This site is an online course in human sexuality written from the perspective of biologists, psychologists, sociologists, anthropologists, sexologists, theologians, gynocologists, urologists, physiologists, philosophers, and other professionals. Material has been derived from regular literature review, observation, and items submitted by readers.

Provided in the public interest by the OLCC (Open Love Christian Community)

If one observes the function of the labia during intercourse, it is obvious some women in modern society do grasp the shaft more than others. This stimulation of the shaft outside the vagina is significant but usually considered less important than vaginal stimulation. 

Women of Dahomeyan culture reported playing with each other to elongate and thicken their labia prior to marriage. In other cultures labia stretching is performed both alone and in groups. Rather than an overtly sexual act it was considered a normal practice similar to grooming hair or skin. In other cultures more spreading labia or wide labia are valued over elongated ones. 

Only some women report a visible "spray" similar to male ejaculation. For many it is merely a small accumulation of fluid or slow dripping. For those curious about the phenomenon there are novelty adult videos on "squirting" performed by actresses accomplished in this manner. One actress has made quite a living from it, even giving stage shows around the world where they allow such things. By slow motion viewing one can clearly see a sudden expulsion of fluid at the peak of orgasm. 

Men can experience blended organsms by simultaneous stimulation of the prostate and penis. Since anal stimulation is a taboo for many males, researchers believe the male blended organsm is not as widely experienced as the female version. 

Some researchers dispute the concept of the vaginal vs. clitoral orgasm, suggesting they are one in the same occurance. That said, it is abundantly clear that female orgasms are more intense when the means and locations of stimulation are diverse. 

Some practioners emphasize the blended orgasm (see above) while others suggest one source of stimulation is sufficient over very long time frames - such as two to four hours. It is thus ideal to seek out BOTH quality and quantity of stimulation to assure the best effect. As one sex coach said "if you have any doubts....you didn't have one". 

Throughout history lesbianism in harems has been very common. The king or "master" may only pleasure a women a few times a year - if at all. She had no access to men or if caught was sure death sentence. (Though cases of hiding young men dressed as women was common). It was accepted practice in such arrangements for women to satisfy each other's needs. Indeed it was sometimes part of the hierarchy the women established among themselves with some women serving and others being served.

The Kama Sutra in "Behavior in the Gynoecium" mentions that "the nurse's daughter, female companions, and servants dress up in male clothes with jewels and fabricate sexual organs with roots, carrots, aubergines [egg plants]. Then lying on the women they satisfy them by means of this artificial copulation". This reminds us that some "convenient lesbianism" is not always what we understand today as one woman admiring the body and femaleness of another. It sometimes takes the form of transvestitism or imitating a male body to one degree or another. 

Studies document that lesbianism among military wives is more common than the general population. This is due to extended periods of time their husbands spend away from home as well as the strong bond military wives always seem to form. There is also a perception this is an acceptable means of avoiding adultery. Likewise during WWII when many men were in Europe and women met in the workplace, a great many lesbian relationships developed - some only admitted in these more recent, accepting times.

It is not surprising too that all women's schools with strict security and dating policies have higher incidences of lesbian practice - though most particularly among girls already used to frequent sex. Lesbianism is also common in polygamous cultures where one forms close, daily ties with one's co-wives or sister-wives. Here again the one husband may not be able to satisfy all the women all the time. Sister-wife sex and marital sex are viewed as two very different things; two separate forms of bonding in the family. Indeed some prefer to avoid the potent term lesbianism altogether for such intrafamilial relations. Since many cultures prescribe just one nocturnal mate for the polygamous husband, his other wives surely may desire some enjoyment among themselves. 

Sometimes "convenient lesbianism" has been convenient for societies which often pretend it does not exist. Some have considered it a viable alternative to co-ed situations where pregnancy is a greater risk. We understand there is one Korean subculture where lesbianism is thought be a suitable phase prior to marriage, keeping the daughters "virgins" while satisfying their sex drive. There has been some connection throughout history with lesbian inititiation as part of sex education prior to marriage. In other words, knowing yourself and your gender before learning about another. The term awakening has been applied in such instances since it allows sexual experience and education without compromising the popular concept of virginity relating to intercourse with males. It also allows strict segration of the sexes without denying sexual expression. As we will mention later there are cultures where male homosexuality is a phase or experience taught prior to marriage. 

Wild female apes also insert objects so humans may observed it from lower species who supposedly have less "natural modesty". Others state that human females learned very early to insert natural fibers, cloth, leaves, hollow stems, and other natural objects into themselves during menstruation. Likely assisted by branchlets ("applicators") this hygienic practice might have suggested the potential for more pleasurable stimulation. Indeed, some women do enjoy stimulation to relieve menstral cramps. Very likely all of the above things happened somewhere since the experience of enjoying a dildo is a unversal one based on similar anatomy. No doubt a good deal of experimentation, that is trial and error, occured over the centuries until practical, optimally pleasurable solutions and the "marital aid" industry immerged. 

Another theory suggests early dildo use may have been accidental. It is certainly possible that naked or barely clothed women discovered clitoral stimulation in nature before the insertion of objects. A woman may have bathed in water and had aquatic plants or debris stimulate her. There is much variation among marine and aquatic flora around the world to suggest a number of rich possibilities. There has even be suggestion that women secretly masturbated and dildoed themselves with captured fish in the privacy of bathing - these objects even being half alive, wriggling, and often in a very phallic shape. Clearly not all species are suitable but many could potentially be effective. 

Another theory suggests that men introduced dildos to women. Boys and men are certainly curious about inserting fingers and objects into women. It is not uncommon for a brother to suggest the possibility to his sister - the situations ranging from abusive and crude to pleasant, humorous, and consentual. More than a few girls admit to "losing their virginity" to a bar of soap, toy, or hair brush. Often this sort of sex play may occur prior to the boy's own knowledge of intercourse. The dildo is symbolic of their own penis and is inserted as an experiment, a first discovery and exploration of female space. It might also be an attempt to avoid the incest taboo (objects not counting) or in teens from a fear of intercourse, pregnancy, or disease. Even men with lots of sexual experience find dildo use very stimulating because they can observe closely in a way that intercourse precludes. In Faulkner's remarkable book Santuary he describes an apparently impotent man who used a corncob as his surrogate penis in raping a woman. Thus for some males use of a dildo is almost an admission of their own sexual inadequency. The dildo for some men becomes a second penis and thus a means of greater potency, particularly when the natural one is exhausted and in a recovery period. 

Timothy Taylor in The Prehistory of Sex states that dildoes were a "widespread phenomeon in much of human history". The archeological record clearly supports this though your local museum is not likely to display them. Some scholars suggest that ancient phallic objects were purely ceremonial but often their form, functional ribbing, and wear clear suggest other uses! Obviously some phallic objects are too large or crude for insertion but when near lifesize and smooth we can reasonably assume a more intimate functionality existed. 

From an early Upper Paleolithic culture we even have a surviving double baton - a double dildo in our modern terms. It is angled with two organs for a clearly practical, sexual use. Even the Bible speaks of committing fornication "with idols". We do know that Baal mentioned in the Bible was a phallic god. Some found objects had holes and brackets suggesting they could have been worn - likely by male priests. 

