The Photography of Elizabeth May

"My focus in photography lies in the strange and the beautiful, and my journey behind the lens began when I was just sixteen-years-old. What started out as a series of self portraits to be sent to far off family members transformed into a method of self-expression. More than a photographer, I consider myself a storyteller." Link



"My photos depict strong women of myth or fragile dolls or dark romances. I don't strive to take 'pretty' pictures, but to create fairytales and dreams and nightmares that touch people on a deep, emotional level."




Deviant Art

Elizabeth May Photography

Integrating Spirituality & Sexuality by Linda Marks

"Take a look at the world around us and it becomes readily apparent that we are living in a time of simultaneous convergence and deconstruction... The gender roles we were raised with have broken down and blurred... As we live with breakdown and deconstruction at so many levels of life, one thread that emerges is a hunger and longing, both spiritual and erotic."

Photo by Allan Penn

"Erotic energy is far more than sexual energy. It is life energy. As our culture has evolved splits between mind and body, head and heart, heart and pelvis and sexuality and spirituality, we have forgotten what it means to be fully alive."

"This backdrop provides fertile soil for an emerging movement working to integrate sexuality and spirituality."

“Sexuality and spirituality have always been joined and interwoven from the very beginning of the human race. It is only in the last 2000 to 3000 years of Western civilization that the two have been separated. And they have not just been separated, but have been seen as antagonistic to each other. The split between sex and spirit came out of the Greek philosophy of dualism, and a dichotomous view of humans as matter/evil/female and spirit/good/rational/male.” Bob Francouer

“When the human psyche reaches the point of convergence and breakthrough into a new level of consciousness,” reflects Francouer, “diversity is the first thing that happens. The energy spreads out and explores all kinds of possibilities. There is no one ideal paradigm nor five ideal paradigms. All the models we have had in the past have real difficulties being applied in today’s world. So people are creating their own models and patterns.”

“One of the things that energized a lot of movements was the common experience of feeling oppressed. A sense of oppression contributed to the emergence of blacks, women and homosexuals. But the oppression of our sexuality is not even recognized because sex is always in front of us. It’s in ads, on TV, in the movies. It is much more subtle oppression. As a result, it hasn’t given us that organizing energy that has created the feminist movement, the civil rights movement and the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community.” Ani Colt

"Existing practices and trainings approach integrating sexuality and spirituality from many different directions. For example, the Human Awareness Institute approaches this work from an emotional and interpersonal direction, giving people skills for deeper intimacy and connection through its Love, Intimacy and Sexuality workshops. Tantric work, on the other hand, approaches the body and its energy field from a rootedness in spiritual philosophy. Sterling community work focuses on distinguishing the differences between male and female energy."

This is a great article on, and introduction to, the field of study into sacred sexuality. It is well researched and contains many resources for further study. It also outlines some of the most prominent paths currently under development.

Link to the Linda Marks' Article

Goddesses Unveiled

"Why is it called Unveiled? Not only are the Goddesses psychically unclothed and in their most natural state. They also reveal themselves emotionally, their passions and intimate facts. Little known sexual secrets will be revealed. The veils of illusion will be lifted to expose a reality free from the conventions of society, a place where the Goddess is again free to reign, in all her splendor and glory!"
"Your websites are absolutely beautiful. You present women and erotica with Goddess femininity, spirituality, openheartedness and in a nurturing way. There is not enough appreciation of t powerful role that women play in our society. You have my deepest respect and love."
Unveiled.net

The Photography of Bruno Bisang

Bruno Bisang was born in 1952 and spent much of his youth in Ascona, a picturesque little town in the Italian speaking part of Switzerland. When he was 19 he attended the School of Applied Arts for Photography in Zurich, wich was followed by a photographic apprenticeship. Since 1979 Bruno Bisang has worked as a freelance photographer, first in Zurich, and then for a time in Milan and Munich. Now he works between Milan, New York, Zurich and Paris for a renowned clientele... Link







www.brunobisang.com

Nika E by Leonardo

The Sacred Whore

"According to the modern day Pagan understanding, some ancient cultures had a class of sacred prostitutes who were, in effect, "stand-ins" for Goddesses, or ritual symbols linking Her invisible divine aspects to the physical world."


