neo-tantrics find the ritualization of masturbation to be
- liberating, some integrate it into their devotionals
- (fucking their god, for example, or dedicating their
- pleasure to a deity as an offering), some explore the
- parameters of their sexual excitation and arousal cycles,
- and others try to integrate an attitude toward themselves
- and their aesthetic relish that has the propensity to lead
- to very important life-transformation.
-
- Masturbation serves in a two-fold manner as an effective
- neo-tantric practice. It combines, especially within a
- puritanical culture, the violation of the cultural
- dissuasion against self-pleasure with an ecstatic
- experience that can develop mystical results.
-
- Sex magicians are somewhat divided on the subject of
- whether masturbation is an efficacious method of working.
-
- Generally speaking, folk magicians have long used
- masturbation as a technique to produce sexual fluids
- needed in spell-casting. For instance, in African-
- American hoodoo, it is common for a single person
- to dress a lodestone with his or her sexual fluids
- as part of a spell to attract a lover. Such an act
- is masturbatory in nature, and is considered perfectly
- good work.
-
- Some 19th century hermetic and ceremonial sex magicians
- (e.g. Paschal Beverly Randolph) decried both masturbation
- and coitus reservatus as "unnatural." Possibly they were
- under the influence of then-current negative attitudes
- toward masturbation, but be that as it may, their stated
- objections were usually that masturbation did not fulfill
- the alchemical, magnetic-electrical, or other dyadic
- premises underlying their sex magical theories.
-
- Most progressive 20th century ceremonial sex magicians find
- uses for masturbation as a technique. However, even among
- those most accepting of sexual variety, some demote
- masturbation in favour of other, preferred practices (e.g.
- the sex magician Aleister Crowley, who advocated anal sex
- leading to the consumption of mingled excrement, blood, and
- semen).
-
- 3.7 Do tantra teachers or sex magicians advocate any sort of
- "standard practice" religious ritual or physical techniques?
- If so, could you outline them?
-
- There are no universal standards for ritual work in tantra
- yoga. However, the following techniques for inducing ecstasy
- are used by many teachers in tantric, neo-tantric, and
- non-tantric schools of sex-worship and sex-mysticism:
-
- 3.7.1 Yoni puja and linga puja
- Worship of the generative organs is found in many
- schools of tantra yoga. This can take the form of
- presenting offerings of flowers and/or food to the sex
- organs of a living man or woman, to a statue of a deity,
- or to a simple effigy that symbolizes the yoni (vulva)
- or lingam (penis). In karezza, such worship is modified
- and subdued, but is found in the form of offerings of
- flowers, poetry, and other tokens of affection to the
- lover. In neo-tantra, meditative sexual massage is
- sometimes seen as a form of puja.
-
- 3.7.2 Control of orgasm
- Volitional control of the male orgasm is taught in all
- branches of tantra yoga as well as in some tantra-like
- practices of non-Asian cultures, such as karezza and
- neo-tantra. Karezza writers also advocate volitional
- control of the female orgasm.
-
- 3.7.3 Avoidance of orgasm
- Male avoidance of orgasm is central to certain branches
- of tantra yoga as well as some tantra-like practices of
- non-Asian cultures, such as "male continence." Karezza
- teachers recommend avoidance of both male AND female
- orgasm except at specific times (e.g. when the woman
- is menstruating or when the couple wishes to conceive).
- The degree of emphasis placed on orgasmic avoidance
- varies from teacher to teacher. In some radical Indian
- lineages of tantra yoga, irreversible genital mutilation
- of the male has been practiced to ensure the complete
- impossibility of ejaculation. On the other hand, it
- should be noted that there are sexual mystics, such as
- the spiritualist sex magician Paschal Beverly Randolph,
- who believe that avoidance of orgasm is a metaphysically
- dangerous and possibly demonic enterprise and argue
- strongly aginst it as "unnatural."
