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Jason Augustus Newcomb is a writer and artist who has worked with the powers of the mind and consciousness-altering practices for many years. Author of 21st Centuty Mage and the New Hermetics, he lives in Florida and travels across the US giving lectures and workshops.

We spoke with Jason about his new book, Sexual Sorcery - a complete Guide to Sex Magick.

[PNN] What prompted you to write this book, Sexual Sorcery?

[JAN] First of all, let me thank you for taking the time to interview me, and I’m very glad that you enjoyed my book so much. As for the impetus behind this book, I have been practicing sexual magick for quite a long time now, and while there are quite a few good books out there, I really felt like I had something to add to the literature on this subject. In writing it, I tried to emphasize the practical over the theoretical or philosophical. The book contains a very large number of exercises designed to help a wide range of people to have access to the power of sex magick. Many of the sex magick books out there spend very little time on the psychological and emotional issues that come up in relationships when the idea of "sex magick" springs up. There are a lot of potential hurdles to real-world practice that a magician must get past in order to become a sex magician. I cover a lot of corrective and communication issues with yourself and your partner that will help to make sex magick into something that is positive and evolutionary for sex magicians and their relationships. There are many potential pitfalls in the practice of sex magick, and I’ve attempted to steer readers away from the most awful of these as well. There are also quite a few preparatory and training exercises preliminary to practicing sex magick in this book, many of which have never before been published.

Jason Newcomb

[PNN] What is Sexual Sorcery? [JAN] Sex magick is, of course, the application of sexual energy and sexuality in general into magical practice. I wanted to write a book that focused primarily on western sex magick, historically and practically. But this was necessarily an eclectic process, involving many practices from around the world in order to provide a complete system of sexual magick for the modern world. I decided to call it ‘sexual sorcery’ because sorcerers tend to be eclectic and free-form magick users who combine the most useful elements of many different sources to create their own magical path. For instance, if you examine the ancient magical papyrii you will find a vast number of disparate elements put together by sorcerers for their own use. My book is somewhat like this. A bunch of different practices that you can put together however you like to create your own sexual sorcery.

[PNN]Who should read this book?

[JAN]I’ve tried to write this book so that anyone who is interested in sex magick can find some useful information in it. Experienced magick users can probably skip some of the most elementary practices, but there are enough advanced ideas to keep the interest of sexual adepts and neophytes alike. The book begins with a brief history of the mythology and practice of sex magick in the west, so even people who are only interested in theory can enjoy quite a lot of the book. When I was writing the book, I noticed that there seemed to be two different types of sex magick books out there. First, there are those books that act more like relationship manuals, stressing emotional connection and intimacy over technique. Then there are manuals that are more technical, involving a great deal of formula and usually very extensive historical and philosophical discussion. I tried to create a more balanced approach, offering some of both, and trying to emphasize "real world" application above all else.

[PNN]Is it better to read this book alone, or share it with whomever you will be performing Sex Magick with?

[JAN]Obviously, in a perfect world it would be best to read and apply the ideas in this book actively with your partner. There are several exercises, both sexual and non-sexual, in the book that ask for the active participation of a partner. But not everybody has a sexual partner that is interested in engaging in sex magick, or magick at all. I would say at the very least that a person should talk to their partner about the book and their interest in sex magick, and then pursue the matter from there. There are quite a few ways to practice sex magick that do not involve a partner, or can be accomplished with a willing but passive partner. The only area that is likely to lead to problems is if someone decides to "do" sex magick on someone, or with someone that doesn’t realize what’s going on. This is a real violation of intimacy and communication in a relationship.

[PNN]Are there any additional benefits to practicing Sex Magick beyond the particular working being undertaken?

[JAN]It’s usually fairly enjoyable! But also, there are quite a few practices in the book that will help a person to open up to their own sexual energy, to get over sexual hang ups and improve sexual abilities in general. The practices of sexual magick can improve intimacy with your partner and your own sexual pleasure and power immensely.

[PNN]In Europe, attitudes towards sex on TV tend to quite liberal, whereas violence is generally subject to more signficant censorship. In the US, Sex and Violence tend to get tarred with the same brush - why do you think this is?

[JAN]People in the United States tend to be very immature and prudish about sexuality in general. I’m not certain why, other than that it is simply the "unconscious rules" that we have adopted into our collective psychology. I’m sure that being founded by "The Puritans" plays a role in the American squeamish attitude toward sex as a topic. It’s odd, because sexuality is so often used to sell us things. Sex is okay, as long as it is just implied in advertisements for beer and other crap that we really don’t need.

[PNN]Ask the average American to describe 'Sexual Sorcery' or 'Sex Magick' and they will most likely describe some sort of S&M orgy out of the movie 'Eyes Wide Shut'. With the gradual yet increasing acceptance of Wicca, Paganism and Magic in general in America, why do you think this negative attitude still persists?

[JAN]I don’t think there’s really that much of a difference between the magical community in the U.S. and the community at large when it comes to attitudes toward sex. I’ve been to quite a lot of pagan and magical gatherings where images such as phallic fetishes were looked at askance, produced immature giggles, or were actually avoided as if they were somehow dangerous. Of course this isn't everybody! But most average Americans form their views about sex magick almost exclusively from movies where if it is portrayed at all, it usually involves some sort of strange and usually terrifying demonic encounter.

[PNN]What is the most important thing to consider before commencing any form of Sexual Sorcery, and what should one keep in mind while performing it?

[JAN]I think I will allow my book to elaborate on this question. Not because I am trying to hard sell my book, but because it is a very complicated question that I don’t think I could satisfactorily answer in this space.

[PNN]Any other projects on the horizon?

[JAN]The most exciting thing that is going on right now is that I have started to supervise a six-month program based on my previous book, "The New Hermetics." I have been seeing amazing results with the students involved, and I'm very pleased. Also, I have just completed a magical novel, but as yet it has not discovered a publisher. I have not actually even begun to look for one yet! I’m just happy that I’ve reached the end of the story. There are also two more non-fiction books that will probably be coming out within the next couple of years. Anyone interested in finding out more about any of this should visit my website www.newhermetics.com.