The

Sacred Fire

By

B.Z. Goldberg

Horace Liveright

New York

copyright

1930

 

This rare book traces the history of sexual symbolism in religious rites, demonstrating their origins in ancient sex magic rites and ceremonies. Looks at the role of gods and goddesses of sexual worship in ancient Greece, Egypt and Chaldea and the ceremonies and festivals that were associated with them. Also looks at the central role the serpent had as a symbol of divine sexual energy in ancient cultures and how it's meaning changed with the onset of monotheistic religions. Covers the sexual symbolism used by the Gnostics and Kabbalists as well as in voodoo rituals among many others.

Contents:

BOOK ONE

Far Away and Long Ago - The Erotic Motive in Primitive Religion

I: Far Away and Long Ago

II: Primitive Man in Love and Faith

III: In the Foundry of the Gods - The Story of the Generative Divinities

IV: The Spirit of Love in God and Man - The Erotic Worship of the Generative Divinities

V: Love's Hidden Ways

BOOK TWO

In the Temple of the Gods - The Worship of the Generative Divinities

I: A Day with Baal

II: A Night with Aphrodite

III: At a Dionysian Mystery

IV: Twilight with Moloch

V: The Dance of the Saktas

BOOK THREE

In the House of the Lord - The Erotic Motive in the Monotheistic Religions of Today

Prologue: In the House of the Lord

I: Love in the Synagogue

II: Romance in the Church

III: Marriage in the Mosque

IV: Longing in the Dark

BOOK FOUR

The Spirit of Revolt in Religion - The Sexual Motive in Sectarianism

I: Rebels in the Faith

II: Love the Force of Rebellion

III: The Revolt Against Religion

IV: The Revolt Against God

V: The Revolt Against Man

Epilogue: God's Way in Love

Bibliography

Index

Excerpts:

Primitive Man in Love and Faith

"Mana, or magic, is a quaint way of dealing with supernatural powers, hardly conceivable to modern man. It is so old that its origin lies side by side with that of man himself. Its sense or motive is hidden from us. We can see in it only the product of a mind groping alone in the haze of muddled thinking. To us, it is a single-handed mechanistic method of coping with an unequal opponent, but without this weapon man might have succumbed beneath his burden of fears."

The Revolt Against God

"The evil spirit may assume any human form, male or female and, as such, cohabit with humans. In fact, it was believed by such men as Augustine that the devil could impregnate a woman. To do this, he must first assume the form of a woman and cohabit with a man. After receiving within him the semen of the male, he would change himself into the form of a man and cohabit with a woman, transferring to her the semen he had previously received. There actually were women, in the Middle Ages, who claimed to have been visited at night by the devil and who related how they had felt his semen to be cold."

"Still another Satanic sect, the Messalians, which persisted until the eleventh century, even cursed the Son of Man at their mysteries, although they believed in his divine nature and in his mission as the savior of the world. In their orgiastic rites, they introduced "devils" with which they engaged in sadistic and masochistic acts. The rebellion against God was still further evinced in the witchcraft cult that reached the climax of its development in the latter part of the fifteenth century. The members of this sect looked upon the devil as their father, and they joined together in weekly meetings, sabbats, to render him homage. There, the devil appeared under various forms. At times he would enter the body of a tom-cat or a goat. Again he would assume the appearance of a bull or a very strong black man. But whatever his form, virility was ever his outstanding characteristic."

Book Format:

Octavo, up to 9 ¾" tall. Book is bound red cloth with black lettering to cover and spine; deckle edges with top edge red;

Pagination: 386pp;

Condition:

Very good condition. Boards are in very good condition; minor shelf wear, interior is spotless with no yellowing, foxing or markings; Binding is tight.

Price: US$90.00

Please click buttons below to navigate through pictures.