META

A cabinet de curiosits, #1 2009

ARS DE REX - Sexual Magic, the Art of Kings

Sexual magic, also referred to as the Rex de Arte Regia (King of the Royal Arts), is the most pow-
erful and effective form of magic. Magic is a skill, and just like any other skill, there are only few
individuals who master it fully and successfully. Modern occultist Ailen Roc offers Meta readers
an introduction to the subject, followed by an interview with sexual magic guru David Beth.

Text by Aileen Roc. Translated from German by Hili Perlson

Fire (energy, spirit)

Water
(feelings, emotions intuition)
Wind
(intellect, power of the mind and thought)
Earth
(manifestation, materialisation, action)

Containment of these elements is the carpe-

ting in the temple so to say, while the temple
itself represents anyone from the priest to the
pupil. The carpet alone may be pretty and

T his excursion into the world of sexual ma-

gic is directed at the Exoteric, the uninitia-
ted reader. However, since this is an essenti-
ally esoteric article, I will use some terms from
the field of Magick. While anyone experi-
enced with magic is familiar with terms such
as Beast, Priest, Priestess, Magician, Temple
etc., an outsider might find them gruesome,
ridiculous, or simply over-dramatic and, as a
matter of fact, magic can generally be said
to be interspersed with drama.
The system I will describe is that of the Ordo
Templi Orientis lodge. Other lodges may
have slightly different systems. Generally, the
scheme is:
Works of the VIII degree: consecration.
Works of the IX degree +: inspiration
Works of the IX degree - : desecration
Works of the XI degree: materialization and
revitalization.
But before we proceed to the practical part,
I would like to warn readers that sexual ma-
gic should by no means be practice without
the preliminary steps and fundaments. The
first steps in the practice of sexual magic are
the basic prerequisites for a serious and suc-
cessful practice and must be followed strictly.
These include:
An intensive knowledge of ones own
bodyand its control. This can be obtai-
ned through different Yoga Asanas and
exercises in bioenergy.
Breathing exercises and techniques,
preferably Pranayama.
Acquiring control of thought and
spirit,for which regular meditation and-
visualisation exercises are necessary.
Learning to know ones energy net and
being able to influence and master its
flow.
Additionally, control over the power elements
is fundamental to the practice of any kind of
magic:
precious, but things become more interesting
as we start to build the temple around it. In
order for us to make this temple as splendid
as possible, we first have to clear the ground
of any debris. As a result of our upbringing,
education, conditioning and socialization,
as well as due to time and culture specific
influences and values, we are strewn with
debris which leads to our having a poorly
conceived, if not completely distorted image
of ourselves and our surroundings. Sexual
magic, however, requires the transcendence
of restraints which prevent us from understan-
ding ourselves.
Contemporary sexual magic draws largely
on Aleister Crowleys Book of Law and espe-
cially on the maxim Do what thou will. Love
is the law. Love under will. Unfortunately
however, love is often based on misconcep-
tions. Because of his heteronomy and unclear
self-image, the common man is unable to dif-
ferentiate between true love and the emotio-
nal confusion often mistaken for love. The un-
META
A cabinet de curiosits, #1 2009
ARS DE REX - Sexual Magic, the Art of Kings
Text by Aileen Roc. Translated from German by Hili Perlson
reflecting individual does not truly love their
partner but rather confounds projections,
guilt, pity and natures baffling trick of bio-
chemical attraction, with love. True love can
only exist between equal partners with au-
tonomous personalities. The goal of the first
stage of sexual magic is therefore to become
a self-determined individual, a star who con-
ceives themselves and their fellow men as
unique stars and who forms and follows their
own orbit.
The aforementioned steps aid us tremendous-
ly in freeing ourselves from accumulated de-
bris; within a few months of yoga asanas, we
learn to control our bodies. The daily prac-
tice of meditation and visualisation enables
us to direct our thoughts - a significantly more
strenuous task than controlling the body, sim-
ply because for us, thoughts are much more
fleeting than material (anyone would find hol-
ding a stone for an hour to be an easy task,
but when asked to hold a thought for one
hour, the untrained man will most likely fail).