The Kama Sutra makes reference to dildoes used when husbands are impotent, to merely warm up the woman, or with lesbians. They were made of gold, silver, copper, iron, tin, ivory, horn, wood, rubber, and most dangerously lead. Tin and lead were preferred as being both rough and soft at once. The dildos were used by hand, attached with bands (ties) or a harness. If such crafted devices were unavailable, the text speaks of using hollowed out pumpkin (probably a long gourd), soft citron wood, or soaked bamboo. Small wooden balls on a "rosary" or wrapped about a real penis were also proven. 

The term "dildo" derives from the Italian word diletto meaning "delight". A great many words in other cultures exist for a similar concept or act of using a dildo.

It has been suggested that the reproductively successful male chimp is one that can both stimulate and physically wrestle the most females - that is, win some with pleasure and others with brute strength. A large, very accessable clitoris would make foreplay both quick and effective from a biological stance. Observation suggests some female apes seem to enter a trance-like state during intercourse. As you might suspect there is not exactly a lot of federal funding or university support for this kind of research, so much material is the subject of speculation and informal observation.

Gorillas have a harem system where a female is monogamous with a male until he dies or loses authority. Thus there is less importance placed on simple stimulation and sex play. Humans many suggest are intermediate between chimps and gorillas on the monogamy vs. promiscuity scale. 

Female orangs are known to masturbate, stimulating the clitoris with hands, tails, and objects. Yes, objects. We suspect you won't see that on a National Geographic special about primate use of tools! Many primatologists have observed masturbation and intercourse in apes that suggests female apes are capable of some form of orgasm though perhaps less dramatic than in humans. 

Polygamy is roughly the same as plural marriage where a person may have multiple spouses. These associations may or may not be accepted by government and civil authorities but most always have some form of religious or cultural ceremony behind them. The most widely practice form of polygamy worldwide and especially in North America is correctly termed polygyny. This where the husband or man has multiple wives. The reverse is polyandry where the wife or woman may take more than one husband. Most of the so-called polygamy in the world today is really polygyny since those societies do not allow the ladies the freedom accorded to men. 

Polyamory is a circumstance where couples agree to have other mates in a usually defined set of relationships. Many polyamorists do not consider themselves be true swingers which seems to imply a greater degree of promiscuity, unsafe sex, and purely physical bonding. Indeed, true polyamory is as much about love and friendship as about sex. Polyamory may not involve any legally sanctioned marriages at all though typically it involves married heterosexual couples sharing mates in various pairings and group sex. Polyamorous associations are usually more than sexual and involve a good deal of socializing, non-sexual bonding, and may include cohabitation some or all of the year. Polyamory is usually not the old wife-swapping or spouse-swapping but often involves couples enjoying their primary mate enjoying other people. In practice, a good deal of polyamory involves two couples spending time in a foursome that begins as something of a double date. 

Necrophilia is also part of the psychology of some serial killers. They desire such a level of sexual and physical control they enjoy sex with a just killed body and sometimes just severed parts of it. The infamous Jeffrey Dahmer was aroused by just pieces of the bodies of his victims. Homicidophilia or lust murderism are the technical terms for being aroused by murder of one's sexual object. 

Much of the taboo against necrophilia is for respect for the dead who are harmless to prevent wrongful access to their body. There is also the concern for disease transmission because many of the deaths in our human history have been attributed to infectious diseases. 

We have heard of a practice that has been termed warm necrophilia. A spouse may awake to find their long-term, beloved mate deceased in the night and desire to "love them one last time". Certainly there is widespread acceptance of kissing and touching the recently dead such as when a person dies in one's arms. Many families find it very natural to kiss a departed loved one upon visiting the home after a "passing". More extensive physical contact including the sexual is obviously much more controversial and covert. In a more vile form of warm necrophilia we have heard of cases where gangs and soldiers have killed an enemy. In a ritual the members of the gang or army have sex with the recently slain body as means of perverse bonding and sign of contempt for the victim and their group. Black women in the American south were sometimes raped before and after lynching, showing one act of contempt and hatred after another. Warm necrophila is also quite sadly a part of so-called snuff films which may include sexual deviations before and after the staged murder. In all due modesty we will spare you the details.

Necrophila in ancient Egypt was not uncommon. The dead had powers. The wealthy, powerful, royal dead have even more powers. Some of them were considered gods. Sex was associated with the religious ritual and sacred things. Death and sex rituals were two important parts of the culture, prompting people to integrate them in hopes of gaining status and perhaps eternal life. You might imagine the greater temptation this had for the practitioners of mumification who viewed death and sexuality as powerful religious celebrations. There is evidence that laws were added to prevent such abuses. It has even been suggested that some of the whole"curse of the pharoah's tomb" stuff was created to discourage people from hoping to gain some advantage through necrophilia. 

There is also the rare practice of simulated necrophilia where one partner "plays dead" to arouse the other. One woman told us she covered her body with a whitish cosmetic to simulate blood-drained skin. She covered herself in a plastic sheet, added a toe tag, and let her husband go from there. Some people are fascinated by casket sex which may be a related psychology. Sometimes there is a vampire fantasy involved where the lover simulates a killing by biting the neck. Simulated autoassassinatophilia occurs when one is aroused by staging a fantasy of their own murder. Others utilize a resurrection fantasy where the lover brings the "dead" one to life through sexual activity. The lover who pretends to be brought back to life may turn the tables on the other, dominating them, and even acting out a zombie fantasy. All sorts of inspiration has been derived from viewing any one of a number of horror films. 

In cultural media we have generally observed this practice in gay, bisexual, and so-called "bizarre sex" films. It sometimes performed at gay parties or by male strippers for both men and women. It is something of a novelty since such capable, talented men find masturbation the more desirable and convenient of self-stimulations. It is not usually possible to sustain auto-fellatio over a long period of time with any degree of comfort and prolonged pleasure. Only some men are capable of inducing ejaculation by this technique. 

John Money in his article Man's Animal Nature (in Sexuality and Human Bonding) notes that auto-fellatio is common in primates. Some apes may even swallow the ejaculate. 

Males with this fear, consciously or not, have an aversion to woman or at least intimacy with them. One might imagine how easily such a myth might spread among ill-informed young boys. But in older men the irrational fear of vagina dentata has been used in past decades to explain homosexuality. 

Both frottage and toucheurism are considered sexual deviations or paraphilias (even by the most liberal minds) because they involve violation of personal space and privacy. In most modern societies these practices are punished by law. Psychiatrists have made a clear connection between toucheurism in particular with propensity for sexual aggression including rape. Thus persons, usually men, having a fondness for or record of toucheurism are often carefully watched. Attempts at either frottage or toucheurism in a confined, secluded space is usually classed as attempted rape by law enforcement authorities. For example, a man finding a woman alone using a payphone who attempts to rub against her would usually be subject to more severe charges than one acting so on a crowded subway. 

