The Rising Feminine Energy

"Your whole era, your whole Earth is geared to that at this moment, and that is one of the changes of this New Age. It is called the arising of the Goddess. It is not just in woman, it is also in man."

~ P'taah... Transformation of the Species

At the beginning of every major turning point in human history, a new energy washes over our planet to bring about change. We are now leaving the age of Pisces, which has lasted some 2,160 years. The New Age of Aquarius will take its place for the same period of time.

Slowly but surely, the cosmic influence of Aquarius will usher in harmony, peace, understanding, sharing, and an unprecedented time of love, as we wake up and realize that we are all ONE family.

All of humanity will be affected by this change. Those whose actions are rooted in fear will have a difficult time of it. The days of ego-based thinking are over. This realization may take several generations to sink in, and become a way of life. But it will happen. Cosmic cycles are no accident. God's clock is perfect.

Over the past 50 years or so there has been an unmistakable resurgence of the feminine energy on this planet. It is all around us to wonder about, behold, appreciate, and bring into our way of being. It has been suppressed in women and men for thousands of years. The days of suppression are over. Now, men will cry more because of their greater sensitivity, and women will be honored as equals, as they should be.

What is feminine energy? How will it help to transform this planet? Why will it affect women as well as men?

Each man and woman on this planet has a root gender. It was assigned to us when we lost our ways in the physical pleasures of Earth millions of years ago, as we separated into physical man and physical woman. When that happened, the predominant consciousness or polarity of physical man was masculine, but a small vestige of the feminine principle was given to him well. The reverse holds true for each woman.

Located in the left side of our brain is the masculine force. It is the part of us that is assertive, logical, analytical, doing, controlling, aggressive, striving, projecting, hard, organizing, rushing, thrusting, always pushing us to survive, and has its origin in our minds.

The right side of the brain is feminine or that which is creative, delicate, intuitive, nurturing, receptive, tender, surrendering, synthesizing, integrating, soft, feeling, and the part of us that "knows" without explanation. Its roots reach deep into the heart.

The feminine helps us to "be." This form of energy softens the constant male-driven "doingness" of our lives, which has become part of our misguided and relentless efforts to survive in the material world.

The balance of the male-female polarities within each individual will also help us relax into the knowingness of who we really are. Once we begin to awaken to this knowledge we can then decide who it is we really want to be.

The ancients say that many aeons ago it was the female energy that dominated the masculine for a very long time. Eventually, the scales tipped in favor of the male energy, and we have been experiencing that imbalance and its influence for thousands of years. Now, the two polarities or consciousnesses must be brought together and blended until balanced and equal. The influence of Aquarius will help us do that. To be honest, it will accept nothing less.

During the spring of 2001, I looked out my kitchen window, which overlooks a field belonging to the local school. Young children were playing baseball. There were many young girls playing side by side with the boys, and the boys really enjoyed having them be a part of it. These magnificent, Little Winged Ones know in their young and innocent hearts what's going on with regard to the rising feminine energy. They're much wiser than we realize.

There is a lot of this kind of female-male balancing taking place today all over the world. I often wonder how many people see it as a rise of the Goddess energy that is making such a big impact on the spiritual transformation of the human family, and this magnificent planet.

Today, young fathers are mothering their children; women are stepping forward in sports, industry, politics, business, and the like. Men are creating and expressing with their heart, shedding tears, writing poetry, hugging one another. Women are stepping forward, standing on their own two feet, expressing their feelings, and being heard. It's all melding together on schedule, and speaks to the dawning of the Aquarian Age.

There is no doubt that the birth of the New Age we are entering has been influenced and guided by the emerging feminine energies of some very remarkable women. Eileen Caddy, Shirley MacLaine, Maryanne Williamson, Betty J. Eadie, Carolyn Myss, Jani King, the Peace Pilgrim, Mother Teresa, Jane Roberts, Mary Margaret Moore, Zoev Jho, and many others have given us so much to think about in their inspirational books, and other forms of communication.

Yes, the men have contributed as well by allowing their feminine, creative energies to flow from their souls. It's an amazing time to be alive. And it is not over. It is just the beginning. We're just now getting into Aquarius.

Today is the time for balancing our masculine and feminine energies in order to have fulfilling, romantic partnerships and long term unions with another. It is a part of being in harmony with the Aquarian forces that are lighting the way into the New Age.

The rise in feminine energy will also bring with it the realization that what is important is not "having" but "being." The time has come for us to stop concentrating on the external, material world for our happiness and fulfillment. In its place, the feminine will constantly remind us that we have souls; something we have forgotten for quite some time. And this will surely add to the quality of romantic unions.

Here's what Eileen Caddy, whose remarkable life story was told in her book, "Flight Into Freedom," had to say about the rising feminine energy. Keep in mind that she received many messages and visions from God throughout her lifetime...

"In a vision, I was shown a man and a woman. On the man were the words 'Light, Intellect' and on the woman, 'Love, Intuition.' I saw there was a great friction between them, even hatred and enmity. Then the woman lay submissively on the ground and the man walked all over her, wiping his feet on her.

I heard a voice say: 'Arise, oh woman. Be not subservient to man, for are you not his helpmate? Are you not here to complement each other and so bring unity and harmony and complete oneness?' The man must have heard the voice too, because I saw him kneel down beside the woman and gently pick her up. He removed her filthy garment and put on a pure white one.

Then I saw two great hands take the man and woman and mould them into one lump as if they were made of clay. The hands placed the clay into a potter's wheel and created a most beautifully shaped pot. I watched the pot being placed into the fire of purification. When it was taken out again, it shone brilliantly as the sun. It was so beautiful I knew only God's hands could have created it.

