Cassiopaea Forum Reading Workshops - Public

(CRW Am-EU) What temporary schedule is best for you?

  • Sunday 17:00-19:00 UTC (18:00-20:00 French time)

    Votes: 34 66.7%
  • Saturdays 17:00-19:00 UTC (18:00-20:00 French time)

    Votes: 17 33.3%

  • Total voters
    51
Thank you all once again for a great discussion! We covered the Preface and Chapters 1 and 2



Short summary:
In the Preface and Chapters 1 and 2, Chang revives a millennia-old Taoist system where sex integrates sensuality, health, spirituality, and cosmic balance—prioritizing female pleasure, male ejaculation control, mutual essence nourishment, guilt-free naturalness, and ecstatic freedom. Aligned with modern science, it counters repression and frustration, promising longevity, peace, joy, and healing on an individual and societal level.

If we look at the depravity in f.i. The Epstein files that our world’s elites engage in, but throughout history really, meaning that we are ruled by psychopaths who cannot understand these concepts let alone practice them, and given that we are STS beings in an STS world, this offers one path, in combination with The Work, to get out so to say. Also, what the C’s said in the session of 6th december 2025, that love gives all, love is the driver, sex without love and a deep psychic connection drains energy to 4D STS. We explored the concepts of love and deep psychic connection, using casswiki on love. We also discussed the importance of communication between love partners, explored the forum thread on polar beings, including what Mouravieff had to say about it, and concluded that in relationships where one partner is not involved in The Work, open and honest communication, mutual respect and giving the other support to achieving whatever his/her highest potential or innate direction may be, may be one way of still doing The Work in a constructive way, learning different things about self and the beloved. We regularly were reminded of related themes in the romance novels.

Further, we discussed that men, but also women, have been brainwashed by equating ejaculation with orgasm, manhood and healthy sex. If one doesn’t ejaculate, one is failing somehow, and should be ashamed, especially vis a vis a partner. That love is more than just ejaculating into a vagina is something that is not taught in our Western culture.

We discussed that the knowledge of the importance of touch and loving, also for adults, has only in the last three decades been more fully researched in the West. All humans, so also the male, need touch and love, Chang says that the problem is that the overwhelming majority of men never had the opportunity to learn adequately how to cope with the situation.

Chang says that in the past, Western manners and Western preconceptions have hindered a proper understanding of the Tao of Loving, the concepts seemed too strange to be comprehended. We think religion, catholicism/protestantism may have played a big role here. Lastly we discussed, as per John Carter's article, that modern heterosexual relationships are diagnosed as crippled by a new psychological pathology: the simp-rapist complex. This is a contradictory double-bind imposed on men by post-sexual revolution norms, where women demand both protective, providing "nice guys" (simps) and dominant, aggressive alphas—but society ruthlessly punishes any display of the latter traits as "rape culture." So all in all, discovering the knowledge of the Tao of Love and Sex would for many come in very timely indeed.

For next week's workshop, we will cover Chapters 3 and 4. Have a good week :flowers:
 
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Hi everyone,

Here are the links for the recent Aus-Asia-Am group discussions on Laura's Substack article:
The Breath of the All-Merciful: How Analytic Idealism, Ibn ʿArabī, and the Deep Esoteric Tradition Converge on One Living Cosmos


Here's the video of the last meeting
The audio
And the folder


We will read this Substack article by Laura for our next workshop at 7pm Sydney ADEST time (GMT+11).

See you all then!

___________________________________________________________________________________________
Below are the links for the workshop discussion points:

Kastrup's Analytic Idealism explained.
Analytic Idealism is a modern metaphysical theory primarily developed by Bernardo Kastrup, which posits that phenomenal consciousness is the fundamental substrate of reality. It suggests that the "physical" world is not a separate, non-mental entity, but rather the way transpersonal mental processes appear when observed from across a dissociative boundary.

