Tantra is a form of sacred sexuality with its origins in the Hindu culture and religion. It has become the most famous form of sacred sexuality due to many Westerners capitalizing off of its teachings. However, Tantra is not the only form of sacred sexuality.
Taoist sexual practices stem from Taoism, an Asian philosophy based on the writings of Lao Tzu.
Tibetan Buddhist Tantra evolved through Buddhist practices in India and spread throughout Asia.
Quodoushka is said to come from the Nagual Tradition and was taught in the Mayan, Olmec, and Toltec traditions.
We could go on.
Sacred sexuality most likely existed in every ancient culture and civilization. Unfortunately, most traditions were not written or recorded as the rituals were secret due to their power. Most traditions relied on oral recitation to pass down information from one generation to the next. Which brings us to the origins of sacred sexuality: the continent of Africa.
Africa is an extremely large continent (the United States of America can fit within it 3 times). At one time there were countless numbers of tribes throughout the continent with a variety of religious practices, many of which included sacred sexuality. The Igbo (Nigeria), Kikuya (Kenya), and Kalahari San (South Africa) tribes – to name a few – had sexual practices woven within their cultures. Here is an excerpt describing a practice in the Kalahari San tribe.
A girl starts to live with her fiancé even before her menarche. After menarche marriage rituals are held. In many cases, young couples stay with the wife’s family at first. But a few years after marriage, the couple may choose to stay with the husband’s family. A unique practice of their society is that married people sometimes have sexual relationships with people other than their husbands or wives. This is called zaa-ku. To practice zaa-ku they must get the agreement of their spouse. In this point, men and women are on an equal footing. Despite this equality, every woman still comes into some conflict with her husband, her lovers, and her husband’s lovers. Throughout their lives, |Gui and ||Gana women experience various sexual relationships. They struggle and build many bonds and ties with other women.
Life History and Sexual Relationships of Female Kalahari Hunter-Gatherers
Unfortunately, war among tribes, famine, and colonization destroyed many populations, and along with that, many oral traditions – including those involving sacred sexuality. For some tribes, migration took them away from the continent and into Southern Asia where traditions melded together, and new rituals and practices were created that were spread around the globe – like Tantra.
We at Black Tantra Group are appreciative of the various forms of sacred sexuality that currently exist. We are grateful that we have the opportunity to learn and grow with this healing modality. And we also know that Tantra, like all else on this planet, originated in Africa.