-
- 3.7.4 Passive copulation
- By this is meant very slow, mindful penis-in-vagina
- intercourse. Depending on the school of tantra and the
- individual preferences of the partners, this may involve
- no movement by either party, minimal movement by both
- parties, or no movement on the part of the man but some
- on the part of the woman. Passive copulation can be
- undertaken in any number of positions. One classic is
- the Hindu and Tibetan pose in which the woman sits in
- the man's lap, commonly known by its Tibetan name,
- "yab-yum" (which means "father-mother"). Among those
- who practice karezza, more conventional Western sexual
- positions such as lying side-by-side or woman-on-top
- are preferred for passive copulation because they
- require less effort and training. Taoist sexual alchemy
- texts advocate the woman-on-top position.
-
- 3.7.5 Eye-gazing
- This is recommended in most schools of tantra yoga and
- also by those who practice karezza. This is a form of
- meditation in which the partners simply look into each
- other's eyes for long periods of time. This may be done
- during passive copulation or during more active
- intercourse.
-
- 3.7.6 Breath-control
- Some form of this is common to all branches of tantra
- yoga, as it is part of the yoga substrate from which
- tantra yoga grew. Different breathing patterns are
- recommended by teachers in different schools of tantra
- yoga. Some of these involve hyperventilation, holding
- the breath, and other counter-natural patterns of
- inspiration. In karezza, synchronized slow breathing is
- deemed sufficient breath-control. Taoist sexual alchemy,
- in keeping with the Chinese interest in mystical numbering,
- goes so far as to prescribe batteries of counted breathing
- rhythms performed in conjunction with pelvic thrusts (e.g.
- 81 thrusts). In any form, breath control helps the
- participants key into the neurological basis of orgasm
- control. Synchronized breathing also helps the partners
- align their peaks and valleys of sexual arousal and
- spiritual bliss.
-
- 3.7.7 Circulation of subtle or aetheric energies
- This is spoken of in almost every branch of sex-magic
- and sex-religion. In some schools of tantra yoga, the
- ascent of subtle energies up the spine and through a
- series of energy points on the body (chakras) is
- envisioned and experienced -- especially by those whose
- teaching style is heavily influenced by kundalini yoga.
- As applied to tantra yoga, this kundalini-influenced
- vision of sexual union presents the energy as rising
- upward around each person's spine in twin currents (ida
- and pingala) surrounding a central core (sushumna), then
- joining at the top (crown chakra), and joining in union
- with the kundalini in the partner's crown chakra. Western
- sex religionists and sex-magicians also refer to such
- subtle energies, but they are envisioned in different ways.
- The 19th century writer Paschal Beverly Randolph presented
- an elaborate electro-magnetic and gender-specific model
- for the exchange of energy between two people who were
- engaged in frontal-contact coition. The early 20th century
- writer George Washington Savory experienced deep spiritual
- bliss and union with the divine from the aetheric energies
- he received when nursing at his wife's breast; she in turn
- described the nurturing and healing energy embodied in his
- semen. Followers of the 20th century psychologist Wilhelm
- Reich perceive the flow of "orgone" energy aroused during
- sexual contact "streaming" up the frontal surface of the
- body. Taoist sexual alchemists describe the "circulation
- of chi" (vital energy) in the body at different stages of
- arousal, culminating with the upward passage of chi along
- the "meridian" system, through "gates" and into the head.
- Direct experience leads many practitioners of most forms
- of Western sacred sex to describe a state in which their
- bodies seem to physically merge, blend, or become one with
- each other, with a free flow of energetic sensation shared
- between their central cores.
-
- 3.7.8 Antinomianism
- Some schools of tantra yoga encourage antinomianism
- (breaking of cultural taboos, e.g. against eating
- certain foods or against having sex with people of
- certain social or familial rank). Karezzans do not
- encourage antinomianism. Among sex magicians, opinions
- are divided. Paschal Beverly Randolph was a fierce
- proponent of monogamy and intoxication with hashish
- (then legal!); Aleister Crowley advocated "orgies"
- of illegal drug use, and engaged in such taboo-
- breaking "magical" acts as self-cutting with razor
- blades, the eating of excrement, and defecation on a
- friend's carpet after a private display of homosexual
- sodomy.