The average person is incapable of holding
a thought or visualizing one image for longer
than one minute. Anyone unable to hold a
thought for 2-5 minutes - the average length
of an orgasm - puts themselves at risk by try-
ing to skip the preliminary steps and engage
directly in the practice of sexual magic.
In order to free ourselves from heteronymous
conditioning, sexual magic deploys the tech-
nique of reversal of signification. I will ex-
plain this technique very briefly and simply:
the pupil must comprise lists of the things most
agreeable to them on the one hand, and the
things most appalling to them, on the other
(this can be anything from favorite snack to
sexual preferences to phobias). The different
entries are rated on a scale of positive 1 to 3
for the most agreeable and negative 1 to 3
for the most appalling. For example:
Chocolate +2, kittens +1, round breasts +3
vs. cod liver oil -3, spiders -2, saggy breasts
-1.
The pupil must now work on reversing these
ratings to the point where a spider will sud-
denly appear to be appealing and a kitten
- grotesque.
The purpose of this practice is, of course, not
to turn our values around but rather to think
about the reason why round breasts, for ex-
ample appear more, and saggy breasts less
agreeable: is it fear of aging? Of death? Is it
due to social conventions reinstated through
visual media? This technique thus allows us
to gain great insight into the trained and con-
ditioned conformities that we take on from
our environment. In effect, with the reversal
of signification technique, we aspire to re-
adjust ourselves. But transformation alone is
not enough. The real goal is transcendence.
The energy taken up by our fears, aversions
and complexes is extremely precious and
must be unchained and put to better use.
Will in the average person is, more often
than not, corrupted by social conditioning.
Our conditioned reflexes lead us to merely
react to a situations like a Pavlovs dog,
rather than put our critical thinking to use.
We are commonly unable to differentiate
between our own wishes, compulsive aver-
sions, hopes, urges, misguided motivations
and true will. But will is the key instrument in
both sexual as well as ceremonial magic. He,
who doesnt recognize his true will, would
not know his path. He, who doesnt know his
path, would stumble blindly in the dark. The
degree of darkness reflects ones relations to
their subconscious and to their higher selves.
It is with the techniques of sexual magic that
we would learn to recognize our true will.
Furthermore, because sexual magic is based
on the belief that our greatest power is to be
found in sexual energy, its goal is to explore
and learn to redirect this potential.
In the practice of Kundalini yoga, for ex-
ample, sexual energy is symbolized through
a snake which lies curled up in our pelvis.
There are concrete exercises which focus on
revealing this snake, rousing and control-
ling it. The first results of such exercises can
be frightening or simply surprising since, as
I mentioned before, the temple must first be
freed of debris. In the process, one some-
times confronts hideous images, unpleasant
emotions and even physical side effects
which are brought about, varying from an-
xiety to any hallucinations (a phenomenon
known as the inflation of the subconscious
in psychology).
Therefore, the tasks mentioned earlier for
META
A cabinet de curiosits, #1 2009
ARS DE REX - Sexual Magic, the Art of Kings
Text by Aileen Roc. Translated from German by Hili Perlson
gaining control over body and mind are vital
to safeguarding ones physical and mental
well being, and must be followed for several
months before we can continue to the prac-
tical side of sexual magic. Ive experienced
the fatal consequences of unfunded work
with magic, and could witness them on other
pupils or even priests and priestesses. In such
cases, magic is believed to protect itself from
being acted out by the curious and untrained
masses. Without a basis, the power of Kun-
dalini has not been woken and the flow of
energy is simply too weak to be used for any
other goal than that achieved by engaging
in normal sexual activity.
The only difference may be the fantasies
used. However, it is precisely these fantasies
that can pose a danger, since loading fan-
tasies with energy brings one in contact with
certain energetic levels - the so called astral
levels - which shouldnt be available to the
average man.
On this matter, I see an interesting connec-
tion to the widespread popular practice of
S&M: while utilizing certain elements of
sexual magic, people practicing S&M are
often unaware of the implications. Each
