Eros and the Mysteries of Love  

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"From this psychic seed spring the incubi which oppress women and the succubi which attack men."29 This is what the Germans called the Alpminne in the Middle Ages. Paracelsus was alluding here in a cryptic language to the ..."


"The term "metaphysics" in the title of this book needs to be defined, for it will be used here with two distinct meanings. The first is commonly employed in philosophy, where metaphysics is understood as the search for first principles and fundamental meanings. The metaphysics of sex will therefore be the study of what from an absolute point of view is signified by the sexes and their interaction. There has been little precedence for this kind of research. After mentioning Plato and leaving aside certain hints found in mystical writings of the Renaissance — and also ignoring the theories of Boehme and some heterodox mystics influenced by him, up to and including Franz von Baader — only with Schopenhauer do we find a precursor. After him, we can only cite Weininger and, to a certain extent, Berdyaev and Klages. In the modern era and above all in our own day, studies of the problem of the sexes from anthropological, biological, sociological, eugenic, and psychoanalytic points of view have multiplied endemically; in fact, a neologism, "sexology," has been created to label research of this kind. But none of this has any relation to the metaphysics of sex. In this field, as in every other, our contemporaries have shown no interest in the search for ultimate meanings, or if they have, the search has appeared inconclusive and uninteresting; rather, they have thought to attain more important and serious knowledge by keeping to an empirical and more strictly human level, whenever their attention has not been focused on the pathological by-products of sex." --Eros and the Mysteries of Love

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Eros and the Mysteries of Love: The Metaphysics of Sex is Julius Evola's work expanding on his ideas about sexuality described in his major work Revolt Against the Modern World, published in 1958 (English translation by Inner Traditions International, 1991).

Contents

Summary

Evola sets out in this book to investigate the metaphysics of sex. He uses the term “metaphysics” in two ways. First, metaphysics means the “first principles” of a thing. Second, metaphysics means the “science that goes beyond the physical” (from the Introduction).

Sex in the Modern Era

Evola argues that sexuality in the modern age has become depraved. His primary reference for this conclusion is the state of research on sex. He criticizes biological, sociological, psychological and sexological approaches to understanding sexuality as essentially shallow. Each discipline focuses on only one aspect, a lower aspect, of sexuality. Biologically deterministic arguments about sex -- that sexuality can be explained by the need to reproduce -- come under especially harsh criticism. Evola argues that the need to reproduce is one of the lowest aspects of and is in fact tangential to sexuality. He criticizes sexologists and investigators of sexuality from other disciplines for starting with lower, easier to understand aspects of sexuality (ie: reproduction) and deducing the higher aspects, the first principles, from them. Evola seeks instead to explain sexuality starting from first principles.

The Metaphysics of Sex

Evola sets out to deduce the first principles of sexuality. His starting point is Plato’s ‘’Symposium’’ and the myth of the hermaphrodite. A myth in which mankind, in its pure form is a “hermaphroditic” form and was only later divided into two sexes, as the result of a fall (the Fall in the Judeo-Christian tradition, for example). Sex, then, is the attempt to reunite man and woman into “one flesh” (‘’Genesis 2:23-2’’). Sexuality, however, is not a “purely” spiritual act. Instead, the sexual act brings the spirit and the body closer together in order to attain unity. Evola, therefore, criticizes theories which overemphasize love and beauty to the extent that the physical side of sexuality is excluded or even found profane. He criticizes the ideal of platonic love in this way. A final myth which Evola explores is that of the birth of Eros to Poros and Penia, which, Evola argues, makes the point that Eros is the product at once of rationality and irrationality, being and emptiness. Thus sex has the ability to make one both (either) full and (or) empty. It is both the unity of man and woman and the driving force behind the never sated impulse to procreate.

Transcendental Aspects of Profane Love

Drawing on numerous literary and mythological sources, Evola describes the manifestations of the transcendental state described in Part One in what he calls “Profane” love. Profane love is love (and sex) which does not have transcendency or unity as its object. This obviously includes sex for pleasure, but also sex for love. Evola describes how the language of lovers implicitly includes references to the transcendental. In other ways too, modern manifestations of love show their roots in the divine, transcendental metaphysics of sex. Perhaps the most important of these is the way that lovers use references to death during courtship (as well as coitus). For example, saying “I would die without you” or referring to the orgasm as the “little death.” This language refers back to the contradiction in the myth of Poros and Pennia, in which sex is both life and death and therefore hints at the true nature of eros.