-
- 3.7.9 Lifestyle
- Some schools of tantra yoga and Western sex-mysticism
- encourage sexual promiscuity, while others insist on
- sexual monogamy or even (hard though this may be to
- comprehend) celibacy. The question of whether one
- should live as a "householder" in society or remove
- oneself to a monastery (ashram), or take up the path
- of a wandering renunciate (sadhu) is also endlessly
- debatable within the many schools of tantrism.
-
- 3.7.10 Deity worship
- Some branches of tantra yoga and tantra-like sexual-
- spiritual practices of non-Hindu cultures involve the
- devotee in the worship of a sexualized goddess or god
- (e.g. Siva and/or Shakti as Durga, Parvati, Kali et al);
- some take this farther and ask that the devotee worship
- the sexual partner as a living incarnation of a sexualized
- goddess or god; others subsume the practice of spiritual
- sexuality under the worship of a deity who is not
- sexualized. Taoist sexual alchemy does not decree the
- worship of a sexualized deity, although the lover is
- identified with a mythological figure (the Green Dragon,
- if male, and the White Tiger if female). Karezzans
- presume that one will experience religio-sexual-mystical
- bliss, but may frame this in terms of the individual's
- ascent to "heaven" or "celestial realms," or may seek to
- dedicate the resultant ecstasy to the deity-of-choice
- (e.g. Jesus Christ).
-
- 3.7.11 Meditation
- Some schools of Hindu and most schools of Buddhist
- tantra yoga advocate meditation. The form this takes
- varies by the base-religion that underlies the tantric
- practices. Hindus tend toward visual meditation (e.g.
- on a "yantra" or geometric diagram symbolizing sakti
- {female energy} or on the figure and form of the
- deity-of-choice (e.g. Kali, Siva, etc.) and sonic
- meditation (e.g. on the sound "om"). Tantric Buddhist
- meditation is as varied as the many schools of Buddhism
- themselves. Taoist sexual alchemy mentions meditation
- rarely; usually in later texts that have been
- influenced by Hinduism. Karezzans treat little of
- meditation in the Asian sense, describing it in
- Transcendentalist terms, which correspond to what
- some Asians call "contemplation."
-
- 3.7.12 Use of asanas (postures) and mudras (hand gestures)
- Most teachers of Hindu and Buddhist tantra, as well as some
- neo-tantra teachers, tell students that tantra yoga is
- facilitated by the use of certain asanas (bodily postures)
- while engaging in intercourse. They may also advocate the
- use of special mudras (ritual hand gestures) while in
- coition or as part of yoni puja or linga puja. To many
- Westerners, the asanas seem odd or forced, but when one
- understands that they grow out of the ancient tradition
- of hatha yoga, in which the ability to attain and maintain
- difficult body postures is part of a regimen of ascetic
- disciplines, their application to in a sexual context
- is more clearly understood. Likewise, the mudras assume
- two contexts in light of Indian culture: they are gestures
- made by the deities (and have hagiographic import in the
- identification of deities in religious art) and they are
- also gestures the devotee can make as part of a service
- to a particular god or goddess. For an -- unfortunately
- uncredited -- adaptation of a chapter from an undated
- tantric text called Vamakeshvaratantra, describing
- the use of the major Hindu tantric mudras, see
-
- http://www.crl.com/~tzimon/Workings/mudra.html
-
- 3.7.13 Use of mantras (chants) and yantras (symbolic images)
- Tantra yoga is not alone among the various types of Indian
- religion in its use of mantras (chants) and yantras
- (symbolic images) to aid meditation or self-realization,
- nor are such aids found exclusively in Asian religions.
