Human Sexuality in relationships is strange and complex. It is necessary for human procreation. Yet to the human psyche it is so much more than just reproduction. It takes base mammilian sexuality to a new level.
Humans are of the few species that have developed face to face copulation. Along with the varied physical positions, human sexuality covers a broad range of meanings and purposes. Its outcomes can run the gamut from ectasy to agony and a lot that is in between. It has started wars, untold murders, and acts of violence. Yet few things are as satisfying as sexual bliss.
Human civilization has struggled with how to handle sexuality since the days of Gilgamesh. Approaches have varied from reglating it as a necessary duty to plastering orgies on the walls. Patriarchy, Matriarchy, Polygamy, Celibacy, humanity has tried many different arrangements.
Religions/cultures have also taked different approaches. From Sacred Temples with sexual Priests and Priestesses to celibate clergy with strict monogamy.
So what is a new religion to do? Support the tried and true? Break ground with some radical new lifestyle? It is such a fundamental part of the human experience that a new religion cannot ignore it. Yet a new religion could well be judged and tossed out soley on its approach to this issue alone. Cross the line and lose credibility here, and none of the other ideas could see the light of day.
It seems best to tread carefully and keep this area as generally acceptable as possible. To that end let it be said that Soul Work Theology believes in abiding by the cutural and legal norms of the culture it is in. Within that, Soul Work Theology would favor as broad and flexible an approach to sexuality as cultural norms allow.
Basically Soul Work Theology believes that sexuality is an important part of life. And since we are here to live full lives, it stands to reason that would include a full sex life within reasonable limits.
If society will tolerate exploration of different sexual lifestyles, then Soul Work Theology should be there supporting those explorers. But if society is going to aggressively patrol its sexual rules, then Soul Work Theology would seek to support alternative desires privately. No there is nothing wrong with you. The challenge is to find ways to work with how your wired (or cross-wired) within the culture you find yourself in. To live as full a life as you can within the culture you find yourself in.
There is a sexual floor, below which is substandard. Soul Work Theology believes sexuality is a very important part of being human. Take sexuality away or make it some rare act for procreation only, and we lose something important. Soul Work Theology believes that sexuality for personal fulfillment, should remain an important part of the human experince.
Soul Work Theology believes that there is such a thing as masculine soul energy and feminine soul energy, expressed in people along a continuum, thus: When soul energy is poured into a new person, they usually get a majority of one gender's energy. But it is a mix. Thus it is possible to have a masculine soul in a feminine body, and vice versa. It is also posible to have a near balance of masculine and feminine soul energy. Thus an individual could end up somewhere on a range or spectrum of gender identification and/or orientation.
Soul Work Theology would ask for people to search themselves. Where are they on the spectrum? How much of a mix are they? Where do they fall?
The goal is to better one's soul energy before returning to the pool. And this applies to the mix of gendered energy one has. It is up to each person to sort out what would be best for their soul. Are they close enough to the masculine or feminine poll that they want to further refine that energy? Do they feel a need within themselves to take their gender energy in a specific direction? NOTE: this is a need within themselves, Not an externally applied cultural mandate. If the culture requires strict gender lines, and applies greivous consequences, then the person needs to know that what is inside them is true, even if the culture does not accept it.
In Soul Work Theology, individuals should not be stigmatized or punished for exploring a range of sexual experiences (within some limits). This is to apply to all people, male, female and inbetween. Sex should not be reserved for marriage (unless that rule is agressively enforced by the culture) Extra-marital sexual contact should not automatically distroy a marriage. There should be some room for it.
But marriage also needs its own garden so-to-speak. That ones spouse is one's sexual home. If a couple looses that special pair-bonding, then the couplehood may be called into question.
Thus Soul Work Theology strongly supports special pair-bonding. Just not to the point where the bond is so tight that no other sexual experience is allowed for the rest of their lives.
Soul Work Theology strongly believes in well rounded sexual education for people as they develop, including: How human reproduction works. What consent is and what it means (including in the middle of activities) The range of sexual activities That good sex is not just self-satisfaction, but joint satisfaction of you and your partner. The range of emotions one may go through: From fears, to hormones, to arousal to post climax let downs. Young people should not be surprised by the range of emotions that could go flooding through their bodies before, during and afterwards. There should be some idea that their sexuality will usually last their whole life. And how that might change over their life.
A good well rounded sexual education can go a long way to fulfilling the sexual part of life. Leaving people to figure it out on their own is just not good enough. People can end up over their heads, not know what their options are, and in general be in the dark about what they are feeling and what they should be feeling. This can lead to bad experiences, lost years, and regret later in life that they just didn't know what they should have when they were younger.
