We took a brief vacation, and now we're back to our busy schedule at home. We have some interesting plans for the next few days -- a community gathering tomorrow night, a screening of our friend Edin Velez's new experimental film on Friday:

http://www.edinvelez.com/

and another screening and panel discussion featuring Betty Dodson on Saturday:

http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/207591/

Mating in Captivity

We've both been reading Esther Perel's excellent book Mating in Captivity: Reconciling the Erotic and the Domestic. It is well worth your time, whether you are partnered or not. Perel treats individuals and couples; she has a wonderfully clear-headed and non-judgmental approach, and her views on contemporary relationships and what it takes to make them function well, erotically and emotionally, are very much in line with our own. We discuss some of these issues in Chapter Five of The Essence of Tantric Sexuality and will examine them in even more depth in Tantra for Erotic Empowerment.

Here's a brief quote from Perel:

"For many of us, premeditated sex is suspicious. It threatens our belief that sex is subject only to the machinations of magic and chemistry. The idea that sex must be spontaneous keeps us one step removed from having to will sex, to own our desire and to express it with intent."

The Tantric approach to sexuality is all about consciousness and intentionality. The result of bringing awareness to sex and treating it as something to be discovered, again and again and again, is magic, not the illusory magic of infatuation and chemical attraction, but something deeper and more powerful because it is willed.

The Story Behind The Essence of Tantric Sexuality

We wrote The Essence of Tantric Sexuality with the blessings of our teacher, Dr. Jonn Mumford (Swami Anandakapila Saraswati). The book is based on lectures he gave at Gnosticon in 1976, and while it touches on some of the themes he addressed in his own books -- Ecstasy Through Tantra, A Chakra and Kundalini Workbook, and Magical Tattwas -- none of his work delves so deeply into the specifics of Tantric sexual practices, in large part because he was reluctant to allow the material to appear in print. Even in those areas where his books and ours overlap, the perspectives and practical details are significantly different.

It has been our privilege to study with Swami Anandakapila for the last eight years. At Gnosticon, Swamiji discussed arcane, complex, traditional material in way that would be accessible and practical for Westerners; thus the teachings are at once original and traditional -- his unique synthesis. Gnosticon was also possibly the first time an initiated Swami spoke publicly to an American audience about the sexual aspects of Hindu Tantra. Over the years, other authors have borrowed from these pioneering lectures (which were available on tape in the late 1970s and early 1980s), often out of context and often without crediting Swamiji as the source. We wrote The Essence of Tantric Sexuality to insure that his authentic teachings would be available for future generations, in context and with proper attribution. We had his support and cooperation throughout the process, and as a result, the book is considerably more detailed than the original lectures.

Our next book is based on our online course The Fundamentals of Tantric Sexuality.

Punk Tantra

We usually write and post as a team, but this one is just from Mark. These are some preliminary thoughts on a subject that probably deserves to be explored in more depth. Punk Tantra may seem like an oxymoron to some, but my Tantric sensibility was shaped by my involvement in Punk. Just as we started getting active on myspace, I received a couple of CDs of material my first college band, The Relaxors, recorded in 1978 or '79 in Ann Arbor and learned that our old manager had set up a page for the band. When the package arrived I had already added a few of my favorite groups to our friends list. It was an odd sycnchronicity, and it encouraged me not only to revist my roots but also to dig through my archives. Some of the material I find may show up on the Relaxors page in the near future.

Patti Smith's Bottom Line show in December of 1975 was a life-changing experience for me. I'd seen plenty of rock bands by that time but had never experienced something of such transcendent power. About a month later I ventured into CBGBs, where Television and Talking Heads were on the bill. I knew I had found a home. This was before the crowds there got huge, and before Punk got codified, either as fashion or as a sonic style. Back then the scene was diverse, tolerant and accepting. I had the sense that we were all outsiders seeking freedom from received social norms -- whether musical, social or political. We were seeking intense experience, or as Patti Smith put it:

"I seek pleasure. I seek the nerves under your skin.The narrow archway; the layers; the scroll of ancient letters.
We worship the flaw, the belly, the belly, the mole on the belly of an exquisite whore.
He spared the child and spoiled the rod. I have not sold myself to God."

