Tantra for Westerners: A practical guide to the way of action

by Francis X. King

Tantra has been defined as a “mystical philosophy” and as an unorthodox branch of Buddhism, Hindism, and Jainism. It has also been described as an occult technique concerned primarily with polarity and sexual practices. Although each of these definitions contains an element of truth, none of them is complete.

While Tantra has mystical, philosophical, and religious aspects, it is, above all, a technique of action—a path of physical, mental, and spiritual disciplines incorporating meditation, yoga, and sacramental worship. Its sole purpose is the transformation or spiritual rebirth of the individual into a new existence and an enlightened state of consciousness.

In Tantra: The Way of Action, Francis King provides a complete theoretical and practical guide to the Tantric path of liberation. Topics covered include esoteric physiology, Qabalism, pleasure and pain, power and passivity, right-hand and left-hand Tantra, and the arousal of the Kundalini serpent power. Following the spirit rather than the letter of the tradition, King maintains that Tantric techniques are universal processes. As such, they transcend the limitations of specific faith or dogma and are adaptable to Western culture and lifestyle.

Genres: Nonfiction, Religion, Sexuality

159 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1986

About the author

Francis X. King was an occult writer and editor who wrote about tarot, divination, witchcraft, magic, sex magic, tantra, and holistic medicine. He was a member of the Society of the Inner Light, an offshoot of the Alpha et Omega, which in turn was an offshoot of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This unassuming short volume is loaded with useful information and practical working techniques. The book goes over theory and practice relating to Tantra - admittedly from a very basic standpoint which was an appealing feature for me - with information on both the Left and Right Hand tantric paths (an unfortunately muddled concept in the Western mind). King's elucidation on the similarity (though as he is oft want to point out the lack of a direct correspondence) between Qabalah and Buddhist and Hindu Tantras may be of particular interest to Western occultists. An overview of Western magick, Qabalah, comparative analysis of Hindu and Buddhist Tantras and some brief outlines of Tantric history sold me on this (aside from the infamous name of the author). This book doesn't constitute a thorough study or exhaustive analysis, but it includes a focus on practice and a plethora of references with an intriguing bibliography. Many of the volumes noted in the bibliography are in my own library, and others I plan to add to it after reading this book, which I believe will serve as an excellent working index and practical summary. Consider this the Cliff Notes version.

I found three areas of most value in this book. 1) Theoretical relations between Qabalah and Eastern Tantra. 2) The distillation of various practices elsewhere published such as the Pentagram rituals, some Golden Dawn meditation techniques, and other practical work such as the Middle Pillar exercise (this volume combines information from Israel Regardie's book The Middle Pillar with his further elaborations on the exercise found in The Art of True Healing). 3) The information on the Tattvic Tides and how to construct tables based on those tides.

Most of this information can be found elsewhere, but it sure is convenient having it all in one slim volume.