Man and Woman

In this section Evola describes the archetypes of absolute man and woman according to his traditional outlook. Man is represented by the sky, godliness, and form. Woman is represented by the earth and the waters, nature, and matter. Perhaps the two most important analogies are those of form and matter. The male principle is active and abstract, and (especially during copulation) gives form to the concrete and passive matter that is woman. Evola goes into considerable detail describing basic characteristics of the absolute male and absolute female that these paradigms encompass and their effects on relations between the sexes. Evola is careful to point out that all men and all women contain aspects of the absolute woman and man. Contrary to modern theory, however, Evola casts this as the failure of individual men and women to embody their divine character and as a result of the fall. Evola further argues that the “true difference between the natures of man and woman in no way implies a difference of worth” -- in other words that which is divine in woman is profane in man and vice versa, but is, in fact, divine in its proper place.

Transcendent Sexuality

The second half of the book is devoted to historical examples of the kind of transcendental sexuality Evola describes in the first half. He considers Tantric sexuality, chastity as a means of transforming the sexual drive into higher forms, and pagan orgiastic rites among others. The Table of Contents below provides a good summary of the topics he broaches.

Table of Contents

  • Introduction

I. Eros and Sexual Love

The Evolutionary Prejudice - Love and Sex - Eros and the Instinct for Reproduction - The Myth and Genius of the Species - Eros and the Tendencey toward Pleasure - Sensual Pleasure - The Magnetic Theory of Love - The Degrees of Sexual Development - Physical Sex and Inner Sex - Conditional Nature and Forms of Erotic Attraction

II. The Metaphysics of Sex

The Myth of the Hermaphrodite - Eros and the Various Degrees of Intoxication with It - The Biological Treatment and the Fall of Eros - Aphrodite Urania; Eros and Beauty - Lust and the Myth of Poros and Penia - Appendix - Homosexuality

III. Phenomena of Transcendency in Profane Love

Sex and Human Values- "Everlasting Love," Jealousy, and Sexual Pride - Phenomena of Transcendency in Puberty - Love, the Heart, Dreams, and Death - The Love-Pain-Death Complex - Sensual Pleasure and Suffering: The Masochist-Sadist Complex - Erotic Ecstasy and Mystic Ecstasy - The Experience of Coitus - The Metaphysics of Modesty - The Meaning of the Orgy - Appendix: Marquis de Sade and the "Way of the Left Hand" - Rasputin and the Sect of the Khlysti

IV. Gods and Goddesses, Men and Women

Mythology, Ontology, and Psychology - The Metaphysical Dyad - Demeter Archetypes and Aphrodite Archetypes, the Virgin, and Ultimate Nakedness - Typical Differentations of Manhood in Myth - Man and Female in Manifestation - On the Daemonic in the Feminine and the Symbolism of the Inverted Coitus - The Phallus and Menstruation - Male and Female Psychology - Woman as Mother and Woman as Lover - Pity, Sexuality, and Cruelty in Woman - The Fascination of Woman and Activity and Passivity in Sexual Love - The Ethics of the Sexes

V. Sacred Ceremonies and Evocations

Wedlock as "Mystery" in the World of Tradition - Christianity and Sexuality - Sacred Prostitution and Holy Marriages - Incubus and Succubus; Fetishism and Evocatory Processes - Evocation Processes in the Chivalrous Love of the Middle Ages - The Initiatory Experiences of the Worshippers of Love - Appendix; The Meaning of the Sabbat and the Black Mass - The Doctrine of the Hermaphrodite in the Christian Mysticism

VI. Sex in the Realm of Initiations and Magic

Transmutations and the Commandment of Chastity - The Techniques of Endogenous Transmutation in Kundalini-Yoga and Taoism - Sex in the Kabbala and Eleusinian Mysteries - Tantric Sexual Practices - Tantric Sexual Practices and Their Dangers - Secret Sexual Practices in Chinese Taoism - Arab Sexual Practices and Hermetic Symbology - The Myriam and the "Fire Magic" - The "Light of Sex" and the "Law of Telema" - The Presuppositions of Operative Sexual Magic
  • Conclusion
  • Notes
  • Index

References

Index

Activity, and passivity, in sexual

love, 162-169 Adam and Eve, 138-139 Albedo, 2S7 Algolagnia, 87-88 Alpminne, 187 Amoroli-mudra y 237 Ananga Ranga, 194 Afiasuramete, 228 Anasurma, 102, 126 Aphrodite, 129, 133; archetypes,

127-130 Aphrodite Pandemia, 62 Aphrodite Teleia, 175 Aphrodite Urania, 54-57, 62 Apollo, 134 Apsarases, 104