"From a modern Pagan point of view, the suppression of sexual diversity and the control of erotic, sensual life is generally seen as a power-play serving the political interests of an elite class; it never has been, and never could be, a playful empowering of the human spirit."

"Those involved in the Qadishti [sacred prostitute] movement are here to help people realize the sacred nature of sex." Link

Temple of the Red Lotus

"The Egyptian Goddess Isis was known, among other things, as the Initiator into the Sexual Mysteries. In some ancient cultures, young people were initiated into the sexual aspects of their lives by priests or priestesses specifically trained for this purpose. Can you imagine how your sex life might be different if you hadn’t had to learn all about sex through the fumblings of your own experimentation?"
Qadishtu blog


Also see our earlier article on the Temple of Ishtar... Link

Binaural Beats

"Listening to binaural beats can increase specific brainwave frequencies. Our brain mimics the frequencies we hear in the binaural beat. If you want to increase your alpha brainwaves, listen to a binaural beat in the alpha range. This is called entrainment or frequency-following response." Link

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binaural_beats

Download Binaural Beats



Mindstormer Article

A word of warning: I am yet to seriously explore binaural beats. If you want to do this I strongly suggest using a programme with a good support system. At first it might be fun and games but as you good deeper you may come in to a crisis of which you will be doing yourself a huge favour to have experienced personnel to guide you through. It is the same with meditation. If you are going to engage in a serious programme I recommend seeking a guide. Obviously it is possible to conduct these practices on your own, but you will progress faster (particularly through rough patches) if you have someone who has already been through the process to guide you.
In the very least do some research and get a feel for other peoples experiences using these programmes.

preterhuman.net

Higher Intellect is a World Wide Web server hosting a searchable database of over 250,000 text files on a variety of subjects. We also host a server running on the Hotline and KDX protocols featuring a vast collection of antique software, obscure operating systems, and open source software.

http://preterhuman.net/texts/religion.occult.new_age/

http://preterhuman.net/texts/sex/

Sexual Sorcery: A Complete Guide To Sex Magick

By Jason Augustus Newcomb

Product Description
In plain, straightforward language, Jason Newcomb, author of 21st Century Mage and The New Hermetics, tackles a subject that many magical texts gloss over or ignore--the practice of sex magick. Sexual Sorcery covers the many aspects of using sex as a sacrament, a ritual, or an expression of diving love. It also provides a plenty of practical information helpful to any modern sorcerer.

Sexual Sorcery includes preliminaries to practice, such as how to broach the subject of sex magick with a partner (or how to find a partner), explanations of sexual technique as well as etiquette and energy, and the value of love in any relationship, especially a sexual relationship incorporating magick. From the base, Sexual Sorcery delves into the various techniques, types, and rituals of sex magick--using magick to enhance sex, ecstatic and mystical experiences during sex, and more esoteric techniques of sexulal invocation, evocation, and alchemy.


About the Author
Jason Augustus Newcomb is a writer and artist who has worked with the powers of the mind and consciousness-altering practices for many years. He gives lectures and workshops across the United States.

LINK

The Secret History of Western Sexual Mysticism by Arthur Versluis

Product Description

The first book to reveal the history of Western sexual mysticism

• Reveals the secret sexual practices that have been used since ancient Greece to achieve mystical union with God

• Details the sects and individuals who transmitted the radical sexual practices that orthodox Christianity never completely silenced

• Distinguishes between sexual magic and sexual mysticism

Beginning with the ancient Greek Mystery traditions, Gnosticism, and the practices in early Christianity, Arthur Versluis uncovers the secret line of Western sexual mysticism that, like the Tantra of the East, seeks transcendence or union with God through sexual practices. Throughout antiquity, and right into the present day, sexuality has played an important, if largely hidden, role in religious traditions and practices. This includes not only Christian but also kabbalistic and hermetic alchemical currents of sexual mysticism, many discussed together here for the first time.

