- ISBN13: 9780060930950
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Product Description
In this provocative and highly original work, the bestselling author of Care of the Soul and Soul Mates at last restores sex to its rightful place in the human psyche. Describing sex as an experience of the soul, Thomas … More >>
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I really like Thomas Moore’s books but this one was definitely not one of his best. I found it very boring and it was kinda one of those books that just made no sense at all. I found it hard to continue to read the whole book even tho I did….
Rating: 1 / 5
The author has taken sufficient care to present a real life experience in such a lucid and vivid manner. The contents may serve as a invaluable guide to the novices in SEX. Also, as a reference to adults
Rating: 5 / 5
This book was a truly enjoyable read. Very well written. Non judgmental and very insightful and educational.
highly recommended!
Rating: 5 / 5
Ironically I found this book to be soul destroying in some of it’s attempts to put the soul back into sex.
First it has a chapter describing the soul of the phallus and vagina where it describes the mysteries of the vaginal canal and womb as the entrance of pleasure for the penis, which to me was a pretty soulless and western patriarchal male description of the spirit behind a woman’s sex organs. Sort of annoying in a book with the purpose of putting back the soul of sex and severely alienating too!
I think this is some of why we’ve lost our spirituality in the West, we see anything that is still, silent or dark as something made to be filled by the Freudian “Penis-child” Moore mentions in his book.
If it’s quiet we fill it up with noise, if it’s dark we light it, if it’s still we pour activity into it. If it’s empty it must need filling.
A well, a cave are not empty spaces that we need to fill, nor is the darkness of night. They are full all on their own, they are the ultimate reminders of the mystery that is the divine as David Steindle-Rast mentions in his book of hours.
Perhaps in light of this is would be more beneficial and soulful to look at the so called empty space of the vagina and womb in this light. Not as something to be filled, but as something that are complete on their own. Something we can learn to appreciate in the same way we can darkness, stillness, and silence. They aren’t a place for you to visit or tuck into anymore than the phallus is a location or place you can visit.
My other problems are the constant reference to psycho analysis, a science born of a man very few would find pro-woman, or woman positive, where people talk endlessly about their problems and yet rarely seem to move beyond them, quite the opposite of the quiet, mysterious healing power of nature and the soul. Last I found the use of Marilyn Monroe as a symbol of Eros and the Goddess of Love as suspect. Using a Movie star, and one that seems to arouse alot of pity in people for her sad life, which ended in suicide doesn’t seem to be in line with living soulfully in the spirit of pleasure and joy of Eros. Using your sexuality for Fame, the most soulless of ambitions? Being used by a system, sleeping with men for power not for spiritual or sacrad exchange, that’s who we want to look at for an example of eros in life? Not this soul. I think we all know soulful, sensual people or pets in our lives, why do we need to look at an empty and soulless image created by hollywood as inspiration?
Alot of people seem to like the book, so if these things don’t bother you then this book might have much to offer you, and certainly I don’t begrudge anyone the much needed help of finding the soul of sex in everyday life, from whatever source. I am pleased that at least we’re looking for newer, healthier ways of living and living with sex. That’s progress!
Some other books to look at… Riane Eislers Sacred Pleasure, John O Donohue’s Anam Cara, The Listening Heart by David Steindl-Rast.
Rating: 1 / 5
Thomas ponders some pretty interesting stuff here, like a history teacher lamenting how things are just not as sexy as they used to be.. though some good points, it lacks the bite of his now out of pub, Dark Eros, but could i suppose be a fitting companion to it. Moore is a lovely author, but seems to suffer in the shadow of his mentor, who had the punch I wish he could put out there. For a good conservative liberal christian view, this is the best i’ve found on the subject matter in a compassionate way.. I wish he woudl still get dirty though like in Dark.. maybe he’s just not a young man anymore
Rating: 3 / 5