42 Like position seven, this position assumes a number of forms, but since I view it more as a form of foreplay, I won't give a specific form. I speak of it further in position ten [n48]. Except that being a state of preparation, it involves disrobing the woman which, compares to removing the veil on the wedding night [n4:83]. Nor does it mean a woman has to be fully clothed to engage in this—on the contrary! Just that it can and does become a ploy to get her to take her clothes off.
43 Hence the correlation with "fleecing the sheep," for during the heat of passion, it would seem beneficial that the woman remove her clothes. Indeed, during the heat of summer, it's beneficial to fleece the sheep. But the woman must first take precautions, and determine whether this is her beloved or, wolf in sheep's clothing! While it's up to the man to determine what his true intentions are. And here, the number 22, in accord with Justine (8) [n4:83], seems to apply: has he been tending the sheep all this time (2), only to set her ablaze and ravage her? (22).
44 As a man's penis is closely associated with his wife, it means circumcising his love towards her—as
she disrobes [n4:83]. And so an increased sensitivity. I'm actually referring to the pleasure
she feels. And when her genitals are stimulated, she's apt to get hot and bothered or, wild and passionate, a state corresponding
to the honeymoon (8). And yet, up to this point, I've only spoken of the man's stimulation. It's now time to address the woman's needs.
It raises issue with
Roy Masters though, for he doesn't believe women should enjoy sex
[n13:34], let alone experience orgasm! But why does she have a clitoris? Indeed the key here is tenderness, rather than having her
consumed—of lust . . ."Fleece the Sheep."
45 Otherwise known as fellatio, this position assumes nearly the same form as position seven, and is typically performed while the husband lies on his back or, is sitting up. Nor is it uncommon for both positions to be performed simultaneously. And here, the woman stimulates the man's genitals by taking them into her mouth, and brings him to climax. While in accord with Diana (9) [n4:88], it implies a sense of seriousness or, true intercourse. And, as the man's erection testifies to the potency of the relationship, his penis becomes the woman's closest and dear friend.
47 While it's interesting that the word testimony, i.e., testament, testify, comes from the word
testis—or testicles! Which brings up
Abraham's words to his servant about his son
Isaac in
Genesis
24:2-3: "Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: And I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of
earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the
Canaanites . . ." And brings up what
Jacob says to
Joseph about his burial in
Genesis
47:29: ". . . put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly with me; bury me not, I pray thee, in
Egypt . . ." To the ancient
Hebrews, this was to swear a solemn oath, something which, if done today, would
seem ludicrous. But back then it was probably a widely accepted practice, and reflects on how innocent they must have been.
And so the correlation is clear, as a man's relationship with his wife is typically more intimate . . ."Slaughter the
Lamb."
48 Also known as cunnilingus, this position involves the oral stimulation of the woman's genitals by the man, her clitoris and/or vulva. And is typically performed while the woman lies on her back or, is sitting up. And, similar to positions seven and nine, it's often performed with position eight. Compare the numbers 80 and 808, which correspond to Joyce (10) [n4:95]. Being one of the more intimate acts a man can perform with a woman, it corresponds to what is objective. And so the ultimate objective becomes, getting the woman to experience orgasm! Consequently, the man must set his own needs aside and focus on the overall picture.
49 I correlate it with "breaking the horses," for when properly done, it's done gently; which, seems like the ultimate way to break a horse. And, as it involves the horse's own volition, it allows a more harmonious alliance between horse and rider. And so depicts breaking the woman's will, who's allowed to align herself more completely with her husband. While the number 444, which is of Joyce (10) [n4:95], seems to correspond most, in accord with the symbolism on the front cover.
50 Which prompts a dream I had. Due to its explicitness I wouldn't ordinarily mention it, except it appeared to be more of a demonstration and less of a dream: i.e., I was in the spirit. I was roused awake and a face appeared before me: of a young woman, and she was beautiful! Detecting a slight air of conceit about her, I began to focus on the bridge of her nose, and wondered if she was Jewish. How often is conceit associated with beauty! I did for a moment or two, when my view panned back, and I was given sight to her whole figure—entirely unclothed. Again she was beautiful! Of a slender build, and perfect form, she was the near epitome of it. And I marveled, as she proceeded to get on her hands and knees and assume position two—rear entry! And as I stood back, to maintain my objectivity, her whole body pivoted towards me, and her backside came into view. Up to this point, as nothing had been said, it appeared to be a demonstration but, as everything became so positioned, I felt prompted, as if to say: "Okay, it's time to fulfill your objective"—position ten here!
