This paper might have been titled 'Sex and Magic Through
the Ages', but although that title would accurately characterise the content,
the classical/cultural veneer imparted by the concept of "Eroticism
in Ritual" allows the subject to be addressed in a discrete rather
than a sensational context. The focus is upon the Western Tradition and
only passing reference is made to Eastern Tantric practices, although these
have been influential in the present century.
Eroticism can be defined as pertaining to sensual arousal in general and
sexual stimulation in particular. The word derives from Eros, the Greek
god of passion, love, procreation and desire. He is commonly depicted as
a youthful winged male figure of pleasing appearance. The image in Piccadilly
Circus is a fairly conventional representation, but it is worth noting
that Victorian prudery constrained that sculpture to be presented as the
Angel of Christian Charity!
Attitudes in the classical world were less inhibited, and the importance
attributed to sex, fertility and procreation is reflected in the introduction
of Eros as the offspring of primal Chaos in Hesiod's Theogony. The universe
is conceived in a sexual act inspired by Eros, and subsequent phases of
creation develop from a series of incestuous, orgiastic and auto-erotic
episodes involving the primeval deities. There was certainly nothing wrong
with sex in the classical pagan cultures, and similar attitudes have been
noted in many naturalistic societies whenever these have been encountered
in a relatively pristine condition.
The concept of "original sin" which depicted sex as something
evil would have been completely alien to the Greeks, the Babylonians, the
Egyptians, the Romans, and to almost every culture in the pagan world.
Circumcision, effectively the ritual mutilation of children's and adolescent's
genital organs, would have been viewed as a barbaric perversion, and was
indeed banned by Hadrian and by Antiochus IV. I do not propose to dwell
on the process by which these attitudes became enshrined as Holy Writ among
the "Peoples of the Book", suffice it to say that in my view
the cumulative psychological burden and the guilt related stress engendered
goes a long way towards explaining the social malaise and hypocrisy which
afflicts western society.
In a ritual context there are four main areas in which eroticism has been
seen as a significant component in various cultures since the very earliest
times, these are:
The latter category will be considered in detail in the next paper in this series entitled "The Hell-Fire Club and Other Swingers". For now I want to concentrate on those areas where the erotic component is as much a means to some wider ritual intention as an end in itself. The unifying thread running through all the practices to be discussed is that they are intended to be enjoyable and should be approached in an uninhibited frame of mind, so let's banish hypocrisy along with guilt and get primitive!
There are two basic variants within the general concept
of a fertility ritual. The objective may be to encourage or sustain personal
fecundity - a sort of inverted birth control procedure; or a rite may be
performed to promote agricultural fertility for a small locality, a country
or even for the planet and cosmos as a whole.
Personal fertility rites are widespread and diverse in character and are
predominantly a female preoccupation. In some cases pagan practices survived
into the Christian era and even became grafted onto church festivals. R
P Knight, writing in 1786, gives a graphic description of one such at Isernia,
a town in the Appenines about 60 miles north of Naples. For three days
each year women from across the country made a pilgrimage to the church
of Saints Cosmas and Damianus to mark their feast day on 27th September.
Outside the church a profusion of street vendors sold "votive offerings"
in the shape of wax phalli which the pilgrims employed for reverential
purposes during a ritual in the church which was nothing more or less than
a Rite of Pan. The church was rebuilt after an earthquake in 1805, but
the town suffered heavy damage in World War II, and it is not known whether
the traditional local practices have survived to this day.
In ancient times Isernia was the major population centre of a tribe known
as the Samnites or Sabines who had colonised the area from Sparta. Plutarch
relates that shortly after the founding of Rome there was a serious gender
imbalance in the new city, and that Romulus himself was involved in an
adventure which between 30 and 683 (sources vary) un-married Sabine women
were "ravished away" to establish the earliest Roman families.
An echo of that event persists today in our own culture. Plutarch writes
(circa 100 AD) "it continues also a custom at this very day for the
bride not of herself to pass over her husband's threshold, but to be lifted
over, in memory that the Sabine virgins were carried in by violence, and
did not go in of their own will".
