An Essay on Sex and Sex Magick: Liber Conjunctus
/ Liber Two
Sex begins and ends at Conception. For those loving people
who have chosen to so Conceive, the lustful Penetration,
the willing Acceptance has its finale when Sperma conjuncts
Ovum. The Fruit of this Union transforms the relationship
that an individual has with hirself. This is not meant to
imply that Conception is the OBJECT of Sex. While this may
be true in a limited sense, it is also overly simplistic.
Conception is no more the Goal of Sex than Death is the Goal
of Life. While both are transformative events, and, given
enough time and opportunity will surely occur, it is a mistake
to think that either is the only goal of the activity so
performed.
There are exceptions,
however. Suicidal and procreative people do, in fact, exist
and it is their passion which drives the social machine
of our day. Martyrdom and Puritanism are often looked at
as the ideal. Such personally empowering mechanisms as egotism
and Sex Magick are anathemas to all but a few of the general
population.
Yet the exceptions do not make the rule, and in no circumstance
do those whose Goal IS solely conception engage in what is
described here as 'Sex'. Theirs is a mechanical function,
played out amidst repugnance at their intimate comingling
and the horrid perceptions of their forms. To call this 'Sex'
is like calling lying comatose in a hospital bed 'Life'.
It may be functionally true, but the experience is certainly
not related.
When speaking of Sex, it is assumed to be FOUNDED on intimacy
and, between people, begins at the first glimpse, smell,
sound or touch. Our perceptual sphere comes into contact
with a body, which, we tend to assume, is not ours. We develop
some relationship between ourselves and the other. The experience
of that relationship and the subjective results of it are
included in the broadest personal understanding of the term
'Sex'.
The Sexual Act takes place from the first encounter to the
concluding resolution. It is only the formal dance of conjugation
which the unevolved take as its entirety. Since we often
identify with our form, it is no surprise that those who
have not learned to see beyond it take Sex for less than
it truly is.
There is Sex in everything from the crisp salute to the
angry brawl; from the gentle caress to the enraged gunshot;
from the casual handshake to mutual masturbation. From the
impersonal exchange of goods to the ecstatic orgasm, sex
is made of human relations and the experience of these.
It is also the translation of boundaries - psychological
and physical. To the extent that we are unaware or unconcerned
about our relations, so also is Sex no longer meaningful
to us. While we may be hip deep in the throes of coitus,
our insensitivity makes this Supremacy a necrophilic exercise,
whether or not our partner understands our Thanatic state.
Intent determines Sexual meaning, both to those with whom
we engage and to ourselves. When I am open, attracted and
sincere, I have the most to give and to receive. Indeed,
the most potentially moving experience within Sexuality derives
from a willingness to interact honestly.
Magick
This, Will, is the connection between Sex and Magick and
determines how the latter Tool may be used to affect our
Sexuality. Their product, Love, is no different than Will
in essence. It is only the form or expression which distinguishes
One from the Other.
Magick takes
many forms, though its essence remains consistent. Crowley's
definition of it leaves little to be added. "The
Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity
with Will" is vague enough to be inclusive and specific
enough to be meaningful, but how does it relate to Sexuality?
The responses to this question are numerous. Opinions, perspectives,
vary tremendously and most of them contain some truth. The
challenge is really to find some way to meaningfully associate
the two without over- generalizing; to discover useful expressions
that include their complexity while limiting their signification.
To do this it seems best to approach the subject within the
Realms of Sexuality and to examine how the Tool of Magick
may be used in context.
Alternatively one could examine the qualities of the Tool
itself in order to discover its potential, though this seems
overzealous. One does not go around hitting things with a
hammer in order to learn Carpentry. One holds one's tools
in reserve, and, when the task of connecting two boards with
a nail appears necessary, one selects the appropriate Tool
for the Job. Over time the effective tools for each Task
become known.
This is also the case for Magick, which involves the selected
use of intent. Enough has been written about Magick that
we may undertake an examination of the Sexual Realms in which
it may be applied.
Sex Magick
Sex Magick is an intimatic Tool. It must be practiced in
order to be mastered. The details of its form and function
can be studied and memorized. Yet if they are not applied
they will never be comprehended. It is comparable to learning
ABOUT bowling without ever trying it. Putting techniques
into practice is really the object of the study, and refraining
from this is the height of Folly, given means and opportunity.