This goes hand in hand with Soul Work Theology's core principle that people should have all the information they need to understand themselves. Who they actually are, and not what others say they should be.
The end result should be people who have just enough knowledge to better understand themselves in this area, without taking all the mystery out of it.
That last statement is important. Sexual education should give enough information to expose the possibilities, to expose the possible emotional feelings and responses to cover the range of casual to deep meaning. But this framework should have enough empty spaces in it for youth to fill in with their own wonder and experiences.
Another fine line is the passing on of sexual values. Each new generation is a link in passing on sexual values such as deep meaning and commitment.
Soul Work Theology believes that sex, positive, consentual sex can create and/or feed soul energy. The act of an orgasm occuring creates and/or feeds soul energy. Not just the partisipants but it can spread and touch others as well. Regular satisfying encounters between the primary couple can add a nice energy to the household as a whole.
Satisfying sexual experiences no only feed the soul of the people present, But it also feeds Life as a whole. It helps sustain the pool of life that we are all drawn from.
Thus Soul Work Theology would like to encourage people to engage in a good sexual romp when ever the situation presents itself. Anytime a good sexual experience is denied, blocked, suppressed Life in the individual and collective sense is a bit poorer. There are times that should be the case for various reasons. But the baseline should be to approach such situations as a possible yes instead of seeking to control or shutdown any such activity.
I've long struggled with what to write here. I've been avised that it would be best to make this an optional feature that people can choose or not.
Well, all of Soul Work Theology is optional. It is all just ideas that may or may not help. But it does seem appropriate to repeat this optional-ness here.
The idea of masculine/feminine soul energy is compatable with concepts of Masculine and Feminine divinity. Thus it is possible to see sexual union as a sacred rite of Divine Union.
This does NOT mean that one side can pressure the other into sex by appealing to them to participate in this divine union. Yes there may be an importance in joining two into one. An importance greater than we understand. But to use this as a way to compel someone is Spiritual Abuse. It is not humane. It is against the core value of Soul Work Theology.
Each person is to understand this for themselves. Do they feel called or motivated or have great interest in pursuing this union? Great, But notice the word Pressured is not to appear in that list.
For those where the idea of sex as part of a larger purpose rings true, They are encouraged to seek out a partner (or partners) who shares or is compatable with their feelings. Or develope and believe it for themselves if/while they do not have such a partner.
Sacred Sexuality can see some amount, or all sexuality as sacred. Usually meaning all positive consensual sexuality is sacred. Negative or forced sexuality would be viewed as a profane-ment of that which should be sacred.
Sacred Sexuality can be ritualized. Where the participants would invoke some sense of a special time/space and call or invite the Masculine and Feminine faces of divinity into their work. Then while they are proceeding in their activities, they can feel themselves connected to, or vessels of the faces of divinity they have called. They can also see the other participants through the filter of their face of divinity.
As such the activity can have a larger meaning than just their own selves.
Each participant should also be mindful of being so filled with the face of divinity they are experiencing that they overrun the other people they are with. In order for such a time to be Holy and Sacred, it must be so for all participants. Getting carried away and pushing someone past their limits, into the territory of hurt and damage is NOT humane.
Thus Sacred Sexuality is a group balancing act. Where each participant is aware of the envelope or limits of themselves, others and the union together, and work to channel their face of divinity within that envelope.
As a Double Optional level, it is possible to spiritually join in such a way as to produce spiritual results. In one sense, I'm not thinking of a strange concept of birthing a separate spiritual being. In another it can be, if you think of birthing some deeper union or facet of your relationship. Like there is each of you, there is your relationship, then there is this special spiritual relationship life above and beyond your mundane union.
There is a basic principle here. If we are here to live as full of a life as possible, that usually means not getting killed or inprisoned. Or said another way, if it is possible to life a full life without getting into trouble, then do so. Soul Work Theology should not encourage people to stir up trouble just for some higher reward of remaining true to one's principles. Soul Work Theology believes in compromise, when possible.
Now it is OK to work for improvements, to strive to make life better. But this should be done within the system as much as possible. Soul Work Theology would like to take the view that situations that are so bad as to require standing regardless of the consequences is rare. There is no martyr's reward in the next life. There is a concept that occasionally, rarely, it may be necessary to make a stand to change the course of Life. But even then, there is some understanding that Life can take care of mega-trends itself.
Return back to The Individual 25
Incdividual Sexuality
Continue on to Relationships 32
Marriage
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These pages last updated on July 2019