From nv91-asa@nada.kth.se Mon Aug 16 21:00:26 1996 Status: RO X-Status: A Received: from comp.uark.edu (root@comp.uark.edu [130.184.253.197]) by mail.nada.kth.se (8.6.10/8.6.10) with ESMTP id VAA15533 for ; Fri, 16 Aug 1996 21:00:22 +0200 Received: from localhost (sbabb@localhost) by comp.uark.edu (8.7.5/8.7.3) with SMTP id NAA12150; Fri, 16 Aug 1996 13:55:06 -0500 (CDT) Date: Fri, 16 Aug 1996 13:55:05 -0500 (CDT) From: "D.J." To: CONSTANTINE THOMAS cc: Anders Sandberg , Trudi.Topham@net-tel.co.uk, "Dr. Vorstead" Subject: SEX! Updated for the 90's! Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII WARNING: Some of the concepts and ideas contained within may be offensive to some readers. This is also by NO MEANS meant to be a presentation of real world attitudes. Also, please understand that these are NOT necessarily my views, and that when I use the term "homosexual" I'm (usually) implying both male and female homosexuals (I didn't feel like typing "homosexual and lesbian" when lesbian would be redundant). I'd also like to thank Anders Sandberg (input on Akashics and Euthanatos, Chorus, Hermetics, and a bit on the Technocracy) and Trudi Topham (Sons of Ether) GENDER, SEXUALITY, AND SEX MAGICK IN MAGE The following is an attempt to elaborate upon the views held by the various groups and factions within Mage society. However, mages are (as in all things) an individualistic lot, and the following only represents the broadest and most pervasive of attitudes held within a particular group. Individuals may differ. TRADITIONS: The Traditions practice a wide variety of beliefs and magicks, to reflect the wide variety of their paradigms. For instance, Brothers, Cultists, Verbena, and even a few (radical) Choristers have all been known to practice sex magick, but each group sees it in a different way. Akashic Brotherhood: "Inner harmony is all that is essential. The concerns of the body are secondary to those of the mind." The Akashics see no important difference between men and women. While a grasshopper is not a cricket, neither is a cricket a grasshopper, and yet both are more similar than dissimilar. So it is with men and women. The Akashics do not discriminate, and their use of Brotherhood is one without gender-biased connotations. Sexuality is a matter of the flesh, love a matter of the mind. The Akashics have no interest for or against any particular desire, and instead focus on what brings them inner peace. If they find contentment with a member of the same sex, they will seek to achieve that stability. However, Akashics often take vows of abstinence in order to avoid the urges of the body, and avoid a focus on their physical desires (but such vows are by no means universal). However, due to their ties with eastern philosophy and tradition, many Akashics actively condemn homo- and bisexuality. Such acts, along with anal and oral sex among heterosexuals, is seen as "impure" temptations. While some Akashics also practice some form or another of Tantric Yoga (provided they haven't devoted themselves to the life of a monk), many more do not. For those Akashics that do use sexual magicks, it is done in order to better achieve inner balance, and not some satiation of lust or perceptual expansion. An Akashic may discover that it instead detracts from his balance and cease sexual activity altogether (becoming celibate, as mentioned above). Celestial Chorus: "The man in the woman, and the woman in the man. It was all for the union." The Chorus sees men and women in equal lights, but MANY members do hold one gender in contempt over the other. Judeo-Christian and Muslim Choristers are renowned for their negative views of women (even though not all are sexist). However, every religion is known for both male and female miracle workers, and the Chorus seeks to keep both genders respected within all religions. The issue of sexuality is a touchy one for the Chorus. Many members are homosexual or bisexual, but hide their orientation for fear of expulsion from their holy work. In recent years there has been a growing movement for hetero-, homo- and bisexual Choristers to promote a more tolerant attitude among the Chorus (and religions) as a whole. This movement has met with only limited success. Even heterosexual members balk at the oftentimes restrictive and reproductive-oriented nature of the various religions. In fact, some religions are go the other extreme, seeing sex as a sacrament to be partaken in as often as possible (occasionally with as many as possible). Whatever attitude towards sex that is taken by a Chorister, it will be taken for religious reasons; while the mage may dislike or diagree with it, he can not deny his faith to appease his sensibility. Strangely enough, the Chorus has sex magick of a sort. Sanctified, married couples engage in the most holy of acts, the conception of life; the Verbena share this belief, but the two groups rapidly begin disagreeing on what constitutes "marriage" and "in the eyes of God". Also, more liberal factions in the Catholic Church are trying to promote a more accepting stance on married sex with excerpts from the "Song of Solomon" (such as 2.6) among other pieces of Scripture. Cult of Ecstasy: "Free your mind, and your ass will follow." Discrimination? Not here. No way. The biggest "gender gap" the Cult regularly sees is a male member getting a female member "in trouble", but Life