The Realm of Casual Interaction
We begin at casual interaction. Strangers, business acquaintances,
official contacts and professional services often qualify
here. In many ways this is the practical, formal aspect of
Sexuality.
Magick applied at this level becomes an agent of politics;
a means of securing some desired end, a direct Current, linking
intent with activity. When one functions as a cause of change
in the realm of objects and social systems there is a high
degree of visibility which accompanies this role.
The one who handles the ball most often in a game (i.e.
the pitcher) is more likely to be the focus of notoriety.
The delivery person whom one sees on a daily basis establishes
the tangible relationship between the company and the you,
the Customer.
Thus, Magick in the Realm of Casual Interaction is more
often lauded by the social group which serves as its witness.
This has its difficulties in that the role itself often becomes
highlighted, set in stark contrast to the context in which
it takes place. Those who accept such a position take the
risk of identifying themselves AS the role; of losing themselves
in the character of the Cause, rather than remaining as the
instrument of Cause Itself. This may lead to disempowerment
and disillusion, which has the unfortunate repercussion of
both disappointing the Customer and the added distinction
of being dismissed from the Job (in terms of service).
What IS Magick within this Realm? As we shall see, Magick
is both an inner and outer skill set. With regard to objects
and social systems, Magick is the ability to communicate
effectively and in a timely fashion what one desires. It
is also the ability to respond to fluctuating environments,
while acting as Authority.
Some important elements of Magick here include listening
carefully, knowing how and when to express oneself (some
call this 'tact'), understanding the nature of social systems,
and being physically fit.
The most important element of Sex Magick, however, is not
the rite or vehicle that one uses to achieve the Goal, but
awareness - of oneself and others. This cannot be overstated,
and applies to all Realms of Sexuality. Awareness is really
the intersection of the two. It is the substratum from which
both Sex and Magick derive value.
In social systems one uses one's awareness not only to determine
the nature of the system and the best means of interacting
with it, but also to distinguish the best approach toward
each individual with whom one has dealings.
Regarding the objects and facilitation of service, awareness
of oneself is the key. Both of body and character, self-awareness
allows one to foresee obstacles which would forestall the
ignorant. If nothing else, awareness shows up one's limitations
and provides a signal that aid is necessary in order to achieve
success.
The Realm of Personal Relationships
We proceed to the Realm of Personal Relationships. Common
interests and mutual respect bring people together over an
extended time period. Whether this be in the workplace, at
home, or in the Lodge, the Realm of Personal Relationships
encompasses those contacts which have duration and some depth,
be it mild or extended.
At this level, Magick becomes a Tool for resolving conflict
and discovering inspired cooperation. Those who first attempt
this practice face the same difficulty as those in the World
of Social Systems, in the Casual Interact ion Realm. One
faces the danger of confusing people's ideas about one's
role (i.e. Mother, Worker, Friend, etc.) with oneself.
This relates to how roles have become associated with classes
of people. Women have traditionally cared for home and children,
and it is often assumed that women ARE Caretakers, 'Housewives'.
Immigrants moved into lower-paid positions in the economies
of their new home, and it is often assumed that such people
ARE Servants and Cleaners, 'Blue Collar Workers', and 'Field
Hands'.
Among family and friends this occurs more subtlely. One
hosts a series of parties and it is assumed that one IS a
Social-Hub, a Caterer, a Hostess. One listens to the complaints
of others and it becomes assumed that one IS a Sounding Board.
This is a natural process of association which serves Society
well, yet carries with it a number of pitfalls for the unwary
individual. Besides identifying with the role oneself, one
may be encouraged to over-extend oneself unhealthily. To
others one BECOMES the role of The Source, rather than a
person, with limited resources with which to serve. While
the person lasts it may be a very painful path.
A dynamic of expectation may arise in which failure to perform
the prescribed role may result in social pressure and, in
extremity, ostracization. Personal Relationships are a Dark
Sword of Sharpness, moving in such subtlety as to barely
be noticed. They have the capacity to both fulfill our desires
and keep us seeking fulfillment through our relationships.
Magick is both the ability to perform one's roles without
assuming that they are a lasting element of one's Inner Character,
and the ability to shift roles - to move from one role to
another in both time and environment.
Examples: During the day, the working woman may play the
Dynamic Corporate Executive, who is strong, assertive and
demanding, while at night she is comforting, supportive and
accepting of her children as she shifts to the role of the
Attentive Mother. The ability to shift roles in regular or
irregular periods of time is Magick.