Frottage is not uncommon in young males and is sometimes considered harmless if outgrown towards puberty. There is sometimes an illusion that this activity will please the girl and become consentual. The fact that some popular dances and bar scenes encourage similar contact (thought consentual) may encourage them. Yet older males may practice frottage almost as a hobby - though frottage is rarely their exclusivve form of sexual expression according to studies (Wilson, Glenn. 1987. Variant Sexuality: Research and Theory. Johns Hopkins. Baltimore). Concerts, crowded noisy bars, and rush-hour transportation systems (mainly subways, buses, and trains) are popular locations for this activity. Indeed some devoted practioners of frottage have been known to plan trips on subway trains during specific times when it is most successful for them. These crowded public forums for frottage provide some "cover" because the male may offer a false apology if caught or easily disappear into a dynamic mass of other people. When alcohol is involved such men often claim a sort of clumsiness or exaggerated intoxication to explain their movements. Frottage and toucheurism is also common with mentally defective (ie. Downs syndrome) or socially inadequate (ie. very shy) men. 

There is a also a rare paraphila (deviant sexuality) which we may term frottophilia for lack of an existing term. It refers to one being aroused by being touched or rubbed by strangers in a public place. While most recipients of frottage or toucheurism do not consent nor enjoy the practice, the occasional person does. We have found reference to teen girls at rock concerts and men in crowded gay bars admitting to enjoyment of the activity by others. It has been described as anonymous, mysterious, and low risk arousal. 

In many cultures, including their modern New Age versions, having imagined intercourse with unseen natural spirits is common. Satanists may speak of sex with demonic spirits while the occasional Christian "cult" mentions intercourse with the Holy Spirit - all of which reportedly watch over and manage the earth domain. The use of crystals in modern sex ritual is very common irrespective of their sometimes phallic appearance. 

Men in ancient cultures often had intercourse with natural rock or earth that resembled a divine vagina - often using animal grease and leaves to improve the process. In one extreme example men of the tribe made holes in the ground to ritually have intercourse with earth. Women may have hoped to improve fertility by rubbing themselves against natural, phallic rock formations. We have heard that women have been arrested for rubbing themselves against the famed rocks at Stonehenge in hopes of attaining special orgasms or to become fertile. Some cultures place value on transference of sexual power in high energy situaions like volcanos, rapids, and during thunderstorms. 

Not all pansexuals practice bestiality (sex with animals) but neither is it uncommon. In one culture men honored the spirit of a slain animal (appeasing it perhaps) through ritual intercourse and offering of seman. Others consider the "blessing of livestock" while others seek to commune with a deity resembling some species. The pansexual is likely to view sex as a transfer or sharing of energy rather than a simple means of gratification. Thus for them bestiality serves as a positive interaction rather than a form of abuse or domination. Of course bestiality is very taboo and illegal in many modern societies. The connection among humans, physical animals, and animal gods is a complex one to say the least. 

Fur in various states has also had a sensual, erotic appeal to humans. It is not an uncommon practice today to masturbate or derive from rubbing against fur clothing - particularly in women. This may be considered a derivative form of acceptable bestiality though some say love-making with fur is merely symbolic of pubic hair. 

Some New Age groups practice ritualized sex with collected natural objects of various types. These may be rubbed on the body including the genitals to convey a natural energy or lifeforce. A great many plant products have credible healing properties in their phytochemistry and may be preferred for specific ailments. Thus healing, massage, and sex may be integrated into one big celebration of the earth's bounty. 

The related term brachiovaginal eroticism (know to sexologists as BVE) relates to vaginal fisting. BVE may be the final act after female digitation but such is not normally the case. 

Use of a single middle finger (similar to "giving the finger" sign) or index finger may start the process before the women is relaxed. Another variant sometimes called dipping involved alternately shoving both hands (with fingers tightly held) into the well-lubriated vagina - usually with the woman's crotch held upright. Since it can be performed simultaneously by two or three lovers it may be part of group activity. 

One modern example is where girls on a bus or train covertly sit on hands and fingers (under their skirts), also deriving added pleasure from slight movements and the vibration of their transport. 

Variations of the 4-finger technique are numerous. A few are the following:

1. Finger Progression: A single finger is inserted. Once the vagina relaxes or over a period of time two then three then four fingers (on one hand) are inserted. The amount of stimulation and pressure are increased. The four fingers may be held close and flat like a wedge in Variation A. In Variation B they may be bundled to form a round or triangular shape in cross section. 
2. Side by Side: two fingers of each hand are held close and inserted into the vagina in an alternating motion, moving in and out as pairs. Usually the index and middle fingers are used. In Variation A this is performed by a single lover. In Variation B the fingers come from two different lovers working in tandem. 
3. Dual Insertion: two fingers are inserted into the vagina, moving in and out, usually focusing on the G-spot. Two fingers of the other hand are inserted into the anus, often alternating with the other set of fingers in the vagina. Variation A is with a single lover, Variation B with fingers of two lovers. 

The Kama Sutra tells us the tranvestite types were easily confused with female prostitutes - which certainly occurs in our time! Others worked as masseurs, hoping to offer a gentlemen that additional special service. The text describes eight practices which range from complete fellatio with ejaculation to simple rubbing without climax. It also states "if one wishes to, it is customary to pinch the gigolo's nipples" though hugging was discouraged. Also covered are brightly dressed, third sex servants "who can be trusted for acts involving the mouth". The authors notes some turn to women later in life while others renounce them. 

Variation B of the technique has the same four women rotate positions at a fixed, timed interval using a timer or alarm. In Variation C there is a also a timed rotation but a new woman joins and one leaves in each cycle. This is a type of male gang bang. Variation D adds additional females to stimulate the man's nipples, caress him, and touch the four primary women. The man may thus be smothered in women touching him at every point. Variation E is performed by a woman in place of the man using an attached penis on four other women. In Variation F the "four girl" position is used to build a orgy with the four women having additional partners whom they finger or lick, the positions expanding outward in many styles. Variation G involves a man and six women with the man using the toes of each foot to stimulate their vulva. 

Georg Feuerstain in Sacred Sexuality says the practices was "known already to the early Christian community" and was reintroduced by Bruno and Cathars. 

The lack of models of bisexuality in earlier times may be attributed to the fact that bisexuality was considered normal and universal in the culture. Georg Feuerstein in Sacred Sexuality states that "bisexuality rather than homosexuality was the rule in classical Greece. Indeed bisexuality may have been widely practiced in pre-Christian times".

Beth Firestein cites a study that bisexuals are much less monogamous than "true" homosexuals. Only 29.5% of bisexual females and 15.4% of bi men want a lifetime, monogamous partner. This contrasts with 46.7% among lesbians and 75.9% with gay males who are seeking such a monogamous relationship. A study by Wienberg in 1994 states that only 16.4% of surveyed bisexuals were monogamous at that point in time. This does not mean that bisexuals necessarily have more mates over their lifetime than more traditional homosexuals or heterosexuals. Rather than one lover at a time they may overlap their relationships with several lovers at one time, dropping one and adding another.

She also makes the statement that the trichotomous model is not perhaps fully correct, saying "the bisexual person is, therefore, not holisticaly bisexual but dualistically half heterosexual and half homosexual". Rather than bisexuality being a range between heterosexuality and homosexuality it may represent an inclusiveness of two very distinct forms of practice. 

She also identifies that bisexual often have many sexual friendships as opposed to romances. There are so-called cuddle buddies involved as sleeping partners, kissing, and light touching. There are also fuck buddies with whom one has serious sexual relations and sometimes little else. 