It is said that Saints Cosmas and Damianus were twins; so also, by mythical
tradition, were Romulus and his Roman co-founder Remus who were nurtured
in infancy by a she-wolf. Plutarch points out though that there may be
some ambiguity in that the Latin word 'lupac' also meant "women of
loose life". Nontheless the tradition was preserved in the annual
Roman fertility festival of Lupercalia which may have had a more ancient
origin in Greece.
The procedure is described as follows:
Two young men are designated 'Luperci' and they attend a sacrifice conducted by priests who may have been 'past-Luperci'. Two goats and a dog are killed and the blood from the sacrificial knife is then applied to the foreheads of the Luperci. Their brows are then wiped clean with wool dipped in milk. At this point (Chaos Magicians may be interested to note) it is important that the Luperci burst forth with laughter. The goats are then skinned and thongs made from the pelts. Each of the Luperci then distributes the thongs among a small band of followers and they streak naked through the streets lashing all they meet. The young Roman wives do not avoid their strokes as these bestow conception and childbirth.
The Lupercalia festival was assimilated by the Christian
Church, as were so many other events in the pagan calendar, but it still
retains libidinous connotations as it falls on 14th February - Saint Valentine's
Day.
Communal fertility rites were more commonly applied to sustenance of crops,
herds and the countryside in general than specifically to personal fecundity.
An example is the Maypole Dance, typically performed on May 1st in these
islands and through much of continental Europe, though similar festivals
traditionally occur at midsummer in Scandinavia and in February/March in
India. In ancient times the dance was performed around a living tree, but
a tall garlanded pole or menhir symbolising the phallus makes an appropriate
substitute.
The traditional Celtic Pagan variant of the dance is depicted in William
Schaffer's film "The Wicker Man" and consists of a number of
participants each holding a ribbon attached to the top of the pole. As
they dance moving among each other, the ribbons become woven into intricate
patterns and the participants converge towards the pole.
A more modern variant was published in 1984 in Paula Pagani's "Cardinal
Rites of Chaos". The central focus in this instance is a Wand of Pan
set up in the ground. This is guarded by a priestess and her female attendants
while blindfolded males perform a whirling dance. After an appropriate
elapse of time, the males must compete to get to the pole while the females
endeavour to prevent them by whatever means they may. Whoever wins through
is declared the Regent of Pan and suffers anointment with fragrant oil
and whatever other devotional attentions the women feel inclined to perform.
There follows a session of pair-bonded fire-leaping and "the rite
is concluded in whatever way the priestess sees fit".
A form of Fertility Rite which was widespread throughout the classical
lands and the middle-east in pagan times was the "Hieros Gamos"
(Greek: sacred marriage). This involved sexual congress between divine
persons represented by a priest and priestess. Typical deities invoked
in such a ceremony might be Pan and Demeter, and the standard form of the
ritual is as follows:
A stylised form of the Hieros Gamos is enacted in the Gnostic Mass published in the Aleister Crowley compendium "Gems From The Equinox " under copyright of the Ordo Templi Orientis. In that version the 'marriage' is not consummated physically; rather 'Cakes of Light' and a libation of wine are charged by the celebrants jointly and distributed to the other congregated participants. In the course of the ritual the priestess is required to disrobe at a critical point, though Crowley's rubric allows "during the previous speeches the Priestess has, if necessary, as in savage countries, resumed her robe".
In my view the Gnostic Mass is long-winded and not particularly stimulating in an erotic sense; albeit that the Priest, with his arms outstreched along the thighs of the Goddess throughout the recitation of the interminable Collects, may have a more arousing field of vision, particularly in a "non-savage" environment.