Arab sexual practices, and hermetic symbology, 253-258 Ardvi, 126 Arkkai, 125 Aromal body, 29-30 Aropa,231,236,261,265 Arsamatidi, 18-19 Ars amatoria, 182,235 Artemis, 130 Asana, 223, 270 Astaroth, 209 Astarte, 128, 129 Astral light, and exaltation, 26- 27

Atman, 44, 91, 151 Ayesha, 138 Ayn el-qalb, 78

BahirmukhL 123 Baqa, 255

Barakah, 88, 253-254 Beauty, and eros, 54-57 Bcghards, 179, 229


Belly dance, 95-96 Bhagavad-Gita, 109, 112 Biological finalism, 17 Bisexuals, 65

Black Mass, and Sabbat, 202- 209

Black Opera, 257 Brahma, 108, 110 Brahmacharya, 218 Brothers of the Free Spirit, 46, 179,229,255

Chakra, 268

Chakreshvara, 268

Chandali, 242

Chang-k'i chen-chu y 250

Ch'ang-sheng, 246

Chastity, commandment, and

transmutations, 216-219 Chinese Taoism. See Taoism Chin kuan, 224 Chit-shakti, 122

Christianity, and sexuality, 177- 181

Christian mysticism,

hermaphrodite in, 210-215 Coagula, 256

Coitus: experience of, 90-96;

inverted, symbolism, 140-145 Coup de joudre, 37, 189, 191,

195, 201 Crowley, Aleister, 46, 264-267 Cruelty, in women, 160-162 Cybele, 130

Daemonic, in feminine, 140-145 Dakiniy 230

Dakshinachara, 111, 112 Dancing, and ecstasy, 90 Death, and love, heart, and dreams, 77-80


Decretism, 269 Deianeira, 243

Demeter, archetypes, 125-127

Dcvadasi, 182

Devotio, 129

Digambara, 134

Dignitas matrimonii, 173

Dohakosha, 239

Dolores, 161

Dominicans of Saint Catherine,

Convent at Prato, 180 Dragon, and tiger, 248-249 Dreams: and love, heart, and

death, 77-80; orgasm in, 20 Duhrah, 124

Durga, 128, 129, 130, 164-165, 230

Dvandvatita, 228

Ecstasy, erotic and mystic, 89-90 Elcusinian mysteries, 79; sex in,

225-228 Eliade, 104

Elisabeth of Genton, 89

Eros: and beauty, 54-57; biological treatment and fall of, 49-54; and instinct of reproduction, 12-15; intoxication with, 46-49; and tendency toward pleasure, 18- 19

Erotic attraction, and

conditional nature, 35-41 Erotic ecstasy, and mystic, 89-90 Ethics, of sexes, 169-171 Eulis Brotherhood, 268 Eunuchs, 35; sexual desire in, 20 Evocation: in chivalrous love of

Middle Ages, 191-195; and

fetishism, 186-191 Exaltation, and astral light, 26-

27


Excessus, 221

Excessus mentis, 200, 241

Fana, 255

Fang-chong-cfie-fa, 247-248 Fang-pi-shu, 79 Fat'hu-l-qalbylZ Female and male: in

manifestation, 135-140;

psychology, 150-156 Feminine, daemonic in, 140-145 Fetishism, and evocation, 186-

191

Finalism, biological, 17 Fire magic, and Myriam, 258- 261

Frank, Jokob, 46, 226 Fravashi, 129

Ganga, 127 Geltungstrieb, 72

Genius, 173-174; myth of, 15-19 Grihadevala, 174 Guna, 238

H athayogapradipika , 2 34 Hathor, 79, 85

Heart, love, dreams, and death,

77-80 Hebe, 133,243 Hebephrenia, 74, 76, 242 Heracles, 133-134, 243 Hermaphrodite: in Christian

mysticism, 210-215; myth of,

42-46

Hermetic Brotherhood of

Luxor, 268 Hermetic symbology, and Arab

sexual practices, 253-258 Heruka, 134

Hieros gamos , 79 , 175, 183


Holy Ghost, 124-125 Homosexuality, 62-66 Hormone intoxication, 21 Hsing, 224 Havareno, 124

Ianua Coeli, 262 IChing, 121,248 Iconic memory, 202-203 1 da ,220, 238' Incest, 143, 257

Incubus, and succubus, 186-191 Initiates' mania, 47 Inner sex, and physical sex, 32- 35

Intoxication: with eros, 46-49; hormone, 21

Ishtar, 128, 129

Jealously, everlasting love, and sexual pride, 70-73

Kabbala, sex in, 225-228 Kahna, 234

Kali, 122, 128, 129, 130 Kali Yuga, 229 Kama, 134, 233 Kama-marga, 230 Kamarupini, 123 Kamasutra, 92, 144-145, 183 Kamini, 156, 165 Khechari-mudra, 234 Khlysti, 79, 180-181; and