In her highly praised book Firestein also speaks of polyfidelitous marriages (the old idea of group marriage in one form) that are changing how we view that institution in modern times. Polyfidelity often involves bisexual men and women living together or sleeping over in various combinations - but always with a narrowly defined groupp of partners and sexual friends. In the true polyfidelitous bisexual marriage there are strong commitments to a set of lovers and mates - and one cannot stay outside that group in most cases. The true polyamorous marriage has less boundaries and is closer to but distinct from open swinging on the opposite extreme.

One method of doing so is shaft scarification or production of many scars. The effect is that of ridges (not unlike a ribbed condom) or numerous raised bumps. Naturally men are often reluctant to undergo such dramatic modificaton and pain on that part of their body. The results are not always predictable and cannot appear unpleasant. Here if anywhere in body modification a very skilled professional is worth their fee. 

In ancient times men often had their foreskins pierced for religious and decoration reasons. As we learn in the Kama Sutra such men might insert "any imaginable object....long or round, of gold, wood, terracotta, stone, etc.". Both hard and flexible objects including those resembling an elephant's trunk, flower bud, curved stick, horn, or bracelet were employed. The objects were usually covered in leather and oiled to avoid injuring the vagina walls. 

In our modern plastic surgery culture penal modificatons are more safe and common place. Imbedded objects are placed under the shaft skin or into the glans. Various surgically sterile objects including BB's, plastic ridges, and stars are routinely placed just under the skin of the shaft, sometimes forming a pattern. The head or glans may also be surgically altered for sexual stimulation, particularly in making it more rough or wide. 

Some speak of the designer penis being affordable to everyone in the near future - if not entirely newly shaped designer sex organs containing whatever nerves we happied to be born with. That brings the idea of sexual variety to some very new if not frightening places. There is likely to be an emphasis on widening or increasing the girth of the penis since some women feel that is more important than length. 

Even in protestant demoninations some say the modern choir robe too is a transvite display - given the satiny look, ornate collars, ddress-like style. Others argue to opposite saying that mixed gender choirs are in fact attempts at androgyny or at least obscuring sexual indentity that may distract from worship. It has not escaped some parents that lacy garb of some boy choirs is a bit too effeminate for their modern sensability. 

Many strict churches ban or discourage the wearing of pants suits among females citing biblical admonitions about dressing as males. Others have come to understand the greater modesty in pants (particularly on stairs!) even compared to longish dresses. One sociologist has said that "all women are transvestites", citing the popularity of blue jeans cut for a man's form and a fly clearly not designed for their anatomy. Many women wear their husband's shirts but few men could get away with wearing their wive's blouse! If true, what does this say about your next church picnic or social where jeans are everywhere? Nor is it uncommon to see some orders of nuns in pantsuits with zippered flies and padded shoulders which mimic male shoulders. Indeed one is often hard-pressed to find a nun nearly so feminine as her priest!

Children at play in nature also learn from seeing animal intercourse. One sees reports of how boys may develop bad habits this way, having only observed the less than tender approach of beasts and violent rape. Some experts say that children need to observe romance between mates more than demonstrations of the actual mechanics. In other words, true lovemaking is more difficult to learn than simple sex. In villages they may learn from observing pets and domesticated livestock - as many in modern times learn growing up on a farm. 

Children of course also learn sex (right and wrong) from talking with those of their own age, particularly siblings. Kids often repeat dirty jokes and stories without knowing their full meaning. Often an older child has some handed down knowledge or found a Playboy in the attic. A child today who can read the internet or has a school health class is likely to pass down some of this knowledge to younger siblings. They gain some social status and prestige by sharing this knowledge. There are often big gaps in this knowledge and sometimes controdictory ideas. 

Children have and always will learn sex by experimentation with their own bodies and others. Mild masturbation is observed in very young infants. It varies widely with cultures how if at all masturbation and "playing doctor" are tolerated. Some permit one but punish the other. In some cultures parents make a pretense at discouraging these practices but do not actively discourage them. Others hear from a parent or religious leader the penalties (moral and physical) of touching or being touched. Most societies have laws against rape at all ages. In the Trobriand Islands, parts of Africa, and New Guinea, western anthropologists have been startled to see children allowed to perform various sex acts in public - all without much parental concern. One missionary reported that they observed children performing intercourse while watching village dogs do the same - all while trying to raise their own children to a very different standard! More than playing doctor kids in these societies "play house" in every intimate detail. On the Trobriant Islands researchers observed children in sex-induced, trance-like states just as their elders have in ritual sex. 

The origin of the term is unclear and there are several theories. The word "daisy" was a widespread term for peace and love in the 60's and the daisy chain may simple represent a ring or chain of those emotions. It was part of a "love in for peace" or some similiar sentiment. Some say that most daisy chains were in fact rings or circles. All the legs and bodies were a bit like petals on the daisy. 

The Bi Daisy Chain is one that accomodates both sexes and every possible sexual preference. Connections involve penis, vagina, tongue, anus, fingers, nipple, clitoris, toes, dildo, vibrator, vegetable, and other objects in any combination. A man may "toe" a girl as easily as another man. Likewise a woman may insert a cucumber into a man's anus as readily as another male. Two girls may be linked by a double dildo in their vaginas and so may two men by their anus. Indeed girls may connect by dildoes to both their vaginas and anus in one more advanced, difficult position. Still everyone is connected to the person behind and ahead in some enjoyable way. 

The more devoted daisy chain set will want us to acknowledge the branched chain while might just happen or be planned. Two persons may link or connect to another and behind them form another chain. We've heard of cases where this complex human formation of love and pleasure has spelled out alphabetical letters that are photographed for good purpose. 

We have even heard of a group position that is hardly a chain but based on a similar concept. One girl is fingered by two fingers from each of two girls (four fingers in total). Those girls are in turn fingered by two fingers from each of two girls and so on. It is something of a fingering pyramid that sounds quite pleasant and rather organized that the same time. It is very interesting and likely pleasant variation on the lesbian orgy. 

Firstly, Freud would tell us because it reminds us of mother's comfort and our earliest, most secure bond - and is a desired experience particularly as few men can consciously remember it. Others suggest that nursing is really our first sexual experience. Returning to it is nostalgic or at least comforting. Whether the fetish is really oedipal or just a celebration of femaleness one could argue for years. Secondly, it is a sex differentiator and we tend to enjoy displays of things that make us different, male from female. Thirdly, lactation as popularly performed is analogous to male ejaculation. It carries some of the same energy such as climatic applause, desire for consumption, precious life-giving substance, and forbidden public display in some cultures. 

Fourthly, it is often part of a lesbian show, where one woman nurses from another before other acts. One expert described it as a "legitimatizaton of the lesbian taboo" as one based on a accepted form of one woman touching another (ie. mother with young daughter). It may offer some deviant men a legal pedophilic or incest fantasy due to the sex acts that follow lactation (ie. mommy with son fantasy). Fifthly, it simply has a novelty or shock value one that club owners and media types use for maximum profit. It differentiates one dancer from another, one club from another. Lastly, some experts note that many husbands feel excluded from the mother-child bond in their own marriage. They may seek a sexualization of nursing (in a way their wife does not accept) in an attempt to reconnect with their sexual past. Indeed most women deny their husbands "a taste", creating a stronger taboo still. And we all know that most any taboo is likely to have appeal in sexual presentation. 