Anyway, Tantra. It's really the same thing. No need to sell yourself to God when you can find God inside yourself, but I digress. Contrary to popular myth, Tantra's got very little to do with sexual technique, and it's certainly not all new-age sweetness and light. It's about finding the divine through experience, wherever you are, including in the gutter. And those transcendent moments in the dirty dank and sweaty rock 'n' roll clubs in New York, Detroit and Ann Arbor were truly Tantric. The ego dissolved, and I became one with the sound.

We've set up a myspace page -- www.myspace.com/tantrapm

We will be blogging there regularly and cross-posting here.

Here are the entries from this past week:

Friday, June 29, 2007

Come Together

The past few days have been both exhilirating and depressing. On the positive side, Barbara Carrellas's book launch party (Tuesday night) and the fifth monthly Pleasure Salon (last night) were exciting and inspiring events. It's absolutely thrilling to be part of a burgeoning sex positive movement in New York and to see such a diverse group of people finding common ground and common cause.

On the downside, there's the ongoing, pointless war in Iraq, the failure of our political leaders to do anything meaningful about global warming (of course, these are nothing new), and the recent series of appalling, intellectually bankrupt decisions by the Supreme Court -- supporting corporate "free speech" but denying it to high school students (bong hits for Jesus anyone?), removing the prohibition on corporate price-fixing, and perhaps worst of all, effectively endorsing the re-segregation of our public schools.

These are grim times, and we fear that things will get much worse. It is time to come together, to stand up for our rights and to defend the Earth. Everything is connected.


Wednesday, June 27, 2007

New York, New York

Last night we went to the launch party for our dear friend Barbara Carrellas's book Urban Tantra. Barbara's presentation was just brilliant; she's a dynamic and incredibly entertaining lecturer. She has been an important figure in contemporary American Tantra for many years now. She is truly a kindred spirit.

There was a small after party that included a number of luminaries from the New York area -- sex educators, practitioners, old friends and new. Interesting things are happening here, and it's incredibly exciting to see diverse groups and individuals coming together. Barbara's been building these bridges for years. She's an inspiration.


Monday, June 25, 2007

Teaching Today

We're in NYC today to teach. We get great satisfaction from teaching privately. We are able to adjust the content of the lessons to each couple's level of knowledge and particular goals. Often we can delve into subtleties that we are unable to address in our open workshops. Ongoing study is usually more rewarding than attending a weekend workshop.


Sunday, June 24, 2007

Kirtan

We had a very late night last night. We went to Bhagavan Das's kirtan at East/West Books on 5th Avenue between 13th and 14th. It was great to see Bhagavan Das again; it made us long for the days when he was living in New York.

We don't get to kirtans often enough, and it's always amazing how powerful they are, especially with Bhagavan Das. We had a fairly stressful day and left for the city later than we'd planned, so we weren't in the greatest frame of mind when the kirtan started. It took a little while to get into the flow of things and for the mental chatter to subside, but eventually the energy of the group and the power of the mantras took over, and we were transported.

That's how it always seems to work. Chanting is a simple but astonishingly profound practice.


Saturday, June 23, 2007

Hot Sex and Zero Sum Games.

Not long ago, we received an inquiry from a man whose partner was reluctant to explore Tantric sex because she was afraid she would lose the ability to enjoy more 'conventional' forms of sexual activity, that sex would no longer be 'hot.'

We're here to tell you – you can practice Tantra, and still have hot sex. For us, Tantra is about an approach to living that includes and embraces sexuality, recognizing it as one of the richest arenas for spiritual exploration. Awareness is the key, and in Tantra this applies to all aspects of life, not just sexuality. Choosing awareness will add new dimensions and enable you to go deeper, when you want to. It won't turn sex into a chore or detract from your ability to enjoy a quickie.


Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Online Interview

We've been regular guests on Ann Sanders's show, doing a monthly Tantra Tuesdays segment for almost a year now. We just recorded the July episode in which we discuss Tantric massage and describe some techniques from chapter 14 of The Essence of Tantric Sexuality.

Shows are archived at:

http://www.healthylife.net/RadioShow/archiveAA.htm

We just learned that our beloved teacher Bhagavan Das will be in New York City this weekend. We can't make the Friday Kirtan at Jivamukti Yoga, but we're hoping to attend the Saturday event at East West Books. If you've never been to one of his kirtans, you've missed something extraordinary.

We have a new article out in New Times Naturally a Tampa, Florida magazine:

Tantra: A Way of Being in the World
For many in the modern world, the word Tantra has come to mean sacred sexuality; some believe it is nothing more than a set of sexual techniques, a form of sexual yoga derived from the Kama Sutra, the renowned Indian sex manual. Others think it is a form of couples’ or relationship therapy. These contemporary misconceptions are not entirely unrelated to historical truth, but they are all simplistic understandings of a vast and complex spiritual path. It is more accurate, but still relatively simple, to define Tantra as an ancient, South Asian spiritual tradition that recognizes sexual energy as a source of personal and spiritual empowerment. . . (continued)
To read the entire article (on page 24), so you have to scroll down a bit, go to: http://www.newtimesnaturally.com/files/magazine/issue.pdf

And here's a schedule of upcoming appearances:

March 9-11
AQUARIUS BOOKS - (KANSAS CITY, MO) Free lecture Friday night. The Essence of Tantric Sexuality intensive workshop, Saturday and Sunday. For more information, visit Aquariusbooks.com

March 20, 7:30
THE LEARNING ANNEX (NEW YORK, NY) - The Essence of Tantric Sexuality workshop. For more information, visit http://www.learningannex.com/default.taf?sctn=A&_function=detail&cnum=949ANY&cat=

April 6-8
SPRING FIRE (WASHINGTON, DC) - visit Darkodyssey.com for more information

May 5, 6:30-9 p.m.
ALTERNATIVE BOOKS (KINGSTON, NY) - 35 North Front St., Kingston, NY, book Signing

Llewellyn Journal has just published our article on Women and Tantra. It begins:

Most classical Tantric texts seem to have been written primarily with men in mind. For example, the Gheranda Samhita, a 16th-century Tantric/Yogic text advises: “By virtue of this Yoga, the Bindu-Siddhi (retention of seed) is obtained, and when that Siddhi is obtained what else can he not attain in this world.” Similarly much of the popular mythology about Tantric sex focuses on prolonged lovemaking and concomitant male staying-power (retention of seed), as if that were the defining feature of the Tantric experience.

To read the rest, go to:

http://www.llewellynjournal.com/article/1305

We'll be teaching an introductory class, "The Essence of Tantric Sensuality", at the Learning Annex, New York, March 20, 2007.

"All those that walk on land or move in the air, all living and animate creation, trees, shrubs, roots, creepers and grass, etc., oceans and mountains -- all know ye to be Brahma. See them all in Atma."

The Gheranda Samhita

We've contracted for our next book with Llewellyn and expect it will be out in late '07 or early '08.

We're featured in the January Redbook and have an article entitled "Embracing Tantra From 'sacred sexuality' to spiritual development" in this month's Many Hands Magazine. It begins:

What Is Tantra? The word Tantra is becoming increasingly familiar, as a practice embraced by celebrities such as Sting, Woody Harrelson and Scarlett Johanssen, to name a few, and as an exotic, somewhat laughable approach to sex, as depicted in movies and on television - from ''American Pie'' to ''Meet the Fokkers'' to ''Sex and the City.'' Sting's famous assertion that he and his wife, Trudy, make love for seven hours at a stretch created a stir, but his subsequent explanation that this included dinner and a movie, and his more recent statement that Tantra is about experiencing the sacred through relationship, attracted far less attention.