magicks can prevent such mistakes before they occur. It could be said that men among the Cult only use the women for their personal pleasure and that few really care about another, but the same can just as easily be said about the women in the Cult. A reverse form of discrimination almost exists when sexual orientation is involved. Monogamous heterosexuals and homosexuals are at a distinct disadvantage when dealing with their mentors. They must choose between staying faithful to just one person or gaining new insights into the universe, and they must also choose to remain with only partners of one sex, or alternate with others. Bisexual, non-monogamous Cultists have the easiest time, as they are able to experience more sensations from more people. Also, the Cult holds that there are different kinds of sex, based on the commitment and attachment to the person involved, from almost casual Low Sex, the combination of love and pleasure in Middle Sex, to the deeply connected (and mystical) High Sex. The Cult is famous for its use of sex magicks. Drunken orgies of dozens of people are seen as being just as effective as more "individual" experiences. But for the Cult, it isn't the act that's important, it's the opening of one's perceptions. For some (but by no means not all) Cultists, sexual experience becomes like a drug: they become habituated to the dosage they used to take and need either stronger doses, or new treatments. These Cultists are the most likely to engage in the more "bizarre" acts, with even more exotic partners (such as Umbrood). Dreamspeakers: "The joining of the flesh, can only lead to the joining of the spirit." The Dreamspeakers are the most individualistic of the Traditions, and their views on gender are no exception. Some conservative Dreamspeakers believe that only men can be of any importance, and for others women are the true leaders and shamans. Some Dreamspeakers even claim to have chosen which tribe they were born into, based on how the tribe (mis)treated men and women. Sex is seen as pleasurable and a means of reproduction. Homosexuals and bisexuals are tolerated somewhat more by Dreamspeakers than others, but this is not a constant throughout the Tradition. Monogamy isn't the only path taken by the Dreamspeakers; wives are shared among friends in some tribes, while another tribe may have women with three husbands. Many Dreamspeakers have found sex (and love) among shapeshifters and strange spirits, and have forsaken their ties with their world to be with their loves. Sex magick is not unknown among the Dreamspeakers, but it tends to be for reproductive purposes only. However, some Dreamspeakers use sex rituals to reinforce the emotional bonds between themselves and their partners after the two have had an emotional "falling out". However, the orgiastic practices of the Cultists are practically unknown. Euthanatos: "We are born, we give life to others, and we pass on." The Euthanatos are still highly sexist in nature for the most part. While many women are (impressive) members of the Euthanatos, the topmost ranks are run almost exclusively by men. Millennia of tradition and ritual among those who harvest human life does not change easily. While the Euthanatos can understand homosexuality and bisexuality, they do not support it. They see such paths as being "dead ends" in the Wheel of Life. However, the majority do not see homosexuality as grounds for the Good Death. Instead, they try to promote such individuals to either change their sexuality or to enhance their life. Some sects of Euthanatos are more liberal of course, but they are by no means main stream. Sex magick is used in ways similar to that of the Chorus and the Dreamspeakers: it is a source of emotional unity and life. Most Euthanatos find the beauty and value of (hetero) sexuality to be wasted on anything less like bashing HIT Marks. However, there are some groups who (secretly) practice necrophilic rituals in honor of Kali, to appease the dead and reinforce the ties between life and death. The exact practices of such groups are kept quiet to reduce any possible growth in the negative image of the Euthanatos. Order of Hermes: "The conception occurred during the alignment of Pluto with Algol. Truly, the child is damned." Sexism and the Hermetics almost go hand in hand. While women are welcomed, they are seldom allowed the same perks and advantages as men are. However, because of these limitations, women who achieve ranks of power and prestige unquestionably deserve it. Hermetics support heterosexuality. Anything other is seen as bestial, and condemned. In addition, many cabals (but not all) of Hermetics place strict rules on their members' sexuality, seeing sex as a distraction from the study and mastery of the Art. The Hermetics' view of sex magick is almost identical to that of the Verbena: semen and menstrual blood (and other objects) are objects of power. However, for a Hermetic the uses and significance of such fluids (and the act itself) are based on more of an alchemical or bartering view. For instance, a potion for fertility may require menstrual blood specially prepared for 13 hours inside a beaker filled with manganese and ground mandrake surrounded by a silver rimmed pentacle. Or perhaps a Hermetic may require six liters of semen, kept in six separate containers, from six different men in order to secure the services of an