In the Mystery tradition of hieros gamos (sacred marriage) and the Gnostic tradition of spiritual marriage, we see the possibility of divine union in which sexual union is the principal sign or symbol. Key to these practices is the inner or archetypal union of above and below, the intermingling of the revelatory divine world with the mundane earthly one. Versluis shows that these secret currents of sexual mysticism helped fuel the rise of the troubadours and their erotic doctrine, the esoteric teachings of Jacob Böhme in the late 16th century, the 19th-century utopian communities of John Humphrey Noyes and Thomas Lake Harris, the free love movement of the 20th century, and the modern writings of Denis de Rougemont and Alan Watts.
Link

A Sex Magic Primer & Modern Sex Magick

"Sex magic is as old as mankind. Everyone, even in the dullest vanilla relationship, has felt at some time that it's magical, or at least should be. Sex is used by the forces of society (read the forces of stupidity) to make us do anything from buy a certain brand of car to vote in certain ways. If we allow ourselves to be entranced by these prepackaged images of sex -- instead of creating our own magic -- we are slaves." Link

Also, the following book sounds very interesting, although I am yet to get hold of a copy myself. Hopefully I will be able to write a review of it for the temple very soon (should you wish to do so please feel free to add your own review in the comments)


"Master a variety of powerful practices that heighten and amplify magickal energy raised during sexual activity, and discover how to use the energy to transform your magick and your life. This one-of-a-kind book is the first to clearly reveal the secrets of Western sex magick without relying on Tantric theory.

Straightforward and accessible, this illustrated guide to sex magick shows you how to take your magickal rituals and sexual abilities to amazing new levels.• Reveals for the first time the sexual secrets of the Kabalah dating back to the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem• Includes a summary and analysis of the rarest of Crowley's sex magick instructions: "IX? Emblems and Mode of Use"• Shares the powerful secrets of women's little-known erotic areas, including the AFE Zone and the U-Spot• Explores the outer thresholds of sex magick: sensory deprivation, bondage, and beyond."
Amazon

I also found this...
"This book offers a fascinating account of the development of Western sexual magic through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Urban focuses on an extraordinary set of historical figures, and his rich analysis illuminates the sexual - and supernatural - undercurrents that have shaped modernity." - Randall Styers, author of Making Magic: Religion, Magic, and Science in the Modern World


Earlier post on Magia Sexualis

The Art of A. Andrew Gonzalez

"Raised in an artistic family, the tools for creative expression were a familiar part of my world. As a child, drawing gave me playful access to the exciting contents of fantasy and imagination. This playful communion with fantasy would later mature into the creative exploration of the patterns of my soul, and the celebration of the forces of life." Link

Anna AJ by Leonardo @ MetArt.com

Link

Steve Pavlina on Conscious Sexuality

"I’m not suggesting that you need to lower your standards to the absolute minimum. I’m simply suggesting that you take a good, conscious look at your current rules and requirements for having sex, and consider whether they’re helping you or hurting you."

"Your personal experience of sexuality depends on the awareness you bring to it. If your thoughts are rooted in fear and scarcity, your sex life will reflect that. If your thoughts are centered in love and abundance, your sex life will reflect that as well."

"For too long we’ve demonized and repressed our sexual desires. But those sexual desires are there for a reason. If we pursue them consciously, they bring us together, they make us happy, and they even perpetuate our species."

Link

The Art of Marian Fanny Christian

"As the hand of Leonardo da Vinci or Rubens can be seen in my husband Anthony Christian’s classically inspired works, so elements of Bellmer and Haeckel, might occasionally be seen in mine even though I didn't discover those artists until I had been drawing for several years." Link





My first impressions of these works were that the artist possesses a shamanic sense of her subjects, illustrating the aura as well (though not always) the form in her images, and yet always remaining true their essence. Her collaborations with her husbany Anthony Christian are also notable combining the technical accurracy of Anthony in his depictions of the human form, combined with the decorative spirit of Marian's distinctive style.