fantasy or image we direct energy to - i.e.
load with emotions and thoughts - creates
something or, to use sexual magic termino-
logy, gives birth to something. When paired
with emotions, thoughts and sometimes even
actions, the imagination can give birth to
beings. While birth in itself is a wonderful
thing, it also entails enormous responsibility role in the practice of sexual magic. Whe-
and requires ever greater efforts because, ther two men, two women, or a man and a
after all, the child wants to live, grow woman engage in sexual magic, it is pivotal
and be entertained. While I would like to that one partner takes on the active, penetra-
steer away from the Dramatic, anyone who ting and giving role while the other is passi-
has engaged in rituals of sexual magic wit- ve, submissive, receiving and reflecting.
hout sufficient preliminary practice and who
has experimented with S&M could attest that The roles may vary according to the ritua-
fantasies become greedier and can easily listic act or even within the course of one
get out of control. act. For example, in the case of fellatio the
man must remain passive and give himself
Another risk related to the uneducated prac- up completely without applying any form of
tice of sexual magic is manifested in the
caricatures and misunderstandings of gender
roles. It is definitely true that the male part
embodies the active, formative principle and
that the female part embodies the passive,
receiving and submissive principle - please
be reminded that magic uses symbolic and
dramatic language, as I mentioned earlier!
Nonetheless, any attentive pupil will have un-
derstood that a person, whether biologically
male or female, is made up of both elements
of gender. The male (yang) and female (yin)
elements may exist in different combinations
within different individuals, but there is abso-
lutely no such thing as a completely male or
completely female makeup.
The active male party must unchain the
beast within during the sexual act. The
female party must find the so called scar-
let woman within, become one and merge
with her. Again, these roles have very little to
do with biological gender; it is not without
reason that homosexuality plays an important
META
A cabinet de curiosits, #1 2009
ARS DE REX - Sexual Magic, the Art of Kings
Text by Aileen Roc. Translated from German by Hili Perlson
self-stimulation or influencing the act with any
movements. In the act of cunnilingus, the wo-
man must give herself up completely without
trying to control the flow of the act. In the
sexual intercourse itself, however, the roles
can be changed depending on preference
and goal of the act.
One of the main goals of sexual magic is
to expand and intensify the orgasm with the
help of visualizations and concentration on
specific aims. The more advanced one is,
the more intensive the orgasm would be. The
untrained person might think or imagine dif-
ferent things even right before the moment
of climax, resulting in the enormous amounts
of energy released in the moment of sexual
climax being dissolved into ether instead of
being directed at a certain goal.
Bearing all this in mind, we can now pro-
ceed to some practical aspects of sexual ma-
gic. The system described here is that of the
Ordo Templi Orientis lodge:
Sexual magic has three degrees of practi-
ce: the VIII, the IX and the XI degrees. The
VIII degree is divided into exercises that can
be carried out alone (VIII0- and VIII.0+) or
in pairs (VIII2+ and VIII2-). Similarly, the IX
degree also has two levels. Alongside with
these main subcategories, other levels exist
which vary according to skills and tendenci-
es of the people practicing them.
VIII.0 Masturbatory and Oral Operations:
VIII. 0- Priestess alone:
For rituals of consecration, benediction
of talismans, materializations of new partners.
Not for consecration of new ideas or projects,
for which XI is used. Using battle masks for
witchcraft and for the creation of illusions (oce-
anic witchcraft).
VIII. 0+ Priest alone:
For rituals of consecration. Using masks
for Lycanthropy (transformation into animals)
and calling on atavism.
VIII. 2+ Performed by the priestess on the
priest:
Using the tongue to create trance and visions.
Using the hand to create ecstasy and receive
the oracles.
VIII. 2- Performed by the priest on the
priestess:
Using the mouth for her magical nutrition and
renewal of sexual vitality.
Using the hand to symbolize her body as an
instrument of sexual splendor and great attrac-
tion.
IX. Operations of the Sun-Ra and Khephera
Priest und Priestess supernal
Natural unification for works of creation, intuiti-