- Repetitious prayer and the focus of vision upon sacred
- images is a world-wide phenomenon, and it is not restricted
- to religions in which there is a sexual component. All
- that aside, the characteristic mantras to deities such as
- Siva and Kali are considered highly useful to the tantric
- devotees of those entities, as are such symbolic images
- and representations as the downward pointing triangle and
- numerous elaborate variations of interlocked triangles.
- For the non-Hindu practitioner of a sex-based mystical
- system, other prayers and symbols may be of greater use;
- the disciples of Austin Osman Spare, for example, focus on
- a form of self-encrypted writing called sigilization
- during sex-magical rites.
-
- 3.8 What are the goals (stated) and effects (stated and not) of
- tantra and karezza?
-
- The stated goals vary by the branch of tantra or tantra-like
- sexual-spiritual practices of non-Hindu cultures one is
- considering. They range from literal union with the godhead
- to enjoying sex more, with plenty of stops along the way for
- intermediate goals. A good middle ground may be to
- experience spiritual bliss through sexual pleasure, to
- witness the incarnation of deity in one's lover, and to
- experience union with that divine incarnation on all the
- levels of visual, emotional, mental, physical, and
- spiritual existence which one can perceive.
-
- 3.9 Is it possible to learn tantra yoga or karezza without
- a guru or teacher?
-
- Some teachers of tantra yoga insist that a guru
- must initiate one into tantra. Most authorities
- within Hindu tantric communities caution that
- guidance is extremely important and that getting
- disciplines out of (possibly erroneous) texts may
- be hazardous to those who are not properly
- prepared.
-
- On the other hand, karezza promotes learning from
- observation of one's partner -- a mutual
- initiation, as it were.
-
- Many people report that they have received a
- "transmission" or "revelation" about sacred sex
- through conversation, or by reading old books,
- usenet posts, or pages on the world wide web.
-
- 3.10 How can a gay person practice tantra? Where is their kundalini?
- Isn't it the case that for tantric experiences and sex magic
- a male and a female are required?
-
- Gay people can and do practice tantra yoga.
-
- In the first place, kundalini energy is not a requisite
- theoretical part of the composite and diverse systems of
- Hindu and Buddhist tantra. (See section 3.7.7 of this FAQ)
-
- In the second place, even among those tantrikas who use the
- kundalini model of energy flow, kundalini's rising energy
- currents are conceived as being the same in homosexuals,
- bisexuals, heterosexuals, celibates, intersexes, and eunuchs.
-
- Finally, the history of Hindu tantra yoga ritual artwork
- contains many graphic examples of the ritualization of male
- castration (severing of both the testicles and penis) as part
- of an extreme devotionary act dedicated to Shakti in her
- wrathful form of Kali. Ritual castration is not condoned by
- the Indian government at the present time, but insofar as it
- was admired, advocated, and institutionalized by certain
- (minority) tantric gurus and their students in the past, it
- is evident that a male practitioner's sexual orientation
- and/or his capacity to function as a vaginal penetrant are
- NOT relevant to his acceptance into certain schools of
- tantra yoga. This information is not presented with the aim
- of equating homosexuals with castrati, merely to indicate
- that the penis-in-vagina coupling of heterosexual male and
- female bodies is not central to all schools of tantric
- teaching. (Ritual castration, by the way, was not limited to
- Indian religious practice: male members of the Near Eastern
- cult of Cybele also offered their genitals to their goddess;
- likewise, ritual male castration made inroads into early
- Christianity, although it was condemned as excessive during
- the late Middle Ages.)
-
- In folk magic, there is no barrier to any kind of homosexual
- magical working. For instance, a spell formula such as
- "Follow Me Boy" can be used interchangeably by heterosexual
- women and gay men to attract a male lover.
-
- Among hermetic and ceremonial sex magicians, opinions about
- homosexuality are sharply divided. One famous bi-sexual
- sex magician, Aleister Crowley, went so far as to declare
- that homosexual rites were in many ways superior to
- heterosexual workings, but he also claimed that lesbian
- couples were incapable of sex magick at all, due to their
- inability to produce sperm, which he believed was an
- essential ingredient in the work.