Rasputin, 112-114 Krishna, 116,237, 240 Krishna kumari, 129 Kuei, 224 Kula, 229

Kundahni, 95, 220-221, 236, 242-243, 245


Kundalini-yoga, endogenous transmutation in, 219-225

Lakshmi, 186 Lalana, 238

Lata-sadhana, 111, 145, 233 Lata-veshtitaka, 145, 233 Lectus genialis, 173 Lesbians, 63

Light: astral, and exaltation, 26- 27; and law of Telema, 261- 267

Lingam, 146, 184,221

Love: chivalrous, and evocation, 191-195; everlasting, and jealousy and sexual pride, 70- 73; and heart, dreams, and death, 77-80; magnetic theory, 22-27; mania, 47; and sex, 10-12; sexual, activity and passivity in, 162-169

Love-pain-death complex, 80-83

Lust, and myth of Poros and Penia, 57-62

Mag, 259

Magnetic theorv, of love, 22-27 Mahasukha, 241, 244, 254 Mahasukha-kaya, 241 Maitumas, festival of Waters, 104

Male and female: in

manifestation, 135-140;

psychology, 150-156 Malleus maleficarum, 163 Mana, 117, 126, 149, 150,238 Mandala, 183

Manhood, differentiations in

myth, 132-135 Manias, favorable, 47 Mara, 241


Marriages, holy, and sacred

prostitution, 181-186 Masochist-sadist complex, 83-89 Maya-shakti, 122-123, 162 Memory, iconic, 202-203 Menstruation, and phallus, 145-

150

Metaphysical dyad, 117-125 Ming y 224

Modesty, metaphysics of, 96- 102

Mors justiy 266 Mors osculi, 196

Mudra, 182, 231, 237, 239, 241, 270

Myriam, and fire magic, 258-261 Mysterium conjwictionis, 131 Mysterium transformationist 183 Mystic ecstasy, and erotic, 89-90 Mysticism, Christian,

hermaphrodite in, 210-215 Mythology, ontology, and

psychology, 115-117

Naglowska, Maria de, 261-263 Nahash, 132

Nakedness, ultimate, and

virgin, 130-132 Naturalism, 12-13 Nature, conditional, and erotic

attraction, 35-41 Nessus' cloak, 243-244 Nigredo, 257 Nivritti-marga, 110-111 Novalis,80,81,84,93,94, 110 Nubkah, 124 Nut, 143-144 Nyasa, 231 Nyctelia, 79

Ojas,218,219, 220


Ontology, mythology, and

psychology, 115-117 Opera, 256 Opus alchemic urn , 257 Opus transformations, 258 Ordo Tcmpli Orientis (OTO),

265,266 Orestes, 134

Orgy, 48; meaning of, 102-105 Ortlibians, 229 Osculum sub cauda, 207 0$ sacrum, 208 Ovid, 69

Padma, 184, 242 Panchatattva, 11 1 Parakiya, 232 Parvati, 134 Parzifal, 46

Passivity, and activity, in sexual

love, 162-169 Pazzi, Maria Maddalena dei, 89 Pederasty, 62-63,65 Penia and Poros, myth of, 57-62 Phallus, and menstruation, 145-

150

Physical sex, and inner sex, 32-

35 Pin, 26

Pingala, 220, 238

Pity, in women, 160-162

Pleasure: eros and tendency and

toward, 18-19; sensual, 19-22;

and suffering, 83-89 Poetic mania, 47 Poros and Penia, myth of, 57-62 Porta ermetica, 259 Posism, 269 Prajna, 241,242 Prakriti, 121-122, 123, 131, 144,

175, 230


Pravritti-marga, 110-111, 135 Prophetic mania, 47 Prostitution, sacred, and holy

marriages, 181-186 Psychology-: male and female,

150-156; mythology,

ontology, and, 115-117 Pubertv, transcendency in, 73-

77

Purusha, 121-122, 175 Purushamatra sambandhibhik,

141 Pyr, 259

Radha, 116,237, 240 Rajas, 220, 236, 237, 238-239, 240

Randolph, Pascal Beverly, 268-

272 Raptus, 91 Rasana, 238 Rasavadana, 49

Rasputin, and sect of Khlysti,

112-114 Rebis, 256, 257 Red Opera, 200, 257 Reproduction, instinct, and

eros, 12-15 Rubedo, 257 Rumi, 90

Sabbat, and Black Mass, 202-

209 Sacrum, 126

Sade, Marquis dc, and Way of

the Left Hand, 105-112 Sadharani, 233

Sadism, 105-112; and

masochism, 83-89 Sahaja, 242, 245 Sahaja-sukha, 237, 263


Samadhi, 241 Samanjasa, 233 Samanya rati, 232 Samarasa, 87, 236, 239 Samartha, 233 Samsara, 141, 241 Samskara, 36, 37, 174 Sattva, 220

