Some Books on Sacred and Conscious Sexuality
The books listed and reviewed here are not nearly complete. Some books are specialist readings and academic, others are more general. There are now hundreds of books claiming to give you the miracle tools to happy relationships, fantastic sex or Tantric bliss. Most of them are rubbish. Even worse are most of the articles in popular magazines pretending to be on the subject. The March 2000 edition of ‘Men’s Health‘ is an example of this type of sensationalist and inaccurate writing.
This list at least contains some of the more reliable and decent writings around. Some may be available in your local bookstore. Almost all can be ordered through Kalahari.com and Loot.co.za. Feel free to contact us to discuss what might be suitable for you. We offer this list as a gesture to the interest in our work. Please feel free to disagree with any of the opinions expressed about these books. They are only opinions and you are welcome to your own. If you have come across a book that you feel should be here, please let us know.
We will undertake a more thorough extension as time permits.
Margot Anand, The Art of Sexual Magic. Piatkus Publishers, London. 1995. Margot Anand has been running her ‘Sky-Dancer’ Tantra workshops for years around the world. Contemporary writing with fair depth, covers all the bases, including beginning sacred sexual practice and healing sexual wounds.
Margot Anand, The Art of Everyday Ecstasy. Piatkus Ltd, London. 1998. Trouble is, she was so thorough in her first book that number two and three are a bit repetitive. Still, there are some new models, perspectives and some valuable additional insight. Personally, I feel one Anand is enough.
Clifford Bishop, Sex and Spirit. Macmillan Reference Books, Macmillan Publishers, London 1996. Part of the Living Wisdom Series, with wonderful pictures. A delightful little reference book, brief but reliable and even insightful information. No depth on any one subject but great fun to go through.
Rufus Camphausen. The Yoni: Sacred Symbol of Creative Female Power. Inner Traditions International, Vermont, USA. 1996. Honouring the Feminine. Some decent enough writing, some great pictures, a few original insights. Well researched, lots of information, great to have on the bookshelf.
Jolan Chang. The Tao of Love and Sex: The Ancient Chinese Way to Ecstasy. Wildwood House, UK. 1984 (1977). Recently reprinted. Pleasant, gentle and informative. Modern views of the ancient traditions. A little too earnest in selling the strengths and minimising the weaknesses. Get it.
Mantak Chia and Michael Winn. Taoist Secrets of Love: Cultivating Male Sexual Energy. Aurora Press, New Mexico.1984. The Boss. Chia is the foremost authority of Taoist sexual teaching. Essential reading for everyone. Don’t get stuck in the dogma, however, it’s only one way, not the only way.
Mantak and Maneewan Chia. Healing Love through the Tao: Cultivating Female Sexual Energy. Healing Tao Books, New York. 1986. Good stuff for women to study, good for men to read, just as the above book is also useful to both men and women. But see the warning above, also.
Mantak Chia. Awakening Healing Energy Through the Tao. Aurora Press, New Mexico. 1983. If you are committed to Chia’s approach, then this and all the others are for you. Remember, there is sexual life beyond Chia’s way. Try something new once in a while.
Mantak Chia and Douglas Abrams Arava, The Multi-Orgasmic Man. Thorsons (HarperCollins) London, San Francisco 1996. ‘The Plain Facts’ of Chia’s system, without the spiritual insights. Full of practical techniques and information. Designed for mass-market appeal. Great for machines and sales.
Nik Douglas and Penny Slinger, Sexual Secrets: The Alchemy of Ecstasy. Destiny Books, Vermont, USA. 1979. The original ‘whole earth catalogue’ of sex. A bit outdated, but still a lot of useful information of many basic aspects of sacred sexuality. Lots of drawings to entertain and inform.
Julius Evola. Eros and the Mysteries of Love: The Metaphysics of Love. Inner Traditions International, Vermont (trans) 1983, 1991. Highly academic, sometimes hard to follow, very worthwhile to make the effort. The man is a mad scientist and maybe genius, if you can follow him.
Julius Evola, The Yoga of Power: Tantra, Shakti and the Secret Way. Inner Traditions International, Vermont, USA. (trans) 1992. RSA distribution by Alternative Books, Randburg. The real thing on traditional Indian Tantra. An academic, serious book by a brilliant intellectual maverick.
Georg Feuerstein, Sacred Sexuality: Living the Vision of the Erotic Spirit. Jeremy Tarcher, USA 1993. Sacred Sex through the ages, contemporary sexuality. Insightful, readable and valuable to understand where sacred sex came from and where it might go. Good stuff.
Georg Feuerstein, Tantra: The Path of Ecstasy. Shambhala Publications, Inc. Boston USA. 1998. Another real thing. A readable, serious, technical, insightful book on traditional Tantra by a long time adept, who is an important scholar and writer. Not for the merely curious, you need commitment.
Ajit Mookerjee & Madhu Khanna. The Tantric Way: Art, Science. Ritual. New York Graphic Society, Boston. 1977. A classic. Abstract stuff mostly, deep insights and good graphics on the Vedantic path of Tantra, which, as we know, is a lot less about actual sex than most people think.
Gunter Nitschke. The Silent Orgasm: From Transpersonal to Transparent Consciousness. Tashen Verlag, Koln. 1995. Unusual take on role of orgasms. Original insights into transpersonal states, breathwork and other matters. Contemporary writing. Not the first book to buy, but maybe later.
Osho, The Tantra Experience. Element Books Ltd, Dorset, UK. 1994. Osho is great to read aloud or by yourself if you are not in a hurry. Lots of great jokes and wise insights by the man who bridged the East-West divide, in the process making enemies on both sides. Sheer jealousy. The man is great.
Osho, Tantric Transformation. Element Books Ltd. Dorset, UK. 1994. Even better than the first volume. Gentle, funny, in-your-face wisdom for those who want instant enlightenment. Osho is a real original who exposed the hypocrisy of religious traditions. No wonder he was criticised.
David and Ellen Ramsdale. Sexual Energy Ecstasy: A Practical Guide To Lovemaking Secrets of the East and West. Bantam New Age, USA. 1993 (1985). Most likely the best single book on practical sexual techniques. Funny and serious, lots of stuff and drawings, covers all aspects. Useful. Get it.
Daniel Reid. The Tao of Health, Sex and Longevity. Simon and Schuster, Great Britain, 1989. History and explanation of Taoism, health matters and breathing, the Tao of sex and longevity. Lots of solid information and practical exercises in the Chinese tradition. Not a bedtime read.