Today, we will address sex and sex magic in Hermetics and alchemy. Due to the subject, a few organizations will come up more often than others. I am in no way trying to disparage these organizations as I cannot say for sure what happens behind their closed doors. Beyond the research that has been done I will be giving several statements of my own opinions; you do not have to take these to be fact but I do hope that you will take them into consideration if you encounter these practices in your own studies.
First, we need to ensure that we are discussing the same things because the term “sex magic” encompasses many different ideas and practices. In a general sense sex magic can be defined as any practice that uses sex or bodily fluids for magical purposes, we will be breaking this down into three different aspects; magic that involves the act of having sex, magic using sexual fluids, and sex as a form of initiation.
Transmute Lust into Legacy and Conquer Yourself | Napoleon Hill
Using the Act of Sex in Magic
Using the act of sex in magic, as I had said before, has existed for thousands of years. In the modern western world, and the western hermetic sphere specifically, sex magic was really brought into the public eye by Paschal Beverly Randolph with the book “Magia Sexualis” and was defined even more by Aleister Crowley and his practice of “Thelema”. The most basic idea for this form of magic is that when the body goes through an orgasm it is as close to the divine mind as we can reach during our lives and by combining that instant with the intent and ritual of the magic being practiced adds power to the work being done.
This may seem discordant with the practices of hermeticism and alchemy but it has been incorporated within several groups, The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn are said to practice a hermetic form of sex magic. Some people believe these texts are allegorical and some believe they are literal, both sides will give evidence for why they are correct, but without the original author being here we will likely never know what the intent actually was.
In my opinion, this comes down to the practitioners and what they believe but I would give the caution that because sex is involved, it should only be done under the strictest ethical practices. The only people who should be taking part in this form of sex magic should be adults that give active and informed consent, on this point I will not budge.
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Adam and Eve by Lucas Cranach the Elder
Magic Involving Sexual Fluids
The second form of sex magic we will be discussing is the form of magic or alchemical laboratory processes that involve human sexual fluids. This form of magic has several versions in different cultures and so there are many different purposes, outcomes and ways of practice the may or may not overlap, but in general it can be described as taking seminal, vaginal, or menstrual fluids and using them as an ingredient for a spell or alchemical transmutation. These spells and alchemical compounds are said to be invigorated with the energy held within the human body and impregnated with creative potential.
Several different initiatory orders are said to have incorporated some aspects of this form of magic into their rituals such as the Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO) and the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Both of these groups have a philosophical connection to Hermeticism and have been very prolific in their writing. In my time researching Hermeticism and alchemy much of the time that sexual magic is mentioned, in modern times, it is in regards to a teaching from one of those two groups.
I don’t want this to sound like I am saying these groups are doing something wrong, but state the fact that they do often come up when discussing sex and alchemy or magic. My opinion on this form of magic does fit closely with what I said about the previous form of sex magic, however, because it doesn’t always involve the act of sex between partners I want to clarify it more directly. As long as all of the participants are informed, consenting, adults then the main requirement is met.
Everyone that has provided a sample or is required to work with the sample should be of age and giving informed consent. One common example of this kind of magic is a spell that uses menstrual blood and spaghetti, the spell is often done without the partner knowing and because of this it would fall under unethical magical practices. As professionals who take pride in our work we should be striving to conduct ourselves with under the utmost ethical guidelines.
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Sex as a Form of Initiation
With that being said we reach the final form of sex magic that we will be covering today, magical practices that use sex as an initiation. I will be taking a very firm stance here, I understand that not all practitioners will follow the same moral or ethical rules that I do and I cannot change that, however that does not allow things that are obviously illegal, immoral, or unethical.
The use of sexual rituals as a form of initiation has been noted in several organizations and by some lone teachers, this often involves the use of sex with one or more higher ranking members in order to facilitate the sharing of hidden knowledge or as is the case with some Seidr teachers, to allow for the spirits to enter the body of the Seidr worker. In the example of Seidr, the reason given is that the work is commonly done by women, who are naturally receptive, and so for a woman, or especially a man, to be able to practice they must be “entered” by the teacher to open the door for the spirits.
First, there is no evidence that this was a historical requirement for Seidr workers, even men. Second and far more importantly, under no circumstances should a person of authority, such as a teacher, be taking advantage of their students by requiring they take part in sex acts in order for the work to begin. This is the same with any organization that would require a new member to do a sexual act as a form of initiation into the organization.
By keeping the organization away from the new member until they have completed the sex act it already places the act a morally grey area, because the person may have felt coerced into doing the act in order to be accepted into the organization.
Ethical Considerations
This discourse may come across as if I am entirely against the practice of sex magic, that is not the case, I just feel strongly that when you are choosing to practice your freedom with something as important as the bodily autonomy of other people, you required to meet a very high level of responsibility. I believe we are free to live and practice in any way we see fit that does not harm other people but that in accepting that freedom we must agree to hold ourselves to a very strict ethical standard. In no way should our practice hurt someone else or hinder their spiritual evolution because we treated someone badly.
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The goal of alchemy is to bring yourself to a state of perfection (the Stone) and to assist humanity in bringing itself into the state of perfection as well. How can we be moving toward perfection while we are hurting those around us? How can we purport to be “good people” if we are not doing something good? If we are going to claim the name of alchemist we should be holding ourselves to the highest standards possible.
We must uphold the morals and ethics of the alchemists that came before us, lest we become like the charlatans that did so much damage to our profession.
Key Concepts in Sexual Alchemy
Below is a summary table outlining the key concepts discussed in the realm of sexual alchemy:
| Concept | Description | Ethical Considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Sex Magic | Practices using sex or bodily fluids for magical purposes. | Requires strict ethical guidelines, informed consent, and adult participation. |
| Alchemical Theurgy | Incorporation of sexual acts into hermetic and alchemical practices, interpreted both allegorically and literally. | Practitioners must adhere to personal beliefs while ensuring ethical practices. |
| Sexual Fluids in Magic | Use of seminal, vaginal, or menstrual fluids as ingredients in spells or alchemical transmutations. | All participants must be informed, consenting adults. |
| Sex as Initiation | Sexual rituals used as a form of initiation into organizations or practices. | Strongly discouraged if it involves coercion, abuse of authority, or unethical behavior. |
I do not want anyone to take my opinions as some sort of hermetic doctrine, but to take the information and come to an informed decision if you are ever met with the concept of sexual magic. I hope that what we have covered here today will resonate with you on some level and that it may cause you to take another look at the ethics in which you do your Work to ensure that it aligns with the greater goals of alchemy and Hermeticism.