I now saw growing out of the pot blooms of every colour and description. I realised that was what could happen when there was no longer any division between man and woman, light and love, intellect and intuition. There will be everlasting peace and goodwill only when they come together as one."

Finally, the emerging Goddess energy will remind us that our Source is neither male nor female. Rather, our God is the union of all energy in the universe, both feminine and masculine.

Indeed, we are on the brink of an exciting New Age.

SA-ROC "The First Mother"

Link to listen to song


I am the Earth and Water, I am the Full Moon. I am the First Mother, the Universal Womb. They call me Sacred Lotus Wisdom of the kind Supreme. The mother-ship that brought the first terrestrial being. I came from distant plants and now I have returned. I am the great Goddess come to you in human form.

Mysterious by nature, I hold my magic wand, cast my cowrie shells and read them in the dirt I stand on. My power is electric, you fell it in my gate. I will live on when other perish in the end of days. They call it immortal, I move thru space portals. My body turns to dust I trade it for a better model. I am the Shrine keeper, the civilization Teacher, I am the sun's reflection and
the Divine Receiver.

I birthed the last Gaints, now called the Juggernauts, when I designed the trees I made the roots from my natty locs. I am the fertile ground and I am heaven's skies. I'm made of dark matter and full of pure light. I'm just a tiny proton inside the smallest atom. I am a black-hole pulling stars inside my chasm. You think you know me but my name eludes you well. I am your consciousness and I'm your dream-spell. I am but all things yet I am none at all. Enemies fear me but mostly they just respect and awe.


Saroc the mc hails from the southeastern area of Washington DC, a city that’s a mashup of poverty stricken hoods, a strong radical movement, and a fierce loyalty to cultural preservation. This is the cocoon from which Saroc was birthed and bred. A product of Afrikan-centered parents, Saroc developed a rebel mentality from an early age. She grew up on the music of Jimi Hendrix, Gil Scott Heron, and Earth,Wind & Fire. Her musical soundtrack was a klash of sounds, from gogo, to rock, to hip hop. This foundation began an aural quest for different sounds and concepts in music. It wasn’t until 2002, when Saroc met Atlanta producer Sol Messiah, that she began her love affair with the mic. Armed with the lessons and musical genius of Sol Messiah, she developed a sound that was 1 part hood poetry, 2 parts otherworldly, and totally new and fresh. From subject matter ranging from melanin to pyramids, Saroc spits metaphysical ideas over melodic hip hop beats, seeking to fuse knowledge of self with great music. She seeks to create not just a couple of albums, but a full-fledged musical movement. A cultural griot, Saroc intends to reinstate the art of emceeing to its former glory, passing down the legacy 1 sixteen at a time.

Purchase her albums here

The Power of the Divine Feminine

The deep power of the womb is the essential power of creation. It is the divine feminine power that created everything that is.

Mapped within every woman is an access point to the divine creative power. This access point is located behind the position of the physical womb structure in women. It is this point of energy that directs the soul development of a baby while it is in the womb.

However, when enlivened it can also enhance the woman's soul development and power.

Unfortunately most women are unaware of this power point. Further, this power point is wounded within them. Historical attacks upon and subjugation of the feminine have obscured the information and shut down the womb power of women. In addition, personal wounding (sexual attack or abuse, grief, shame and guilt regarding sexuality, miscarriage, abortion, hysterectomy etc.) has robbed this power point of its essential energy.

Once this healing has begun then the womb power literally rewires the energetic within us. This rewiring allows our physical bodies and energy bodies to hold the higher vibratory frequencies that are the divine feminine. When fully rewired our connection to the divine feminine is no longer an external or ephemeral experience-it is us.

As a woman this energy is your birthright!

Womb Cleansing Ritual

For a deeper cleansing of old issues the following full month experience can be used very effectively either with the menstrual cycle (as the moon cycle) or the external moon cycle as the time period. Both menstrual cycle and external moon cycle offer powerful experiences. However, men and menopausal women must do this exercise by using the external moon cycle.

The experience lasts from full moon (or onset of menses) to the next full moon (next menses). If you are engaging external moon cycles then pay attention the aspects of the moon and what particular things that moon affords extra power to address (I like the explanations at shamanicastrology.com which provide a Mayan calendar and interpretation for determining this). In fact, if you find an external moon with properties akin to your issues then this is the strongest effect.

On the full moon (or menses) give an offering to the Mama Quilla (Mother Moon) honoring her power and asking to release the old issues you have identified. Each day till the new moon (or ovulation) you will need to spend some sacred time in the following practice.

1) Begin with prayer or ceremony for connection to the divine.

2) Identify and bring forward the issues emotionally and mentally that you wish to address.

3) Take 100% responsibility for all that it entails. You might think that others abused you or were at fault for that old issue. However key to clearing it is to take your power back and take responsibility. Total responsibility recognizes that everything that has come to you while in the body was the soul's attempt to awaken you. It realizes that you came to earth with energy ready to bring you the experiences you needed to progress. Total responsibility realizes that you have body imprinted with that energy of the soul and of parents and that imprint draws your experience to you. Even if others abused you it was your energy that ultimately drew that out of others to bring to you. You must re-own this energy through taking full responsibility. To do this you must realize the root energy on you (usually some form of unworthiness or lack of self-esteem) that is that imprint upon you. Further, you must acknowledge that this is your energy and that you take full responsibility for what that energy drew to you.

4) Achieve true forgiveness to others involved and toward self for your own less than divine reactions. True forgiveness sees that everyone is an unwitting player in a larger game of illusion. Each is driven by their imprinted energies and responding from their wounds. No one is any better or worse in this grand game. Each person has a divine nature. Forgiveness is the practice of seeing this and becoming non-attached to who did what or why. Further true forgiveness requires the subsequent opening your heart to the situation, self and others.

