Sex, Kaula and brotherhood(s)

Rituals, spells, prayer, meditation and magical acts.
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Nefastos
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Sex, Kaula and brotherhood(s)

Post by Nefastos »

Under the Formulae, the "magical acts" was listed as one topic of discussion. And what would be more magical act of union than sex? The unity of philosophy is the foundation of any brotherhood; and the Philosophy of Unity is the innermost thesis of the Star of Azazel. That leaves us with some very interesting questions concerning sexuality.

Personally, I see erotic love - both in symbolism and in practice - potentially so high a form of occult work that it should be pondered again & again. And this exactly is the reason why I so often have risen against sexual magic as an easy way to work wonders. "Easy" is usually far from the greatest depths and heights of occultism...

In my commentary of the Sermon on the Mount I have pointed out that there is a reason why Right Hand Path mysticism very often prohibits sexual practice. It is because the sexual intercourse actually changes participants' ethero-magnetic currents via the energization of linga sharîra. The first energetic foci ("chakras") are in work here, and if their work isn't harmonized by the unificating principle of the higher ones, chaos ensues. So, making love to someone is actually a seal - actual & physical although unseen - and as such it is an act of magic. A seal can, of course, be broken, but such is not a trivial, everyday choice.

This is a prologue to my point; please feel free to disagree, but personally I am quite convinced. Being in sexual relation to someone really synchronizes you to her or him.

As many might have noticed, right now one of the brotherhood's main points of interest is Tantricism, since three of the seven possible aspect guides of the Star of Azazel have taken tantric approach to their personal occult studies. Now, in the Left Hand Path tantricism, one of the most known practice is openness to sexual experience. So widespread is this approach to tantricism, that I think even today many Westerners first think about sex when tantra is mentioned.

In the tantric practice, the "Family" or kaula is a significant thing. This kaula means not only the circle of keepers of certain tradition, but it is more intimate thing. It's like brotherhood, in the latter term's deep meaning, although it hasn't the English word's regretfully male-emphasising connotation.

You see where I'm coming?

In the older times, I think many secret societies used sexual orgies in order to make a familial link between all the members of the said society. To free their members from artificial guilt concerning sexual taboos in the Right Hand Path orthodoxies was, of course, an important reason too; but I think that this ability of the sexual intercourse to bring together people's linga sharîras (etheric bodies; their own and shared synchronisities) was the most important part of the shared maithuna ritual.

Also, in the Left Hand Path occult circles, there is often much demand on sexual freedom. Strict orders are usually left with Right Hand Path attitudes, whereas in the LHP, freedom is usually see as a high virtue. And in cult-based spirituality it is a common thing for the leaders to take advantage of their disciplines.

Now the problem is, that "freedom" is something we might think having when actually we know not such thing. In sex, this becomes apparent soon enough if we're trying to keep on the parth of ascension; the one of true occult initiations. The way isn't one of simply accepting sex or rejecting it, but the problem is much deeper.

No free sex in encouraged in my books, and neither is it a custom of the brotherhood to share sex life in order to attain "kaula". Rather, brothers and sisters have their own spouses (which more often than not are not brotherhood members themselves), and making commitment to one's sexual partner is usually seen as great practice, because it often uphelds brotherhood's two main virtues of truthfulness and willingness to love unselfishly.

These things might seem self-evident to many, but as true occult practice rarely bases itself on contemporary cultural truisms, I thought it important to discuss these things here.
Faust: "Lo contempla. / Ei muove in tortuosa spire / e s'avvicina lento alla nostra volta. / Oh! se non erro, / orme di foco imprime al suol!"
Nox
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Re: Sex, Kaula and brotherhood(s)

Post by Nox »

When talking about terms and ideas which come from very different mindset on cultural level, I think it is vital (although very difficult) to find the "factor in common"/raison d´etre behind terms alone. I mean the inner idea which outer setting (exoteric doctrine) attemps to communicate. For this reason we must be familiar enough with cultural setting itself, the doctrine we are studying, but also somewhat with ourselves too.

In Hindu context Kaula often means a cult circle in which similar kind of religious experience is the unifying factor between members, instead of traditions, sexes, caste system, professions or other.
For example within many early Kaulas of India the common experience seems to be a cremation ground. No matter what is deity's name, shape or other feature, which someone came to worship, the deity was experienced in constant presence of death and many things which hindus believe to be extremely impure. Therefore all cremation ground tantrics had one, extremely similar vision and experience of existence before their minds and eyes: the cremation ground. And I think that one way to approach Kaula could be this experience, which was probably something so heavily affecting that it seemed to shape their deities, their personalities and such into this kind of intimate spiritual enviroment/ atmosphere. This atmosphere and partaking it is something which I could call Kaula. And Kaula is actually a manifestation of unity of whole existence, which is experienced in a closed circle at first and from there expanded towards life as whole.

