I knocked once, and then I entered into the temple of Aphrodite and kicked off my soaked shoes, quietly taking in the awe-inspiring splendor of the surroundings. It was enchanting, with pillows, pads and mattresses on the floor, embellished with satin and lace, fake fur and beautiful fabrics. Tapestries, gauze and pictures hung on the walls, some of them quite erotic. There were chocolate and condoms, latex gloves and fuzzy fur mittens, lots of lube, a few whips and a vibrator or three. I saw flowers, shells and splendid statues of Aphrodite and many other representations of the goddess of love, sex, beauty, the ocean and carnal lust. It was an awe-inspiring and spectacular sight, and the sexual energy was palpable. Those who decorated the temple did a fabulous job!
I decided right then and there that those of my coven and friends who wanted to had to have a ritual in this sacred sexual space. One of my functions in this lifetime is to be a catalyst for energy movement and change. I am a sex-positive force for growth and transformation. People find that if they hang out around me for long, dramatic change happens in their life! One of the ways I work on manifesting this energy is as a sexual activist, or as Annie Sprinkle calls us, Pleasure Activists!
I usually attempt to take advantage of the availability of the energy of Aphrodite when I can. As a priestess of Her cult, I think it is important in our culture that is so sexually repressed, so much entrenched in the Christian mythos about sex being bad and wrong, that people who want to have the opportunity to take advantage of sacred sexual expression when it is made available. And yes, even pagans still retain judgment about free sexual expression.
It is a whole new experience for most people to be present while sex is happening. Even if you can't actually see the participants, the energy is hot! For people to be free to openly express their sexuality with love and trust and to see others doing so as well is a very powerful force! It is one intense way to transform and heal ourselves from the damage of our dysfunctional society's attitudes about sex and the human body. This is especially true for bisexual and gay people -- many who have a huge load of guilt about who they are based on their sexual attraction to the same sex. It is not easy; people have all kinds of programming around sex and sexuality. I know it took me many, many years to overcome most of my guilt and shame about my body, my sexuality and my sexual expression (and it still pops up occasionally). Sometimes humans are so freaked out by the idea of sex that they can't stand to even be in the same space with others who are sexually open. I find this happening a lot with me; sometimes people take an instant dislike to me, for seemingly no good reason. Well, it is usually about my willingness to put my sexual energy out there. It makes them cringe, they don't like it and they react to it as if I had burned them!
So, on this darksome full moon night I organized an impromptu ritual in the temple. A ritual to raise sexual energy for devotion to the Goddess and for the healing of the participants. The experience was transforming, and it moved many who attended.
I remember at one point looking around at the landscape of bodies in various configurations, all of the curves and angles intertwined. And I thought, "How beautiful. This looks like a painting!"
I had a really great time; especially pleasurable was the time I spent in the shrine of Aphrodite. She is the goddess of love, sex and beauty, and her temple and the ritual we performed reflected that -- love, sex and beauty.
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