Tantric Art

The Tantric tradition of India and Tibet is much broader in its scope than the subset of Tantric Sexuality taught in the West. While Western Tantra focuses on practical techniques, the Eastern form also uses sexual symbolism for purely meditational purposes. As such, Tantric art often contains imagery that can seem bizarre to Western eyes. This Tibetan-style devotional painting, for example, depicts an animal-headed female deity trampling on two small figures while she menstruates into a bowl they are holding. At the same time, she is balancing the Hindu elephant God Ganesha on her hands and performing fellatio on him – in other words, sucking his penis!

The Mystic Syllable Om

The Sanskrit syllableॐ – transcribed in English as Om – represents a sound that has mystical significance in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. It features in numerous Sanskrit mantras, and is the opening word of many sacred texts. Om symbolizes the beginning, duration, and dissolution of the Universe and its associated Gods.

In the Tantric tradition, the syllable Om is chanted rhythmically by both partners during sexual intercourse. In some cases an extended form of mantra such as Om Mani Padme Hum is used instead. The visual depiction of Om – the Sanskrit character ॐ – us also important in Tantric sex. The female sex practitioner or Dakini in the photograph has the symbol tattooed on her shoulder. She is shown performing the devotional Tantric ritual of Auparishtaka, better known in the west as a blowjob.

Sappho

Sappho was one of the greatest poets of the ancient world. She was born on the Greek island of Lesbos in the 7th century BC. A native of Lesbos is known as a Lesbian, and in English this word has come to mean a homosexual female due to the homoerotic nature of some of Sappho’s poems. The word “Sapphic” is sometimes used as a synonym of Lesbian.

The picture above is adapted from the painting “Sappho’s bedtime” by Charles Gleyre (1806 – 1874). The one below is from Édouard-Henri Avril (1849 –1928). Both scenes include a lyre, which was a harp-like musical instrument used to accompany poetry in ancient times.