Sexuality, Magic & Perversion. Francis King

back to the crucible from whence it came.¹¹ The process of circulation is continued until the generative force is considered sufficiently purified to be ready to be transmuted into lead—which in this connection means something like the prana, vital energy, of Yoga—and then it moves up from the crucible, or psychic centre, in the lower abdomen to that situated in the solar plexus, where the transmutation takes place.

      It must be emphasised that in the process briefly described above sexual excitation as such is not avoided; however, ejaculation is avoided and the force of sexual excitation is supposedly taken to be used in the creation of lead (vitality). Indeed, a total lack of any sexual excitation is considered to make the alchemical processes quite impossible of achievement; the Taoist master Chang San Feng said that in the case of elderly people who felt no spontaneous sexual arousal the practice of masturbation was a useful means of stimulating the generative force. He recommended that after the elderly male practitioner of alchemy had achieved an erection by this means he should commence the deep breathing exercises and visualisation of the circulation of the force and continue this process until the penis ceased to be tumescent—this cessation of erection being regarded as evidence that the alchemical agent (the generative force) had successfully been transferred to the psychic centre in the solar plexus.

      After the successful transmutation of the generative force into lead (prana) the next stage is to raise the lead from the solar plexus crucible to the psychic centre associated with the head (supposedly situated in approximately the same position as the pineal gland) where it is to be transmuted into mercury (i.e. spiritual force) by yet another series of exercises involving deep breathing and the visualisation of orbiting streams of force.

      The Taoist alchemical texts inform the student that, when this has been achieved, nocturnal emissions—the much-dreaded spontaneous loss of semen and the “magical” type force associated with it—will cease; he is warned, however, that when he has reached this happy state “prenatal vitality” will escape from the bowels in the form of wind. The breaking of wind is regarded as desirable when the wind is merely noxious gas evolving from decomposing food in the stomach and intestines, but the would-be alchemist is warned not to break wind if the “wind” is really “pre-natal vitality” and detailed instructions are given to him as to how this occurrence can be prevented. They involve placing the right middle finger on the “dragon centre” (the end of a psychic channel supposedly terminating in the palm of the left hand), simultaneously placing the left middle finger on the “tiger centre” (a similar psychic channel terminating in the palm of the right hand), raising the tongue to the palate,¹² contracting the anus and taking seven deep breaths. This procedure, students are assured, will spread vitality throughout the body and eliminate the tendency to break wind.¹³

      In Taoist alchemy the eyes are regarded as positive (yang) and the rest of the body as negative (yin). Therefore when the vital force has been raised to the psychic head centre it is by rolling the eyes in a particular manner that the practitioner achieves the “inner copulation” that supposedly leads to the manifestation of spirit. This rolling of the eyes is performed in cycles of sixty—thirty-six times from left to right and then twenty-four times from right to left (in Taoism thirty-six is a yang number and twenty-four is a yin number). Each revolution of the eyes is done slowly, being accompanied by a full inspiration and expiration of the breath.

      When spirit has manifested in the head centre it is driven down to the crucible in the lower abdomen (sometimes referred to as “the water centre”) in order to be “fixed” and stabilised. When this has been done the mercury (i.e. stabilised spirit) is enveloped by lead (vitality) which has previously been purified by being vibrated in a continuous ascent and descent of the psychic channel that links the psychic water centre with the psychic fire centre situated in the heart. The united lead and mercury form what is sometimes referred to as the immortal embryo.

      The alchemist now begins to practise “immortal breathing”, often referred to as the self-winding (i.e. automatic) wheel of the law. This is done by accompanying every inspiration of the breath with the stream of force entering the body at the heels and travelling up to the brain and accompanying every expiration of the breath with a visualisation of the same force travelling down from the brain and out through the trunk. This leads to the production in the head centre of a divine food which nurtures the immortal seed situated in the water centre. The alchemical process is completed; all that remains is the quickening of the immortal embryo with spirit—another complex set of exercises enables this to take place—and the alchemist becomes ready to undertake the final stage of the work.

      When the immortal seed has been nurtured to maturity—this is indicated by six signs¹⁴—the alchemist is ready to prepare the elixir of immortality. Guarding himself against destroying all that he has previously achieved (such destruction comes if the alchemist indulges in any one of the “seven passions”, the “ten excesses”, or the “nine unsettled breaths”) he gathers together the “four essentials of alchemy”—utensils, money, friends and a suitable place. The utensils are simple enough; a round wooden “bun”, covered in cotton, used to block the anus, and a clothes peg to put upon the nostrils. The money is required for the mundane purpose of purchasing food, the friends (who must also be alchemists) are required to attend to the physical needs of the practitioner and “to pinch his backbone when required”. The ideal place is an ancient Taoist temple on a mountain, far away from either cities or graveyards; “it is advisable to choose an ancient abode where previous masters have realised immortality so that it is free from disturbing demons and the practiser can enjoy spiritual protection from his enlightened predecessors” said Chao Pi Ch’en.