To read more visit:

http://www.manyhands.com/articles/story.cfm?id_no= 120100202006

For those of you who are in New Jersey, we'll be teaching a six hour workshop on January 27 in Brick. Go to:

www.midniteoasis.com

for details

We've been very busy promoting our book, The Essence of Tantric Sexuality and working on our next one, but we hope to start blogging a bit more regularly. Scroll down to the bottom of this post for our appearance schedule and links to some reviews and interviews.


What Tantra can do for the Tastebuds
Few realize that foods can do more than stimulate the tastebuds. A light meal with carefully chosen dishes can be the beginning of a delicious night in! In one traditional Tantric ritual (the Pancamakara or 5M ceremony), certain foods are consumed, and each is associated with a Chakra and an element. We have borrowed this concept, modified it and adapted it for modern Westerners. This is not the classical ceremony, but it is a delightful way to awaken your senses and connect with your beloved.

In Tantra, different energetic centers (Chakras) in the body are triggered by different sensory stimuli. Taste and smell are the most primal senses, and they awaken the Chakras that govern sensuality. The right foods can stimulate these centers and tantalize your partner. See below for the recipes.

First Course
The first course should include a musky, earthy element. A dish made with truffles is a good choice and will stimulate the sense of smell and begin to awaken desire (Muladhara). Chef Jonathan Pratt (www.prattsinn.com) suggests starting off the meal with Truffle Mac n’ Cheese, which is rich in earthy flavors.

Main Dish
Swadhisthana chakra is associated with water. For the second course, evoke the ocean and try a seafood dish, like Oyster and Morel Fricassee. The mushrooms in this dish will also stimulate the sense of smell. The sensory avenue for this sexual center is taste, so if you don't like seafood, anything with bold flavor will work. Recipe courtesy of Chef John Michael Hamlet.

Dessert
Finally, what better way to engage the heart than with chocolate? Pratt suggests Strawberry and Chocolate Ganache Fondue. The shape of the strawberry is similar to that of the heart, and the sensory avenue for the heart center is touch. The watery, dark chocolate is also reminiscent of the ocean, which will appeal to your sensuality. Feeding each other the dipped strawberries and paying close attention to the sensations of touch will awaken the heart.

Wine is also a part of the classical 5M ceremony. It represents Manipura Chakra, and the fire element. If you choose, you can add this traditional component to your ritual meal. The fifth M, Maithuna or sexual union, is associated with the air element and the throat Chakra in many systems.

Tantra & Tastebuds Recipes for a Great Night In!
Truffle Mac & Cheese (Truffles earth)

2 cups raw macaroni
3 cups milk
1 cup cream
2 oz. Black Truffle butter (found at specialty stores)
4 oz. Butter
4 oz. All purpose flour
4 oz. Grated Fontina cheese (found at specialty stores)
Dash truffle oil
Salt and pepper

Cook pasta and set aside.
Simmer cream and milk. In a separate pot melt butters and whisk in flour to make a rouille. Add to milk mixture and simmer about 5 min. to cook out flour. Add dash truffle oil to enhance. Salt and pepper to taste.
Mix together with pasta and place in ramekins, top with bread crumbs. Place under broiler until top is golden brown.

Oyster and Morel Fricassee (mushrooms, earth, Oysters, water)
8 Large meaty West coast oysters
4 large morels
2 plum tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup white wine
Butter
Salt and Pepper
Olive oil

Blanch, peel, seed and chop small the plum tomatoes. Slice garlic into thin rounds. Cut morels in half and brush off any loose dirt. Sear off in olive oil. Add tomato and garlic, then deglaze with white wine. Turn off heat and add oysters. Allow to poach. Add butter, salt and pepper.

