Sexual Ecstasy and the Divine: The Passion and Pain of Our Bodies by Yasmine Galenorn. The Crossing Press ISBN 1-58091-113-7
From the introduction of Sexual Ecstasy and the Divine, I had a hint that it might be pretty good, but nothing prepared me for what I found when I ventured inside! This book has a bit of everything... some magick, love, fantasy, BDSM, bisex, psychology, healing, good advice and some well-thought-out and practical methods for connecting with the divine, your partner, sexual energy and your body.
There is an introduction, 11 chapters, afterword, 2 appendices, a glossary and a bibliography for a total of a little over 260 pages. The variety of chapter topics, such as: "Masturbation," "Sheelah-Na-Gigs and Sacred Harlots," "Straight as a Slinky: Kink, Gender Preference, Polyamoury and Pagans," and "The Divine Nature of Sex," should hold some interest for almost everyone.
Galenorn touches on anatomy, masturbation, how to tell if you're having an orgasm, different types of erotic exercises, recipes for ritual oils, sexual positions, erotic rituals and meditations and more. This book focuses on vanilla heterosex, but it also includes a few rituals and suggestions for adapting to a same-sex format and some basics about kinky sex.
Galenorn uses her own experiences to outline the main ideas, which she then paints in with information, what she knows, what she's learned or pointers toward resources.
I find her honesty and lack of pretense to be a refreshing change from the majority of the sex magick books I have read in the past. I also think Galenorn, unlike many other practitioners (and I am not naming names here), has had the experiences she writes about. She seems genuine -- a well balanced and integrated person.
If I didn't find something I disliked about a book it would be amazing, but I have to say that I liked almost everything in this one. I disagreed with a few things, but they were minor. I find Yasmine's writing style to be friendly, down-to-earth and pragmatic, if slightly "fluffy-white-light" at times. She sometimes seems a bit self-contradictory, with some very PC views on some things and very liberal ideas on the other. I also would have liked a bit more depth on a few subjects, like the section on rape. While it was good as far as it went, I felt some of the chapters were a bit "on the surface" for my taste. I realize, however, that the book could easily grow to 1,000 pages if she delved deeply into every aspect.
Though it's not perfect, this book is easily the best book on magickal sex or sex magick that I have read thus far, and I've read most of them! I suggest every magickal practitioner read it, and as a high priestess who teaches, leads erotic ritual and espouses sex positivity, it is going to be high on my personal and magickal class reading list.