Core Principles
  • Monism: Reality is made of only one substance: consciousness. This differs from dualism (mind and matter) and physicalism (only matter).
  • Mind at Large: Individual minds are considered "dissociated alters" of a universal consciousness, often referred to as "Mind at Large" (MAL).
  • Dissociation as a Mechanism: Using the clinical analogy of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), the theory argues that our individual egos are segments of universal consciousness that have become psychologically isolated.
  • Dashboard Representation: What we perceive as the "physical world"—matter, energy, space, and time—is a simplified "dashboard" representation of complex underlying mental excitations, similar to how a pilot uses dials to understand the external environment.
    Essentia Foundation +6

Key Objectives & Context
  • Solving the Hard Problem: By making consciousness fundamental, it bypasses the "Hard Problem of Consciousness"—the difficulty of explaining how subjective experience could ever emerge from inert matter.
  • Naturalistic & Rationalist: Despite its seemingly "mystical" conclusions, the theory prides itself on being a rationalist and naturalist view that aligns with empirical data from physics and neuroscience.
  • Modern Interpretations: Kastrup describes it as a "modern dressing" of ancient non-dualistic traditions like Advaita Vedanta.
    Essentia Foundation
    Essentia Foundation +4

Criticisms
  • Incoherence: Critics argue that it is explanatorily incoherent because it struggles to explain why different "alters" see the same world if there is no objective physical ground.
  • Subjectivity vs. Unity: Some philosophers point out a potential contradiction: if consciousness is unitary, a single subject should not be able to experience multiple unique perspectives simultaneously.
  • Pragmatism: Detractors sometimes claim the theory is "pragmatically useless," offering no new scientific predictions or ethical guidance compared to traditional materialism.

Ibn al-Arabi and the story of Hizir:

Cs Session 27 May 2000, on how soul memories are stored in neutrinos:
(L) Moving along to the next question: we have been discussing memories and how memories of, say, past lives are stored, and that leads to the question of what is the structure and composition of the soul? How does the soul remember? How does it carry its memories from lifetime to lifetime, from body to body, whether simultaneous or sequential? How does the soul "store" them?

A: Has to do with atomic principles. These with gravity present the borderland for the material and the nonmaterial. Which theoretical atomic particulates would you think form the basis here?

Q: (L) How about tachyons?

A: Maybe neutrons?

Q: (A) Neutrons? Or neutrinos?

A: Neutrinos.

Q: (A) Well, first they say neutrons, then neutrinos. Or "maybe neutrons." I say "neutrinos" and they say "yes." So a "maybe" is only a pointer. Neutrinos are funny particles because they are massless. But, some people don't believe that neutrinos exist. My guess would be neutrinos. Do they exist?

A: Okay, we are going to throw caution to the "winds," and say yes. [Laughter.]

Q: (L) In terms of these neutrinos and soul composition, how are memories formed or held or patterned with these neutrinos?

A: Contained within for release when and if suitable.

Q: (L) Memories are contained within the neutrinos?

A: Sort of.

Q: (L) Are they contained within patterns formed by the neutrinos?

A: Closer.

Q: (L) So, that means that if one "consciousness unit," or soul, has more memories or experiences than another consciousness unit, it would have more neutrinos?

A: No.

Q: (B) Different patterns?

A: No.

Q: (L) What's the difference?

A: More data per unit, sort of.

Q: (L) Does that mean that an individual neutrino can be, in and of itself, more "dense" in data, so to speak?

A: So to speak.

Q: (L) Does this increased density of data change the nature or function of the individual neutrino?

A: Maybe it changes the function of the awareness, thus the environs.

Q: (L) Is there a specific number of neutrinos that constitutes a consciousness unit, or soul?

A: Number is not quite the right concept. Orientation is closer.

Q: (L) What are the orientational options?

A: Vibrational frequencies.

Q: (L) Do the vibrational frequencies increase or decrease with density of data?

A: Change; better not to quantify.

Q: (A) We are talking about soul. Soul is what density, in concept?

A: Ark, are neutrinos related to the concept of a bridge into pure energy in some way?

Q: (A) Yes. I was going in that direction. I was wondering why you speak about neutrinos and not photons, because photons are also a bridge to pure energy, I would say. The difference between photons and neutrinos is that photons are bosons and neutrinos are fermions. Neutrinos have to dance so that they don't touch each other. Bosons are like pairs of neutrinos and photons, as bosons, are free to move in space any way they want.

A: We would mention photons in terms of this discussion, but for the tendency of some reading the WebPages to misinterpret in terms of the "love and light" fantastic.

Q: (L) Well, the "light fantastic" was a dance around the turn of the century, so that refers back to the remark about "dancing." (A) Are neutrinos the fundamental building blocks of everything? The most fundamental particle, so to speak?

