We are co-creating a collection of personal narratives that will attempt to answer the provocative questions that everyone wants to know. Friends, Students, clients, and even people sitting next to me on airplanes often ask the same questions:
- What is sexual shamanism?
- How did you get into this work?
- What do your sessions look like?
- What are the sexual wounds that need healing?
- Was there a personal crisis that led you to this calling?
- What are the gifts and practices necessary to walk this path?
And then there are the questions that people are afraid to ask. Further, there are the ones that have no answers.
Secret Lives of Sex Shamans (Volume 1) is a radical compilation of over a dozen original essays by a diverse range of international leaders who are teaching and practicing sexual shamanism. Each story not only exposes details of their personal growth journey but their professional calling to become a modern sexual healer. If you’ve been curious about the temple arts and how they can transform you personally, or professionally, this book is a must-read. It proposes a revolutionary new worldview wherein sex and spirit can lead us towards embodied enlightenment.
This collection weaves theory and practices from traditional tantra, shamanism, feminism, queer theory, and the postmodern sexual liberation movement to offer teachings about:
- Healing Sexual Guilt, Fear & Shame
- Using Ecstatic current as medicine
- Sex Magic for Manifestation
- The distinction between Healing and Tantra
- Emotional Release Work
- Death as a doorway to Life
Cover Art by Mukee Okan
What is ISTA?
The International School of Temple Arts is a collective of awakened beings around the earth who operate as a mystery school, allowing ourselves to be informed by the empty center or void. We are constantly growing as a movement, but at the time of this printing, we have a rotating governance with 13 lead faculty, 30 co-facilitators, 20 apprentice faculty, and dozens of organizers who are active in over 31 countries. We have thousands of allies and contributors. We do not have a physical headquarters, central office, or manager. Instead of seeing ourselves as a business organization we operate like multiple arms of a living organism that shares one heart. Our creative community is learning to share resources in innovative ways.
ISTA embraces a diverse range of styles and practices. The authors in this collection come from a wide range of religious backgrounds and spiritual lineages such as Hindu, Christian, Jewish, Native American and New Age. Although there is a variety of voices there still many other paths of sexual shamanism which are NOT represented in this book. For this reason, I hope this anthology is the first in a series of multiple volumes.
Following is a partial list of contributing authors. For pictures and full bios go to:
https://www.schooloftemplearts.org/Profile/Group/1
- Baba Dez Nichols Founder of ISTA, Starred in the award-winning documentary, Sex Magic & Co-Author of Sacred Sexual Healing: The SHAMAN Method of Sex Magic, (translated in Spanish and Portuguese.)
- Bruce Lyon Co-founder of Shamballa School Author of New Zealand: Standing for the Sacred, Group Initiation, Agni, Mercury Transmissions, Working with the Will & Occult Cosmology.
- Ohad Pele Ezrahi Former Rabbi, Kabbalist and author of seven books, including Kdesha and Lilith The wild dark feminine force.
- Laurie Handlers Radio Talk Show Host, Filmmaker & Author of Amazon #1 International Bestseller Sex & Happiness: The Tantric Laws of Intimacy.
- Komala Lyra Author of several Ayurveda books and faculty for Osho Multiversity and Mystery School in India and USA for over 15 years.
- Raffaello Manacorda Author of Conscious Relationships, The Art of Bringing Awareness to intimacy & Sexuality
- Janine Ma-Ree Holistic health practitioner and founder of Red Earth Temple & Author of the Clearing Generation (out of print)
- Crystal Dawn Morris Over 30 years experience as a Nurse, Midwife, Tantra teacher and author of the forthcoming book: Making Love to Life.
- Dawn Cherie Priestess, Performance Artist and co-founder of KabalaLove- School of Love in Kabala.
- Ellie Wilde Certified Somatic Sex Coach, healer, and Mother.
Michal Maayan Don Founder of the school of feminine spirituality and leader of Israel new womanhood movement. - Patrik Olterman A Christian theologian and preacher with a background in counseling and social work.
- Stephanie Phillips A classical dancer, fitness educator, and author of the ebook, Sex with Your Light On.
- Sean O’Faolain A Tantric Healer, Bodyworker, Relationship and Intimacy Coach.
- Stephen Soul-Love A shamanic transformationalist with a background in medicine, biochemistry & sexual trauma.
- This collection will include a posthumous chapter from the writings of Deborah Taj Anapol who was an ISTA Faculty member before she died in 2015 Taj was the author of Love Without Limits (1992) Polyamory: The New Love Without Limits, (1997) Polyamory in the 21st Century, The Seven Natural Laws of Love and she blogged for Psychology Today and was also the co-founder of the magazine Loving More.
Current status of the book: I am in the process of editing the manuscript and seeking a trade publisher to help us distribute the love. I’m also in the market for an Authors assistant. Please contact me at [email protected] if you feel called to be a part of this project or an adocate for future volumes.
Blessings,
KD