Typically, lesbian tribadism includes four basic practices:

1. Rubbing leg against crotch or vulva. Variation A has both partners active while Variation B has one passive. 
2. Rubbing crotches or vulvas together such as in the so-called double scissors where bodies are interlocked. Variaton A has both active while Variation B shows only one active. 
3. Rubbing breasts and/or nipples against the vulva or clitoris. At least one author has used the phrase nipple fuck where an erect, hard nipple is used to stimulate a similarly aroused clitoris. 
4. Rubbing breasts together with produce sensation. Often one partner will finger the crotch of the other. Mutual back-rubbing is common. One OLCC Praisex ritual involving celebration of breasts includes women rubbing breast to breast to celebration their beauty and femaleness. 

Both structures have a head or glans which is the most sensitive to stimulation (especially the oral kind), easily capable of producing orgasm. Both structures also have a shaft containing cavernous bodies (corpora cavernosa) which engorge, inflate, and fill with blood when stimulated. Clearly men have many more such caverns than women. Yes, women also have horny erections as any cunnophile (lover of cunnilingus and the vulva) will tell you. 

These similarities encouraged researchers to try Viagra on women and some women in fact went about with their own informative experiments! To date Viagra does not work on the majority of women but could have value for the small number with engorgement problems - similar to male impotence. But clearly there is something in the vascular, chemical, and nervous systems (if not the mind) that is different. 

Both organs also have a protective foreskin. In women it may be called clitoral hood or "clitorial foreskin". Some forms of female circumcision (clitidotomy) remove just the hood (as with males) whiles other remove the entire glans as well (clitorectomy). In women the hood or foreskin is formed from the labia minora or smaller lips. Had the old medical books been written by women the male foreskin might have been termed the male labia! 

Women with higher levels of male hormone (by genetics or injection) may develop clitoromegaly or atypical enlargement of the clitoris. Individuals with very long (ie. 2-3 inch) clitori are known and are even the subject of some adult films. There is no known correlation between hormone level and clitoris size with sexual preference, though some fetish lesbian films seem to venerate this feature - just as other films focus on the large penis. In such films one may observe cunnilingus performed on women whose clitoral anatomy is elongated, extremely rigid, and naturally projecting well outside the hood. Such unusual clitori snap back to a central vertical position when tongued, showing the rigidity of the shaft. This interests some men but disturbs others.

The analogy of the two organs obviously diverges in several areas. Males urinate from the penis while the female urinates from an entirely different structure below the clitoris. Males ejaculate through the penis while female ejaculate comes from below the clitoris (Skene's glands) if at all. Females do not always rely on the clitoris for organsm (having a G-spot and other vaginal sensors) while males are almost always reliant on stimulation of glans penis to attain that state. The enlarged glans of the penis (by size, shape, and texture) serves for physical stimulation of the vagina while the clitoris has no such role in stimulating the male. (Lesbians and some heterosexuals however have discovered techniques that use the clitoris to stimulate their partners). Traditionally the visual stimulation of the erect penis (or its hardness through clothes) has been a obvious stimulant to the partner's mind and body - part of the mental arousal and fantasy if nothing else. The female arousal is not as obvious unless one is performing oral sex - which historically men have not always ddone. Indeed in some cultures it is forbidden so men were entirely ignorant of the clitoral status of their mate. Those who are aware of their female partner's state of arousal may receive equal pleasure from the appearance and firmness of her clitoris. We must also point out that males derive much of their sexual identity from their penis while most young women are more centered on their vagina and breasts. Indeed many girls do not even know they have such an organ (except through masturbatory sensation) until later in life - boys have no such avoidance of anatomical fact!

Some women (not just feminists) rebel at the idea of the clitoris as an "underdeveloped penis" and reject moststructural analogies that medical science and solid biology have confirmed. There are certainly separate terms (ie. hood vs. foreskin) if one is inclined to make clear terminological distinctions. Considering that males have undeveloped nipples and mammaries, it is certainly no shameful thing that the clitoris does not elongate or develop all the functions of the male. Indeed, transexual men who receive female hormone injections often see their penis diminishing in all dimensions. 

The clitoris is obviously a very perfect, functional, and complete organ as is the penis. Some persons of bisexual persuasion suggest the anatomical analogue is good reason that "love making" should not depend on the outward formation of one's particular genitals. 

In Variation B the man fellates the other male (while he penetrates the female or in alternating acts) in place of anal coitus. In Variation C the first man is anally penetrated with a dildo or vibrator by the second man. This variation may preceed the Variation A. In Variation D the woman receives anal rather than vaginal intercourse. The variations may also be combined. 