A: More like a midpoint with spherical outward expansive quality. Tetrahedron, pentagon, hexagon.
 
Thank you all for another great discussion and for your participation! 😊

Today we´ve covered today chapters 3 and 4 of the book The Tao of Love And Sex by Jolan Chang.

We´ll continue next Sunday, 8th Mar 2026, with the chapters 5, 6 and 7.

Have a nice week and see you next Sunday!



The presentation to what was discussed today:



Summary (thank you @Turgon for taking notes :flowers: ):

In the previous workshop we covered general principles and understandings of what the Tao is, and the cosmic significance of Yin/Yang balance. Laura's article about the Sufi faces of god, beautiful and wrathful represents another kind of cosmic balance. Men are like fire energy, women are like water energy and each has different arousal patterns. The Tao is meant to synchronize these patterns, concerning itself with men's ability to control their emissions to match this pattern. Patience, Gentlemen! It's a sign of soul growth.

The goal of lovemaking isn't necessarily about physiological release except periodically for men who need to observe their own cycles, just like women do in terms of ovulation and monthly cycles. Love without sex is unhealthy, on the other hand, sex without love is strictly biological and does not truly satisfy either partner. Do babies born of true lovemaking have a separate makeup then those that do not? Whatever the circumstances, the soul has already chosen their vehicle to learn what it needs to learn.

Masturbation is pure sex, without warmth, harmony and connection. There needs to be a communication of tenderness and joy, otherwise it's mechanical, whether with one's self or a partner. The book then goes on to describe a number of techniques for men to retain their seed while making love.

It's important for men to observe how often they 'release' – there needs to be the right amount of frequency that makes him stronger instead of weaker. This is dependent on a number of factors, including age, weight, life circumstances, etc. Pay attention to feelings of discomfort in scrotum, that means its time. Either too often or not enough are both problematic according to the ancient Taoists.

The Three Treasures:

Jing (Body) – The denseness of one's physical being and all that encompasses
Qi (Mind) – Breathe, the dynamic force that animates the body
Shen (Awareness) – The soul, consciousness, development of character, enlightenment and connection to the Tao

Sexual energy becomes an extension of soul development – a pathway to transform desire to emotional harmony, emotional harmony to mental clarity, and mental clarity to spiritual illumination. G's working on the three centers, creating a certain substance in the body for real Work.

If partners enjoy being with one another, are co-linear, then these practices can be a natural branch of the love and intimacy that exists already. It was noted that the ancient Chinese practices, (Tao Te Ching, Qi Gong, Tai Chi, etc.) seem more objective and closer to STO principles as opposed to Yoga, Tantra, etc. which seem more corrupt.

@Il Matto shares the session:
September23, 2023
Q: (Ryan) Are the "Three Treasures" of Taoism - "Essence, Breath, and Spirit" - equivalent to the three bodies you have described: physical, psychic/consciousness, and Higher Soul Family?
A: Close

Discussion of 'Thousand Loving Thrusts' that lead to mutual satisfaction of partners and seen as a form of electrical buildup. Good sexual relations are foundational to a good marriage. It can help to solidify a relationship and bring both closer together and extended intimate moments can actually generate and energize partners rather than being draining or tiring. There's no need for the guilt or 'sin' associated with sexuality, nor the overt liberalism of meaningless sex. The Taoists have it right.

The 5 love languages and learning your partners is important. How and what does your partner see as loving? Giving ALL and what is being asked for. One still has to work on their issues and what is being triggered, etc. Lovemaking in and of itself IS a form of communication and loving service, not mechanical performance.

Fundamentally, this is about energy transferred. That the buildup of electrical charge and buildup can lead to early electrical discharge by the man if he isn't careful, but stays within the microcosmic orbit and the charge is increased through female orgasm, energizing and healing both partners simultaneously. A transmutation of 'substances' inside the body. An alchemical process.
 