Within any society an individual's status changes as s/he passes through life, and it is customary for important transformations to be marked by some form of ceremonial observance. Within our own culture the usual Rites of Passage are associated with birth, the attainment of adulthood, marriage and death. Academic examinations can also be considered in the same category, although these are not generally marked by any ceremonial except perhaps in the case of the award of a degree or doctorate, or the passing-out parade from a military academy. Initiations are also Rites of Passage, be they conducted to welcome a newcomer among a group of companions or to mark some stage of advancement through a ceremonial organisation such as the Freemasons or the Hell's Angels.
The only Rite of Passage with a sexual component in mainstream modern society is marriage. The Christian convention that bride and bridegroom should approach the marriage bed with virginity intact is now largely a dead letter, though in times past and in some very backward communities it is still a matter of importance and family pride. Royal weddings or strategic marriages between members of important families were often required to be consummated in a nuptual chamber adjacent to the wedding feast, after the style of the Hieros Gamos. The bedsheets were expected to be displayed to the guests afterwards with bloodstains to indicate that the bride had come to the union 'virgo intacta'. The social pressures attendant can hardly have contributed to any ambience of relaxed love-making on the part of the virgin newlyweds.
In feudal times though, where the lower echelons of society
were concerned, there was a further component in the Marriage Rite generally
termed 'Droit du Seigneur' (French: Right of the Lord). This was a legally
enshrined entitlement which granted the local overlord the right to spend
the marriage night with the bride of any of his vassals. Some authorities
posit that this was little more than a tax on marriage, since a redemption
could be paid by the bridegroom, and there are many documentary records
of such payments having been made. Droit du Seigneur prevailed throughout
the continental lands of the old Western Roman Empire, but particularly
in France and Italy, and may have been introduced into Britain at the time
of the Norman conquest in the 11th century. The concept is said to have
been originated by the Emperor Caligula as a device to enable him to sleep
with a young lady who took his fancy, but who was the betrothed bride of
one of his subordinates. Having once been instituted, the law was presumably
such an attractive perk for those of high rank that a full millennium passed
before it was rescinded.
In some cultures Rites of Passage attend the onset of puberty or the attainment
of sexual maturity. In Jewish tradition this marks the occasion of the
Bar-Mitzvah, and among Christian followers Confirmation or First Communion
occurs at this time. In terms of an individuals progress through life the
key event in personal terms is often the loss of virginity, and, regardless
of clerical sensitivities, this occurs on the wedding night only in a minority
of cases. In classical and near eastern pagan societies, particularly among
the higher echelons, this initiation was imbued with a degree of ritual
significance, at least for young males.
Temples of Ishtar, Aphrodite and Pan were attended by priestesses skilled
in the conduct of erotic ritual. To a young man introduced to their company
by an older family member the impression must have been similar to that
of the 'Garden of Earthly Delights' experienced by new recruits to the
Order of Assassins at Alamut. A typical form of such a ceremony would commence
with a repast, during which the candidate would be attended by comely servitors
and teased by erotic dancers. A session of bodily cleansing and purification
followed which was directed towards further stimulation as much as hygiene.
In a rare Eastern Tantric variant on the theme, for example, known as the
'Omanko Brush', soap and oils would be administered to the whole surface
of the candidates body by a priestess using her pubic hair and vaginal
lips alone as the method of application - this technique, which demands
considerable skill and agility, is reputed to have survived to this day
as a 'house speciality' in some of the higher class brothels in Tokyo.
The next stage of the ceremony might be of the nature of an ordeal, involving
bondage or restraint accompanied by some light physical chastisement, or
perhaps more severe if the candidate had misbehaved during the earlier
phases of the ceremony. From this point forward consummation of the ritual
might be combined with an instruction session, for example in the techniques
of administering oral stimulation to one of the priestesses. The candidates
own gratification being rationed according to the efficacy of his performance
of this service. If the ritual was being performed to mark admission to
some inner circle or priesthood, any oaths or affirmations to be administered
would be timed to coincide with the physical climax of the ceremony.