Incubus. Sons of Ether: "Mankind was not meant to know the secrets I'm about to reveal. Now, where'd I put that Vaseline?" The Sons of Ether still live with a Victorian "Gentleman's" attitude. Women should be kept away from "the work" of Science, for fear it will disturb them or cause them unneeded stress and complication. The men in the Sons don't want to see them upset or unsullied by the demands of research and (occasionally harmful) experimentation. Many female Sons, preferring to choose their own way in life, retaliate against the males with everything from a desire for equal treatment to blatant hostility. While the men hide their sexism behind shields of concern (sometimes sincere, sometimes not), the women openly express their sexual biases. While the Sons are still "good old boys" and staunchly against homosexuality, the ranks of the Sons still has its share of homosexuals and bisexuals. For the most part the Sons either condemn and hinder such members (pushing them to the ranks of the Technocracy or worse) or ignore and hide such "deviants" if no other option is feasable, but woe be to any lesbians revealed within the Sons. Such women are seen as confused and irrational, and useless to the pursuit of Science. Sex magick per se doesn't exist amongst the Sons. But occasionally some ambitious Scientist may develop a theory about prolonging male sexual stamina, or desire to see exactly HOW perfect his creation is. In such cases, Scientists conduct detailed, intensive studies of the act, considering other (non-physical) aspects of sex only when important to the theory. Verbena: "The passion, the blood. The beat of two hearts and the cooling of sweat. These will set you free." Sexism even exists in this most ancient of Traditions. However, unlike the majority of other Traditions, the sexists among the Verbena are women. While not all Verbena engage in sexism, there are many who hold the men amongst them with everything from blunt contempt to slight patronizing. However, while female bigotry is common within the Verbena, it is NOT the attitude of the majority. The Verbena welcome members of all sexual orientations, a practice that others find confusing and "against nature". However, to a Verbena, the passion and energy of two bodies is important, and not the gender of those involved. It is this acceptance of love and sex of all forms that attracts many homosexuals and bisexuals from joining the stricter Chorus and Euthanatos. While Verbena and Cultists share many similar beliefs towards sex magick, they differ as well. Both see it as a valuable sensation, unique in the world. However, the Verbena also value the desire the and the passion, instead of focusing on the sensation. For the Verbena, sex (in any form) is a natural expression of the body's urges and desires. The fluids symbolize life, passions represent the desire to live, and the orgasm symbolizes happiness at being alive. Virtual Adepts: "Ever notice how many women on the net are really men off it?" Gender is highly irrelevant to those who can enter the Digital Web and turn themselves into pure energy. Some rare few think of the Web as a "men only" playground (or a "women only" playground), but these are an insignificant minority at most. Sexuality, like Gender, is fluid to the Adepts. While many have their preference and stick with it, others adapt a different gender and attempt to seduce heterosexual members of their own. In the Web, things can become even more muted, as Adepts couple in ways undreamed of by normal humanity. One rogue visitor to the Web reported taking the form of an algorithm and merging strings of calculations with another forming a bizarre Mobius strip like construction of numerical equations. Besides adopting uniquely impossible forms in the Web and engaging in seductive mind magicks during "cybersex" with Sleepers (and other on-line mages outside of the Web), the Adepts have little to do with sex magick. But the Cult of Ecstasy keeps on trying to merge Virtual Reality with mind-altering sex; some day perhaps.... The Technocracy The Technocracy as a whole is thought of as being nothing more than sexist, male supremacist, bigots. All of these are nothing more than propaganda the Technocracy spreads to keeps its enemies in the dark about its true nature. Every secret hidden, every lie believed, the Technocracy feels that much more secure. Of course, bigoted sexists (of all genders and sexualities) do exist. They just don't make the policies of the Conventions as a whole. New World Order: "Homosexuality is the best cover an agent can have." The NWO values women and men equally. Successful completion of a mission is more important than gender. The Technocracy admits that the majority of world governments and information services are male dominated, but the NWO quickly points out the women omnipresent everywhere and the power their "inferiority" provides. While the foolish Sleeper senator overlooks his token "skirt" secretary, she's subtly manipulating his opinions with hidden Devices and psychology, and he's none the wiser. Same as with gender, sexuality isn't important, success is. If an objective would best be fulfilled with a homosexual agent, then a homosexual member is assigned the task. If sexuality doesn't matter, than the best agent for the task is assigned, regardless of sexual orientation. Some in the NWO have suggested that agents