Creation of new yahoo group on Sacred Sexuality

Hello all!!

For the last couple of years, I have been running a succesful private yahoo group called CLASS_Atl (Celebrating Love and Sacred Sexuality in Atlanta). Although that group is still going strong, I wanted to create an additional group to meet the need for this kind of discussion on a larger level. The Atlanta group consists largely of people who already know each other from the local pagan festival scene and the related communities. This new group CLASS_USA will be open to the public, although new people will have to go through an application process, so that I can screen out those who are just looking to spam new sex-related groups. I will keep this group tightly focused on our discussion theme and I won't tolerate disrespect between members.

If you are interested in learning more and sharing, I encourage you to come visit us!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CLASS_USA/

Lovingly,
Inara de Luna

Linking Sacred Sexuality and Peace

In light of the recent flurry of interest in the Global Orgasm project, I wanted to post an essay I wrote a few weeks ago which links sacred sexuality, peace and the concept of sacred play ("lila" in Sanskrit).

For more info on the Global Orgasm event, check out these links:

globalorgasm.org

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/1120-02.htm

And now, on to my essay...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Essay - Connecting Sacred Sexuality, Sacred Play & Peace

Inara de Luna © August 2006

I've been asked to give a workshop at the Peace Day Festival, which has been themed "A Day of Play," and was told that my classes on Sacred Sexuality would fit in beautifully. This has challenged me to define the connection between sacred sexuality, peace and sacred play.

To me, sacred sexuality is twofold: (1) the process of using sex and sensuality as the vehicle through which you experience recognition of or appreciation for the divine in yourself and others, and (2) a practice toward integration of your being on several levels: the body, mind, heart and soul; the male and female aspects; the human and divine; the sacred and profane. Through the process of recognition of the divine and the process of integration, a sense of peace and harmony is inevitable. This is true whether you're working primarily with yourself, in a relationship, or in a larger community.

When working with yourself, learning to see the divine within helps you to achieve peace because you are no longer at war with yourself. Once you recognize your own inner divinity, there is no more reason to beat yourself up over little things, you can see that your body is a beautiful temple of the divine, no matter what its shape or size, and you are more in touch with your innermost feelings, desires, boundaries and personal power. Of course, there is more that goes into achieving a state of peace, but we'll delve into that later.

When you are able to consistently appreciate the divine within your lover, partner, parents, siblings, children, etc…you can be more forgiving, more compassionate, more open, more vulnerable, more trusting. The Divine is all these things and so to see them in your very human partner opens you to interacting with them from a place of divine grace. This isn't to say that you won't still get angry or irritated with them at times, but it does help you to work out differences and difficulties with more mutual respect, patience, grace and maturity. When you connect with the inner divine of your partner, you don't operate from a presumption of distrust of their motivations or intentions.

Once you learn to appreciate the role each aspect of your being has to play in creating your overall Self, you can integrate them and become Whole and Holy. The body, mind, heart and spirit all work cooperatively to keep you healthy and happy. Your inner masculine and feminine traits and energies are balanced and equal, allowing you to temper justice with compassion, strength with vulnerability, and assertiveness with gentleness. Once you've begun to achieve these integrations, the separations between human and divine, and that between sacred and profane, begin to blur and disappear. The yin/yang balance becomes a merged union of Wholeness, in which seeming opposites are actually found to be complementaries. And once you've experienced this oneness within yourself, it's not such a stretch to expand that understanding beyond yourself to incorporate everyone around you, and to fully know that we are all indeed interconnected.

Once you can sense the interconnections between all the beings on the planet, and appreciate that the divine resides in all things and beings, it becomes impossible to hate and make violence on anyone else, because they are a part of you. To harm another is to harm yourself. Peace then becomes inevitable as we learn to maintain our state of harmony and interconnection. This process of learning to maintain our state of harmony and interconnection is truly about making love, not war.

Neither sacred sexuality, playfulness nor peace can exist in the face of hate, distrust, fear or animosity. All can be experienced in and contribute to an atmosphere of love, trust, compassion, harmony and serenity.

