The Secret History of Western Sexual Mysticism | Free Book

The Secret History of Western Sexual Mysticism | Free Book

Steven Lv12
Sacred Practices and Spiritual Marriage
Publisher:Inner Traditions/Bear & Company
Published:March 2008
ISBN:9781594779862
Title:The Secret History of Western Sexual Mysticism
Author:Arthur Versluis
Imprint:Destiny Books
Language:English
Number of Pages:176
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.

In The Press

"At rare occasions sober and traditional presentations of commercialized magical activity appears as a counterweight to the occult sentimentalism that often finds its way to publication. Vesluis's masterful presentation of sexual mysticism is one of those rare books that cannot be recommended enough. . . . the landscape he opens is going straight to the nerve of this rich field of enlightenment. Highly recommended."


About the Author

Trained as an architect, Timothy Wyllie (1940-2017) was a graphic artist and writer who, after a near-death experience in 1973, specialized in the study of non-human intelligences, such as angels, ETs, and dolphins. He was the author of several books, including The Return of the Rebel Angels and Awakening of the Watchers.

  • Title: The Secret History of Western Sexual Mysticism | Free Book
  • Author: Steven
  • Created at : 2024-10-23 02:54:55
  • Updated at : 2024-10-26 21:31:01
  • Link: https://novels-ebooks.techidaily.com/95782611-9781594779862-the-secret-history-of-western-sexual-mysticism/
  • License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
On this page
The Secret History of Western Sexual Mysticism | Free Book