be "programmed" with bisexual inclinations to allow them greater flexibility in fulfilling their objectives. The leaders of the Convention are still undecided. Among the Masses however, the NWO is changing their policy: they now are trying to actively promote acceptance of homosexuals for a variety of reasons (some of which are listed below). Also, the NWO (and Syndicate) actively promote an attitude among the Masses that sex is not a mystical, enlightening, special act, but a quick blow job in a parked car with someone you don't even know. This attitude is spread through every medium imaginable, from music videos to film to television commercials. "The person isn't impotant. Getting some is," is the message to the Masses. Sex magick does not really exist among the NWO. Instead, sex is used to incriminate and control others. Videotape a politician with a prostitute and use the tape to "persuade" the man. Seduce a member of the NRA to manipulate her and her plans for the organization. While these ideas are nothing new, the NWO (using Mind magicks and its mastery of psychology) have taken them to levels even other mages have trouble believing. Iteration X: "I don't care how big they are, they're NOT going to impress that robot." Gender is irrelevant except to breed. While the Computer sees the value of gender in influencing those outside of Iteration X, within the Convention sexism is seen as a waste of energy and thought. The Matriarch of MECHA is a prime example of this. Sexuality is also irrelevant. While the Computer acknowledges the logic of enforcing heterosexuality, robotic intelligence will have neither need for gender nor for sex. As such, the Computer has dictated that sexuality is unimportant, and that sex (of any kind) is a submission to the flesh and an escape from logic. If an Iterator wants a child, let him build a robot. Sex magick? If an Iterator can overcome his programming enough to desire it, that's magickal enough. Progenitors: "In just seven days, I can make you a man." With the invention of artificial wombs and zygote creation through gene splicing, gender is highly irrelevant to the convention. Of course, there are still sexists even among the Progenitors, trying to build the superior man (or woman), but these extremists are soon reminded that the Progenitors' goal is to improve humanity, not just a part of it. Again, the creation of artificial wombs and gene-splicing allows homosexuals the ability to conceive children of their own, helping to make sexuality just as irrelevant as gender. However, the Progenitors have yet to decide when and how to promote these changes to the Masses. Homophobia and belief in the "sacredness" of human life may delay these technologies for decades. This and other pressures has caused the NWO to re-evaluate the role of homosexuals and bisexuals within the world. Sex magick doesn't really exist in the Convention. However, the Progenitors do engage in cross-species fertilization, "breeding" animals with animals (and sometimes humans) by crossing genetic structures. In the past this breeding was a bit more literal, leading to legends of the Minotaur and his conception. Syndicate: "The world's oldest profession." Gender doesn't matter. Profit does. The Syndicate will exploit whoever and whatever to make a buck. False breast implants in magazines, fake muscle implants on TV shows, and cosmetic beautification everywhere. The Syndicate makes you pay to tell you what to want and then makes you pay to get it, only to change what is wanted and start the cycle all over again. Whether a man sells women or a woman sells men (or any other variation), as long as a profit is being made the leaders of the Syndicate don't care. Results are all that matters. Sexual orientation is another source of profit. Pornography is designed for every taste, not just heterosexual males anymore. Sex toys, sex clubs, "massage parlors", the Syndicate has thousands of ways to market sex in all its forms and varieties. And not only the actual act is sold, but "acceptance courses", how-to videos other goodies are available to overexpose and trivialize the act in all its forms. In fact, the only sex magick the Syndicate knows is how to turn a fuck into a buck. Void Engineers: "To boldly go where no person has gone before." The Void Engineers have tried to eradicate sexism from within their ranks. Women are just as likely to hold a high ranking position as men. As with so many other factions in the Technocracy, gender is secondary to getting the job done. By adopting the artificial wombs and genetic cloning techniques of the Progenitors, the Void Engineers have destroyed the "stranglehold" heterosexuality once held on reproduction. With that barrier overcome, the Engineers hold little interest in sexuality. However, for long missions into unknown territory the Engineers do consider the sexuality of those they send and temporarily sterilize all operatives sent (for fear of the effects an alien territory might have on a developing fetus). In more controlled areas, the Engineers may send "colonists" of all types to further control an area (such plans are being developed for colonies on the moon and Mars). Sex magick is virtually unknown to the Engineers. However, some of them keep detailed records of ALL aspects of the beings encountered. Cult of Ecstasy members might find such records interesting. Marauders