s RUFUS Cc. CAMPHAUSENOpe aspect of Tantra hat hs ‘made ita supreme teaching is the fact that, during its early develop: ment, women were strongly in volved in the shaping ofits tenets, principles and practices The wom. en who were soinstrumentalin the early development of Tantra were most often not mothers, married ‘women, or cloistered nuns, whose lives (then, as now) gota too easly tied up by multipleresponsbilities and social expectations. Instead, these women who influenced the Tantric religion 64 koma WICCAN INCANTATION RAJAS: BLOOD OF CREATION, NEcTAR OF PASSION” Blessed be Thy womb; without which we would nor be Jed independent lives filed with traveling, learning, teaching, and experimenting with the Tantric practices, Within the Tantric teachings there is no doubt that women have the ability toand indeed can be leaders ofall kinds, including religious leaders likewise, there is no doubt that women possess libido or that women do, in fact, ejaculate. In short, there is no doubt that women are beings of power. When one compares this informed and Rajas a word fom the sacred Inge commonly known as Sanskrit san ambiguus term and therefore iffcul to define la ‘mainstream Hinduism, ais ane the three bas uals a properties genase glossary that permeate all fcreaton. Inrezard tur presen ini the term ns la efesta the varius typesa cretons cr Mi cgi ino emaneting Som the yoni Bt even within such acealy delineated eld, mjascan refer to two very diferent thngs: Te term eles othe ‘monthly menstrual fd eested by women between menarche and menos the term aan refers the ices of pasion produced in an by the yors when ti aroused The attrbution of red n describing tis neta of pasion snot ian to be ‘Skelter itsimply contrasts female ejaculate (red semen) with male ejaculate Gabitesemen,enlightened stance regarding women with the disparaging views generally held by present-day scientific o religious authorities, one wonders why these people arestilin office and why we pay their salaries. But weall know why: we live ina till thoroughly pa triarchal world. “The world of Tantra and Shakta (see glossary for both)is completely dferent one, ‘one in which postive role models for women abound. The Tantric pantheon has more _ocldesses, female teachers, woman initiates, and female adepts ofthe magical and sexual arts than any other religion on this planet. One reason for this isthe strong feral infl ence that helped shape Tantra” “Another reason les in the fact that, because of the interdependence of male and fe- ‘male practitioners in performing the actual techniques, often sexual in nature, the two genders developed ways to relate with each other that were intimate, consenting, non- coercive, nonpossessive, and mutually beneficial This recasting of the female/male relationship isa far cry from the war between genders and the unbearable heaviness of being that is experienced in many contemporary relationships formed under Christin, Jewish lslamic, Hindu, Buddhist, orany other system that promotes limited conceptions of the respective rolesand values of women and men. As suggested in my definition of the term rajas, Tantra speaks not only of a male, white semen butofa red, female equivalent Itisimportant to realize that this eaculates not regarced as figurative or symbolic; itis regarded quite literally In fact, the Sanskrit word used for both male and female semen issukra. Ist not interesting that in the India ofcenturies past, women andmen seemto have been regarded asequaleven on thatlevel? Lwillspeak about the sexual secretions ofthe yoni laterin the chapter. Letusfirstturn our attention to the type of rjas thats not prosuced by both genders: the menstrual {uid Unique to women, this powerful liquid has often been feared, has sometimes been imitated, and yet has been regarded by most cultures as unimportant or unclean. THE MENSTRUATING YONI A specialized expression of Yoni magic can be recognized in the range ofimmense pow. ers that people of various cultures have attributed to the monthly menstrual fluid and especially to the first blood, the blood that signals agit’ transformation intoa woman. A ‘wealth of material has been published on the many taboos surrounding menstruation. Menstrual uid was said to have negative effects on other humans, animals, and nature ‘Menstruating women were separated from tribe and family for fear ofcontarnination— they were made to stay clear of places where bread was baked or food was prepared or kings would tread, These injunctions and hundreds ike them” changing from culture ™ Despite many pulsed misunderstanding tis obvious to anyone actly practicing its teachin butt abo has now been ciefilly researched and convincngiy explained by Mirah Shaw ner ak aonst Enlightenment 7 Fr more dead examples consult the bibliography under Briflt, Delaney Chris Kigh Landes (Owen, Shut and Dens Tylor