Sex and Magik

Sex and Magik Sex and magik have long gone hand in hand. This is nothing new and contrary to 'moral' attitudes, it's not something that's done just to get laid. Linking the sexual act with divine forces was an easy leap for early man. Not understanding the medical process of copulation and conceiving. Prehistoric tribes documented their divine rituals through cave paintings which depict this idea fairly well. Figurines such as the 'Venus of Willendor' are perfect examples of the early reverence for fertility of a woman and her ability to give new life. This miracle of life was seen just as that, a miracle given to a woman by a deity, or the Goddess. A woman who was extremely fertile was considered to be favored by the Gods/Goddess and her position was elevated within her tribal structure. Often being designated as the priestess or chieftain of the tribe.   When early man realized it took two to create life, the pendulum slowly switched from focusing on the matriarch to the patriarch. As long as a woman could bear children, she still held great power within her tribe. When the priestess grew older and less fertile, she often chose her successor. But her singular power shifted to that of a wise woman who was always consulted when it came to decisions. The new successor would then share the power within the tribe with a deserving male. Different tribes required different tests of courage or prowess for a male of the tribe to earn the right to lay with the priestess. Most often it would involve hunting or gathering food to provide for the tribe as a whole. The hunter who brought the largest prize from a hunt would earn the right to lay with the Priestess. The physical act of copulation would then be part of a great celebration and ritual to honor the Gods/Goddess for providing for the tribe.   Where the fertility of a woman was seen as a blessing or as the Goddess living through the woman, the strength and ability of a man to provide for the tribe was seen as the God blessing him as well. This is the early concept of the Horned God seen throughout legend and myth.   Today, these rituals are used for establishing fertility and prosperity. Whither it's fertility of the family unit or the creation of prosperity, the personal nature of these rituals must be approached with great reverence, respect and honor for each other.   A Little History From the beginnings of recorded history, we know that in Mesopotamia and Chaldea, Prostitution was a sacred profession, unlike today. Sacred Prostitution was seen as holy and practioners were providing a service of the Goddess. A man would go to the temple and with an offering, he would request service of a Priestess within. His purpose was to gain favor of the Goddess for more children back at home with his wife, or an extra bit of fertility for his fields, or herds of sheep, cattle or camels. In lying with the Priestess he might feel blessed or honored, and go home full of confidence. He might dig extra irrigation ditches for his fields, or be more encouraged to lay with his wife.   To a great extent the myths of the Greeks is to a greater or lesser extent concerned with sex. The Greek pantheons constantly sought out human partners who's conceived children that became demi-gods. These myths had both a good and bad side of their tale. On one hand, divine unions were seen as gifts from the Gods and often became ritualized. They became honored experiences even if they didn't yield a child. On the other hand some tribes such as the Samothraki, involved the sacrifice of young men at one point in their history. Some Priestess would lay with a young man and to ensure she would become pregnant, she carried a very sharp, leaf-shaped knife which she used to take the life of the man she lay with. Sacrificing his life would ensure his essence was transferred to her womb. Even the Bible has it's Divine/Human conception with Yewah placing his 'seed' in the womb of Mary, who became the Mother of Jesus as a result.   All this began to change after the fall of Rome and with the rise of Christianity. Sex began to be denied both as a source of magikal power and of pleasure between partners. Where sex was seen as a gift from the gods, it was now a sin and to find pleasure was an influence of the Devil. By this time, women were seen as the temptress who could drag a man down into the pits of hell and the only way to keep her from having that control, was for her to be subservient to her husband, brother, or even her son. Her sole value became her ability to bear children which quickly became a bargaining point as a bribe or a prize of war.   Items such as a Chastity belt became common place, but were deadly for the woman who wore them. After years of being forced in such contraptions, a woman would develop various diseases, including blood poisoning. During this time, a woman's life expectancy was no more than 30 years. Her entire value, power and favored desires were forgotten and tossed aside in these Christian societies.   