5) Replay the old situation, events or feelings from your divine self. See yourself back in the old situation or feeling, but this time respond from your highest open heart. Review the situation from your divine self and divine reactions.

To aid this daily practice you may wish to choose a situation in which you feel most divinely connected and can receive hints or messages to help your progress. For example if you feel connected in nature, do the daily experience while taking a walk or sitting in nature. Read the signs of nature as hints (like you would interpret a dream) as to where to go next internally to really address all aspects of the issue you have brought forward.

Your dreams may also be vivid during this time. Use those vivid dreams to identify areas that still need addressing.

Ideally by the time you reach the new moon (or ovulation) you are in the empty state with respect to your issue. This means you have drained all the emotions and are feeling relatively non-attached or in a state of divine reaction and forgiveness when you think of the aspects of the issue. If you don't feel totally clear that is fine. Just accept the level of release you have attained as appropriate. Some people experience feeling empty as depression or loneliness. Be sure not to engage any such interpretation. Feel and know this emptiness as divine.

If you are following your menstrual cycle you have now invested that ovum with all those old issues and you will exit them on the menses. If you are following the moon cycle, know that the emptying of the moon itself is moving those issues out of you.
From the new moon (ovulation) to the next full moon (next menses) is the time of refilling with divine possibility. Each day engage in the following practice.

1) Offer a prayer for the highest possible to enter and fill you.

2) Connect the central axis of your luminous structure all the way through your body and into Earth and Sky.

3) Breath deeply pulling energy from the earth to fill the central axis of your luminous structure.

4) Circulate that energy throughout your triangles.

5) From the top of your head contact a divine source (or source of unconditional love) and breath that energy down into and filling the central luminous axis.

6) Circulate that energy throughout your triangles.

If you are mesa holder do the above exercise while siting inside your spread out mesa. Use your khuyas to aid connection to divine source. Thank your mesa, khuyas and sources after the experience.

Allow for the importation and circulation of energy to reform you. Try to stay without expectations of how that reform will take shape, look like, or feel. By the time the second full moon arrives you should be feeling different from the prior full moon.
Regular engagement of these practices will vastly improve the exit and clearing of old family line issues. As you clear you will find that you are no longer being highly triggered by these issues in daily life. As well you will find that your sexual and numinous dreams increase and violent dreams decrease during mid cycle. All of these are good signs that your menses are beginning to work with you toward the necessary clearing prior to enlightenment.

Women Are Not Just Pretty Faces and Vaginas. Period.

AS A young girl I often wondered what I would become when I grew up. I remember childhood games where we assumed adult roles such as doctors, patients, mamas and papas.

It was fun because we were imitating what we saw around us at that time. Now, it’s all a faded memory.

Today, I am a grown woman, and am shocked, like most women, at the fact that when most men look at me, I somehow get this creepy feeling they only see a vagina and a face. It’s just the drool in their look filled with sexual connotations that creeps up my spine.

No matter how high I have climbed the professional ladder, there is still no way of making sure that I don’t get regarded as a sexual object ever ready to fulfill men’s lustful desires. Let’s face it, for most men, looking at women as if they were merely buttocks, boobs, vaginas and faces is like a pastime that they get away with everyday.

The patriarchal system not only represses women through its culture-traditional practices but through sanctioning men to always perceive women through the lens of sex. That could explain why the pornography industry thrives so much where men’s exploits over women are a key feature. But, I digress.

Honestly, if I had a choice, I would lock up my face, buttocks, boobs and vagina in a secret closet to free myself from the undesired attention that they attract from men. When men ogle at me, I feel stripped to the bone marrow and reduced to a walking thing with my humanity torn apart. And all just because I am a woman living among males who have no sense of shame about how they treat women like pieces of meat to be devoured at any go.

In my opinion, a new age type of harassment that most women do not even regard as a violation of their essential human rights is seriously on the increase especially in professional circles. I think of it as white collar male pervesion. While most men now shun from direct physical violence they’re guilty of stripping women of their dignity with their eyes and other non-verbal cues. Most men feel that they can regard any woman as a potential sex partner to salivate over. Through whistles, winks, stares and other types of non-verbal and non-violent actions, men are getting away with invading women’s private space.

Some common forms of unwanted male attention include:

• edging close, touching or groping mainly in public places
• wolf whistles (which women in some countries consider flattering), hissing, clicking
• overt staring and leering
• untoward affection – an arm around you, a ‘close’ hug, a kiss, a pat on the bum
• personal questions that have sexual innuendos
• inappropriate comments about how you look, what you think, and
• and anything beyond

The feeling of being regarded as a walking vagina and face in spite of my achievements, intelligence, passion and vigor pushed me to an edge that I looked for women with similar experiences. From their stories, it is quite clear that it is very difficult to hold men to account when they treat you as if you are a vagina and face, ready to be taken to bed.

In fact, most women who tried to report on men in the workplace lost their cases because there was no physical abuse, molestation or touching which made the case weak. The unwanted attention from men with clear sexual connotations is regarded as innocuous to warrant any remedial action.

There are many ways to violate a woman’s body, and unless society wakes up, efforts to address gender violence will be in vain.

Take, for example, a friend Lisa (not her real name) told me that her manager approached her desk and licked his lips suggestively.

“I would like to insert my stiffy into your box to get that document I asked for earlier. For you safety, I am clean in case you think I might have a virus,” he said.

Lisa was so dumbstruck and offended, she said, that she just walked away. Later on, she asked him not to speak to her in that manner again. But it only got worse as the manager made weird hand gestures, groping his private parts and telling her that she could have it all. Lisa said that she lodged a complaint with the leadership at her organization, unfortunately, mostly male. She was informed that she did indeed have a pretty face and what else would she expect but to get such comments.