on and inspiration.
Priestess and Priest infernal
Unnatural unification for works of Zombie-ism,
comatose and death-like experiences, dream
manipulation and darkness (painful states).
*XI. Operations of the mouth:*
During the moons crescent or lunar eclipse
for works of materialization and vitalization
of dreams, images and visions. It is believed
that by repetition, visions can materialize.
The last word is dedicated to the notion of
will. It goes without saying that as long as
the physical and mental well-being of the se-
xual partner is safeguarded, then to each
his own. Here, I would like to return to
Crowleys maxim Do what thou will. Love
is the law. Love under will. Do what thou
will is by no means to be understood as
do whatever you fancy or feel like, as was
the case with Charles Manson and his fa-
mily. Will in itself is life-sustaining and love-
oriented. However, not all of us have been
given or experienced sufficient amounts of
love. Furthermore, most of us didnt grow up
in an environment which encourages pursu-
ing or even getting to know our true will; in
this sense, we are all invalids or handicap-
ped. The purpose and goal of sexual magic
is the healing of our handicap. It is both the
instrument as well as the way towards who-
lesomeness.
INTERVIEW
Ailen Roc: There are many miscon-
ceptions regarding the term sexual
magic. How would you explain the
idea behind it?
David Beth: Well, we could maybe say
META
A cabinet de curiosits, #1 2009
ARS DE REX - Sexual Magic, the Art of Kings
Text by Aileen Roc. Translated from German by Hili Perlson
that sexual magic would be the harnessing
of ones own sexuality and sexual energies
with intentionality. Sexual magic allows us
to activate energies and forces and reach
states of consciousness in which we are able
to become magically creative and facilitate
change within and without.
AR: What are the origins of sexual
magic? How is it connected to
Tantra?
DB: I believe the origins of sexual magic to
be ancient. From the earliest forms of fertility
cults to the sacred prostitutes/priestesses of
Babylon and Sumer, we find many traces of
ritualized sexuality. People in all times and
cultures have understood the latent transfor-
mative powers in the energies of eros and
have tried to utilize them accordingly. Unfor-
tunately, with the rise of the orthodox Abra-
hamic religions and their dominance in our
cultures, sexuality and eros as methods of
divine intoxication and paths to higher states
of consciousness have been suppressed. This
way we have managed to profanisize eros
in our world and cut us off from a vital tool of
personal and universal transformation. Both
Sex and eros have become a commodity
and despite a seemingly liberated and over-
sexed society they still are tightly connected
to a false morality and fear of the body
as we can see by the way we obsessively
treat the body as an object rather than truly
connecting with it.
AR: Is sexual magic an important
component of Voudon?
DB: Classical voudon has many aspects
which we could classify as physical, ecstatic
and even erotic but is not outright sexual ma-
gic. However, there are voudon cults which
very much work with sexual magic like the
groups that I am associated with, the Ordo
Templi Orientis Antiqua and La Couleuvre
Noire. Here, the transformative and elemen-
tal power of sexuality is acknowledged and
the fuel of our work is sacred sexuality in
[its] various forms. We have a very elabora-
te corpus of teachings about sexual magic,
much larger and more complex than other
well known western esoteric groups like the
Ordo Templi Orientis or the Fraternitas Satur-
ni. Also, the use of eros and sexuality in a
magical context is not limited to physical se-
xuality but may be an internal process only.
Like certain tantric groups in the East, we
base our work on a complex understanding
of the alchemical body with the energies and
substances generated by sacred sexuality
and eros as its power source.
As a group with roots in Voudon we also
interact and engage with spirits/loas. Unlike
exoteric Voudon groups we do not support
animal sacrifice and have for a long time
understood clearly the superior power of
sexual magical energies as an offering and
connecting agent to the spirits of our Voudon
continuum.
(For anyone interested in more information
on this particular topic and an inside look
into Voudon Gnosis I would suggest my book
Voudon Gnosis published by Scarlet Imprint
and available from the publisher.)
AR: How are gender specific roles
represented in sexual magic?
DB: There is not universal answer to this
question different tradition and different
