Hear the New Program | Special Edition Tantra Studio
Opening Thoughts | By Eric, May 18, 2022
I’ll add new posts below this one.
To this area of Planet Waves, I am planning resources in two general categories: the astrology of sexuality, and sex generally. Astrology tends to avoid the open discussion of sexuality, especially in our era of confusion, fear and what is called “gender dysphoria.”
My good friend and benefactor, the late Jonathan Cainer, once wrote to me, “No proper astrology website discusses sex!” Well, Planet Waves is not a proper astrology website in that case. But I think he was speaking for the profession as a whole. So let’s go on.
When encountering new ideas about sexuality, you know they’re having an effect if you want to squirm a little. It may be a pleasant or uncomfortable sensation. All kinds of feelings may arise, though the one I would encourage the most is curiosity.
The Desire to Learn and Feel
Because we live in a time when nearly all sex is politicized, and the political view (taking over for the religious view) is that all sex is wrong, then we need a guiding principle. I would suggest that be your desire to learn: principally about yourself, and your environment, and the people in it — in that order. Directing your desire for understanding first at yourself sets some parameters. You are worthy learning goal for yourself, and you would certainly be minding your own business.
We are all aware that any discussion of sex can be infused with guilt, shame, resistance, confusion, unworthiness, self-consciousness, embarrassment, jealousy and/or various shades of being triggered. It’s usually enough to stop the conversation.
However: it’s worth considering that the real controversy is people discussing sex, even for educational purposes, may get hot and bothered, and people could not handle themselves, Hence, the emotional states of the prior paragraph could also serve as a scrim.
To move through the emotional and sexual landscape with sincere curiosity, one needs to make friends with all of these feelings.
They are not negative or in appropriate; they are essential facets of awareness. Over time, they become your teachers, your guides, and point the way to your deepest sources of pleasure and surrender. It does not take much to get a sense of how this is possible. The thing to remember is that sexuality evokes primal territory, and we are heavily “civilized” (meaning conditioned) beings.
Astrology and Sexuality: Around the Houses
Exceedingly little relevant information has been written about actual sexuality in the context of astrology. We get stuff about personality traits, romantic inclinations, and various “styles” indicated by sign placements. We hear about karma, past lives, and whether one will marry. That is not about sex. There is interesting stuff written about aspects (if you look hard enough, you will read that certain aspect suggest attraction). But most in this genre tinted by ignorance and negative or moralistic values about sexuality. I do my best to get past that.
You never get the feeling that the writer is in some way experienced in the subject. For example, when a writer is experienced covering the Supreme Court, you can tell from how they present their ideas. They have context and a sense of history. Sexuality is a significant and vast subject area.
There is no area of life that is not in some way influenced by sexuality. So in that sense, you can do a reading of every house in a person’s chart and get useful information. Usually, though, only two houses are assigned to matters of sexual relating: the 5th (fun, pleasure, play, risky and adventurous sex) and the 8th (sex as a matter of commitment, property rights in marriage, the in-laws. And at the same time, the 8th includes the sexual power you exude, and the sex you need the most).
The 5th usually pertains to art; the 8th usually pertains to death. Therein lies the essential difference. Which would you prefer?
There is more to the topic, of course. The 2nd house would represent self-possessed sexuality and masturbation. The 3rd house would describe your communication style, which is essential to the exploration of sex. The 9th house would describe the influence on religion on the person, which also describes sexual values.
The 12th house describes your most cherished sexual experiences, your fantasy life, and your dreams. It is where people keep most of their secrets.
Here is a basic guide that I wrote a few years ago. It covers six of the 12 houses.
As in Sex, so in Life
One closing thought of this first essay. Sex is many things, though one is that it’s a metaphor for existence. We take our sexuality everywhere; we see sex everywhere; there is some element of a sexual interchange with every person, even if it’s the instantaneous interested/not interested scan. And we all know how those things can change.
What I call “tantra” is the exploration of the meaning of sexuality as a normal part of life, and as the pursuit of self-awareness (which you might call growth). For the discussion to be real, it must be personal; conveying real experiences are essential. That is the spirit in which I will proceed.
If you have questions, thoughts or discussion points, you may enter them into the comments area (you need to register or login to comment).
Faithfully,
I should think that would be an essential collaboration!