Christian morality/prudery led to the suppression of ritual practices of
this character in the Western Empire from the fifth century onwards, although
something of a revival seems to have occurred during the 18th century in
Paris, Venice and perhaps even in London, though such manifestations were
hedonistic rather than ceremonial in character. A visit to an establishment
which provided this sort of introduction to adulthood was an integral part
of the 'Grand Tour' which used to be undertaken by aristocratic young men
usually after graduation from university in company of a tutor.
There are no documented accounts of any equivalent erotic initiation for
young women as far as I am aware, but it can be imagined that candidate
priestesses to the temple complexes referred to might have encountered
similarly stimulating experiences in the course of their induction into
the relevant arts.
We should be under no illusions here. The early history of eroticism in
ritual is the early history of prostitution - sometimes termed the oldest
profession. In Mesopotamia the rites of Ishtar were well established by
2000 BC. As well as being the Goddess of fertility and physical love, she
was also a Goddess of battles, of thunder and of storms generally. There
was no social stigma attached to her cult, and the most senior priestesses
were always from the royal house. Young women were expected to enter her
service as a puberty rite (much as they might join the Girl Guides today)
and the practice was regarded as a means of acquiring a dowry. The same
principles and attributes applied to the rites of Astarte or Ashtoreth
in Syria which were well established by 1550 BC, and to the imported Egyptian
deities Astharthet and Detesh which can be traced back to the reign of
Thothmes III (1500 BC). The cult was assimilated into those of Aphrodite
and Artemis in Greece and that of Juno in Rome. In these later manifestations
the practices continued well into the Christian era, and although the libidinous
nature of the rites attracted the condemnation of Hebrew prophets like
Jeremiah, it seems that Solomon was a devotee (I Kings 11:5). The suggestion
is that he was led astray by his foreign wives!
The socio-economic mechanism which maintained the cult seems to have worked
in the following manner. Wars between cities, tribes and states were frequent,
and survivors of these military adventures would give thanks for their
safe return by an act of devotion at the temple of Ishtar/Ashtaroth. This
cost them some money which would go partly to the temple and partly to
the priestess(es). The most talented priestesses were in demand, and so
could charge more for their ministrations, doubtless meeting devotees from
the higher (wealthier) echelons of society as a result, and would thereby
be able to provide a more attractive dowry when they tired of their sacred
duties.
The cult evolved as it migrated, but it endured for more than two millennia
- longer than Christianity has existed - so it must have fulfilled some
sort of social need. Duite what was done about sexually transmitted diseases
and/or unwanted pregnancies can only be a matter for speculation, but it
is hard to imagine that those considerations presented less of a problem
than today. It may be that the emphasis was on erotic arousal and stimulation
rather than penetrative consummation, but I am unaware of any evidence
to support that suggestion.
Gnosis is a Greek word for 'knowledge' or the 'means of
knowing', particularly in an esoteric sense. In the traditional interpretation
it applied as much to straightforward intellectual investigation as to
any technique of consciousness modification or direct experience gained
thereby. The concept of gnosis as a path to enlightenment is traditionally
associated with a diverse array of philosophical and religious groups which
emerged in Egypt during the early centuries of the Christian Era. That
time period in that location was characterised by the mingling of traditional
Egyptian views of the world, which were distinctly magical in orientation,
with influences from Roman, Greek and assimilated Mesopotamian cultures,
and the newly emergent salvational concepts which were an essential component
of early Christianity.
Gnosticism was quite thoroughly suppressed once Christianity became the
state religion throughout the declining Roman Empire, and its proponents
were condemned as heretics after the Council of Nicea in 325 AD. What seems
certain is that the gnostic tradition comprised a number of sects pursuing
their own magical/mystical paths - a similar ambience might be said to
exist today among modern western occultists. Some of those early gnostics
appear to have incorporated erotic, or at least phallic devotional concepts
into their practices. One remarkable piece of evidence for this suggestion
exists among the collection of Christian sculpture in the Vatican Museum
- namely the devotional image "Soter Kosmou"
(Greek: The Saviour of the World). It is not known whether this piece,
dating from the 1st century, is actually on display, as it might be considered
offensive or even blasphemous. It consists of an anthropomorphic cockerel
whose head is metamorphosed into a disproportionately large erect phallus.