Scotus Eriugena, 139-140, 267 Second wedding, rite of, 262 Sekhmet, 129-130 Sensual pleasure, 19-22; and

suffering, 83-89 Sex: evolutionary prejudice, 9-

10; and human values, 67-70;

in Kabbala and Eleusinian

mysteries, 225-228; light of,

261-267; and love, 10-12;

physical and inner, 32-35; in

world today, 6-8 Sexes, ethics, of, 169-171 Sexual development, degree of,

27-32

Sexuality: and Christianity, 177- 181; in woman, 160-162

Sexual love, activity and passivity in, 162-169

Sexual magic, operative, 267- 272

Sexual practices: Arab, and hermetic symbology, 253-258; secret, in Chinese Taoism, 245-253; Tantric, 228-234; Tantric, and dangers, 234-245

Sexual pride, everlasting love, and jealousy, 70-73

Shakti, 116, 122, 123, 136, 144, 221,229, 230,237, 241,242

Sheikh of the Mountain, 229

Shekhinah, 124, 137,258

Shing-mu, 128


Shiva, 108, 111, 116, 122, 123.

134, 146, 221,230,237, 242 Shiva-shakti, 122 Shukra, 236 Siddha, 111,243 Siddha-vira> 233 Sivananda Sarasvati, 218 Skoptzi, 113 Sky-Earth dyad, 120 Sophia, 125, 137,211, 212 Subha$hiia-samgrapha> 234 Succubus, and incubus, 186-191 Suffering, and sensual pleasure,

83-89 Sukha, 236 Sulfur, 256 Su-niu, dung, 250 Sura, 132

Sushumna, 221,222 Svadhanna, 1 1 1 Svalnyi grech, 113 Svarupa, 231 Svechchhaehari, 1 1 1 Sybolism, in inverted coitus, 140-145

Sybology, hermetic, and Arab

sexual practices, 253-258 Symbolon, 31

Tai-chi, 135, 224

Tantric sexual practices, 228-

234; and dangers, 234-245 Taoism: Chinese: secret sexual

practices in, 245-253;

endogenous transmutation in,

219-225 Fasts, 255 Tejas, 239, 252 Telema,lawof, 261-267 Telete, 47-48 Templars, 193


Theotokos, 258

Tiger, and dragon, 248-249

Tiroclerism, 270

Todestrieb, 84

Transmutations: and

commandment of chastity, 216-219; endogenous, in kundalini-yoga and Taoism, 219-225

Tsing, 23, 24

Tsri, 23

Upanishads,91,249 Upaya, 242 Urdhvaretas, 218 Ursulines Convent at Loudun, 187

Vajna, 174 Vajra, 242, 244, 269 Vajrayana, 229, 234, 238, 241 Valkyrie, 129

Values, human, and sex, 67-70 Varna, 111 Vamachara, 109, 111 Vampirism, psychic, 249 Varunani, 131 Vasana, 36 Veshya kumarika, 232 Viparita-maithuna, 122, 144- 145, 168

Virgin: defloration, 88-89; and ultimate nakedness, 130-132

Virya, 141, 146, 168, 219, 222, 225,234, 238,271

Vishesha rati, 231

Vishnu, 108, 110-111

Volancie, 269

Vrishadhirudhaka, 233

Waters, 103-104, 119, 126-128


Way of the Left Hand, 46, 109, 111-112, 136, 228; and Marquis de Sadc, 105-112

Way of the Right Hand, 111,112

Wedding, second, rite of, 262

Wedlock, as mystery in world of tradition, 173-177

White Opera, 257

Witchcraft, 162-163

Woman: fascination of, 162; in manifestation, 135-140; as mother and as lover, 156-160; pity, sexuality, and cruelty in, 160-162; psychology of, 150- 156

Worshippers of love, 193-195;

initiatory experiences, 195-

202 Wu> 163

Yakshini, 230

Yang andjm, 23, 29, 30, 31, 40, 49, 120-121, 136, 224, 246, 248-249, 252

Yin-tao, 247

Yogini, 230,231,236

Yam, 184

Yonishthana, 242

Yoshamagnin dhyayita, 174

Zivugah kadishah, 124 Zohar, 186





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