Sex, Sorcery, and Spirit: The Secrets of Erotic Magic, by Jason Miller
New Page Books, 9781601633323, 224 pp., 2014
Sex magick can seem like some dark taboo, especially for people who are new to their spirituality. Thanks to its portrayal in the media, it seems like something dangerous and forbidden. Sex, Sorcery, and Spirit: The Secrets of Erotic Magic by Jason Miller works to demystify this ancient practice and bring it to modern practitioners.
Sex, Sorcery, and Spirit is a book designed for beginners in the practice of sex magick, but not for people who are beginning their journey into spiritual practice as a whole. The book details many novice practices to get one started using sex magick, however, it does so with the expectation that one already has some basis in some sort of practice already.
I came into this book with limited knowledge of sex magick and a little wary of what I would find, not because I think there’s anything frightening in the practice, but because I was expecting the text to be written in more “poetic” language. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Miller has a clear writing style. He conveys information regarding using sex in your practices as clearly as if he was describing lighting a candle.
Miller bases his text strongly in practices from the east, but acknowledges that they have similar practices in other disciplines, and encourages the reader to use the work as a base for their own understanding.
The text was surprisingly queer friendly, to a point. Although many of the practices can be applied evenly to both sexes, it is important to note that certain spells can only be carried out by male/female couplings due to the nature of the exchange. That being said, there is plenty in the book for people of all genders and sexualities to explore and practice.
One major pro to this work was that it dealt with some more modern conventions, such as pornography and BDSM, and shared how they can be used or how the impact the practice of sex magick. Miller does a very good job of not condemning any practice or viewpoint, only pointing out what people should be aware of when practicing.
The spells and exercises that are included in the book are well organized, taking the reader from the beginning rituals all the way through the end in a neat manner. Miller also takes great care to carefully outline all the steps to each practice as well as giving information on environment and preparation.
That being said, much of what was shared in the book was unfamiliar to me in a sense. Obviously, being an adult of a certain age, I’m familiar with sex, so the physical aspects of the rituals were nothing too new. The more arcane practices were even familiar in a way as far as the physical rites were concerned. That being said, how these acts were processed and the intent behind them was very new.
The process of thinking about sex as a primal, pleasurable urge and transforming it into a very intentional process with clear results is something that I had not considered. One of the clear messages is that there is a great deal of energy that can be harnessed during intimacy, and, although I did not find everything in this book to be appealing to me, certain practices, such as using sex magick for divination, I can see using in my own practices.
If nothing else, the book does exemplify being more mindful in the everyday and how we can use those basic actions (in this case, sex) to strengthen our own worship. Although many of the spells require a good deal of ritual, the breathing practices and energy work for example can be worked into our everyday sexual lives and help bring more credence to living a fuller magical life.
The disadvantage with this book is that it’s not very friendly towards people with disabilities. Although there are some substitutions given for physical practices, mostly Miller just advises that people know their limits, and not exceed them. Which is to say that for the most part, the text is geared for those that do not have many limitations.
Despite this flaw, overall, the book is very well put together and open to a variety of people. It is a clear and easy to follow guide for the beginnings of working with sex magick. Sex, Sorcery, and Spirit is a good book to pick up if you’re curious about working with sex magick and are looking for a practical step by step guide for how to get started.