Laws in most countries are silent on unwanted male attention on women. If not confronted by the affected woman, unwanted male attention can seed dire consequences such as rape.

In another example, Tendai (not her real name) also had a manager who offered sexual favours. The manager constantly told Tendai that she had such a pretty face and that she was a full woman whom he would love to handle in his bedroom. It is clear from the comments that he simply regarded Lisa as a vagina and a face to be exploited for purposes of satisfying his sexual ego.

In some cases, even boardroom comments are pregnant with subtle stereotypes. Sadly, it is very difficult to bring such cases to book. However, women need to stand up and face up to these male perverts.

Women are so much more than just a vagina and a pretty face. We are leaders with our own rights. We are human beings with a humanity within us that needs to be respected and honoured. We are not merely vaginas and face put on earth to pleasure men.

About the Author

Glenda Muzenda-Raftopoulos writes widely on gender justice, human rights, women’s rights, democracy, and sexuality, and contributes frequently to both print and online media outlets in Southern Africa. She maintains a blog: www.theWomynSpeak.com. Glenda is a 2010 Human Right Advocate with Columbia University. Email: thewomynspeak@gmail.com

The Sacred Teaching of the White Tigress

A woman who is free in her sexual/sensual nature is SUCCULENT. This succulence is the gift of the feminine to the world and is a woman's most powerful magnetic force.

OUR MISSION STATEMENT:

White Tigress practice is designed to empower a woman to claim her birthright as a sensual, ecstatic, juicy woman.

The core of this training for women has two main principles:

* Every woman innately already KNOWS

* Compassion is result of this practice (cum-passion: the blending of orgasm with love).

Thus the White Tigress emphasizes the listening to one's inner wisdom and guidance above ALL ELSE. Designed for the gentle awakening of the Vital Life Force (Sexual Qi) along with the cultivation of the Sensual Goddess, these simple, yet profound practices are shared in an atmosphere of acceptance, safety and integrity.

If you cannot face directly into your sexuality, You will never discover your true spirituality. Your earthly spirit leads to discovering your heavenly spirit. Look at what created you to discover what will immortalize you.

-White Tigress Manual





The following information is meant to give you a short introduction to an elite sect of Taoist sexual and spiritual practices dating back 3,000 years. Until recently, most of these teachings were kept secret or taught only to a few initiates. In 1986, Hsi Lai, a practicing Taoist and Tai Chi master, began studying with one of the few living female Taoist Immortal in Taiwan. Years of study later, she gave him permission to record and teach this knowledge to westerners. He has since published several books on many of the techniques, philosophies, and healing arts of the ancient Taoists. For anyone interested in a more in-depth study of the information I am about to give, I refer you to The Sexual Teachings of the White Tigress and The Sexual Teachings of the Jade Dragon by Hsi Lai.

The word Tao means "The Way". At it's heart, Taoism presents a harmonious way of living created by balancing the natural forces of "Yin" and "Yang". Yin-Yang is a symbolic representation of universal process that portrays a changing rather than a static picture of reality. All parts of reality as we observe it can be classified under the title of being Yin or Yang.

The harmony and balance of these forces are what Taoists believe create a healthy, fulfilling and peaceful life. A life with these forces out of balance creates disease, chaos, and death.

The writings that were the foundation from which early Taoist practices and philosophy were built came from three sources. Lao Tzu who is said to be the author of The Tao Te Ching, Huang Ti, who wrote The Yellow Emperor=s Internal Medicine Classic, and Ko Hung the author of Pao P’u Tzu. Over the years these writings have been interpreted in many different ways leading to a division of sects, schools and divergent practices. The more traditional schools recognized three distinct practices in Taoism. They are:

1. Internal Alchemy- the process of forming the elixir of immortality.

2. Meditation- the method of achieving tranquility and the Tao.

3. Hygiene Practices- physical restoration methods and yoga.

The White Tigress teachings will bring health, balance and tranquility to a person's life.

From the Tao Te Ching translated

by Stephen Mitchell


Taoists say: "Sex is the reason we are born and it is the reason we die." What they mean by this is that it was sexual energy that gave us life and it is the misuse of sexual energy that causes premature aging, illness, and eventually death.

To understand how to achieve immortality we must look closely at three energies that the Taoist call the Three Treasures. The Three Treasures are our essential life energies that create everything physical, mental, and spiritual.

The first treasure is "Ching" or "Jing". Ching is our sexual and physical energy and is related to P'o or Earth Spirit energy. It's physical manifestation is the sperm, the egg, as well as the whole body. Ching's primordial energy is to motivate us to procreate and be sexual. It is expressed in the blood and sexual fluids of both sexes. The emotional expression for Ching is sensuality and giving.

The second treasure is "Qi" or "Chi". This is our breath and vital energy. We could not live even a moment without Qi. Qi animates the physical body and activates the mental function. It also animates and attracts us to be sexual. The physical expression of Qi is through the orifices of the mouth and penis for men, and mouth and nipples for women. The emotional expression of Qi is passion and kindness.

The third treasure is "Shen", the mind and spirit energy. Shen relates to the Heavenly Spirit or Hun. It has to do with our spiritual existence and creates the consciousness of sexuality. Shen is expressed through the eyes, and this is where the saying "the eyes are the windows of the soul" comes from. Both compassion and wisdom are the emotional expressions of Shen.

A Taoist could not achieve immortality without fortifying these three treasures. Each treasure builds upon the next. Ching is needed to create Qi. Qi is needed to build Shen. In that order. But there is a limit to the amount of Qi (life energy) we have. We are born with a certain amount and when that Qi is used up the body can no longer exist and we die.

