Julius Evola THE METAPHYSICS OF SEX INNER TRADITIONS INTERNATIONAL, New YorkInnes Traditions 377 Park Avenue South New York, New York 10016 First U.S. edition 1983 The Metaphysics of Sex was fest published in Italian under the tite Metafsica del Sess, by Wdirioni Mediterrance Roma SRL. Copyright © 1969 Rdizioni Mediterrance English translation copyright © 1983 by Inner Traditions International Lid. Alrights reserved No par ofthis book may be reproduced or ulilzed in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by an information slorage or retrieval sytem, without permission in writing from the Publisher. Inquiries should be ‘addressed to Inner Traditions Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Eola, Julius, 1898-1974. The metaphysics of ex. ‘Translation of: Metafisica del sesso, Includes bibliographical references. 1. Sex. 2. Sexualethics. 3. Love. 1. Tite TiQ21.F9613 1983, ISBN 0-89281-025-4 306.7 8211909, Eaited by Deborah Forman and Claudine Fischer Printed in the United States of America (Cover illustration: Lede and the Swan (Flemish artist c. 1540, The John G. Jobnson Collection, Philadelphia Muse of Ar Reprinted by permision.) - INTRODUCTION LEROS AND SEXUAL LOVE The Evolutionary Prejudice - Love and Sex — Eros and the Instinct for Reproduction - The Myth and Genius of the Species - Eros and the Tendency toward Pleasure ~ Sensual Pleasure ~ The Magnetic Theory of Love = The Degrees of Sexual Development — Physical Sex and Inner Sex ~ Conditional Nature and Forms of Exotic Attraction ITHE METAPHYSICS OF SEX The Myth of the Hermaphrodite ~ Eros and the Various Degrees of Intoxication with Ie The Biological Treatment and the Fall of Eros ~ Aphrodite Urania; Eros and Beauty ~ Lust and the Myth of Poros and Penia ~ Appendix ~ Homosexuality IL PHENOMENA OF TRANSCENDENCY IN PROFANE LOVE Sex end Human Values ~ “Evetlasting Lave,” Jealousy, and Sexual Pride ~ Phenomena of Transcendency in Puberty — Love, the Meare, Dreams, and Death ~ The Love-Pain-Deeth Complex — Sensuel Pleasure and Suffering: The Masochist- Sadist Complex ~ Erotic Eestasy and Mystic Ecstasy ~ The Experience of Coitus - The Metaphysics of Modesty ~The ‘Meaning of the Orgy ~ Appendix, Marquis de Sade ad the “Way of the Left Hand” ~ Rasputin and the Sect ofthe Khlysti IV GODS AND GODDESSES, MEN AND WOMEN Mythology, Ontology, and Psychology ~ The Metaphysical Dyad ~ Demeter Archetypes and Aphrodite Archetypes, the Vinsio, and Ultimate Nakedness ~ Typical Diferentations of Mattoo ia Myth ~ Man and Female in Manifestation = On the Dacmonie in the Feminine and the Symbelisn ofthe Taverted Goitos The Phallus sind Menstruation ~ Male and Female ‘yeholagy - Woman as Mother and Womsa a Lover ~ Pity Sexualtys anal Crctiyin Women The Fascination Woonae 2 oa usand Acti Sexes ity and Passivity in Sexual Love - The Ethies ofthe VY SACRED CEREMONIES AND EVOCATIONS, ‘Wedlock as “Mysteryin the World of Tradition ~ Christianity and Sexuality ~ Sacred Prostitution and Holy Marriages — Incubus and Succubus: Fetishism and Evocatory Processes — vocation Processes inthe Chivalrous Lave ofthe Middle Ages ~The Initistory Experiences of the Worshippers of Love Appendix; The Meaning of the Sabbat and the Black Mass — ‘The Doctrine ofthe Fermaphroditein the Christin Mysticism \VISEX IN THE REALM OF INITIATONS AND MAGIC. ‘Transmutations and the Commandment of Chastity ~ The ‘Techniques of Endogenous Transmutation in Kundalini-Voga and Taoism ~ Sex in the Kabbsala and Eleusinian Mysteries — ‘Tantric Sexual Practices ~ Tantric Sexual Practices and Their Dangers ~ Secret Sexual Practices in Chineses Taoism ~ Arab Sexual Practices and Hermetic Symbology ~ The Myriam and the “Fire Magic” ~ The “Light of Sex” and the “Law of TTelema’”~ The Presupposiions of Operative Sexual Magic CONCLUSION NOTES INDEX im 216 273 a7 338 Introduction ‘The term “metaphysics” inthe ttleof this book needs tobe defined, for it will be sed bere with two distinct meanings. The first i= commonly employed in philosophy, where metaphysics is tinderstood ar the search for fist principles and fundemental meanings, The metaphysics of sex wil therefore be the study of what From an absolute point of view is signified by the sexes and their imoraction. There has been litle precedence for thi kind of research. After mentioning Plato and leaving aside certain hints Found in mystical writings ofthe Renaissance—and also ignoring the theories of Bochme and some heterodox mystics influenced by kta, lupo and including Franz von Baader only with Schopenhauer do Wwe find a precursor. After him, we can only cite Weininger and, 10 ‘cectain extent, Berdvaev and Klages. In the modern era and above ill in our own day, studies of the problem of the sexes from rnthropological, biological sociological, eugenic, and peycho- tnalytic points of view have multiplied endemieally; in fact, & rologism, “sexology,” has been created to label research of this Kind, But none ofthis has sn relation tothe metaphysics of sex. In this eld, as in every other, our contemporaries have show no atest i the search for ultimate meanings. oF af they have, the scareh has appented inconclusive and uninterestngs rather, they hhive thought to attain more important and serious knowledge by keeping t0 an empirical and more sticely human level, whenever the attention has not been focused on the pathological by-products ote The same is mainly tue of the writers, past and present, whohave ddslt with love eather than specifically with ex itself, For the most nr, they have Kept tothe field of paychology and, within tht, to ‘enor analysis of feelings. Even the writings of such authors as Stendhal, Bourget, Balzac, Solovieff,and D-H. Lawrence havelittle tw do with the deepest meanings of sex. Mozeover, reierences {0 love-in view of the general meaning of that word nowadays, and zivon the sentitettal and rorsantie disintegration in the experiences Sr the majority of people--were hotind to create ambiguities and to iereseacl 1 tarzow and rather commonplace field. Only here tt hor aa one aight say, aint by chance have sc wets