Pagan Paths - Eastern
Sexual Secrets: The Alchemy of Ecstasy
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Sexual Secrets:
The Alchemy of Ecstasy
by Nik Douglas
Penny Slinger Destiny Books
This is a new edition for the 20th anniversary of the book’s original publication. This one is full-color throughout … bright, vivid, even throbbing color you might say. You really want to see these pictures. Just don’t leave the book on the coffeetable before your uptight employer comes over for tea.
So what’s it about? Well, it’s about sex, of course, sex and magic! It’s loosely organized into “Brahma the Creative,” “Shiva the Transcendental,” and “Vishnu the Preserver.” As these titles suggest, most of the content comes from Indian, Tibetan, Japanese, and Chinese sources. Scads of little subsections deliver tidbits of information; it’s not a book to read all at once. It has lots of fun ideas; some of them, most people could enjoy; some of them you might try if you’re into yoga; some of them you can forget about unless you are half-cat, half-octopus. But hey, you can still look at the nifty pictures! There’s everything from photographs of artifacts to reproductions of ancient manuscript illustrations, along with some more contemporary drawings.
In the back of the book there are a whole bunch of goodies: a big glossary of foreign words and specialty terms. See how far you can get reading it out loud before you break down in giggles. Then comes the supplementary glossary of “his and her” terms. You thought you gave your parts a cute name? Listen to these: (his) Ambassador, Faithful Servant, Jade Flute, Wand, Scepter of His Means; (hers) Anemone of Love, Mysterious Valley, Fishpond, Heart of the Peony, Pleasure Field of Heaven. Imagine the fun you could have sitting in Starbucks discussing your sex life, with no one the wiser: “So last night the Ambassador went down to the fishpond . . . ” The bibliography is huge. The generous index should help you find your way around the rather whimsical organization if you want to look up a particular topic.
Sexual Secrets gathers together the best parts from several different traditions of erotic lore. Why restrict yourself to Tantra when you can have it all?
SHEELA ARDRIAN
RATING: 4 Broomsticks
» Originally appeared in newWitch #01
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