The aspiring fast-food employee may have played the servile,
obedient Checker for years. Suddenly he finds that it is
his turn to play the forceful Supervisor, inspiring conformity
to company standards. The ability to shift positions of psychic
character, based on social roles, cultural and geographic
environments, is also Magick.
What does this have to do with 'Sex Magick'? Well, remember
that every nuance of a personal relationship is loaded with
significance. One is generally unaware of most aspects of
communication. Both the scope of Sexuality and the symbols
of which Magick makes use involve a vast continuum of collective
communications. This continuum may be compared to Jung's
'collective unconscious', within which one may find Adeptship
quite valuable.
In that Sex is much more than penetration, so is Sex Magick
much more than a bodily-oriented rite. It extends, both symbolically
and experientially, to include all of our social exchanges,
this ranging from the powerfully practical to the sublimely
symbolic.
Some important elements of Magick in the Realm of Personal
Relationships include being carefully observant (in order
to perceive subtle communication cues), knowing how another's
position feels and relates to one's own, understanding the
nature of personality, and being emotionally stable.
Again, the most important element is awareness. The dance
between people - whether strangers or lovers - is most enjoyably
entertained by those who know themselves and are willing
to know others.
When speaking of role-shifting, awareness allows one to
know the value of roles, when one is changing roles, and
where oneself ends and the role begins. It also helps to
more precisely define the roles themselves, aiding immeasurably
in conflict resolution.
The Realm of Intimacy
The third Realm of Sexuality includes, yet is not solely
composed of, what is commonly associated with the term 'sex'.
It is the Realm of Intimacy, and it in many ways overlaps
the previous Realms, depending upon one's attitudes and lifestyle.
Intimacy occurs in many dimensions at variable times and
durations. One's life may have no relationships of this sort
or it may be filled with them (both paths, perhaps leading
to what is sometimes called the 'Great Rite'). For some,
a period of time is required in order to grow into intimacy.
For others, shared time is less a factor than is opportunity
for success.
Whether we call them 'Lovers', 'Friends', 'Family' or simply
'Kin', the experience of Intimacy is the Goal of the Sexual
experience toward which awareness propels us.
Magick is the means of enlarging the Realm of Intimacy to
include the other two Realms. It is the Tool by which we
may become intimate with any and all we meet. It is the Unitive
Cause of the release of boundaries.
This can be a fearful practice at first. Imagine living
in one place all your life and then releasing your hold on
it, setting off for uncharted lands. Anything is possible
when Intimacy is embraced, including getting hurt or lost.
Vulnerability is the key to Intimacy, yet one needn't expose
oneself unduly to become vulnerable. The process can be a
very slow and careful one for those with much concern or
fear.
The danger here is a release of boundaries before one is
ready for the experience. One may feel overly exposed and
risk great pain. One may begin to confuse another's boundaries
with one's own and therefore lose sight of one's identity.
Magick in the Realm of Intimacy amounts to an ability to
open oneself to Love. It is the manipulation of personal
boundaries so as to no longer be conceived by them. This
may take the form of adopted structure (e.g. role-playing).
It may simply be the practice of 'letting go'; of acting
without assumed roles. In either case the Goal is the same
- freedom from constraints (those learned and/or imposed).
Important elements of such Magick include being honest,
knowing when to yield and approach, understanding the differences
between social and personal reality, and being intellectually
flexible.
Awareness functions in Intimacy as a means of avoiding the
confusion which often results from shared boundaries. Knowing
where one stops and another begins is very important when
individual problems or persistent patterns arise. Isolating
such factors can lead to a greater understanding of those
with whom one engages and a more balanced perspective about
oneself.
The Realm of Identity
There is one more Realm of Sexuality included here. It is
not often considered Sexual, excepting the occasional Alchemic
or Tantric reference, though it is certainly Sexual in nature.
This Realm is called Identity.
We tend to think of ourselves as a unified, coherent whole,
when in fact we are often no more than a jumble of sensations,
emotions and thoughts, vying for the attention of an anxious
and confused Observer.
The social and personal roles, the shifting, impenetrable
or nonexistent boundaries between ourselves and others, sets
up an environment in which Identity is impossible to coalesce.
Some rigidly adhere to a self-concept, while hope of coming
to any sort of Self-knowledge is constantly shattered for
some by an inability to maintain distinction between oneself
and all else. At the extremes, the former devolve into stagnation,
while the latter are reduced, though constant exposure, to
fragments and shadows.