and Nephandi Sometimes there comes a point when sex begins to enter a realm of darkness and madness. Many people never reach (or fall) that far, and engage in merely different acts (as opposed to down right immoral and indecent). Many Nephandi find the descent to be to much, even for them, and become K'lasshaa. Many Marauders, despite their delusions, succumb to the darker sides of sex and become Fallen. Of course, members of both groups remain in one factions without joining the other when sex is concerned, but many more come to embrace the fullest darkness that sex has to offer. Both the Marauders and the Nephandi are heavily influenced by the belief of the Masses: sexual "deviations" are seen as signs of spiritual and/or mental corruption, pushing many people into the ranks of the Fallen and the Mad. The Technocracy knows these beliefs give strength to their enemies, and have taken many steps to eradicate such attitudes from the paradigms. But ancient prejudices don't die easily, and the hostility of Sleepers adds to the strength of their true adversaries. Marauders: "Kiss me, Charlie! Ravish me! But no tongues y'hear? Not on our first date." Gender? I hardly even know 'er! Marauders don't care if you're a man, a woman, or some other thing never even dreamed of. At least some don't. Others are the most homicidal women haters and androphobic men mutilators the world has ever seen. As in all other things, the Marauders are the eternal individuals. Sexuality is an interesting topic where Marauders are concerned. They can be aroused by the most bizarre things. Pyromaniacal men who can orgasm three times in five minutes with NO stimulation other than watching a house burn down are not unknown. Others become so dysfunctional that they equate pain with pleasure, or need intercourse with corpses to feel "fully functional". There has even been one case where an incest victim willingly plotted with her abusive father to kill her mother (the father's wife) in order to continue having sex with her father. And these are only among Sleepers. Many Marauders have been known to engage in even more bizarre practices (such as one who was convinced that she could only orgasm while masturbating with a dildo made of solidified light as Mickey Mouse screamed in the background, while surrounded by dozens of surprised onlookers). As if that wasn't enough, the beliefs of the Masses have been enough to push otherwise normal mages into the ranks of the Mad Ones. In those times when the Masses look upon homosexuality and bisexuality as a form of mental illness, many such mages have fallen insane. By no means not every such mage, but enough for the NWO to remove homosexuality as a mental disorder from it's DSM (as of the DSM IV). Even treating those homosexuals who think they have a "disorder" is now frowned upon by the NWO and the psychological community. Of course, numerous Marauders "created" by their sexuality still exist (see "Dr. Vorstead" by me for one example). Marauders and sex magick bring up another mind boggling topic. With their reality warping abilities and their altered mind frames, literally anything can develop sexual power to a Marauder. Spontaneous conceptions inside of men are not uncommon, as is the very presence of a Marauder mutating the genders of all present into hermaphroditic hybrids. Some time normal intercourse is the "trigger", other times a flaming ice cream cone stuck in a horse's eye while three children recite the two hundred and sixteen names of God is needed. Nephandi: "Shhhh. Don't cry. It'll be our secret." Genders aren't important. As with Marauders, all kinds fall to their darker lusts from time to time. Men and women are the most common Nephandi, but all manner of other sexes exist among the Fallen. As with Homosexuality and Marauders, the beliefs of the Masses in previous times have had influence among the Nephandi. Many women in past ages, believed cursed through Eve's actions, were pushed into the ranks of the Nephandi by Sleepers (and Mages) who preached against the "evils of women". However, in more recent years this belief has been whittled away by the Technocracy. Sexuality has also been a target of persecution throughout the ages. While homosexuality and bisexuality have often been branded as "evil" and "sinful" (more so than heterosexuality at least), almost all forms of sex have been declared wrong from one time to another, usually by the local religions but also by local governments. These persecutions and beliefs have driven many normal and decent individuals to embrace the darkness. Nephandic sex magick usually revolves around either corruption or disgust of a target. Legends of succubi and inccubi persist even today, stories of supernatural creatures using sex to condemn the souls of others and breed new evils upon the world. However, Nephandi also use sex magicks to twist and alter the bodies of individuals and fill them with feelings of self loathing and disgust. Sometimes they will turn the target into Fomori, othertimes they will make them vomit things that disgust them, some simply spread diseases like HIV to their target. Whatever happens to the person, it will hopefully destroy their sense of self worth and plunge them into despair and darkness. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "The only thing I hate about lesbians is that they get more p---y than I do!!!" -D.J.B.