Book Review

Reviewed by Tracie O'Keefe

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Urban Tantra

Sacred Sex for the Twenty-First Century

by Barbara Carrellas
Published by Celestial Arts, U.S.A. 2007
I.S.B.N.1587612909

This is the second review of this book I have done. The first was for a journal for therapists but for Polare readers I want to focus on pleasure - sexual pleasure. I can hear the gasps by some readers at the very mention of sexual pleasure. "But we are oppressed; socially disadvantaged and we carry the cross of gender dysphoria around with us on our backs - how can we possibly think of sexual pleasure?"

Well, get over it. If you have genitals, you can experience sexual pleasure and even if you don't have genitals you can still experience sexual pleasure.

Carrellas in her book teaches you how to use your whole body and mind in your sexually pleasurable experiences, not only on a physical but also a metaphysical and spiritual plane. She is a teacher of tantric sex. And from one who is trans, had an adult life of profound sexual experiences, and works as a sex therapist; I can tell she is good - real good.

Her book is very easy to read, guides you step by step through self and other pleasuring. It totally demystifies tantra, gives you lots of exercises to practise with including masturbation for fun. It talks about hetero, gay, singles, couples, and group sex in a most encouraging and practical way. In the later part of the book she talks about crossing B.D.S.M. with tantric practices, making both particularly rewarding when brought together.

Since the foreword is by Annie Sprinkle, many of you will know that Carrellas comes from the school of sexual practices and experience and not from the authority of the wizard behind the curtain. Not only that, Carrellas is the partner of Kate Bornstein, the American trans performer and gender provocateur. It seems Carrellas comes to Australia fairly often with a season ticket, route map and a well trodden path to heightened and extended orgasms. Is it not nice to know the teacher practises her own medicine?

Of course, like sailing lessons you can really take what you like from this book. Having an easy nice ride on calm waters or challenging the wave and high-end arousal. But if you take nothing from it, you're already dead. If you have spent a fortune on your penis, vagina, face, breasts or chest, do yourself a favour and spend a little more on this owner's manual for sexual pleasure.

Polare is published in Australia by The Gender Centre Inc. which is funded by the Department of Community Services under the S.A.A.P. Program and supported by the N.S.W. Health Department through the AIDS and Infectious Diseases Branch. Polare provides a forum for discussion and debate on gender issues. Advertisers are advised that all advertising is their responsibility under the Trade Practices Act. Unsolicited contributions are welcome, though no guarantee is made by the Editor that they will be published, nor any discussion entered into. The editor reserves the right to edit such contributions without notification. Any submission which appears in Polare may be published on our internet site. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor, The Gender Centre Inc.I, the Department of Community Services or the N.S.W. Department of Health.