Strawberries and Chocolate Ganache (resemble the heart)
8 Large Strawberries, stem and wash
1 lb chopped semi-sweet or bitter-sweet chocolate
1/2 c. sugar
2 c. heavy cream
Heat cream to a light simmer, combine sugar with chocolate. Pour in hot cream to melt. Dip and serve like a fondu.

We will be discussing our Tantric Dinner, Saturday, Sept. 9th 10:30am (EST) on "The Chef's Table" in WHYY in Philadelphia, and Sirius Radio.

Swami Umeshanand and Devi Veenanand
************************************
Events & Workshops

September 8
LOVING MORE EAST COAST CONFERENCE, (UPSTATE NY) - "The Chakras and Sexuality" workshop Friday evening.

September 9 , 4:30 p.m.
THE DREAMING GODDESS (POUGHKEEPSIE) - "Introduction to Tantra" workshop followed by signing - $10

September 13 - 17
DARK ODYSSEY SUMMER CAMP - We will present, The Chakras and Sexuality, Tantric Erogenic Zones, Pleasure as Spiritual Practice, and Exploring Gender Paradigms

October 12, 7-9 p.m.
INSPIRED! BOOKS AND GIFTS (KINGSTON, NY) - 41 N. Front St. Kingston NY. Introduction to Tantra, $20

November 16, 7-10
TANTRA TEMPLE (SEATTLE) - Lecture, Q&A and book signing, register at http://www.tantratemple.us/events.html

November 18, 6:30 p.m.
THIRD PLACE BOOKS (SEATTLE) - Booksigning

TV
September 11 p.m. (EST)
WCAU-TV “NBC 10 NEWS AT 11” (PHILADELPHIA) - Ways couples can keep their relationship strong with Tantra.

Podcasts, Webcasts & Archived Radio

LECTURE AT THE BODHI TREE - www.VitalEnergyCenter.com/tantrapm.html

THE SEX AND SEXUALITY SHOW - www.healthylife.com (click Archives, Sex and Sensuality Show, July 18th) We are guests for Tantra Tuesdays, the first Tuesday every month.

WPBN - FULL CIRCLE - http://www.tekneek.com/wpbn/html/full_circle.html

FEMALETHINK.COM

NOBODYLIKESONIONS.COM – archived, August 15th show

WMCW-AM AND WKKD-AM (CHICAGO) AND HEALTH RADIO NETWORK “HEALTH MOVES” (NATIONAL) – live interview with Host Melanie Cole. http://www.healthradionetwork.com/archives/20060725/0725_Hmoves.mp3

Articles Online
ALBANY TIMES UNION - http://tinyurl.com/myz9j

SOULDISH - Interview with Jamye Waxman, http://tinyurl.com/q4gk3

THE SHADOW SACRAMENT - Interview with Skian McGuire, http://www.shadowsacrament.com/tantra_interview.htm

Erotic Authors Association - Interview by Pamela Weatherill, http://www.eroticauthorsassociation.com/html/tantra.html

Magazine & Newspaper
August
JANE MAGAZINE - p. 94, Tantric Erogenous Zones by Kate Torgovnick.

August
CHRONOGRAM - "Listening and the Spiritual Power of Silence" by Mark Michaels and Patricia Johnson

September 12
METRO NEWSPAPER (NYC METRO AREA) - interview

October
ROCKSTAR MAGAZINE - What men can do to appeal to women’s sense of smell and cause sexual arousal, by Jon Platner.

November
WEDDING ESSENTIALS (TORONTO, CA) - Tips on how newlyweds can keep the sparks flying for years

January 2007
ALL YOU MAGAZINE - Interview with Patricia Johnson

Radio
September 9th, 9:30 p.m.
WFMU-FM "UNSPORTED" (LONG ISLAND, NY)

September 9th
WHYY-FM/SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO “A CHEF’S TABLE” (NATIONAL) – Creating a Tantric meal. This show airs on Philadelphia’s NPR station, as well as Sirius Satellite Radio.