51 And another man appeared, to my right and immediately behind me, and we both looked at each other. And I said, "Well, who gets the honor?" Intimidated by her beauty we both hesitated, as I tried to maintain my objectivity. And I said, "Well I guess it's mine." At which point my face drew ever so close to her behind—to the most delectable sight—and I began to proceed. Then suddenly, without warning, I was wide awake! in the real world.
52 It wasn't until sometime later, that its significance occurred to me. And here, the woman being of Jewish
decent? corresponds to the number 4 [n4:109]: in accord with
Judah the 4th son of
Israel; where a Jewish woman portrays a woman's will even more. And as
she appeared conceitful, it's this spirit that expressly gets broken. Then as she proceeds to position two, the number 4 becomes 44.
And, as I finally assume position ten, the number 44 becomes 444. Indeed I maintained my objectivity throughout. Thus all three
elements are incorporated—simultaneously! Surely it doesn't require much imagination to see the correlation!. . ."Break
the Horses."
53 This position typically has the man is lying on his back, while he practices it in private; and, although it assumes several forms, this is probably the most comfortable. As it's generally understood what's involved, I won't go into further detail. Except to say it signifies the man addressing his more personal needs, as he addresses the woman in himself—or, his anima. While the woman does the same thing when she masturbates, and addresses the man in herself—or, her animus. And they both address their inner aspects.
54 Thus it's interesting how up to this point, that when engaged in sex, the couple has been practicing mutual masturbation! Indeed this is all that's accomplished when they don't know each other well—and they may just as well be masturbating! Having sex with a stranger implies nothing else. But, once they begin to understand their needs, and learn to express them, they strive more and more towards intimacy, to what is Truly Marital: "And the two shall become one flesh." [n3:3].
55 Being position eleven, we're speaking of Penelope, the wife of Odysseus. And though she was acclaimed for being faithful, we're conceivably speaking about Odysseus. Indeed, he could easily have practiced this during his long absence. Although I conceived of it before finding out about his mistresses, Circe and Calypso. While their separation conveys the privacy associated. And, as they were the closest of lovers—originally—signifying the celestial marriage, Penelope would have signified his anima, while Odysseus would have signified her animus. As I said in Gerarai, Kari's picture of Penelope [n4:108] acknowledged the masculine aspect—or, her husband—the most. And appeared the very embodiment of a man's penis!
56 I equate it with "herding the cows," as it describes the man allowing his mind to wander, yet channeling his spiritual intent, while focusing on his beloved. Indeed Odysseus longed to return home to Penelope. While at the time I developed this, I decided not to go past the first ten expressions—beyond "breaking the horses." As I was running out of things to think of, I opted to repeat the sequence, and work with decimals. And these last four representations do apply. So in order to herd the cows, you need horses, and the last position involves "breaking your mount." And you need horses to run a ranch! Thus it seems to culminate here, as the sequence repeats itself. While it's funny how the Trojan War, which was won in its tenth year, was won by a wooden horse!
57 Finally I'd like to bring up
the vision I had when practicing this myself, in May 1988? I wouldn't ordinarily
speak about it, except it was more than just a fantasy. It involved a girlfriend who I felt close to in my heart
[n4:28-31], and it occurred
immediately afterwards. And I fell asleep and saw two crowns: one of royal blue and the other violet, both ornately decorated in
silver. They were the most exquisite crowns I'd ever seen! surpassing anything of this world! They were real and three dimensional and
highly elaborate. The blue one portrayed the king (myself) and the violet one portrayed the queen (my girlfriend). And here,
Swedenborg says these colors signify the husband and wife in the
conjugial relationship. They also correspond to the numbers 6 and 7 or,
67—which is of Penelope! (11) [n4:102]. Now I've already said the husband and wife correspond to the
numbers 5 and 6, or 56, which is of Rachel and signifies true love [n4:124] but, when taking
into account the shift from the color white, they also correspond to the numbers 6 and 7
. . ."Herd the Cows."
58 This position is nearly the same as position eleven, except it involves the woman, as she lies on her back and in private. That isn't to say a man and woman can't masturbate in front of each other, just that I'm speaking of what's done in private. Like the previous position, it's generally understood what's involved, so I won't elaborate any further. Except like before, it signifies the woman getting in touch with her interior, masculine aspect (animus).
59 Now as the first six positions are expressly coital, they correspond to the first or natural level—sex itself. And as the next four positions involve stimulating the genitals by external means, allowing a close-up view to develop a more intimate knowledge of their function, they correspond to the second level—eroticism. While the last four positions, beginning with eleven and twelve, correspond to our more interior and private needs, hence the third or marital level. And so brings us to where we are now. Initially I wasn't sure where to break off here, but when adding these numbers, 6 + 4 + 4, I came up with 644, which corresponds to 14. And that seemed to settle it.