Some Basic Requirements Now there are few rituals that actually use the physical act of sex. But those that do, do so with specific purpose and intent. In addition, and as with anything, the concepts of sexual magik can be used for positive purpose and misused as a negative act. All practioners MUST understand the purposes and difference of the two. Sexual harassment, demanding sexual favors in return for something needed, even on a spiritual level is misuse. Forcing the act of sex is rape, plain and simple and in a ritual it's more than misuse, it's also spiritual rape. It is a desecration of the first Holy Grail - the womb. Any time anyone says no, for any reason or purpose, then the act stops. Period. There is no shame in saying no and no reputable Priest or Priestess will force anyone into anything.   It's also important to note that sexual magik is not for children or underage adults. All those who walk a spiritual path have a responsibility to protect the young as sacred creations of the Divine Spirit. Any act that disrespects this view is not only illegal, it is also spiritually immoral and an affront to the Divine Spirit. And that does include acts between same aged adolescence. Don't think that using a religious belief is a reason for teenage sex. It's not.   Sex Magik is meant to be a sacred act between consenting 'adult' partners. It requires a level of caring and love between partners to create and generate the desired energy that empowers the intent of the act itself.   Establishing A Ritual It is very important to align your energies with the Divine Spirit. This is one of the most important parts of creating a working ritual. There are two steps to this process. Defining your intent. Just using sex in a ritual isn't enough to justify the act. You must have a specific reason and intent for creation magik. Raising energy is especially needed for a rites of Sexual Magik. Partners must take some extra care and time to pull in the Divine forces of the God and Goddess into their own physical being as the first step.   Great reverence is placed on the creation center of the woman. These are the ovaries and womb. Consider using crystals or symbols that empower the energy of this area.   The Tree of Life is one example. The symbol is laid on top of the human body to represent the various energy centers. The Yesod or the moon sphere (the white circle in the center of the Tree of Life), is placed on top of the ovaries of a woman and the testes of the man. Yesod is the sphere of creation and is aligned with the element of water. An element long associated with the flow of life and sexual energy. It's also associated with the root of creativity, creation and thus the essence of life itself where first principles come into being.   Some people like to use a washable marker and draw a symbol of water over the lower abdomen of their partner to represent water, or flow of life. Another idea is to place crystals around the ritual space, be it a bed or floor, aligning the crystals energy with the chakra center that will be placed beside the crystal. You can review the Crystal Chart for more information.   Candles can also be used for this purpose as well. Safely placing the candles around the ritual space, where they will not be touched or accidentally knocked over during the ritual. You can refer to the Candle Magik Basics for more information. Start with Creating your Circle. With your ritual space established, the couple enters the circle together. Standing in the center of the space, say your prayer, set your intent, raise energy and pull in the essence of the God and Goddess. If you've chosen to use a symbol in your ritual, create it and set it's foundation next. The act itself should be one of compassion, gentleness and caring. Through out the act, communication is of the utmost importance in raising your energies. Make sure both are comfortable and at ease with all that is happening. Being uncomfortable will degrade the energy of the working. Consider reciting affirmations that express your feelings and desires of the intent of the ritual as well. At the moment of climax, both partners need to focus their energies on the results of the intent of this ritual. Even something as simple as saying: "To create prosperity for our family, I release the essence of the God or Goddess creation", can set the energy you've created for manifestation. Spend some time laying with each other and visualizing your energy moving out into the ethereal and manifesting your intent. See it being created and becoming reality. Talk about it and share your vision with each other adding to it's energy. As with all rituals it should end with giving thanks. Not just to the Divine force you called into your ritual, but to each other as well. When you're ready, clean up your ritual space.   Sex Magik is not something to be exercised on a whim or without reverence. Because of the personal nature of these rituals, it is something to be approached with great intent, respect and honor for each other. Many spiritual teachers strongly suggest these rituals be held in private between partners. Use your best judgment and communicate fully with each other before engaging in these types of rituals. Make sure it's comfortable for all parties involved to ensure the best creation of energy possible.

Sources: 1, m1, m2, m8, m10, m14, m18, m23, m24, o17, o28, o30 Created: 06.03.2002         Updated: 03.10.2008