Erotic aesthetics have become increasingly popular on social media platforms like Instagram. From yoga poses to makeup tutorials, erotically charged images have been integrated into otherwise...
Erotic Culture
Many luxury books in the mid-20th century included frontispieces that were both confusing and sensual at the same time. They featured images that looked like puzzles, but they were...
Erotic Culture: Erotic Ecstasy in Mystical Theology
Mystical writers from Hildegard of Bingen to Saint Teresa of Ávila described union with the divine in intensely erotic terms—using metaphors of...
Erotic Culture: Eroticism and Pilgrimage in Tantric Traditions
Tantra is an ancient Indian tradition that combines yoga, meditation, and mysticism with sexual practices to achieve enlightenment....
Erotic Culture: Sacred Prostitution as Symbolic Union
In ancient Babylon and parts of Greece, sacred prostitution was practiced as a religious offering. Acolytes would engage in ritual sex as a...
Erotic Culture: Body Adornment as Erotic Signaling Across many societies, erotic signaling is embedded in adornment practices—tattoos, scarification, piercings, jewelry, and body painting. These...
Erotic Culture: Sacred Groves and Erotic Space in Pagan Traditions
Throughout Europe's pre-Christian history, sacred groves and meadows were sites for seasonal fertility rites, such as Beltane....
Erotic Culture: The Erotic Role of Hair in Global Rituals The human body is marked by sociocultural signs that make it recognizable within its community. One of these signs is hair, which has long...
Erotic Culture: The Symbolism of Silk and Erotic Texture in Chinese Literature In classical Chinese poetry and literature, materials like silk, jade, and incense are not merely sensual...
Erotic Culture: Sex Magic and the Occult Tradition
Occultists like Aleister Crowley and the Ordo Templi Orientis integrated sexual acts into magical rituals, believing that orgasmic energy could...