60 Like Judith (12) [n4:109], position twelve signifies the New Church, which
is The Woman who gives birth to the man child in
Revelation
12:5. While according to Jewish custom, the likelihood of conceiving a boy child was duly enhanced, if the woman experienced orgasm
during intercourse, as mentioned in Joyce [n4:99]. So the question becomes, Why did
Israel have mostly boy children?—i.e., twelve. Could it be
he understood this secret?
61 While in Kari's twelfth representation (Judith), she appears to be giving birth while assuming this position—masturbation. And though I won't go into detail, I recall something similar portrayed about my rebirth experience. And I recall at least one dream I had where a woman experienced this: where the one proceeded from the other. So orgasm seems closely associated with giving birth—you can't have one without the other—and with a woman, more so the birth of a boy [n4:99]. It's because she gets in touch with her inner animus that seems to explain why; hence a true correspondence to spiritual birth. And so the ultimate question becomes, for folks like Roy Masters, should women be allowed to enjoy sex? [n13:34]
62 We're also speaking of Penelope regarding the New Church, and the
number 12 applies equally well to her, as it entails something more formal. And here, as
Odysseus wanders about,
Penelope stays home to maintain the fort: i.e., by maintaining the structure
of home life, it puts a skin over it, a roof over our heads? and gives it a more formal appearance. Whereby Odysseus
maintains Penelope within (11)—his anima. And Penelope maintains Odysseus within (12)—her animus. Finally, as sheep are a
primary commodity of The Church, it would seem fitting to "tend the sheep." And when a woman masturbates, it suggests something
more gentle, yet formal, and I find it easy to draw the correlation . . ."Tend
the Sheep."
63 Though mostly representative, this position is allowable between consenting adults—when proper precautions are taken! Primarily cleanliness and possibly some form of lubricant; nor is it advisable to alternate between this and other sex without first cleaning up. Typically it assumes the same form as position two, rear entry which, seems to describe this! While it signifies the man's ultimate relating with his wife—or, completion of the woman in the man (his anima) [n4:117].
64 Like position two, the woman is in a state of alignment with the man. But by opting for this—because he has no vagina—the ultimate is expressed, and she's allowed to feel what he feels, as if it were happening to him. Hence the alignment, as she assumes the ultimate and lies down within: thus equating with "milking the goats," for it signifies the ultimate. So why is it that when a woman has a shapely bottom, it becomes one of her finest assets? Indeed it can be very seductive!
65 Position thirteen also suggests making the sacrifice or, assured faith, in accord with
Revelation
13 [n4:121]. And I equate it with the sacrifice Leah made towards
Jacob. For Jacob loved Rachel, the beautiful
one, and was intent on marrying her: suggesting Leah was closer to him in appearance—as a man. While he initially
despised Leah and shunned her, as the position might suggest but, because of Rachel's infertility, he developed his ultimate relationship
with Leah: i.e., most of his children were born of Leah. Therefore Leah, the tender eyed one, reflects the woman within the
man . . ."Milk the Goats."
66 Like position thirteen, this position is mostly representative, but here I'm not recommending its practice. Instead, I'm more concerned with what it signifies: the woman's ultimate relating with her husband or, completion of the man in the woman (her animus) [n4:123]. And here, I'm referring more to what occurs in the workplace. And yet, in order to allow a reciprocal to position thirteen, where the woman dominates and actually does do this with the husband, perhaps a strap-on device, a dildo? could be used [n17:12]. It would be less out-of-bounds anyway.
67 Once the woman is completed in the man here, through position thirteen, he goes off to work and makes the sacrifice—for her sake. Which often entails prostrating himself before an unreasonable employer—as position fourteen implies! And while only representative, it's probably the most common way to express it: taking it in the rear! And as the woman resides within, this is who he brings to work. He therefore assumes the position, and grovels before the boss. And while he may feel it, externally, she feels it internally, as pleasure. Which will remain the case, so long as he maintains her safety and well-being as his aim. Whereby the whole thing becomes acceptable to him.
68 Finally, as it concerns the ultimate development of the woman's will, I equate it with "letting the
horses in." We're therefore speaking of
Jacob, who sacrificed himself for Rachel,
and served her father
Laban for fourteen years! Where Jacob now resides within Rachel. Beyond this,
the cycle begins anew, with the first or, fifteenth position: except the door to what is
truly marital has now been opened . . ."Let
the Horses in."
69 Having described the fourteen sexual positions, it seems fitting that I bring up the dream I had, which highlights the three degrees of sexuality at the beginning of the chapter [n9]. Where sex, the first degree, corresponds to the natural level, eros, the second degree, corresponds to the spiritual level, and marital love, the third degree, corresponds to the celestial level. I'm also reminded of my relationship with my best friend Roy in high school, who I describe as the Third Earl of Roy in chapter 6 [n64]. And, although it was a perverse relationship, being third, in relation to the highest degree, I suspect it signifies profanity. In fact I believe that's what this dream represents, at least to some degree.