Sacred play is about honoring the divine role that playing fills in our lives. The harder we work, the more we need to relax, engage in leisure activities, indulge our creative natures, and enjoy pleasure. If we don't make room for these things, our lives begin to resemble a wasteland, empty of enjoyment, emotion, satisfaction or serenity. Material accomplishments can only go so far in buoying us up...we need to balance our doing with simply being. And divine play can help us with that. During play, children are completely focused on the activity of the moment. Their attention is absorbed, they are wholly present, and their feelings of joy are readily apparent in the look in their eye, the big easy smiles, the bursts of laughter, the clapping of hands.

It is said that "God" was playing when he made the world. He wanted to experience some of this for himself and so incarnates as a physical being every now and then. It's fascinating in the way that a captured beetle fascinates a toddler.

Approaching our adult sexual lives with a sense of childlike wonder, innocence, playfulness, attentiveness, hyper-focus, and present-awareness can only enhance our joy and pleasure in the interaction.

Interweaving then the three concepts of sacred sexuality, divine play and world peace is a process of recognizing each other's inherent divinity, integrating all the disparate parts of ourselves so as to recognize our own divinity, playing with each other in ways that celebrate each other's strengths, fulfill each other's needs for affection, pleasure and acceptance, respecting one another's processes, listening to one another's needs and complaints from a place of maternal, compassionate, detached Witness, holding safe space for each other's growth and healing to take place.

Can you imagine a world in which the leaders of conflicted countries could come together in a yab-yum embrace, engage in an eye-gazing exercise, express their heartfelt needs, fears and hurt places, ask one another for forgiveness and express what they feel would help heal the situation, and then tickle one another until both fell over from laughing so hard, finally to be bathed by the temple priestesses before celebrating their newfound unity by engaging sensually with each other or the priestesses themselves? What a world that would be….

ROFLMAO!! I've got to send this you all, because it actually made me laugh out loud!!
-----
"We hear a lot of arguments today that the reason that we can't get serious about our borders is that we are desperate for all these workers," Emery said. "You don't have to think too long. If you kill 44 million of your potential workers, it's not too surprising we would be desperate for workers."
-----
You've got to be kidding me!!! The reason we can't really keep the illegal immigrants out of our country is because we need them to do the work that all those potential people who were aborted could be doing, if we hadn't killed them. LOL!! The anti-choice folks are really reaching on this one.

I hope no one here takes offense at my incredulity, but this is just going too far. I only hope that these kinds of statements don't start dictating more of our government policy and legislation.

Any thoughts? Dissenting opinions are okay, too! :)

Lovingly,
Inara

PS - I also find it interesting that this report also introduces the Fair Tax concept, but the article says absolutely nothing else about the one line statement:
-----
The statements about abortion, welfare policies and a recommendation to abolish income taxes in favor of sales taxes were inserted into the immigration report by the committee chairman, Rep. Ed Emery.
-----

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: News List <NewsList@woodhullfoundation.org >
Date: Nov 16, 2006 6:55 AM
Subject: [wff-newslist] Opposition Research: Lawmakers Blame Abortion For Labor Shortage
To: wff-newslist@lists.woodhullfoundation.org

http://www.wfsb.com/politics/10329613/detail.html?rss=hart&psp=news

Lawmakers Blame Abortion For Labor Shortage

POSTED: 5:19 pm EST November 15, 2006
UPDATED: 5:51 pm EST November 15, 2006

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A Republican-led legislative panel in Missouri claims in a new report on illegal immigration that abortion is partly to blame because it is causing a shortage of American workers.

The report from the state House Special Committee on Immigration Reform also claims "liberal social welfare policies" have discouraged Americans from working and encouraged immigrants to cross the border illegally.

The statements about abortion, welfare policies and a recommendation to abolish income taxes in favor of sales taxes were inserted into the immigration report by the committee chairman, Rep. Ed Emery.

All six Democrats on the panel refused to sign the report. Some of them called the abortion assertion ridiculous and embarrassing.

"There's a lot of editorial comment there that I couldn't really stomach," Rep. Trent Skaggs said Monday. "To be honest, I think it's a little delusional."