1. Circling the head (glans) with the tongue, mainly alone the basal ridges. 
2. Licking up and down the shaft. This has been termed texturing where one follows the texture of the shaft like riding over topography. 
3. Grasping the shaft firmly with one hand and sucking the head only in the center of the mouth.
4. Swallowing only the head and licking it diversely with the tongue inside the mouth. The tongue, teeth, and cheeks combine for perfect stimulation. 
5. Kissing and nimbling the sides of the shaft. More on erotic biting and kissing appears in a following section. 
6. Swalling the entire head and shaft (deep-throating or devouring). In Variation 6A it is done slowly with the penis remaining in the throat. Variation 6B is irrumatio where the penis is active the throat passive (ie. fucking the mouth). Variation 6C is a rapid in and out of the organ. 
7. Licking only the very tip, opening or meatus. Sometimes the tip of the tongue may penetrate partly into the meatus. The rest of the penis is untouched. 
8. Kissing, pinching, and sucking the skin of the shaft where it is most loose. The skin may be pulled and tugged in a playful and pleasant manner. 
9. Sucking most of penis along the cheeks and back teeth. Persons with pierced cheeks often use studs for this effect whether or not the tongue is pierced. 
10. Ringing the shaft up and down with an encircled finger(s), kissing and licking the head. This brings more blood flow up into the shaft and glans. The fingers may be lubricated. 
11. Swallowing much of the penis, humming or making other throat vibrations to stimulate it. (hum job)
12. Pentrating the opening or meatus with object from piercing such as from a pierced tongue. This must be done with some care to avoid injury and infection. In more advanced B&D culture catheters and other medical devices are used. 
13. Moving the penis from side to side over the cheeks, lips, and tongue protruding from the mouth. A rough beard or piercing may intensify the sensation. 
14. Lick intensely only the base of head in the cleft. Many men are more sensitive in most areas than anywhere else. Circumcised men sometimes wrap their penis in plastic wrap to moisten it and increase the sensitivity (as would a foreskin) prior to this exercise. Indeed any of these techniques may be more effective after wrapping for a hour or more. 
15. Penetrating the enclosed, intact foreskin with the tongue as if pealing it. Sometimes the foreskin cavity is filled with fruit juice or flavored oils. There is one fetish group who uses flavored alcoholic drinks and consumes them is this imaginative way. Each man in the room has a different recipe! Artificial foreskins made of plastic wrap or even food materials can be used for circumcised men. 
16. Rubbing a rough or ribbed object along the shaft while sucking the head. The bristles of a hairbrush can be effective. This may be part of genital shaving where a straight razor is used for mental and physical stimulation. 
17. Rubbing a soft object along the shaft while sucking the head. For example velvet, a feather, fur, or silk may be used to produce pleasant stimulations to accompany licking and sucking. We have even seen cases of individuals used inflated bags of air or "bubble wrap" to produce, unique stimulations. Sometimes this practice includes blindfolding with the recipient constantly surprised by the variety of objects. 
18. Moving a vibrator or massager along the shaft and head while licking also. Some heterosexual men are adverse to something resembling another penis touching them. For this reason their mates may prefer a more generic massaging device with a less phallic appearance. In a following section data on vibrator use on the penis is described. 
19. Using the teeth to lightly bite and tease the shaft and head. The teeth may lightly comb the shaft in deep swallowng. 
20. Using food or candy in the mouth to stimulate the head when sucked. There is something called a Jello Job for those so inclined to experiment. Sometimes strong candy like mints are used to stimulate the penis with the potent oils. There was something of a trend using the powerful candy Altoids among prostitutes in several cities. We understand cough drops have been used this way for centuries. 
21. Using ice in the mouth to stimulate the head when sucked. This can both intensify the erection and also shrink it down. Men respond very differently. Ice often as positive, recharging effect on the testicles which may be overheated during intercourse. 
22. Firmly clamping the base of the shaft with with finger or cock ring to force blood to remain in the shaft and to increase turgidity of the head. This is also called the drum where the skin and glans are tightened like the musical instrument by forcing up blood into the organ. This can be painful (similar to the involuntary priapism) but when done carefully and occasionally can be very enjoyable. The pressure should not be maintained for an extended of period of time. 
23. Gumming the head with a partner who has removed dentures or partials, thus producing a surface of the gums for stimulation. This is sometimes part of a senior sex fetish or gerontophilia culture.
24. Licking the shaft while the head is penetrating a vagina or anus. This is sometimes called an assist.
25. Lightly whipping the shaft while sucking the head. This combines light pain with intense pleasure to counteract it. Leather strips and miniature whips are available from speciality suppliers. The psychology of a woman whipping a penis is certainly an interesting one. 
26. Licking the penis covered with flavored oils or lubricants, alternating fellatio with intense finger massages. For example one must rapidly lick the meatus then rapidly rub it with the index finger, repeating the process. One may vigorous massage the shaft with two fingers while encirlcing the head with the tongue. Certain combinations of licking and finger massages work best for certain men. 
27. Encircling the shaft tightly with ribbon or string, licking most intensely the bulging portions. This does not necessarily involve any pain but if there is sucking the head will alleviate it. We have seen men who enjoyed being "laced up" with dental floss or show strings. Sometimes the erect penis may be lightly tied down to an object as a curious variation on the bondage theme. An erection may also be tied flat to the man's abdomen, requiring the lover to liberate it. 
28. Literally blowing forcefully over the head and shaft, both expelling air and sucking it past the organ. This is Variation 28A. This is the origin of the word blowjob which is has become to mean sucking more than anything else. Cortesans were once known for their intense sucking ability made possible by full control of breath. The rushing of air around the penis added much to process. A practice call Hoovering (practiceed on both men and women) is Variation 28B. It involves very rapid movement of air INTO the lungs with the tongue and cheeks that produces a slurping sound. 
29. Also interesting is forceful spitting on the organ. There are men who simply driven made by the raw energy of it all as well as delicate sense of saliva running down the shaft. Sometimes saliva may be dripped down the penis by use of the tongue's tip to carefully guide the flow and also provide a small massage. Spitting on a "subject" is sometimes part of S&M culture. 
30. Related to the above is use of a water spray such as faucet, small hose, or vibrating shower nozzle in addition to sucking the head. The shower is obviously a good place to try this out. Sometimes hot tub jets can be directed for perfect water-assisted blowjob. The balls and anus may also get a good watering too. A natural waterfall is even better! Boys sometimes have an early sexual arousal from yard sprinklers or in the bath, allowing grown men to enjoy something of a nostalgic experience. 
31. There is also the famous glory hole means of fellatio popularized by gay culture in men's rooms. A hole in a partition is large enough to allow the penis and testicles to pass through. There is sometimes the thrill of a mysterious stranger or anonymous lover on the other side. The glory hole is also part of heterosexual culture in some red light districts - we know at least in some Asian countries. A man pays his money, sticks it through and some woman pleasures him. The "wall of holes" may have many women behind it, some perhaps not so young and presentable. There is also the possibility of a man or transvestite getting in on the action, adding still more intrique for some. In one game the women changed organs ever few minutes on some musical cue. This is a true fellatio technique since the structure of the hole has a unique means of stimulation on the testicles and organ. Together with the stimulation of the mind it makes for a unique experience. 
32. One technique encountered in group sex we might call shared fellatio. One lovers sucks half the head joined by the other lover on the other side. Their tongues may join to intensely massage the meatus or opening. They two fellators may link lips in the exercise and might kiss throughout. They may lick the shaft up and down in some coordinated pattern. Each one may massage the testicle on their side. Someone has described this as "French kissing with a happy penis in the middle". 
33. The abdomen rub involves involves sucking or licking the penis while rubbing it along the belly. The stomach may be lubricated with oil or saliva to improve the results. This works best with a very stiff, engorged organ. If a man has a hairy body the stimulation can be more intense. 
34. The hard pull is where one gently used the mouth and perhaps teeth to pull the penis. A hand may assist as well. This is a common technique at the beginning of arousal to stimulate blood to flow into the caverns. It can also be used on the erect penis to elongate it or add a pleasant stretching sensation. 

Nows there's one technique for every day of the month! Start your calenders now...

The variations are endless and one is most accomplished when able to use many of these techniques in one love session. There is also great pleasure in two lovers performing one technique on the shaft while another concentrates on the head and meatus. Many of these techniques are more pleasant when the testicles and anus are also stimulated. 

We'll confine our definition of Epicurean sex to the one beautifully articulated by Thomas Moore in The Soul of Sex. Here Moore presents a way of viewing sexuality that gratifies the mind and soul as much as the body - and perhaps even more the former than the later. This is what Edgar Wind called a "noble passion", one that is meaningful rather than crude, violent, or compulsive. In some sense Epicurean Sex is the middle ground between stern Puritanism on one side and wild Hedonism on the other. There is an emphasis on restraint but also an appreciation of pleasure for what it is and its very necessity in daily life.

Moore states that Epicurean sex "consists of sheer sensual delight in the touches, smells, sights, and sounds of bodies pleasuring each other, accompanied by feelings of love, emotional peace, and deep friendship". Key to understanding this way of thinking is the link between friendship and sex. That is different than romance and sex. It is also very different than narcissism and sex. Friendship is the requirement. Not all married people are friends nor are all unmarried lovers. Epicurean sex involves cultivation of a friendship of the mind and soul before one of the body can develop. It is about being friends first and lovers second - not the other way around as many do in dating today. It also makes us less vulnerable to sways of romantic emotion which can rise and fall at any time. Moore says this attitude will "give foreplay reason and purpose, and keep a glow in the slow decay of orgasm".

Epicurean sex is just one part of a rich, sensual life. It means enjoying all God has given us. And because we seek to cultivate friendships and community we are very willing to share in our resources and love. The modern Epicurean is often viewed as some rich, elite gourmet snob who seeks only to exclude others and please self. In truth Epicurus had a very generous, inclusive view of life. Sex is just one of many pleasures we may share with friends. Because of friendships are based on more than lust and romantic love they are apt to endure. 