70 While it's curious how Roy had a part time job working at a custom waterbed store in Sebastopol, California, and got me a job there too, where he and I worked at least six months, after school and during the summer I believe. And, being the age of sex, drugs and rock and roll in the early seventies [n11:13], the owner and the long-term staff were hippy types. And, feeling totally inept about myself, coupled with my acute sense of acne [n11:23-27] and, inability to relate to girls (or, people in general), I really felt out of place.
71 So when I had this dream, I asked myself, what does this have to do with God specifically (who wasn't there) and, waterbeds? While the only time I had any experience with waterbeds, is when I worked with my friend Roy at the waterbed shop in California, and it brought that to mind. So I figured it was mostly representative and, due to how the dream unfolded, it highlighted the vast contrast between the celestial heaven, where angels engage in sexual relations—and, often appear as little children in relative innocence—as opposed to sex practiced on an earthly or natural level. Which, has more to do with lust? [n9]. I also posted my dream as a thread on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1114981655191968/permalink/2694524063904378
72 I once had a dream where I stood dark outside in the dark, and I had it in mind to go up and talk to the sun, which to me represented God. While according to Swedenborg in chapter 14 of his work, Heaven and Hell (n116-125), God is portrayed as the sun in heaven (overall), albeit more so in the celestial or highest heaven. He says God is portrayed (or seen) as the moon in the spiritual or lower heaven. Whereas in relation to that, as he states elsewhere, the stars represent the natural world or, correspondences.
73 And I sailed into the night sky and was almost immediately confronted by the moon—in all its brilliance—which at first I thought was the sun. Whereby it said, "Hey, where do you think you're going!" And I realized it was only the moon and said, "I don't need to talk to you, you're just the moon! I'm going up to talk to the sun!" And on I continued. The moon also reminded me of Roy Masters, and his confrontational attitude.
74 After feeling I had reached the sun and, immersed in its light (though somewhat dim), I found myself alone in somebody's bedroom, standing atop His King-size waterbed! And I thought, "Hmm, I wonder where God is?" And, trying to keep my balance, I pivoted around towards the foot of the bed, and saw myself in a huge mirror atop these fancy chest of drawers in the shadows.
75 I looked about ten years old, and nude, and out of my groin sprang a huge black pubic hair! And I said, "Uh, oh!" And suddenly the whole room felt like it had free-fallen 20 stories down an elevator shaft! I then walked over and opened the back door, into some dark alleyway! And, when I showed this to somebody else later, who said it was a terrifying to confront your sexuality, I actually thought was kind of funny, because there's a vast difference between the celestial kingdom and the natural world. So, here I was again, back in the dark? And, of course whether God copulates or not—and, a bear signifies ignorance? [n9:17-21]—it's something to bear in mind!
76 Speaking of being totally in the dark, here is another dream I had called, Up From the Depths, that underscores the difference between the celestial and the natural worlds. I'm also reminded of dolphins rising to the surface, regarding Dionysus and the Pirates from Tyre [n5:30]. I've also posted this as a Facebook thread:
https://www.facebook.com/DionysusEsoterica/posts/375044309598083
77 And so brings up this dream I had. I just walked out of the local supermarket, which was a bit rundown looking, but not too different from the one I used to live next to down the street. It was earlier in the evening but it had already gotten dark outside. And there were two men scuffling in the parking lot, and it starting to get ugly. And I thought, "Man this isn't right," and I looked straight up and shouted, "Hey Zeus!" . . . while thinking, "Maybe you better do something here?" And yes, I was thinking of "Zeus," except it sure sounded like the Spanish pronunciation of Jesus!
78 Well come to find out I wasn't exactly where I thought and, suddenly I started coming up from the depths of the ocean—and I mean the depths! And, in what seemed like an eternity (at an accelerated rate), it wasn't long before the sea began turning into a brilliant blue-green color. And right above the surface rested a huge brilliant sun, that illuminated everything! And I'm thinking, "Well it's obvious I've invoked some deity here, I'm just not sure I'm ready to look God straight in the face, not at this rate anyway." And don't get me wrong, it was beautiful! I should also note the natural world in spiritual terms is signified by the sea [n12:37; n15:24]. And, there I was!
79 So I hoped the sensation of surfacing would stop but, on it continued, though it seems I had gone way past the point where I should have reached the surface—the sun was too brilliant and the sea too luminescent—and I'm thinking, "Well, this is just a bit too eerie for me and, as much as I don't wish to offend God, I think I better try and get out of here." So, I pretty much wrenched myself awake and I awoke!