September 20, 12:40 p.m.
WBIX-AM "THE FRANKIE BOYER SHOW" (SYNDICATED)

November 6, 2 p.m. (EST)
WKTF-AM VOICE AMERICA "POSITIVE LIVING" (NATIONAL) - interview with Patricia Raskin


REVIEWS
http://www.tarotguy.com/bookreviews/tantric.html
http://www.chronogram.com/issue/2006/08/arts/books/shorttakes.php
http://www.shadowsacrament.com/tantric_sexuality_review.htm by Joshua Tenpenny
http://www.eroticauthorsassociation.com/html/tantric.html by Pamela Weatherill

We're gearing up for our launch party, tomorrow, July 13, 7 pm, at Babeland, 94 Rivington Street, NY, NY. We'll be doing a mini workshop and signing books. We're hoping a lot of people will join us to celebrate! Friday we'll be teaching a more extended class for Sexy Spirits. www.sexyspirits.com.

We'll be on tour from July 24-August 1, with stops in L.A. (Bodhi Tree, July 26), La Jolla (Yoga Fuzion, July 28 and 29) and Minneapolis (Magers and Quinn, July 31). More details and a list of upcoming media appearances soon.

In her Tuesday, July 5 column in the New York Times, entitled "How to Train a Woman", Maureen Dowd wrote: "Women may want to mold their men to be more obedient and less irksome. . ."

Dowd's premise betrays an exceedingly negative view of human nature and relationships. Her perspective is an expression of antiquated gender stereotypes; men are disobedient and irksome, so women must manipulate them.

The Tantric model of relationship is collaborative; each partner should be genuinely interested in the other's well-being and should strive to bring out the best in his/her mate, openly and honestly, without a hidden agenda.

Dowd began by wondering "does nagging work"? The answer, of course, is no. It will only lead to resentment and disharmony. As an alternative, Dowd cited a New York Times article by a woman who employed the techniques of animal trainers on her husband, an approach that reduces intimate relationships to a mere system of rewards and punishments.

Almost half the column is devoted to the views of Helen Fisher, an anthropologist at Rutgers and the author of Why We Love: The Nature and Chemistry of Romance. We have not read the book, but according to Dowd, one of Fisher's key points is that women experience intimacy through face-to-face behavior because "for millions of years" women have interacted with babies that way, while men experience intimacy side-by-side, since for "millions of years" men have faced their enemies that way. While there may be a kernel of truth in this claim, it fails to account for the fact that for millions of years, men have been babies too and have had their most formative intimate experiences through face-to-face interactions.

In our experience, both men and women benefit from focused and intentional eye-gazing, and in long-term couples with problems, both men and women find it equally difficult to look at each other directly.

Dowd also wrote that "training your mate may be essential in an era when everyone is more connected and yet less," a reference to the recent study in the American Sociological Review that indicates "Americans may be getting lonelier and more isolated." The study is certainly alarming, but engaging in manipulative behavior is not an effective way to strengthen a relationship

The way to create deeper and more meaningful intimacy is to cultivate interest in your partner, to respect him/her as an individual and to treat your relationship as something important, something co-created and something mutual. Dowd suggests treating your partner like a trained seal. We believe that treating him or her like a human being would be a far better place to begin.

Here's a photo of us signing books at INATS West on June 25th. We're gearing up for next Thursday's launch party and will have a more substantive post up soon.

To update an earlier post, our launch party/mini workshop will be held at Babeland's Lower East Side Store (not the Soho store), on July 13th, at 7 pm. Here are the details:

Babeland
94 Rivington St
New York, NY 10002

Essence of Tantric Sexuality Book Release Party
Thursday, July 13, 07:00PM, FREE
Tantric and yoga experts Patricia Johnson & Mark A. Michaels sign copies of their new book "The Essence of Tantric Sexuality" (Llewellyn) and share some secrets to supercharge your sex life, including tidbits on prolonged arousal, self-pleasuring, and revealing your tertiary Erogenic Zones. A devoted married couple whose workshops and writing on sexual freedom have been featured in the Village Voice, Now Magazine, and Chronogram, their book explains the Tantric philosophy and its principles and offers authentic exercises and techniques for turning your every moment of pleasure into an opportunity to experience the divine. Nibbles and liquid refreshments provided.