Fortunately, Ching (sexual energy) can be cultivated and made stronger. The Taoists found if they could increase their Ching they could restore and revitalize their Qi. When a person's Qi was strong enough it activated Shen (spirit) and illumination of the mind/spirit was attained. For this reason, the conserving and gathering of Ching was of utmost importance to a Taoist seeking longevity and spiritual enlightenment.

So how does a person increase their Ching?

Before we can begin to look at ways to increase sexual energy, we must first look at the ways we loose sexual energy. A woman loses Ching every time she has her period. A man loses his Ching every time he ejaculates. To conserve Ching, a man must decrease (not eliminate) the amount of times he ejaculates and a woman's needs to decrease (not eliminate) her menstrual flow. Some texts on Taoist sexology state that a woman needs to limit her orgasms to conserve her Ching. This perspective comes from a male centered philosophy that has mistakenly treated a woman’s restoration the same way as a man’s. Nothing could be further from the truth. Females Taoists know that orgasms do not deplete a woman's Ching. Rather, by using certain techniques, she can make full use of it's energy to benefit her health and well-being.

Conservation of sexual energy is only one part of the equation. For full physical restoration and revitalization a person needs to do more than just conserve his/her Ching. One must also practice methods to build and cultivate it. The techniques for doing are different for men and women.

Sexually speaking, Taoist view men and women as equal partners. To restore youthfulness and vitality, each must capture in the other what is lacking in themselves. Men tend to be more yang in nature; their sexual energy tends to be more active and external. A woman is more yin in her nature and therefore her sexual energy leans towards receptivity and internal experience. One need only glance at male and female genitalia to find legitimacy in this theory. To restore his sexual vitality a man must seek out yin experiences. For a woman to restore her youthfulness and vitality she must seek out yang energy. It is by looking beyond our inherent natures we find methods and techniques that bring greater longevity and health.

"White Tirgess: Sexual Secrets of China's Female Consorts and Taoist"

Purchase the Book "Sexual Teaching of the White Tigress" here

Ancient Egyptian Sexuality by Caroline Seawright

...Revel in pleasure while your life endures
And deck your head with myrrh. Be richly clad
In white and perfumed linen; like the gods
Anointed be; and never weary grow
In eager quest of what your heard desires -
Do as it prompts you...

-- Lay of the Harpist

Sexuality in ancient Egypt was open, untainted by guilt. Sex was an important part of life - from birth to death and rebirth. Singles and married couples made love. The gods themselves were earthy enough to copulate. The Egyptians even believed in sex in the afterlife. Sex was not taboo... Even the Egyptian religion was filled with tales of adultery, incest, homosexuality and masturbation... with hints of necrophillia! Masculinity and femininity itself were strongly linked with the ability to conceive and bear children...

Marriage

To the ancient Egyptians, the most attractive women tended to be the fertile ones. A women who had children was seen to be more fortunate than ones without. Taking after Isis, the mother goddess of Horus, Egyptian women strove to be intelligent, wise, mystical and mothers. Where her twin sister Nephthys was barren, Isis was fertile.

In the Egyptian community, men had to prove their masculinity by fathering children, while the women had to be able to bear these sons and daughters. Being a mother meant being able to keep her marriage secure and to gain a better position in society.

But an Egyptian family was not just a status symbol - the Egyptians loved their children and were not afraid to show it. But there were some advice to parents, written by scribes:

Do not prefer one of your children above the others; after all, you never know which one of them will be kind to you.

Adultery in Egypt was wrong. Women got the worst punishment for adultery - a man might just be forced into a divorce, but a women could conceivably be killed for that crime. In the Tale of Two Brothers, the adulterous wife was found out, murdered and her body was thrown to the dogs.

Unmarried women, on the other hand, seem to be free to choose partners as they so desire, and enjoy their love life to its fullest.

Itinerant Performers and 'Prostitutes'

The Egyptian sacred 'prostitute' (who was probably a highly regarded as a member of Egyptian society because of her association with different gods or goddesses (such as Bes and Hathor), rather than the street walker that the modern mind imagines) advertised herself through her clothing and make up. Some of these women wore blue faience beaded fish-net dresses. They painted their lips red, and tattooed themselves on the breasts or thighs and even went around totally nude. There is no evidence that these women were paid for these fertility-related acts, so some believe that word 'prostitute' is probably an incorrect term for these women.

Photo taken with kind permission of the Petrie Museum, London

Another idea, pointed out to me by Daniel Kolos, an Egyptologist academically trained at the University of Toronto, is that this premarital sexual activity might be a prerequisite for marriage. One of the theories that disassociates these women from being prostitutes, is that their sexual activity could be part of a "coming-of-age ritual", just as circumcision was one for males. With Egypt's heavy emphasis on fertility as the defining nature of a man or a woman, this idea is a highly likely probability.

Other theories could be that the young virgin girls joined itinerant performing groups - dancers, singers and the like - and during their time with these groups they experienced their first sexual encounters. If a girl became pregnant, she would probably leave the troupe to head home to her family with proof of her fertility. (Motherhood was venerated, giving a woman a much higher status in society, so pregnancy was something to be proud of in ancient Egypt.)

These travelling groups of women were strongly linked with midwifery and childbirth-related deities. The goddesses Isis, Nephthys, Meskhenet and Heqet disguised themselves as itinerant performers, travelling with the god Khnum as their porter. Carrying the sistrum and menat instruments - instruments with sexual overtones - they showed it to Rawoser, the expectant father. Knowing that his wife, Raddjedet, was having a very difficult labour, he told these women - the disguised goddesses - about his wife's troubles, and at their offer of help, he let them in to see her.