All 10 Republican committee members signed the report, though one of them, Rep. Billy Pat Wright, said Monday he didn't recall it connecting abortion and illegal immigration.

Emery, who equates abortion to murder, defended the assertions.

"We hear a lot of arguments today that the reason that we can't get serious about our borders is that we are desperate for all these workers," Emery said. "You don't have to think too long. If you kill 44 million of your potential workers, it's not too surprising we would be desperate for workers."

National Right to Life estimates there have been more than 47 million abortions since the Supreme Court established a woman's right to abortion in its 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling. The immigration report estimates there are 80,000 fewer Missourians because of abortion, many of whom now would have been in a "highly productive age group for workers."

The abortion connection to illegal immigration was listed under the report's recommendations on federal social policies and potential state legislative actions on illegal hiring.

"Suggestions for how to stop illegal hiring varied without any simple solution," the report states. "The lack of traditional work ethic, combined with the effects of 30 years of abortion and expanding liberal social welfare policies have produced a shortage of workers and a lack of incentive for those who can work."

Democrats contend the abortion statement wasn't discussed, much less agreed to, by the committee. Emery said there was some testimony about abortion during a question-and-answer session at one of the hearings, although he couldn't recall by whom.

"I felt like that was significant enough and fundamental enough that it warranted addressing it in the report," he said.

Missouri does not keep records of oral testimony during legislative committee hearings.

Skaggs said the abortion statement undermines the credibility of the entire report, which was submitted to the House speaker's office late last week.

"That's ridiculous to draw that conclusion. I don't think that has anything to do with immigration," said committee member Rep. Ed Wildberger, the chairman of the House Democratic caucus.

The report also includes short essays by Emery about the history of immigration, the purpose of immigration laws and the importance of a common language. In those, he notes "the issue of illegal immigration does not lend itself to compromise."

Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

===================================
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Please note that distribution of this item does not necessarily constitute endorsement of the content; in fact, often items are distributed as "opposition research."

"Go to Original" links are provided as a convenience to our readers and allow for verification of authenticity. However, as originating pages are often updated by their originating host sites, the versions posted by Woodhull may not match the versions our readers view when clicking the "Go to Original" links.

There has, for years, been a push to promote abstinence as the only appropriate sexual choice for teenagers. Now, people are beginning to promote the idea that all unmarried people under the age of 29 should remain abstinent. The first article below discusses the new propaganda, while the second article explores some of the perspectives from people who have chosen abstience or celibacy.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shelley-lewis/no-sex-please-were-sing_b_33084.html

http://villagevoice.com/people/0645,bussell,74920,24.html

You know, I have absolutely no problem with people consciously and deliberately choosing abstinence/chastity/celibacy if that is what's right for them at the time. It can be enormously healing and refreshing to approach life from a non-sexual position for a time. And I consider it a valid, respectable life choice.

However, people who choose abstinence or celibacy out of misguided feelings of guilt or shame about their sexual natures and desires need help to heal these psycho-emotional wounds. And I don't have any respect for those who try to force-feed others feelings of guilt and shame around sexuality, or who agressively promote their abstinence preference as the only right, clean, true and pure way to live.

Basically, I don't think our sex lives should be legislated at all. The government has no right to tell me when and when not to have sex, how to have sex, with whom I can share sex, how or if I should use contraception and STD prevention tools, whether or not to shop for, own or use sexual aids of any variety, if I pay or accept payment for sexual services, and the pornographic material I might choose to consume.

This blogger has posted a hopeful and optimistic prognosis for the future of some of our sexual and reproductive rights and freedoms which have come under attack in recent years, based on the recent election results:

http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2006/11/08/after-the-election-potential-for-progress

I do so hope that some more realistic and reasonable solutions can be found, or at least discussed, for the sexual education, abortion rights, contraception information, human trafficking and free speech issues that have loomed so large in recent years.

What do you think?