groups treat this very differently. I only want
to speak from my own point of view. I belie-
ve that while men and women share many of
the same abilities there are differences in
the physical but also esoteric body/persona.
And magical work and also sexual magic
needs to address this.
Women for example are able to produce
other magically charged substances through
physical processes than men. All substan-
ces are of course interesting for the magical
operator. Also the different polarities, active
for man, passive for female are important in
magical work.
META
A cabinet de curiosits, #1 2009
ARS DE REX - Sexual Magic, the Art of Kings
Text by Aileen Roc. Translated from German by Hili Perlson
There are teachings which teach the return to
an androgynous primordial state which the
magician needs to achieve in order to rea-
lize higher consciousness. The way to achie-
ve this is to work with female and male ener-
gies and to absorb those qualities into his
(esoteric body) which he is lacking (usually
female qualities in male and vice versa). We
also recognize the esoteric qualities of lore
such as the grail stories to relate to us certain
initiated ideas of love, male and female and
their unique appropriate magical offices.
AR: Do you see a connection bet-
ween S&M and sexual magic?
DB: Not directly, I believe S&M has always
existed but recently it has become much more
public and open in the wake of sexual libe-
ration and also as part of a thrill seeking
modern world. Society is experiencing a spi-
ritual emptiness and void and many people
seek to fill this by a materialist indulgence
and superficial thrill seeking.
I do believe however that BDSM can be use-
ful in providing tools of magical exploration,
especially also in the sexual magical real.
After all, carefully administered pain for ex-
ample has been employed by some occul-
tists in all ages to create changed states of
awareness. The same is true for the use of
deprivation of senses.
AR: What are the goals of sexual
magic?
DB: Goals of sexual magic are amongst other
things the creation and use of very powerful
energies which help us to create the change Ailen Roc studied various esoteric fields such
within and without that we as magicians as ceremonial Magick, Sexual Magick, Tan-
want to facilitate. Sexual magic also helps tra, Astrology, Tarot, the Quaballah and
us to re-connect with our deep primordial self different astral-levels along with Psycholo-
and allows us to become complete again, to gy. She works an astrologist, Tarot reader,
reconnect with our bodies and through our psychic and a life coach, and is currently
bodies. It helps to unlock our true potential working on her own tarot deck and a book
in a spiritual and magical way and thus for combining certain occult fields with ele-
us to reclaim our true divine position in life ments of psychology. Despite early contacts
and universe. with different lodges, she never considered
becoming a member of any of them. The-
AR: How many people do you think refore, Ailen Roc has developed a unique
practice sexual magic, and how critical perspective on contemporaneous
many of them actually achieve the- practices of different fields of occultism and
se goals? psychology.
DB: I think that real sexual magic as an initi-
atory science is only being worked by very David Beth is a writer and esoteric explorer.
few people. Sexuality may have a short-lived The rich metaphysical and spiritual climate
transformative effect on many people who of West Africa, where Beth lived for 16
have experienced a mind-blowing orgasm or years, is a huge influence. A deep interest
are deeply in love, but people who are able in the Western esoteric tradition led him to
to consciously to raise, control use the sexual the study of various systems of magic and
energies in our bodies and the universe in its spiritual attainment until his quest finally led
form of cosmic libido are few indeed. him to the Voudon Gnosis of Michael Berti-
Even most self-proclaimed magicians are aux. Beth is the sovereign Grand Master
mostly amateurs without a truly initiatory of the Ordo Templi Orientis Antiqua and La
knowledge and understanding of the very Couleuvre Noire. He is also a dedicated
complex matters that comprise sexual magic, non-dualist Gnostic Bishop of the Ecclesia
sexual alchemy and the laws of Kosmic Eros. Gnostica Aeterna and Grand Commander
It takes years of continuous dedicated studies of the Fraternitas Borealis, two organiza-
in theory and practice in order to be able to tions working in their unique ways with the
unleash these awesome forces that are at our so called Kosmic Gnosis.
immediate disposal.