These women do not seem to be pay-for-sex prostitutes, instead they seem to be a link with the divine, a helper of expectant mothers and singers, dancers and musicians. This is not to say that there were no pay-for-sex prostitutes in ancient Egypt, it it just that there is little evidence of this found. Considering Egypt's very different image of sexuality, the modern concept of both sexuality and prostitution do not fit this ancient society. Women operated under a totally different cultural imperative than women today, thus ancient Egyptian sexuality must be looked at without modern prejudices. It seems that these female performers, these 'prostitutes', were treated with courtesy and respect, and there seemed to be a well established link between these travelling performers and fertility, childbirth, religion and magic.

(You can read more info on Sacred Whores here)

Contraception

The Egyptians had their own ways and means of getting around the fact that sex produced children. They had both contraceptives and abortions, mostly these were prescriptions that were filled with unpleasant ingredients such as crocodile dung. Here is one of the nicer ones:

Prescription to make a woman cease to become pregnant for one, two or three years: Grind together finely a measure of acacia dates with some honey. Moisten seed-wool with the mixture and insert it in the vagina.

-- Ebers Medical Papyrus

Incest

From the close family relationships in Egyptian mythology and the fact that Egyptians seemed to have no taboo against incest, many have concluded that incest was rife in ancient Egypt.

There were probably some brother and sister marriages, but more likely than not, the siblings in question would have been half-brothers and half-sisters. The problem arises from the limited Egyptian terms of kinship, which are very confusing. A 'father' could refer to the actual father, the grandfather or male ancestors, while 'mother' could be the same, but for the females of the family. 'Sister' could mean a lover, a wife, a mistress or concubine, niece or aunt!

The royal family, on the other hand, did have more incestuous marriages. The royal blood ran through the females, not the males. To become pharaoh, a man had to marry a royal princess... which would be his sister or half-sister.

The prevalence of brother-sister marriages within the New Kingdom royal family, a custom in obvious contrast to contemporary non-royal marriage patters, appears to have been an attempt to reinforce the links between the royal family and the gods who themselves frequently indulged in brother-sister unions.

Ra

Even the gods had sex in ancient Egypt. Ra (in the form of Atem) masturbated his children Shu and Tefnut into existence!

Atem is he who masturbated in Iunu (On, Heliopolis). He took his phallus in his grasp that he might create orgasm by means of it, and so were born the twins Shu and Tefnut.

-- Pyramid Text 1248-49

Nut and Geb

Nut, the goddess of the night sky, and her brother Geb, the god of the earth, were originally thought to be in a constant state of love making. Ra grew angry with his grandchildren, and commanded their father Shu to separate the two lovers. The god of the air took his place, and trampled on the ithyphallic Geb, and lifted Nut high into the air. Nut was found to be pregnant, and was then cursed by Ra - she would never be able to bear her children on any month of the 360 day year. Thoth managed to win a game against Khonsu, god of the moon, and used some of the light of the moon to create five extra days (making the year 365 days). During those days Nut gave birth to her five children - Isis, Osiris, Nephthys, Set and Horus the Elder (not to be confused with Horus, the child of Isis and Osiris).

Nephthys and Osiris

Some tales of sex and the Egyptian gods is on the seamier side - one of the reasons given as to why Set and Osiris hate each other was because of Nephthys, Set's sister-wife. She was barren (she represented the desert, as did Set), and she hit on the plan of disguising herself as Isis and seducing Osiris. Getting Osiris drunk, Nephthys took Osiris to her bed, and the two had drunken sex together. Osiris dropped his garland of melilot flowers in the act of passion. Set found the adulterous goddess and the flowers, and knowing who the flowers belonged to, he began to plan Osiris' death. The child of this union was thought to be Anubis, god of mummification.

Now as the overflowings of the Nile are sometimes very great, and extend to the boundaries of the land, this gave rise to the story of the secret intercourse between Osiris and Nephthys, as the natural consequence of so great an inundation would be the springing up of plants in those parts of the country which were formerly barren.

Isis and Osiris

After his first attempt, Set managed to kill Osiris again and cut up his body into numerous parts. These parts Set spread all over Egypt. Isis, Nephthys and Anubis searched Egypt, and managed to retrieve all of the pieces of the body, except one - Osiris' phallus. Set had dropped the penis into the Nile (making it fertile), where it was eaten by a fish. The god and goddesses pieced Osiris together and created the first mummy. Using her magic, Isis fashioned a replacement for Osiris' missing part, either out of clay, wood or gold, and attached this to her dead husband's body. Through magical spells, life was breathed back into Osiris' body (though some dispute this and believe that Osiris was dead at the time)... The goddess managed to share a time of passion with her husband who impregnating her with their child, Horus. Osiris then passed into the afterlife, becoming god of the dead.

Horus and Set

Then Set said to Horus: "Come, let us have a feast day at my house." And Horus said to him: "I will, I will." Now when evening had come, a bed was prepared for them, and they lay down together. At night, Set let his member become stuff, and he inserted it between the thighs of Horus. And Horus placed his hand between his thighs and caught the semen of Set.

-- Story of Horus and Set

After Osiris' eventual death, while Horus was growing up and planning his own revenge, Set and Horus engaged in a homosexual relationship. In one part of the myth, Set proclaimed to Horus, "How lovely your backside is." Informing his mother Isis about his uncle's ardour, Horus is told to catch Set's semen rather than becoming impregnated by the murderer of his father. Set, in doing so, was planning on humiliating Horus by showing the gods that Horus would be filled with someone else's semen.

Horus and Isis's next plan was to 'impregnate' Set with Horus' semen. His mother spreads powerful unguents on Horus' penis, after which he ejaculated into a jar, and they spread it on some lettuce, a favourite aphrodisiac to the ancient Egyptians. Set then ate the semen-covered lettuce, and so Horus (rather than Set with his first 'attack') bacame sexually dominant over his uncle. Set then asked the gods to bring the semen forth from the 'impregnated' one, to humiliate Osiris' son. The semen comes out of Set himself, and he becomes the laughing stock of the gods!