Our signing at INATS (Denver) will take place in the Llewellyn booth from 2-3 pm on Sunday, June 25th.

We will be appearing on "Love Talk" with Tana Marie 10 pm Pacific Time, Friday, June 23rd, KNRY-AM, Monterey.

Also, "Night Calls" with Christy Canyon and Ginger Lynn, Playboy Radio, Sirius Channel 198, 7:30 pm Eastern Time on Thursday, June 29th.

We've got a new article aimed at the dating community up on about.com. It focuses on how a tantric approach to relaltionship can be introduced at the very beginning of a relationship and draws heavily on the idea that parity is crucial to a tantric way of relating.

"People often assume that Tantric practices are exclusively for couples or exclusively for long-term couples. Nothing could be further from the truth. Relationship, as we understand it today, was not really a consideration in classical Tantra, which thrived in an entirely different cultural climate. Nevertheless, Tantric principles can be brought to bear on relating, and the process of doing so can add a profoundly spiritual dimension to any relationship. The best aspects of the Tantric tradition stress learning more about your inner states and cultivating equanimity, compassion and awareness. All of these principles can be brought to bear on a relationship, even in the early stages."

There's more here.

We don't quite understand why about.com's url mentions "cheating", since that's plainly not the subject of the article, but so it goes.

We had a wonderful time at BEA and a great turnout for our signing. Things have been very hectic, as our promotional schedule is starting to intensify, and we've been busy writing articles and working on our next book. Below is a list of our upcoming appearances for the month of June. There will undoubtedly be more.

Monday, June 12 at 12:30 pm, EDT. The Good Life Show with Jesse Dylan. Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 114 or online.

The 2 O'clock Show, 710 KPQ AM, Wenatchee, Washington (Patricia). Date and airtime TBA

Thursday, June 22 at 7:35 am, EDT, Ocala Live, 1370 WOCA AM, Ocala, Florida.

Saturday-Monday, June 25-27, International New Age Trade Show, Denver Merchandise Mart, Denver Colorado. We will be signing books at the Llewellyn booth. Time and date TBA.

Monday, June 27, 8 am, MDT, Good Day Colorado, Fox 31, Denver, Colorado.

We're also delighted to announce that the launch party for The Essence of Tantric Sexuality will be held at 7 pm on Thursday, July 13 at Toys in Babeland, 43 Mercer Street, New York, NY.

We had a wonderful time at BEA and a great turnout for our signing. Things have been very hectic, as our promotional schedule is starting to intensify, and we've been busy writing articles and working on our next book. Below is a list of our upcoming appearances for the month of June. There will undoubtedly be more.

Monday, June 12 at 12:30 pm, EDT. The Good Life Show with Jesse Dylan. Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 114 or online at http://www.tglshow.com.

The 2 O'clock Show, 710 KPQ AM, Wenatchee, Washington (Patricia). Date and airtime TBA

Thursday, June 22 at 7:35 am, EDT, Ocala Live, 1370 WOCA AM, Ocala, Florida.

Saturday-Monday, June 25-27, International New Age Trade Show, Denver Merchandise Mart, Denver Colorado. We will be signing books at the Llewellyn booth. Time and date TBA.

Monday, June 27, 8 am, MDT, Good Day Colorado, Fox 31, Denver, Colorado.

We're also delighted to announce that the launch party for The Essence of Tantric Sexuality will be held at 7 pm on Thursday, July 13 at Toys in Babeland, 43 Mercer Street, New York, NY.