This makes me think about that how tantric sacraments or the ways to communicate spiritual Kaula, are actually "lower vehicles" i.e. principles of kama manas, kama and linga sharira understood as a vehicles of attainment and useful as such. For example within Star of Azazel the Kaula could be immanence known as Satan and an attempt to understand ordeal of life linked to that archetype. And Kaula is formed by intensive fraternity shared by members going through such an ordeal, which binds them together and reflects them the overal unity of Work over personal differences. In this approach no drugs or sex is needed; just life and consciouss efford towards understanding and living truthfull life.
obnoxion
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Re: Sex, Kaula and brotherhood(s)

Post by obnoxion »

Nefastos wrote:In the tantric practice, the "Family" or kaula is a significant thing. This kaula means not only the circle of keepers of certain tradition, but it is more intimate thing. It's like brotherhood, in the latter term's deep meaning, although it hasn't the English word's regretfully male-emphasising connotation.
Nefastos wrote:No free sex in encouraged in my books, and neither is it a custom of the brotherhood to share sex life in order to attain "kaula". Rather, brothers and sisters have their own spouses (which more often than not are not brotherhood members themselves), and making commitment to one's sexual partner is usually seen as great practice, because it often uphelds brotherhood's two main virtues of truthfulness and willingness to love unselfishly.
The more one delves into the original Tantras, the easier it becomes to forget how many westerners think of it as some exotic sexual thing. This is usually the last thing in my mind when i am discussing Tantra. Due to almost impenetrable Twilight Language of the Tantras, they seem to imply that to achieve enlightment on must consume excrements and succumb to incest. These are the very symbolisms of the witche's sabbath and the black mass. Quite understandablly we don't find these favourite elements of Tantras mentioned in the Western Tantras, as they propably don't "enhance the sensual pleasure" of the avarage reader.

If we are unable to understand what we read, we can just look at the still living Tantric traditions. In these mostly celibate circles, marital sex is almost as wild as it gets. The great difficulty arises when we have to consider a Left Hand Path tradition and the living ideal of brotherhood of men in one thought. Yet, as I see it, this is one of the main thoughts both in the Tantras and in our Brotherhood.
One day of Brahma has 14 Indras; his life has 54 000 Indras. One day of Vishnu is the lifetime of Brahma. The lifetime of Vishnu is one day of Shiva.
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Seeker666
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Re: Sex, Kaula and brotherhood(s)

Post by Seeker666 »

as a homosexual, are there any texts or sources on tantric practice for homosexual men?
and are there any taboos against homosexuality in The Star of Azazel?
"Eritis sicut Deus, Scientes Bonum et Malum"- Mephistopheles
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Nefastos
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Re: Sex, Kaula and brotherhood(s)

Post by Nefastos »

Seeker666 wrote:as a homosexual, are there any texts or sources on tantric practice for homosexual men?


Most likely there is, although to take sexual tantric practices as manuals to the letter has many problems. As brother Obnoxion has stated, the language used in the mystic tantras is "twilight language", not completely symbolical nor completely realistical. One must find the way between the words to the religious, spiritual, occult experience.

Seeker666 wrote:and are there any taboos against homosexuality in The Star of Azazel?


Absolutely not.

Still, some members (e.g. me) think that it's of great importance in occultism how one deals with his or her sexual energies, so there's always a possibility that different brothers keep different kinds of views what kind of sexual activities are completely neutral & which might have good or bad efffects on one's occult integrity. But such discussions have usually occured only within the inner circle of the esotericists.
Faust: "Lo contempla. / Ei muove in tortuosa spire / e s'avvicina lento alla nostra volta. / Oh! se non erro, / orme di foco imprime al suol!"
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Seeker666
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Re: Sex, Kaula and brotherhood(s)

Post by Seeker666 »

Ah I see. Thank you Frater, I enjoy your answers. Always thought provoking.
On a side note, I very rarely follow anything "to the letter" :D
Thank you again for your reply!
"Eritis sicut Deus, Scientes Bonum et Malum"- Mephistopheles
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