Hapi

The Egyptian god if the Nile, Hapi, was a masculine deity, given female properties because of the fertility of the Nile river. Without the Nile, there would be no Egypt. Due to the duality of Egyptian thought, there were two Hapi gods - one of Upper Egypt wearing the water lily (lotus) on his head, and one of Lower Egypt wearing papyrus. He was usually depicted as a blue or green coloured man with a protuding belly, carrying libation jugs. He also has full breasts, indicating his ability to nourish Egypt. Despite being a hermaphrodite god, both the northern and southern versions of Hapi were given wives - Nekhbet in Upper Egypt and Wadjet in Lower Egypt.

Min

Lettuce was thought to be the favourite food of the fertility god, Min. He was depicted as a god with an erect penis, wearing a feathered crown and carrying a flail. Lettuce was his sacred plant, and an aphrodisiac to the ancient Egyptians - this particular species of lettuce was tall, straight and secreted a milky substance when pressed!

Another aphrodisiac was the onion. They were forbidden to the priests who had vowed celibacy, for fear that their passion might take over, and that they might desecrate themselves!

Fennel, ginger, pomegranates, coriander in wine and radishes mixed with honey were thought to have aphrodisiac qualities, too.

The water lily was also a symbol of sexuality, as well as immortality and health. It was possibly even a narcotic that the Egyptians used, but it was more likely to be a sexual stimulant.

Some of the more unusual aphrodisiacs included pearls dissolved in a cup of wine, baboon faeces added to aphrodisiac ointments!

Artwork

The Turin Papyrus contains various pictures of sexual activity, perhaps focused on Ramses II and his many wives. It has been theorised that, more likely, it is just the fantasies of an ancient Egyptian who happened to sketch them out on papyrus, or an artwork poking fun at the sexual side of the Egyptian lifestyle. Most of the positions drawn on this papyrus seem to be rather uncomfortable!

Another sexual sketch - this time graffiti - from ancient Egypt shows a woman with a pharaoh's crown, maybe Hatshepsut (1473-1458 BC) engaging in sex with a male that many presume to be Senmut. This sketch has caused many people to believe that Hatshepsut and her favourite courtier were lovers.

From various sources, it seems that the Egyptian preferred method of intercourse were face-to-face or from behind.

References in writing to sexual intercourse between men are as rare as those to sexual intercourse between men and women; the absence of references in writing to sexual intercourse between women reflects the general male bias of the written record. Homosexual intercourse between a king and his general is implied in the fragmentary 'Tale of Neferkara and Sasenet', in the description of secret nocturnal visits by the king to the general, detected by the hero of the tale; although the tale is damaged, it reads as if the nocturnal visits are considered illicit.

-- Sexuality in ancient Egypt, Digital Egypt for Universities

After Life

The Egyptians thought of their afterlives as more of a continuation of life on earth (albeit a better life). This being the case, the Egyptians believed in sex life after death!

Egyptian men had false penises attached to their mummies while Egyptian women had artificial nipples attached. Both would become fully functional in the afterlife, where they were free to engage in sexual intercourse, if they so desired.

There were even fertility dolls in many graves - women with wide, child-bearing hips that were often carrying children in their arms. Other fertility dolls, known as paddle dolls, don't have any legs, and their bodies end in very wide pubic area, with tiny heads and arms.

These dolls show that the Egyptians believed that fertility and sex were interlinked, though the ancient Egyptians quite clearly enjoyed sex in its own right!

A special thanks goes to Daniel Kolos, an academic Egyptologist (MA in Ancient Egyptian Language and Literature, University of Toronto) for suggestions and ideas about ancient Egyptian sexually active unmarried women and the roles they played in ancient Egyptian society.

Who were the Amazons?

The Amazons were a race of warrior women within Ancient Greek civilization. Though their origins remain in dispute, the lands most connected to the Amazons are Libya, Thermiscrya, which is on the Anatolia peninsula of modern day Turkey, and the Black Sea region of Eurasia. Until quite recently archaeological evidence concerning the Amazons has been scant, but highly suggestive that indeed a mythic race of warrior women may have fought along side men with equal status. Yet, such evidence does not follow with the traditional Greek mythic view of the Amazons. The Amazons in Greek myth were an entirely autonomous race, with entirely different customs than that of mainland Greece (or for that matter the Peloponnesus), and their prominent presence within Greek mythology served a very suggestive purpose within Greek myths. This purpose whether to reinforce the status quo, or the patriarchy of classical Greece, lends itself open to interpretation. Thus, there are two views of the Amazons which have taken a prominent place within the research sphere on the Amazons. Namely, up until very recently (in the 1990s) the Amazons were seen only as a mythological phenomena. Only recently has archaeological evidence suggested the existence of the Amazons (and evidence is still being unearthed throughout Eurasia). Taken as either an archaeological phenomena, a myth, or a mixture of both, a picture of the Greek Amazons can be gleaned. The following pages examine the Amazons, in their mythical, cosmological, and archaeological aspects.

Who were the Amazons?

What is known of the actual Amazons within the Aegean is very little, and yet intrigue about a race of dominant warrior women in the bronze age has flourished from ancient times into the present. The obvious question asked by most scholars has been, "who were the Amazons, and did they actually exist?". Research into the Amazons is extremely limited and at times contradictory. There are numerous accounts of the origins of the Amazons, most concurring that the black sea region was their original settlement. To what extent the Amazons settled into the Black Sea region has not been fully ascertained. Some sources say they reached as far south as Libya, some to the Anatolia peninsula, others as far west as the Mongolian region of Eurasia. These accounts are further conflicted by the later Greek accounts of the Amazons. According to the Greek accounts, when the Greeks themselves began to settle into the area of the black sea, they found no Amazons. As a result and to explain this discrepancy, the myth of Hercules and Hippolyte was created to explain their disappearance. According to the myth, Hercules led an expedition through the Amazon land to obtain the girdle of Queen Hippolyte (the queen of the Amazons), during this time he managed to expel and conquer all the Amazons in the district.