Epicurean sex also seeks a balance of lust and affection. One without the other makes one prone to numerous problems and disappointments. Moore notes that "lust may have a place and yet at the same time be influenced by the fundamental values of friendship and tranquillity". 

Critics of Epicurus would suggest that pleasure being its own justification allows one to abandon morality of a civilized society. Yet when one holds the pursuit of pleasure to the highest standard of friendship one would not wish to act unfriendly to another or society at large. Thus abusive and illegal sex has no place even though one is greatly devoted to the sensual arts. While an epicurean may delight in good wines he would not drive drunk as that would ruin another's pleasure and be quite unfriendly. Pleasure is thus bounded by good friendship to all parties in the community. Pleasure is not absolute but is limited by common sense and a lack of selfishness. 

There is perhaps no better expression of Epicurean sexuality than to assemble with true friends in a lovely private garden, dining on good foods, wine, and enjoying lively and intellectual conversations. There may also be music and singing. Every good comfort is provided for. Sex will invariably arise from the pursuit of pleasure as the highest good. 

Vaginal "fisting", also known as braciovaginal eroticism (BVE) often springs from "fingering" or "female digitation" as we discussed above. In general, brachioprotic sex involves insertion of all the knuckles rather than just the digits or fingers. As the opening relaxes the entire hand may enter. The G-spot and other sensory nerves may be targeted by those informed on such matters or just by accident. Clearly the vaginal canal is equipt to expand for the birth of children with bodies much wider than the human hand. However for many young women the practice can be very painful as is delivery. For others it is a very powerful, highly intimate practice. Some report it is "like the adult way of playing doctor [OB-GYN]". The practice does have some risk such as tearing of the vaginal wall and introduction of microbes on the entire hand. Antibacterial soap or use of gloves with lubricant may be desirable. 

Anal bracioprotic sex or "anal fisting" is usually associated with the gay male community. It is even considered a rite of passage by some gay clubs. Sometimes the practice follows analingus and penetration of the rectum with objects including dildos and penis. Individuals may even be prepared by a succession of objects including greased baseball bats (both ends) and very large dildos until a fist may be inserted with more ease. As with vaginal fisting, there is potential for tearing the interior wall and making one more vulnerable to infection including HIV. Some groups have banned the practice while others use gloved hands and medicinal lubes. We are aware of one group that uses bracioprotic insertion to give males some appreciation of the whole body, invasive, and painful experience their female mates experience in childbirth. 

Not all women can be deflowered since some women are not born with hymens. Those which are have several types or forms including some which are small and less easily to detect. The natural shapes and perforations vary considerably. 

Defloration is not the same as "lose of virginity" since some women don't have a hymen at birth or lose them from sports activity, exercise, tampon insertion, digital masturbation, or a gynocological exam. Some of the arguments against women in sports or the military derive from an unstated appreciation that hymens just might become undun. In some cultures women were denied valuable gynocological services for fear of damage to the hymen. Obviously some taboos against masturbation relate to preservation of the hymen. There has been a minority advocacy for the "pad" over the tampon for this very reason - indeed some groups suggest the tampon to be a modern "sexual device" (even a "mock penis") to corrupt their girls. Tampons and other inserted devices such as birth control are prohibited in some cultures even by local law. 

In ancient times (as the Bible records) a man might divorce a girl without the "signs" or "proofs" of her virginity. It was not uncommon for a tribal leader or female authority to examine the girl prior to the ceremony. In some cases the hymen was even taken and preserved on a cloth prior to intercourse during the honeymoon. This way a kind of certificate of virginity using physical evidence just as a blood test might qualify a couple today for a marriage license. 

Sometimes women are only expected to bleed as part of nuptial defloration. Thus a non-virgin might conceal a small container of blood on her wedding night, depositing it to make all the expected signs on the cloth of evidence or on the sheets. In some cultures a man who makes his virginal bride bleed is bragged about and considered a very powerful, effective man. Thus a bride could simultaneously flatter her man and maintain her cover by fraud. Sometimes girls and their families conspired in this manner, especially when an inheritance or dowry was involved. Of course many virgin girls without a hyman or just a small one who did not happen to bleed might be wrongly accused as well. 

Repair or reconstruction of the hymen by surgery (to "restore" virginity) has been practiced in Japan, India, and the Middle East. 

In the Middle Ages, it was sometimes the right of the prince or tribal leader to deflower a bride prior to her marriage. Whether he had any sexual intercourse with her was a matter of custom but not always if we can believe the records. Obviously these leaders have some sexual thrill and power trip either way. In some cultures (ancient India for one) a pretty girl was expected to serve time in the ruler's harem prior to becoming marriageable. Thus defloration and sex education were integrated into one experience. The girl would also be instructed by older women in the harem. This was almost a form of taxation or tribute fathers offered to the ruler of their region. 

In other cultures it was the right of the girl's father or an elder women to do the act. Such practices were considered sacred even though molestation of children might be punishable by death. In many cultures a priest would do the defloration - symbolizing how much sexuality and religion have been intertwined. Indonesian girls at one time were deflowered at birth just a Western cultures perform a male circumcision. In India there was even a custom for young girls to squat on a lingam or erect stone tongue or penis - that object being a symbol of the Shiva, god of sexuality and feritility. (Here if anywhere we see that one culture's religion is another's idea of child abuse and 20 years in jail). Many cultures, especially in Africa, regarded defloration a sacred rite to be performed by elder females, a female relative, or tribal leader. 

According to Georg Feuerstein in Sacred Sexuality: Living the Vision of the Erotic Spirit (Tarcher, Los Angeles, 1992) the Babylonians expected women to sacrifice their virginity at the temples. Feuerstein states it was not considered a shame but rather "it was a matter of honor". The ancient god Baal, known from many Biblical references, was a phallic god. He was known for deflowering virgins. It likely was performed using idols or statues in the manner of the India Shiva objects. 

The first tenant of biphobia seems to be a total denial that true bisexuality even exists. Heterosexuals and homosexuals alike may declare that self-defined bisexual people are in fact really gay but too timid to say so. In this respect biphobia seems equally prevalent among both the straight and gay communities. 

Another approach involved in biphobia that it is just a phase. The individual some say has yet to decide whether to be hetero or homo in orientation. This is sometimes termed the indecision theory of bisexuality. The noted psychologist Stekel stated that "all persons originally are bisexual in their predisposition. There is no exception to this rule. Normal persons show a distinct bisexual period up to the age of puberty". Thus some persons believe the mature, adult bisexual simply failed to develop or form a complete orientation. As one wise person said "do you want chocolate or vanilla ice cream for the rest of your life? You have to decide now. You can never have both". That of course makes no sense. While sexual preference is more complex that picking flavors the analogy holds up well. Some people may want chocolate 9 times out of 10 but occasionally enjoy the change of pace with vanilla. Others may go with vanilla 7 out of 10 times. Still others enjoy both with equal frequency. Some may grow tired of one and take up the other, reversing the course some time later. 

The major basis of biphobia in recent decades springs from an idea that bisexuals are more likely than others to spread AIDS, particularly among heterosexuals. While gay men, hemophiliacs, heroine users, and even Haitians have all been feared, many heterosexual people consider themselves isolated from such alledged sources of the virus. But what if her new boyfriend is secretly bi and meets men late at night ? What if his new girl has lesbian lovers without safe sex? Together with the myth that all bisexual people are promiscuous such fears were magnified in some minds. Therefore admitting one is bi in some societies is worse than coming out as gay or lesbian. 