Magia Sexualis: Sex, Secrecy, and Liberation in Modern Western Esotericism

Journal of the American Academy of Religion 2004 72(3):695-731; doi:10.1093/jaarel/lfh064 © 2004
"Although the forces of Eros and Magic have long been linked in western esoteric traditions, it is really not until the nineteenth century that we see the emergence of a large and sophisticated body of literature on the art of sexual magic..." Hugh B. Urban

Annie Sprinkle on Sex Addiction

"When I take the Sexual Addiction Screening Test (S.A.S.T.) it tells me that I am 96% likely to be a “sex addict”. The test consists of a list of simple questions found in the book. Contrary to Love, one of the bibles of the ‘sex addiction movement’. This book written by Patrick Carnes Ph.D., published in 1989, popularized the concept of ‘sex addiction’, and made it a household term."
Addictionologists say that a sex addict ‘uses sex to lift moods, to seek validation, to soothe feelings of loneliness, for intrigue and adventure, to go into altered states of consciousness…” Perhaps, in fact, these are perfectly valid reasons to have sex....Link

The Art of Anthony Christian

“Anthony Christian is a new world’s child who makes old world portraits with a precocious facility about which he is extremely and passionately prickly and proud…” Vogue Magazine...Link

Photography of Aleksey & Marina

"Aleksey Kozlov and Marina Khlebnikova are a dynamic photography duo from Russia. They specialize in both photography and "photo painting" digital techniques. Their work is gorgeous, well thought out, and edgy without crossing the line." From Tasteful Art Nude


Wow... These works are truely amazing, they capture the divine in the female form perfectly. Powerful and erotic images with no hint of sleese. It is all very tasteful. Some reminds me of the paintings and illustrations of Luis Royo but other works are more reminesent of the more creative end fashion photography... Link






Aleskey & Marina

Sensual Liberation Army Blog

"Sensual Liberation Army... was brought into the online world in late 2000 as a guerilla marketing exercise designed by Dr. Menlo to divert some of the sizeable online adult traffic away onto progressive sites." Link


LUSI A BY LEOCONT (originally from Metart)

Porn 'more acceptable' than pirated videos: survey

from the New Zealand Herald:

A survey conducted of 1000 New Zealanders sheds some interesting light on the current state of attitudes to pornography and the gender differences in response to it. It's kind of sad that the results of this poll indicate that there is still a huge gap in attitudes between women & men in relation to celebrating sexuality in this format - I hate to think on the amount of conflict it causes behind closed doors.

"The survey showed up substantial gender differences. Fifty-six per cent of men thought that it was acceptable for a single person to view pornography online, compared with 26 per cent of women."

Another point looked at was the notion of secrecy in relationships in regard to porn viewing. I am quite amazed at the low percentage of people who think that exploring sexuality solo, in their own time without their spouse, is a bad thing. I believe open communication about this enriches and strengthens a relationship, however, I don't believe one should harbour guilt over viewing porn independently.

"Similarly, 31 per cent of men were comfortable with married people viewing pornography online without the knowledge of their spouses, compared with just 10 per cent of women."

To me, this survey highlights a general insecurity in our culture and a fear of what others may think when discovering that people actually enjoy sexual content! It also implies to me that most people in relationships do not have healthy and honest communication about this topic.

Despite this article being based on morality in relation to one media versus another, to me it is much more than that. Porn SHOULD be more acceptable than pirated media, however, in a relative sense it still seems to remain a rather taboo subject that is viewed as, on the whole, morally unacceptable.

Horror House - horror movie blog

This site is a Horror-Mecca. An abundence of retro-cult hard to find Horror films... Link



*I include horror in my entries because of the religious and occult themes that they often deal with, however accurate these portrayals may be.