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Title: The Sacred Prostitute: Eternal Aspect of the Feminine (Studies in Jungian Psychology by Jungian Analysts, Vol 32) by Nancy Qualls-Corbett ISBN: 0-919123-31-7 Publisher: Inner City Books Pub. Date: March, 1988 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $20.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.12 (8 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: from ancient history to modern psychotherapy
Comment: Dr. Qualls-Corbett claims that modern people are wounded by our separation of sexuality from spirituality and suggests that the study of the ancient sacred prostitutes and sexually oriented temple priestesses will assist in a conscious "union of opposites," restoring sexuality to its rightful place in spiritual and religious thought. While her alchemical view of sexuality is firmly grounded in Jungian thought, Dr. Qualls-Corbett often uses sources that are somewhat less than reputable for her historical information. In many places where Dr. Qualls-Corbett is more accurate in her history, she often provides rather unorthodox interpretations of historical items, places or writings. When viewed from a Jungian perspective rather than a historical sense, however, Qualls-Corbett's interpretations are mythically sound. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to explore notions of sexuality from a stance that empowers both women and men as well as anyone who is considering developing ritual work in a sexual vein, especially rites of initiatory sexuality.
The book is divided into five major sections:
* "The Goddess and her Virgin: Historical Background" examines evidence of the sacred prostitute in the ancient world. Though the history here is often shaky, this section still contains much of value if one chooses to read critically.
* "The Psychological Significance of Sacred Prostitution" examines the archetypes of the Goddess, the Sacred Prostitute, the Stranger who visits her, and the "Heiros Gamos" or Sacred Marriage.
* "The Sacred Prostitute in Masculine Psychology" examines the male view of woman, anima and sexuality. Dr. Qualls-Corbett discusses the dreams of some of her male clients as well as the relationship between the Jesus character and the Magdalene/priestess character in D.H. Lawrence's "The Man Who Died" in an attempt to demonstrate that the healing power of consciously regarding the sacred prostitute is not limited to women.
* "The Sacred Prostitute in Feminine Psychology" first explores four of Dr. Qualls-Corbett's female clients -- three single women and one married woman -- as they explore their evolving sense of Self and sexuality. Dr. Qualls-Corbett then links these four stories together by relating them to the D.H. Lawrence short story, "The Virgin and the Gypsy," a story of lost innocence and overwhelming sexuality in which the male stranger, the Gypsy, plays the initiatory role to a young virgin in much the same way that the passing stranger would initiate a virgin waiting at the temple in ancient times.
* "Restoration of the Soul" examines the ...madonna paradigm of the feminine and attempts to integrate these two aspects by using Mary Magdalene and the Virgin Mary as personifications thereof. Dr. Qualls-Corbett also discusses the Black Madonnas found throughout Europe, suggesting that the image of the Black Madonna holds a key to the integration of the feminine.
The book concludes with a thorough bibliography and index.
Peppered with beautiful historical images of the Sacred Feminine, from Aphrodite to Sophia, this book is not difficult to read. It is written in a scholarly style but it typically defines any specialized vocabulary, making it accessible to those who have never read anything in Jungian psychology before. "The Sacred Prostitute: Eternal Aspect of the Feminine" is book number 32 in Inner City Books' series of "Studies in Jungian Psychology by Jungian Analysts."
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Rating: 2
Summary: Interesting, but ultimately disappointing.
Comment: Writing as a sex worker, I found some of the historical picture interesting, and lyrically quite beautiful, but the writer's insistance as seeing sacred or temple prostitution as rewarding, and a positive expression of womanhood, but profane commercial sex as ultimately degrading made me feel ill.
Most of the role of the temple whore, as described, is now taken up by profane sex workers, but she can't seem to get past her cultural blinkers about this issue. It is especially annoying, as the writer is in fact a therapist. It is the job of cousellors and therapists to move beyond value judgements - so overall, I expected more, and in fact, I expected my own experience, and what I offer society, to be valued.
Maybe the next book on this issue will be written by a sex worker, so our perspectives on our 'spiritual heritage' will be honoured.
Rating: 5
Summary: Transcending ideologies
Comment: In every heart, both male and female, there is an eternal and immutable touchstone of joy. All too often that joy is lost in contemporary society, through harsh experience, or in the rush towards simplistic ideologies like "men bad, women good" (or the opposite). Nancy Qualls-Corbett attempts to show both men and women how to transcend the narrowly-defined sex roles and oppressions that have been imposed on them from childhood and to rediscover that touchstone of joy. She succeeds admirably, I think. The Sacred Prostitue is not about selling our bodies or the prostitution of pleasing and serving others to our own detriment. Rather, it is the antidote to these kinds of self-destructive behaviors. As we learn to express the source of joy in ourselves, to glorify it despite what we have been taught or bad experiences or what society may say, we liberate our lives. We transcend the old boundaries and grow. I am not talking about joy in a strictly sexual or sensual way here, and neither is Nancy Qualls-Corbett. The prostitute is a metaphor for the kind of healing that happens when we give ourselves over totally to love and the possibility of allowing joy to happen in our lives. First, we must learn to love and please ourselves, then we can learn to love and please others. And that is the true sacredness.
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Title: Women of the Light: The New Sacred Prostitute by Kenneth Ray Stubbs ISBN: 0939263122 Publisher: Secret Garden Pub. Date: November, 1994 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: The Redemption of the Feminine Erotic Soul by Rachel Hillel, Alice Johnston, Nancy Qualls-Corbett ISBN: 0892540389 Publisher: Nicolas-Hays, Inc. Pub. Date: November, 1997 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title: Descent to the Goddess by Sylvia Brinton Perera ISBN: 0919123058 Publisher: Inner City Books Pub. Date: January, 1989 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
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Title: Aphrodite's Daughters : Women's Sexual Stories and the Journey of the Soul by Jalaja Bonheim ISBN: 0684830809 Publisher: Fireside Pub. Date: 04 June, 1997 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: The Hunger for Ecstasy: Fulfilling the Soul's Need for Passion and Intimacy by Jalaja Bonheim ISBN: 157954116X Publisher: Rodale Press Pub. Date: February, 2001 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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