Essay - BE the Change You Want to See

by Inara de Luna (c) August 2006

I have run across several philosophies lately that all mirror or interconnect with one another that point the way to a more peaceful approach to life:

Hawaiin Ho’Oponopono practice of forgiveness

Sioux Native American philosophy, O’Mitake Oyasin “All my relations”

Sanskrit concept of Namaste

Quantum Physics Law of Attraction

Buddhist Metta practice of lovingkindness

Wiccan Rule of Three & belief in Magic

Summarizing:

We are all connected. Everything we do affects everyone around us. We create our own reality. We attract into our lives that which resonates with what we say we want. By learning to practice love toward ourselves, and recognize the divinity within outselves and others, our stress from our interactions with others will lessen. Whatever energy we project will be returned to us threefold. Our thoughts have power; our words have power; through our thoughts, words and deeds, we have the power to change our reality.

* * * * * *

And so, rather than simply bemoaning the sad state of the world, it might be more helpful, for yourself and for the world, to do something about it. And that something can take so many forms. Of course, getting out and voting, writing letters to your Congressional representatives, voting with your dollars, and signing petitions are all obvious and helpful ways to bring about change. But you can also BE the change you want to see in the world. Are you tired of people being apathetic? Then get off your butt and DO something about the issues that concern you. Are you tired of all the bickering and sniping that goes on? Then learn conflict resolution techniques and listening skills. Does it piss you off how people don’t seem to give a sh*t about others? Learn how to apply the philosophy of lovingkindness in your life. Do you feel like people are always disrespecting you or taking advantage of you? Try looking at the world through the lens of compassion and forgiveness.

Don’t allow yourself to be overcome by despair, or that is the energy you will be projecting out into the world, and thus re-attracting back into your own life. Taking the time to evaluate and modify your own behavior, beliefs and daily practices, and then applying those skills to the relationships in your own life, will have an impact on all those you come into contact with. If you are projecting peace, you will begin to create a more peaceful immediate environment. And these practices have a ripple effect. Your efforts will spread out, far beyond your immediate sphere of influence. One person can make a difference, and if we all, each individual person, made a commitment to making a difference, it would continue to have a dramatic effect on changing the way the world works.

Be the change you want to see in the world.

~ Mahatma Gandhi

Allow me to share my excitement at having my introductory essay on Sacred Sexuality published in the online publication known as Spirit One Webzine! If you've missed my Introduction to Sacred Sexuality workshop at the festivals, then I invite you to follow the links in the email below to read this article, as this conveys the material I share in that workshop and more!

Happy Samhain!!

Lovingly,
Inara

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Gordon Ireland < gireland@ameritech.net>
Date: Nov 1, 2006 3:04 PM
Subject: [aspiring_pagan_authors] Spirit One Webzine Volume 92
To: aspiring_pagan_authors@yahoogroups.com

Spirit One Webzine Volume 92

Spirit One is an online magazine that explores Pagan an Earth-based
religions and spirituality. Spirit One eZine is a free ezine sent
out eight times a year providing information and articles on
Metaphysical/Pagan topics. Any statements made in this ezine reflect
no one's opinions but my own and/or the writer's of
articles/poetry/etc.

ISSN: 1543-8074

Read Spirit One Online @ http://www.paganshopping.com/spiritone or
http://newageinfo.net

We are looking for writers please submit your work to this email
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In publication since the fall of 1999. Published 8 times per year.
Each issue approx. 20 to 30 pages.

FEATURED ARTICLES

Introduction to Sacred Sexuality By Inara de Luna
When we consider the term "sacred sexuality," many of us will
experience severe cognitive dissonance. In other words, it is
difficult to conceive of viewing sex as anything other than
negative, secretive, shameful, or perhaps even sinful. These thought
patterns are so deeply embedded in our collective cultural psyche
that we may not even be aware of all the ways we think negatively of
sex, until we're exposed to a different way of thinking.

Living a Charmed Life! by Golden Hawk
Have you ever noticed that when you get up in the morning and either
your running late or you stub your toe on something, you seem to
have a day that anything that could go wrong does? As a result of
the negativity you have experienced your mind begins to look for
like ways to give you more of what you ask.

