A friend’s raw, no-holds-barred Scorpio sexual energy was pushing him around in ways he didn’t like. He found himself apologising for his outbursts of “sexy talk” and other impulsive inclinations.
Yet sexual energy is just energy, neither good nor bad. It’s how we use it, and with whom, that matter. The same lovely, potent energy that made him impulsive when he unwittingly expressed it through his lower chakras, can furnish a rapid lift-off to sacred union when channelled upward in a loving relationship in service to humankind. Maybe he just needs to reframe and redirect his sexual energy.
The title of this post alludes to the Tibetan Buddhist adage “We rise by the same way that we fell”. In other words, sex and the drives it inflames have brought humankind down, and keep us recycling ourselves at denser energy levels, unaware of our origins and true potential. Yet sex employed differently furnishes a means to restore ourselves and our lovers to full spiritual awareness. And perhaps even to mutual transcendence. Intriguing, no?
Tibetan Buddhist sources teach that the path of controlled indulgence (sexual union without orgasm) is considered the fastest path to enlightenment. Yet if lovers–even very spiritual and well intentioned lovers–slip back into self-gratification, this path is also potentially the most destructive spiritual path.
That’s because it can so easily trigger impulsivity, often leading to chaos and painful karmic debts. Think gurus who seduce their young, attractive devotees…. Small wonder that some spiritual traditions call this sexual path Asidhāravrata: The sword’s edge observance.
Forget celibacy!
Dalai Lama fans will be intrigued to learn that His Holiness taught that—provided one has mastered sex without orgasm such that the energy moving between lovers is never let out via orgasm–then sexual intercourse provides a powerful opportunity for further spiritual development. He also makes it clear that the principle of controlling the sexual energy applies to women, too!
The Dalai Lama also clarified that orgasm cannot lead to enlightenment, as some tantra teachers would have it. In fact, he says this belief is a “root downfall,” a mistaken practice.
Moreover, he advises that it is not intercourse, but state of mind that matters:
Mere intercourse has nothing to do with spiritual cultivation. When a person has achieved a high level of practice in motivation and wisdom, then even the joining of the two sex organs, or so-called intercourse, does not detract from the maintenance of that person’s pure behaviour.
Scorpio or phoenix?
Back to my Scorpio friend. The astrological sign of Scorpio is traditionally associated with the reproductive organs and sexuality, hence its reputation for intensity in intimate bonds.
Typically astrology designates the scorpion as the symbol for the sign of Scorpio. However, when that powerful Scorpio energy is employed determinedly for higher ends, the scorpion symbol falls away. At its very highest expression, Scorpio is transcendent!
| Image | Scorpio energy expressed as |
|---|---|
| Scorpion | Survival, self-protection, hidden resentment, instinctive retaliation |
| Eagle | Rising above reaction; clear sight, mastery, perspective, purposeful power |
| Phoenix | Death and rebirth; radical transformation and renewal |
Not just for Scorpios!
The same principle applies to all of us, of course. Do we use our sexual energy for self-gratification and earthly ends? Or do we learn to channel it upward, using it only as Spirit directs?
There could be a lot at stake, so aim high. A Tibetan legend holds that an enlightened being will appear in the latter days of the Kali Yuga. A tantra master, this being will fearlessly demonstrate the ways in which humans may use their bodies to create life, light and love.