Regardless of whether we see ourselves as a 'Consciousness',
'Spirit', 'Soul', 'Lifeforce' or 'Body', the 'I' is a psychological
Mystery which defies the best analysis of psychologists and
mystics the world round.
Wherein enter Magick? Magick, at the level of Identity,
involves the translation OF or absorption IN the boundaries
between ourselves and others. It essentially consists of
becoming able to realize the Unity, the Identity of All.
In this sense the Realm of Sexual Identity may overlap the
previous Realms just as the Realm of Sexual Intimacy overlaps
that of Social Structure and Objects. Taken to its greatest
extent, Intimacy LEADS to Identity.
Magick at the level of Identity is a very powerful and therefore
dangerous undertaking. One is likely to find the failure
rate far higher here than in the other Realms. Using the
example of quitting our familiar surroundings, imagine that
one begins to be unable to distinguish the 'familiar' from
the 'unknown', 'home' from 'abroad'. If venturing away from
Home is frightening, just imagine what sort of fear results
from having your Home vanish before your eyes!
Of course it is only the THREAT of this that is troubling.
The actual analogy is better expressed as the House dissolving
and the Universe becoming our Home. This is a difficult thing
to contemplate. Ask a snail or turtle to desert its mobile
home and see how fast it ducks to safety!
Elements important for Magick in the Realm of Identity include
being passionate, knowing oneself completely, understanding
that the difference between success and failure is one we
choose in openness and ignorance, and, being intuitively
skilled.
As always, but especially here, Awareness is crucial. It
is used not only to isolate and absorb fragments of oneself,
but also to distinguish between real and illusory dangers
in the pursuit of self-transformation.
Example: I feel much fear about speaking in front of large
groups of people. I can use this awareness to determine that
there is no physical danger in acting this way (at least
not immediate!). My fear is a reaction to feeling exposed.
Now perhaps my awareness will eventually reveal a time and
place for me to directly challeng my paralyzing fear. As
long as I am convinced that fear will be the only real threat,
then I can use speaking before large groups as a Magical
Act of Identity (a very powerful, scarey one!).
The Great Work
What IS self-translation and how does it relate to 'Sex-Magick'?
This is really the most difficult question of all. The event
is seen in so many ways and from such diverse perspectives
that no answer can be complete. It is given many names, however,
in attempts to convey the gravity and character of the experience.
'Enlightenment', 'awakening', 'realization', 'perfection',
and 'liberation' are just a few.
It is associated with the mystical processes of all religions
and therefore with the goals and ideals set forth by these.
It is perhaps best described here as 'integrity', and involves
the orientation, the coalescence of the individual personality
into a self-transcendant state of perfect awareness.
Many claim that it is as much Cosmological as Psychological,
as much Social as Personal. Yet this is difficult to comprehend.
It is as if all the positives and negatives within some Universal
Formula suddenly found their places and dissolved the entirety.
It is as much associated with some divinity as it is with
humanity, some asserting that it is the intersection or fusion
of these two. In occult circles it is often called the Great
Work, and this phrase carries many meanings.
The integration of the Self may be compared directly to
the uniting of two or more individuals, physically or psychologically.
To the extent that a community forms a social whole without
fragmentary left-overs, so may this comparison become an
Identity. Such an integration begins within one of more individuals
and grows, crystalline-like, extending throughout the fabric
of society.
It is obvious, then, why such an endeavor is considered
'Sex Magick'. The individual, swimming upstream against the
forces of social relations at once penetrates and accepts
a re-orientation which has such lasting effects as to radiate
beyond themself. At once a new 'Order' is Conceived and the
entirety is consumed by a desire to manifest the Child of
Union.
The fact that an individual becomes a catalyst for such
an event makes it Magical, and it is exceedingly difficult
to know which actions, rightly performed, will lead to such
a Supreme Goal.
Indeed, it is said that the Goal is either reached in every
moment or it is never reached at all. Perhaps this relates
to one meaning of Creation:
The continuous copulation of God and Goddess,
which are each and every pair of opposing forces throughout
Universe.
The Great Work, Conception, would appear to be the Universal
Process Itself, catalyzed by the passionate advance and retreat
of the skilled Mage and fructified by the response of Cosmic
Beauty, the First Cause.
Invoke me under my stars! Love is the law, love under will.
Yours fraternally,
Nigris, O'
| Authors
Details: Nigris, O' - Unknown
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