Regardless of the myth, modern and ancient scholars remain perplexed by the question of whether the Amazons existed at all. Plutarch, a Greek historian, concluded that the Amazons did not exist as a race of warrior women per se', but were merely women fighting alongside men in battle. Herodotus, another Greek historian, believed that the Amazons did exist within Greece. Other scholars have even ventured that the women were in fact male Persian soldiers who shaved their beards off and dressed as women in battle. These theories and questions have been compounded by the view of Amazons within Greek art. The early depictions of Amazons were similar in style and likeness of Athena, as time progressed Amazons were given the likeness of Artemis. The final depictions of Amazons share slightly Persian features, a likeness (since the Greeks were in constant conflict with Persia) which can be best viewed as anomalous.

Outside of the questions of the Amazon origins, other questions pertaining to Amazons concern their view of men, and if they were a fierce (blood thirsty) people. The Greeks often questioned (as do modern scholars) how the Amazons, a race composed entirely of women, were able to sustain themselves throughout the generations. The most credible theory holds that the Amazons had contact with men from other lands, the Amazons kept the female children born to them, and sent the male children to live with their fathers. As to the Amazons blood thirsty nature, Quintus Smyrnaeus wrote of them during the Trojan Wars:

"In the pure rapture of triumph the Amazons charged, and with anguished groans and shrieks the Greeks perished, their manhood withered by the women from the fierce and untamed northlands. Like Goddesses amidst earth born heroes the Amazons pursued their reeling foes, dashed them down, cut them apart, and, scoffing, tossed them through the air - till the Greek formations dissolved in consternation."

The Amazons by and large were a race of fierce warriors, who on numerous occasions laid siege in Attica, and were even a threat to Athens. What is certain is that the Amazons were formidable fighters which the Greeks feared, but as to the Amazons being blood thirsty the question still remains.

Traits of the Amazons

The Amazons were a race of fierce warrior women. Speculation into their lives and the way they lived has been passed down through generations by myths and legends. Whether they were feared or admired, scholars have looked at the Amazons in one of two ways- as a purely mythological phenomena, or as a mixture of a mythological phenomena with marked archaeological evidence. Only within the past 5 years has archaeological research suggested that the Amazons were not purely a matter of mythology. To understand the Amazons, one must look at them from both view points before formulating a conclusion. The Amazons did exist in a functional mythological context, and recent archaeological evidence has only begun to scratch the surface as to their formal origins.

The Amazons were fierce warrior women. From birth they were brought up to be warriors. Female children in the Amazons tribes were said to have their right breast seared during childhood to facilitate the use of a bow. Their main weapons were the bow, the librys (a double edged axe), and a crescent shaped shield. The Amazons were said to be able to tame and ride horses long before mainland Greece acquired the skill. The ability to ride on horseback gave them an obvious edge in battle and added mobility. Accounts as to the culture and rulership of the Amazons remain sketchy, however some sources say there were two Amazon queens; one who ruled over domestic affairs and one who ruled over battle and warfare. Conquests of the Amazons were throughout Greece, and their legacy of fierceness and triumphs in battle were noted by the Spartan leader Lycurgus as well as many Greeks.

Were Spartan Women Remnants of the Amazons?

Research concerning the Amazons and Spartan women is at best sketchy, however, it is evidenced by many historians that the Amazons did have some elements and influences in common with Sparta. Spartan women had much more political freedom than within other cities such as Athens. A Spartan woman was expected to be fierce and be able to defend her land. This can be exemplified in the goddess Artemis. The patroness of Sparta and of the Amazons, Artemis was the goddess of the wild hunt, protector of animals, protector of women, young girls, and youth, with a connection to adolescence and childbirth (The Amazons in later Hellenistic periods were associated with Dionysus the god of wine, as either his allies of his opponents.). Though the worship of Artemis was common throughout the Greek world, only in Sparta was a warrior spirit and sense of equality allowed to flourish among the upper-class Spartiate men and women.

Was Sparta influenced by Amazon women? If so what are the differences and similarities between the two cultures?

The answer to any of these questions is not entirely clear in that there is a limited amount of information on the Amazons. It is not beyond speculation to say that if the Amazons did exist that they lived largely within a matriarchy (female dominated), rather than in a patriarchy (male dominated) as in Sparta. It is also not unlikely that the Amazons had different ideological concerns than the Spartans. Perhaps the Spartans created their view of women from the stories they heard or from actual meetings with the Amazons? Or perhaps the law giver Lycurgus, who upon hearing tales of the Amazon battles in the Trojan war, was inspired to raise the status of women, and give them the same brisk upbringing as a Spartan male. It is unlikely that the Spartans simply allowed women the right to own and take over their land if their husbands were away at war, and take a second husband if need be, overnight. Such a right on it's own remains contradictory to the rest of Greece, which did not allow women to own land (and also excluded many other rights as well), or in some cases did not allow them to take a second husband if the first died. It is more than likely that the women of Sparta were allowed to own land in times of war, simply because Sparta feared a revolt from the helots, and required strong women to fend off such an attack. In such a case, the reasoning of Plutarch on the Amazons would seem to fit, that the women fought among the men as near equal.

Did the Spartans originate from the Amazons?

No definitive answer can be given, there is a possible influence, but it is unlikely that the two interbred or otherwise, and a limited number of resources leave many questions concerning the Amazons and the Spartans open to interpretation and further research.