Harvest. Tractor Time. by Erin Lewin-Steinberg
Let's look for a moment at our own `harvest' for a moment. What
have we learned this past growing season? Have we tended the ground
we learn in? Have we pulled all the weeds and made room for healthy
and thriving thoughts? Have we, each and every one of us, sought
balance in our inner selves as well as our outer beings? Have we
spent time playing with our children and grand children? Have we
managed to connect with our loved ones in some special way? Havewe
given ourselves time to reflect and see who we are now and look at
it against the backdrop of who we were three months ago? Have we
learned to live in the moment?

Where Physics and Metaphysics Merge by Jason Randhawa
Before you can understand why, how, and where physics and
metaphysics will converge, you must understand exactly what is meant
by physics and metaphysics. Metaphysics is basically the
philosophical study of being and knowing. Metaphysics is very
closely related to spirituality, but it is not religious. On the
other hand, when I talk about physics I am not really talking about
the old Newtonian physics that many of us were taught in school.
Instead, I am talking more about the leading edge sciences that are,
in my opinion, currently expanding the previous limits of science,
mainly quantum physics.

Religions of old by W.K.Glöss
I have been reading articles of how the old greek gods and goddesses
are coming back in full force and of the fact that more and more
people are abandoning the young religions for the first religions.
This is a great time to be a Pagan indeed and it is exactly what our
ancestors wrote about and believed would come. Their prediction is
now more true than ever and it is such a wonderous thing to be
witnessing. We are still hated by a very insignificant amount of
close minded christians but a lot of them understand and accept us
as a religion and not a satanic cult.

Ten of Wands By Claire x
The message of the card is that even success brings its own burdens.
Look at someone famous like Robbie Williams, for example, he's got
everything a person could wish for – talent, money, devotion, fame –
but he's not particularly happy. Even that huge success brings its
own burdens. Being famous isn't as great as it appears from the
outside, neither is being rich or beautiful. Every benefit comes
with its own problems.

Message from Gaia (poem) By Sandria Decker
I am your mother I am your earth I am all and I am nothing You are
but sand on my beaches and pebbles on my mountains

THE VALLEY OF VON-DAR [Planet Er-Da Romance Adventure]: Chapter 11
By Jeffrey Redmond and Cory Anne Stickel
A long, terrible silence filled the air, suffocating them. This was
the worst moment in El-Lena's life. Her mind was trying to take in
what Mit-Ir had said, trying to make sense of all the contradictory
messages filling her head.

Magical Item Of The Week by by Allie Theiss

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As my first post, I'd like to introduce myself. This is the full bio that appears on my website, http://www.TempleRedLotus.com. I look forward to talking about all sorts of issues on the topics of sex, love, the body, relationships and spirituality.

Inara de Luna

Founder of the Temple of the Red Lotus, Inara is a Qadishtu priestess who believes in the sacredness of sex and pleasure. Inara describes herself as a bisexual, polyamorous, eclectic pagan. A teacher and lifelong practitioner of yoga, she follows a path of finding enlightenment by healing the mind-body-spirit split that occurs in Western society. Ecstatic dance, drumming, sex, yoga, ritual, energy manipulation and healing, research and reflection are the avenues Inara uses and encourages for spiritual expression and development.

Inara runs an online discussion group on sacred sexuality and offers workshops and classes on yoga, breath work, sacred sexuality, teenage sex education, menstruation reclamation, and Native American drumming/singing. She has been a guest instructor for the Indigo Village Summer Camp, and a guest lecturer at the University of Redlands in California and at St. Patrick's Cathedral School in Pennsylvania. Additionally, she has performed private yoga demonstrations for select audiences around the country. Inara is a published author, with articles and poetry appearing in The Common People magazine, Atlanta Rising magazine and the Carolina Spirit Quest newsletter.

Inara organizes the Village of Greenwood at Dreaming. She also coordinated the Adult Play area at FireDance 2004 and DayDreaming: Greenwood, a day-long sacred sex intensive. Most recently, Inara presented a three course seminar on sacred sexuality at Bio-Buzz in Albany, GA. She created the Temple of the Red Lotus as an organization devoted to promoting and practicing sacred sexuality and the Qadishtu path.