In recent times the existence this early Christian icon was highlighted
by supporters of 'Gay News' in defence of that publication against an action
being brought for the rare criminal offence of Blasphemous Libel.
Among present day occult practitioners (and not just Chaos Magicians) there
is some consensus that the inducement of a state of gnosis is an essential
prerequisite for any useful magical activity, be it divination, enchantment,
evocation, invocation or illumination. A number of techniques have been
described by which such a modified state of consciousness may be induced,
and these have been divided into two broad categories of 'inhibitory gnosis'
and 'excitatory gnosis' by Peter Carroll. The classification is not absolute,
and occult practitioners usually find on a personal level that some techniques
work better than others, or that particular techniques for inducing gnosis
are more effective than others when applied to some specific intent.
Inhibitory techniques are generally contemplative or yogic in character
and are aimed at reducing sensory stimulus, with the subsuming of consciousness
in coma and ultimately death being considered as the extreme on that end
of the scale - Thanatos.
Excitatory techniques, in contrast, depend on hyper-stimulation as a means
of modifying consciousness. Extremes of pain or fear or persistence with
some energetic physical activity (such as a whirling dervish dance) to
the point of exhaustion can be effective, but sexual climax as the ultimate
expression of life represents the pinnacle of excitatory gnosis -- Eros.
Thus 'Erotognosis' is the attainment of a modification of consciousness
by sensory stimulation of a sexual character.
There are physiological differences between human males and females with
regard to sexual climax, although generalisations may not necessarily apply
to particular individuals. Men usually experience a progressively increased
level of arousal culminating in a peak of orgasm which is followed by a
hiatus, albeit that in favourable circumstances that cycle may be repeated
a number of times. Most women, in contrast, do not suffer the hiatus of
arousal after an initial orgasm, and with continued sensitive stimulation
are able to experience a progression of climactic peaks until a point of
utter physical exhaustion is reached.
Transcendent erotognosis is the state of consciousness which is experienced
immediately preceding and at the point of orgasm, and therefore, by reason
of physiology, the gnostic state can generally be sustained by women during
a longer period of time than is ordinarily possible for men.
The key to sustained erotognosis for men is to control the physical response
to applied stimulus so as to extend the duration of the phase of maximum
arousal immediately preceding orgasm, without proceeding forward to ejaculation
and the subsequent hiatus. This is essentially a matter of mind and body
control, and, with a sensitive and sympathetic partner, it can be a lot
of fun to practice.
The importance of such techniques in occult applications, and in hedonistic
gratification, was recognised by Crowley who wrote a long essay on the
subject entitled 'Energised Enthusiasm'; this is included in the book 'Gems
From The Equinox'. Sexologists seeking to treat conditions such as premature
ejaculation have also proposed similar mind and body control exercises.
A technique known as 'Karezza' or Dianism extends control of the male orgasm
to the point where the ejaculate is effectively re-absorbed within the
body; my own view is that while this may be interesting to try as an experiment
in physical control, it bestows no particular added value in any occult
sense. Others might have a different opinion, but I take the attitude that
the ultimate release of orgasmic ejacultion is an essential part of the
erotognostic experience for a man, and that to deny that element in the
process is to reduce the efficacy of any magic that may be undertaken as
well as being unfulfilling in an emotional and a physical sense.
Erotognosis is an essentially personal experience, but most people find
it more effective if the primary sensual stimulus is being administered
by someone else. If the objective is simply to produce a sample of bodily
fluid for some purpose then obviously one can do what is necessary oneself,
but if the target is the oblivion of gnosis some relinquishment of personal
control is desirable.