Some believe a self-confessed bisexual will "jump on anything that moves". People often feel more comfortable around people who have no possible sexual interest in them. For example, women often seek out the company of gay men who are considered "safe friends" compared to other men. But for an "out" bisexual person no one around them is going to feel absolutely out of the range of sexual conquest. Some bi women find themselves losing their female friends with whom they have had friendships for years. A bi man in a mainly heterosexual lockeroom is likely to feel the same stigma that a gay man would feel - except the men might suspect he will ALSO be interested in their wife or girlfriend! It is hard for a bi person to communicate just who is "their type" when two genders are involved - further complicating people's perceptions of interaction on a sexual level. 

Another component of popular biphobia is fear that a long-term spouse will come out as bisexual later in a marriage. Lots of husbands and wives have. Still more want to. Usually their spouses suspect a bisexual propensity and have some basis for the biphobia. Sometimes they know their mate has a bi past and have doubts about a conversion to monogamy. We heard of one lady who kept buying her husband the latest exercise machines for their home out of fear he was spending too much time at a local gym. More than one man has had his wife investigated for possible daytime adultery only to find her spending her time in the bed of another woman. 

Worship of the god and goddess usually involved an appreciation of the magic or mystery of human anatomy and biology. The female goddess obviously was involved with the mystery of birth and fertility in general. The male god centered around the penis. While the penis is the obvious identifier of maleness, the ancients considered the organ to be under the control of magic. Erections were often involuntary and not subject to control of the mind. Similarly the penis could not be induced by any means to become erect after intercourse - and sometimes before. Just as fertility and birth were not fully in their control the power and performance of the penis was viewed as a work of the higher powers. 

Ancient Greece has been described as being under the "reign of the phallus". While other cultures may have favored the goddess over the god, the Greeks increased the perception and acceptance of male superiority. While other groups considered the penis a simple symbol of maleness and sex magic, the Greeks viewed it more as a sign of power and even violence. Indeed soldiers in some cultures used the phallic symbol almost as a warning or badge of power - claiming superiority over their smaller, inferior male rivals and a threat of rape to the enemy's women and girls. The phallus was worshiped as much for its value for threat and dominance as its beloved sexual function. 

While the Biblical Hebrews were prohibited from overt phallic worship (such as phallic god Baal) there is strong phallic symbology in their writings. One became safe and even santified by grabbing the "horns of the altar". Nave's Concise Topical Bible confirms that horn symbolized divine protection and power. While some theologians suggest the horn is purely symbolic of the power of male animals, animals horns in turn have always been understood as representative of the penis. Animal horns have always been used in sexual rituals and as aphrodisiacs. Easton's Bible Dictionary tells us that horn in the Bible is also symbolic of horror, strength, dominion, glory, fierceness, and royal dignity. 

In the New Testament we see reference to the "horn of salvation". Luke 1:64 refers to Christ, the source of this salvation as "raised up a horn". Salvation like the phallus confers life. Christ spoke of himself as the bridegroom going into the five ready virgins, a symbol of the church. Thus the horn-phallus-salvation-marriage theme is all part of one sacred principle. 

Psalm 89: 17, 24 speaks of the "exalted horn", a clear reference to an erect phallus. Zechariah 1:21 and I Samuel 2:1 speak of the horn lifted up or lifted high. Ezekiel 29:21 even speaks of a horn to grow for Israel. The Book of Revelation in the Christian Bible has numerous references to emerging horns. These growing, lifted up, exalted, or sprouting horns are always used to identify male power, prosperity, and victory. Indeed most of the kings of Israel were ritually anointed with oil from a horn - likely a variant of the pagan's anointing with semen used to honor their new leaders or inductees. Like the Greeks, the Hebrew horn-phallus symbolized power, male dominion, strength of their leaders, and vitality of their culture. 

Erotic biting has long been a part of serious sexuality. The Kama Sutra devotes an entire chapter to it and like other chapters has a complete taxonomy of forms and styles. "Local customs should be consulted" since the practice varied widely. In some cities the practice was offensive (even dangerous) where in other places it was a honor to one's lover and even expected. The women of Koshala for example loved violent biting and "dildos are much employed". The author(s) warned "One should not be led by a state of excitation into performing acts that are considered unfitting". These practices "if lightly performed, arouse desire and provoke sighs". Biting and scratching is observed "in all species" and the main goal is excitation prior to copulation. In some women this can produce a true orgasm. 

All parts of the body were considered suitable except the upper lip, tongue, and eyes. The forehead, lower lip, neck, cheeks, chest, breasts, sides, crotch, ear, feet, armpits and genitals were favored. Attention to specific erotic zones in the woman was essential. The writer advises that "kiss marks on the ear, as well as scratch marks on the cheeks are considered ornamental". These ancient lovers of sex also left fingernail marks in conjunction with bites.

The major types of bites are as follows:

1. Discreet: gentle bite to the lower lip, leaving only short-term redness. Today we might call this a love nip. 
2. Impressed: firm bite to the lower lip or cheeks, leaving lasting redness.
3. Pointed: a tiny piece of skin is bitten by the teeth and pulled.
4. Coral Jewel: a spot is squeezed several times between the top teeth and lower lip, leaving a dark rose mark in a jewel shape.
5. Necklace of Gems: coral jewel (larger) marks left in a line along some part of the body. They were favored along the neck in two lines, down both sides of the torso, or near the sexual organs.
6. Necklace of Dots: pointed (smaller) marks left in a line or two on the body. 
7. Scattered Cloud: small teeth marks arranged in an irregular pattern (ie. cloud shapes) on the body. Leaving these marks below the breast is mentioned. 
8. Chewing the Wild Boar: Closely spaced bites over a wide area "forming a red center" below the breasts. Due to the swine association this term is best avoided in modern times!


THE FOLLOWING ARE MODERN VARIATIONS NOT FOUND IN THE KAMA SUTRA:

9. Initialing: bites form the initials of the lover's name. These variations serve as a type of short duration tattoo and denote a type of "ownership" of the lover's body. 
10. Symbology: bites form a symbol of a group, gang, or organization. Shape of a heart is also very common in symbol of general love. We have heard of one fraternity who bit females from a sister sorority with a Greek letter.
11. Circling: bites form a circle around an object such as the naval, nipple, tattoo, piercing, or male glans. The Necklace styles are generally a line rather than a circle and do not ring a specific landmark on the body. 
12. Vampire: two small bites (perhaps Pointed type) on the neck to resemble the two punctures of vampire fangs. This was a Halloween pastime among a group of swinging friends. 

Like scratches these bite marks were considered "a souvenir of sexual relations". They were also marks of adultery and might serve as legal evidence. Necklaces were considered proof the woman have consented for an extended period of a time with her lover. Recent, visible bite marks also told others that a man or woman had a current lover and might be unavailable. It was also a sort of advertisement of the lover's erotic skills. If the lover was known others could admire his or her skill in this important erotic artistry or lack thereof. This is why some bites were done on visible places (neck, arms) vs. hidden places (below breasts, pubic area) to be either public or private knowledge. But in our modern beach culture with skimpy outfits few such protections are possible. 

SEX ED 601
Advanced Topics in Human Sexuality

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