The Path of Paradox

"While lists of siddhis in India are as numerous as varieties of cheese in France, nearly all may be categorized under two general headings, 'magical' and 'abstract'. The latter, better known, are especially found in yogic and high Hindu Tantric sources. . .The former, found in both Buddhist and Hindu sources, are, in spite of having fallen out of vogue among Tantric authors and commentators, nonetheless more original and authentic."

David Gordon White, Kiss of the Yogini: "Tantric Sex" in its South Asian Contexts

"Among the general public, there is a common misconception about Tantra. It is believed that in performing Tantric practices one uses mystic formulas or mantras, invokes spirits and mystic deities and as a result acquires weird powers and uncanny experiences. But this understanding of Tantra is obviously naive, for Tantra has a much wider connotation. It stands for a particular conception of reality and subsequently a particular way of life."

Kamalakar Mishra, Kashmir Saivism: The Central Philosophy of Tantra

Aleister Crowley and Timothy Leary, two of the most notorious figures of the 20th-century, were influenced by the Tantric tradition, and any Westerner who practices Tantra has in turn been influenced by them. Both Crowley and Leary were brilliant, misguided, worshipped by some and vilified by others. Both understood the importance of the inner quest -- the exploration of consciousness -- and sought to live unfettered by convention; both paid a heavy price for that choice. Both men were deeply flawed, but each left us an important legacy.

"Every generation lives the old drama out over and over again. Every person can. The challenge is for you to become your own priest. For you to become your own doctor. For you to become your own researcher on consciousness."
Timothy Leary, The Politics of Ecstasy

"To obey a set of rules is to shift the whole responsibility of conduct on to some superannuated Bodhisattva, who would resent you bitterly if he could see you, and tick you off in no uncertain terms for being such a fool as to think you could dodge the difficulties of research by the aid of a set of conventions which have little or nothing to do with actual conditions."
Aleister Crowley, Eight Lectures on Yoga

Each statement is a perfectly succinct articulation of what it means to live Tantrically.

"The War on Contraception" by Russell Shorto, which appeared in Sunday's New York Times Magazine is very important reading for anyone concerned about sexual freedom. It provides a good deal of insight into the mind set of the "abstinence only" crowd and makes it abundantly clear that for many in that group, overturning Roe v. Wade is not so much a goal as it is a first step.

For many social conservatives, non-procreative sex is the problem; their hidden agenda is the elimination of all forms of contraception and that is not all. According to Shorto, "[t]heir ultimate goal is not a number - the percentage of abortions or unintended pregnancies - but an ideal, a way for people to think and behave." This is why they are seeking to block the production of a vaccine against Human Papilloma Virus; they value their goal of transforming society more than they value the lives of sexually active women, protestations about the sanctity of life notwithstanding. Their way of thinking is profoundly at odds with the Tantric perspective, in which sexual activity can be a means to an end -- most often the experience of altered states of consciousness, a direct path to union with the divine.

There is a very quiet movement afoot in the United States to stamp out the rights of all sexual minorities, to return to a mythical golden age when we were invisible, when non-marital sex was forbidden and women were little more than breeding machines, with no right to pleasure. While some members of this movement can be quite vocal, the general public remains substantially unaware of the scope of its project. This is an age-old struggle; Shorto begins his article with a discussion of Daniel Defoe's "A Treatise Concerning the Use and Abuse of the Marriage Bed", in which Defoe claimed that by enaging in non-procreative sex, married men make whores of their wives. Today, beyond the struggles over abortion rights and contraception, several Southern states ban the sale of sex toys, and these statutes have been upheld in the courts.

Those of us who do not share the social conservatives' views ignore them or minimize them at our peril. Roe v. Wade hangs on by a thread -- in all probability a single vote on the Supreme Court. When that thread is pulled, the entire fabric that protects our rights will begin to unravel, and we will be living in a society governed by a set of rules that could make outlaws of us all.

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