Most of what I have put forward so far has been couched in terms of so-called
'straight' sexual practice, but that is not to exclude the wider dimensions
of erotic expression. Basically whatever turns you on will be effective
for you personally, and, conversely, you are unlikely to achieve much in
the way of gnosis through participation in any erotic practice which you
find repugnant. This is not said to discourage experimentation; I have
met people who thought the idea of oral sex was repulsive until they found
themselves on the receiving end of it; ditto massage with body oil; ditto
mild bondage; ditto group sex. With erotognosis one is talking about sensory
stimulation techniques applied for an essentially cerebral purpose, not
necessarily about romantic love; although if that exists it can enhance
the experience.
In summing up it may be useful to give some indication of typical applications
of erotognostic techniques in each of the main areas of magical activity.
These are appropriate to either male or female practitioners, and they
assume the willing and witting participation of at least one partner to
provide sensory stimulus, whether of the same and/or the opposite gender
to the operator is entirely a matter for personal preference. An obvious
caveat in these times of serious risk from life threatening viral infections
is that unprotected penetrative sex involving transfer of bodily fluids
should be avoided, unless you are absolutely confident that you are privy
to a partner's sexual and personal history - stay safe.
Eroto-divination is about obtaining answers to questions. Close to the
point of orgasm (for men) or in the course of an orgasmic sequence (for
women) formulate a question intensely in your mind. Allow yourself to become
immersed in the sensations driving you to the pitch of ecstasy and take
note of whatever random thought or image next impinges on your consciousness
- interpret that thought-form as the answer to your question. This process
may be repeated with different questions, or you can ask the same one again
or seek clarification of an earlier answer. Men may find that this question
and answer routine actually helps to delay orgasm, and that the eventual
climax of the experience is all the more intense for having gone through
the exercise. As an alternative, the participant experiencing the erotognosis
may be encouraged to make oracular pronouncements while in climax - divination
by orgasomancy!
In evocation the objective is to imbue some material basis with a vital
essence or to draw forth and fashion some non-material servitor or entity
from the energised aura of an operator in the throes of ecstasy. A clear
statement of intent should be made at the outset of the working. This class
of operation may be more effective if conducted as a group working with
the participant willingly providing the erotognostic manifestation (male
or female) hoodwinked and subjected to mild physical restraint. Although
sexual fluids can be used to charge a material basis, the sweat of passion
is equally appropriate, as is breath exhaled with the shriek of ecstatic
climax.
Erotognostic invocation typically takes the form of the Hieros Gamos described
above. Alternatively the gnosis may be induced by the means indicated and
then used as a conduit by means of which the operator may attempt to take
on a manifestation of some appropriate deity, with other participants vocalising
any incantation.
Erotic techniques are particularly appropriate for enchantment. A sigil
can be constructed to represent the intended outcome of the working using
any standard procedure, for example that set out in Austin Osman Spare's
"Book of Pleasure" which has been paraphrased by many other authors
more recently. Such a sigil may be strongly visualised at the moment of
erotic climax. Alternatively a conjugal act of mutual stimulation might
be devoted to such a purpose. A paper representation of the sigil might
be placed under the altar of passion, and perhaps left there if some ongoing
enchantment is intended. Alternatively the sigil might be inscribed on
rice paper, or on a chocolate biscuit which might be broken with a portion
being consumed by each of the participants. At a point of collective attainment
of the erotognostic state the sigil would be symbolically reconstituted
and the enchantment effected.
Illumination by erotognosis is potentially a devastating experience. An effective procedure might open with an arousal and stimulation process along the lines of that set out above for evocation, but this should be carefully planned to "drip-feed" arousal to each sense in turn, with visual stimulus denied until the restrained recipient's frustration is absolute. Matters should be arranged so that when the hoodwink is removed and the restraints are loosed the operator is instantaneously transported from a pit of torment to a paradise of fulfillment. Some caution is advisable here. The operator may experience a very intense emotional release and the working should not be undertaken by anyone who is not in robust physical health. The objective is illumination through the ultimate Excitatory Gnosis, not extreme unction consequent upon the ultimate Inhibitory Gnosis. On the other hand, being 'Fucked to Death' has to be the best of all ways to go.
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