The Advent of Dionysus / Sexual Orientations / 7.01

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  1)  Man on Top ...............................................................................................
  2)  Rear Entry ................................................................................................
  3)  On the Side ..............................................................................................
  4)  Woman on Top .........................................................................................
  5)  Standing Up .............................................................................................
  6)  Sitting Down .............................................................................................
  7)  Masturbation / Woman to Man ..................................................................
  8)  Masturbation / Man to Woman ..................................................................
  9)  Oral Sex / Woman to Man ........................................................................
10)  Oral Sex / Man to Woman .........................................................................
11)  Masturbation / The Man .............................................................................
12)  Masturbation / The Woman .......................................................................
13)  Anal Sex / Man to Woman .........................................................................
14)  Anal Sex / Man to Man ..............................................................................

Herd the Cows
Tend the Sheep
Milk the Goats
Let the Horses in
Slaughter the Pigs
Butcher the Cows
Forage the Goats
Fleece the Sheep
Slaughter the Lamb
Break the Horses
Herd the Cows
Tend the Sheep
Milk the Goats
Let the Horses in

The above is a list of fourteen sexual positions that I view correspondently with the fourteen Gerarai. Presented in the same order, i.e., Daphne (1) through Rachel (14), they add a further dimension to Gerarai's development

and, plot the unfolding of the man/woman relationship. Therefore I've listed them reciprocally, and stepped them off as masculine and feminine equivalents (as with Gerarai). I've also listed them in the order of what appears most acceptable, to what is least acceptable, perhaps forbidden! (The last two have a place, but are mostly representative, and I'm not recommending their practice.) Yet upon further examination, it will be seen that just the opposite may be the case: with each level representing a higher degree of development.

While remarkably, here's an unusual idea that fits in well with what's considered normal. By taking the letters n and m out of the word normal—as corresponds to positions 14 (n) and 13 (m)—you have the word oral which, are positions 9 and 10. Whereas when taking these two away, you have positions 1 through 8, as well as 11 and 12. And, while some may consider positions 11 and 12 to be "ab"-normal (where ab = "12"), these are for the most part considered acceptable, except perhaps position 12 (i.e., it seems more normal for young boys to masturbate than girls). And yet, all fourteen positions are contained within the word "normal."

Animal Livestock

In addition to the fourteen sex positions, I give various depictions of animal livestock (referred to in Gerarai), which suggest a close spiritual approximation to the positions themselves. Which helps to keep things on a domestic level, from getting wild and out of hand. It's not an uncommon practice, in fact there are numerous biblical references of this sort, though not of a sexual nature. It isn't unlike Greek representations though!

And here I'm reminded of a dream I had which shares the same significance: I found myself standing outside a high-rise apartment building, which to me symbolizes modern living, devoid of everything natural. And as I opened the door and peered up the stairway, I saw a majority of tenants standing in the hallways: yelling, screaming and tearing at each other. It was a tower of infernal rage, and I thought, "Man, this isn't for me," and I closed the door. And as I began to walk away, in the opposite direction, I seemed to just "float away." Before long I approached a barnyard, in which there were all kinds of livestock: cows, goats, sheep, pigs, etc.. And here I'm reminded of Roy Masters' Tall Timber Ranch in Southern Oregon. And I walked in among them and exclaimed, "Now these are my friends," and a very tranquil feeling came over me. Unlike the rage I felt coming from the high-rise—which was the exact opposite!

Conjugal Love

At this point you may be wondering why I should commit an entire chapter to sex, and its psycho-spiritual origins? For it might seem out of context with the nature of this book. And so prompts the next question. How important is eroticism for leading a fulfilled life? But, as I suggest in Diana, it portrays man's highest creative energy, and is disposed towards the procreation of young; and, that it reflects a God "who copulates," best portrayed through the activities of Zeus. Nor must we forget the erotic origin of the fourteen Gerarai (i.e., the magazine at my doorstep).

And in Swedenborg's book, Conjugal Love, he explains that conjugal or marital love, is the first and primary love that proceeds from God, from which all others proceed. While saying it's a chaste love, in and of itself (devoid of lust), that's ultimately expressed through sexual union. He also says a man's loins or "thigh" (genital region) directly corresponds. Which brings up Dionysus, the only begotten son of Zeus, born a second time from his father's thigh: signifying the "conjugal love of the Father" or, "Husband." And indeed, none of this was out of character with Dionysus' portrayal. (As it suggests something similar to my experience in chapter 5, it seems to give me specific license to discuss this.)

And in the book, Sex, Eros and Marital Love, available through the Swedenborg Foundation (by Gerhard Gollwitzer), it portrays the three levels of sexuality leading to what's truly marital: Sex, the lowest aspect, which corresponds to the "natural man," where pleasure is derived solely through the "bodily senses." Eros, the medium, where the "spiritual man" begins, as two minds are joined and begin to "coalesce." And Marital Love, the highest and only genuine aspect, involving the most "interior union" between a man and wife; and is shared more by the angels of the third or celestial heaven.

Hence we're speaking of a relationship between "Husband and Wife"—or, "God and The Church" which is suitably expressed in sexual terms. And the bottom line becomes, "eroticism is the essence of what we are," and we shouldn't be too abashed about its expression. Indeed it was very much a part of Greek culture. And, for the sake of religion, for young people especially, its flexibility needs to be stressed. But I'm not saying we should preoccupy ourselves with sex, rather, we should try and maintain a proper balance and not go to extremes, like anything else. Therefore I'm handing you a bottle of wine and asking you to drink as you like—but not to get drunk! So I won't apologize for writing this chapter.

Erotic Vision

This prompts a final experience I would like to relate before I proceed. After closing my eyes and beginning to meditate one day I had a vision: and I saw four hounds, sitting at the four corners of a square facing each other. It seemed to occur for no reason, for I wasn't thinking of anything specific; and I began to think it had something to do with the goddess Diana. And then, simultaneously, the dogs arched their backs, raised their heads, and began to howl (though I heard no sound), and turned into a man's erect penis! And when it occurred, I didn't feel anything, "emotionally," for I was looking at it objectively: it seemed matter-of-fact and nothing vulgar was implied. It was as if somebody was there pointing it out to me and saying, "Hey, look at what you've found."

** The fourteen positions begin on the next page ...