-
- ____________________________________________________________
-
- 4.0 REFERENCE MATERIALS
-
- 4.1 I would like to learn more about these subjects, but am
- extremely wary of "teachers" and especially so in this
- context. There are a lot of fakes out there. Can you
- provide references that I can read to learn more?
-
- Self-teaching or mutual teaching with a partner is
- definitely acceptable in the realm of Western sex-
- mysticism and neo-tantra, even that which is very
- closely modelled on traditional Indian and Tibetan
- tantra yoga. Because the opportunities for sex-abuse
- must be considered, we do not recommend that you take
- any class from a teacher without a thorough
- investigation of his or her reputation,
-
- Generally, in the newsgroup, the single book most often
- recommended to beginners who ask for a text on tantra is
-
- "Tantra: the Cult of the Feminine" by Andre Von Lysbeth.
-
- This book contains a basic historic and cultural
- introduction to Indian culture, Hindu tantra yoga,
- Saktiism, and karezza, with pragmatic explanations of
- how to perform the mystical, yogic, and sexual practices
- recommended by a variety of ancient and contemporary
- schools of tantra yoga, Western sex-mysticism, and
- neo-tantra.
-
- For those who ask about Taoist sex alchemy, the book most
- often recommended in the newsgroup is
-
- "The Art of the Bedchamber" edited by Douglas Wile.
-
- This consists of English translations of the 22 extant
- Chinese texts on the subject, with detailed cultural,
- historic, and linguistic commentaries by the editor.
-
- An often-recommended book about Hermetic and ceremonial
- sex-magick is
-
- "Modern Sex Magick" by Donald Michael Kraig.
-
- This presents, among other things, a basic overview of the
- ritual sex magick of Aleister Crowley and his associates.
-
- A further short list of texts will be appended if people
- contribute. For now, see the lengthy bibliography at
-
- http://www.luckymojo.com/tkbibliocontents.html
-
- 4.2 Is the Kama Sutra of any real significance to tantra yoga?
- It seems like an ancient marriage manual more than anything else.
-
- The Kama Sutra is an ancient marriage manual. It reads
- like an old-fashioned sexual self-help book. It is highly
- coloured by local cultural beliefs, too, regarding the
- status of women, of marriage as an institution, and even of
- children and pets. We consider it more of a curiosity than
- anything else -- and we consider 19th and 20th century
- interest in it a significator of Western culture's
- fascination with "exotic" (i.e. foreign culture) sex. The
- Kama Sutra is no more or less about sexual metaphysics or
- sexual spirituality than a standard American "how-to-fuck"
- book would be.
-
- 4.3 Are there tantra videos, courses, or seminars?
-
- Most materials currently available on video or taught in
- workshops and courses are more properly considered to be
- neo-tantra, not tantra yoga.
-
- A short list of available materials will be appended here
- if people contribute. For now, see the link-list at
-
- http://www.luckymojo.com/tkwebsites.html
-
- ============================================================
-
- Contributors:
- catherine yronwode (cat@luckymojo.com)
- tyagi nagasiva (nagasiva@luckymojo.com)
- Matt Atkins (matkins@io.com)
- Shava Nerad (shava@efn.org)
- Tzimon Yliaster (tzimon@xiqual.com)
-
- Editors:
- tyagi nagasiva (nagasiva@luckymojo.com)
- catherine yronwode (cat@luckymojo.com)
-
- Modifications to this FAQ, as well as new questions
- and answers, should be discussed in alt.magick.tantra
- rather than via private e-mail.
-
- ____________________________________________________________
-
- Copyright Notice:
- copyright 1999 catherine yronwode, tyagi nagasiva,
- and Matt Atkins; reproduction for profit or for
- non-electronic distribution prohibited without the
- express permission of the copyright holders.
-
- Editors:
- tyagi nagasiva (nagasiva@luckymojo.com)
- catherine yronwode (cat@luckymojo.com)
-
- ============================================================
-
- EOF
-