Hi AM-EU team,

as discussed on the workshop, here is the current list of the books:

Narcissism:
  • Unholy Hungers, Barbara E. Hort
4th Way:
  • In Search of the Miraculous, P.D. Ouspensky
  • G.I. Gurdjieff
    • Meetings with Remarkable Men
    • Life is Real Only Then, when "I am"
    • Views from the real world
Psychology / Cognitive and Social Science:
  • You Are Not So Smart, David McRaney
  • Fear of the Abyss, Aleta Edwards
  • The Caricature of Love, Hervey Cleckley
  • books on Positive Disintegration
  • 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, S.R. Covey
  • Inviting a Monkey to Tea, Nancy Colier
  • 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do, Amy Morin
  • What to say when you talk to yourself, Dr. S. Helmstetter
Psychopathy:
  • Inside the Criminal Mind, Samenow
Neuroscience:
  • Healing Developmental Trauma, Heller & LaPierre
  • In an Unspoken Voice, Peter A. Levine
History / Mythology:
  • Where Troy Once Stood, Iman Wilkens
  • M. Settegast:
    • Plato: PreHistorian
    • When Zarathustra Spoke
  • The Hero With a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell
  • When God Was a Woman, Merlin Stone

Feel free to propose a book here or on our next workshop. :-)
 
Thanks again for another great discussion on the book The Tao of Love and Sex by Jolan Chang. We discussed Chapters 5, 6 and 7.

Short summary:

Chapter 5 is about Love Positions,
and the importance to introduce variety when making love to prevent boredom, maintain joy in the communion of Yin and Yang, and support health, longevity and harmony. Frequent position changes become essential during prolonged lovemaking, but the man needs to keep his fitness levels up, especially when performing a so called "quick roll."

Chapter 6 deals with Kissing. A lot happens when we are kissing.
  • When lips lock, the body releases neurotransmitters like dopamine and oxytocin, reduces cortisol, the stress hormone, and increases heart rate and blood flow.
  • The brain is triggered to release a potent mix of hormones and neurotransmitters that induce feelings of euphoria, pleasure, and attachment. The brain dedicates a large amount of space to the sensory input from the lips, which are densely packed with nerve endings.
  • A 10-second kiss can transfer 80 million bacteria, which can actually boost the immune system by exposing it to new, beneficial bacteria.
  • Kissing is believed to be a mechanism for testing the genetic compatibility of a potential mate, with senses picking up on pheromonal cues to assess health and fertility. This SOTT article about the seemingly pivotal role of gut bacteria is worth a read, as well as this one, this one, this one and this one.
  • Dr. Steven Gundry, former cardiologist and author of various books like the Longevity Paradox which is discussed in various threads on the forum, has an interesting thing to say about kissing based on data:

Women release libations
  • from the lips, which the Tao calls Red Lotus Peak, from 2 holes under the tongue, which are beneficial to the man when he licks it with his tongue.
  • from the breasts, the Tao calls this Twin Peaks, which is highly beneficial to both love partners. In the Tao, this is the most superior libation. Interestingly, producing colostrum without pregnancy/post pregnancy, is determined an affliction in the West called galactorrhea, and deemed often a symptom of an underlying issue rather than a disease itself. Another way to scare people, be ignorant of their bodies and make money on the pharma gravy train.
  • from the vulva, called the Purple Mushroom Peak in the Tao. This is released when the woman is highly aroused.
Chapter 7 traces the historical shift from the original harmonious philosophy to later corruptions of the Tao of Loving. We explored the chronological sequence of the Chinese dynasties. The Tao of Loving was held in the highest esteem during the earliest periods of its formulation, particularly in the time associated with the legendary Yellow Emperor (Huang Ti) and his female advisors, such as Su Nü and Hsuan Nü. This represents the pre-imperial and early imperial era, roughly before and around the transition to the Qin/Han periods, several thousand years ago in traditional dating. Chang says that the Tao of Loving owes its existence largely to the ancient Chinese desire to satisfy women as well as men, and that Chinese society probably had just changed from matriarchy to patriarchy.
According to Grok, there were no matriarchal systems in China as such, however, archaeological, genetic, and historical evidence points to matrilineal, descent and inheritance traced through the female line or matrifocal, women-centered household/family organization elements in certain prehistoric and early societies. A modern example can be found in the Mosuo (also called Na) people in Yunnan and Sichuan provinces, a minority ethnic group of about 40,000 people. They maintain a matrilineal/matrifocal system that has persisted for roughly 2,000 years with possibly earlier roots. Women head households, inherit property, control family resources, and practice "walking marriages," partners visit at night, and children are raised by the maternal family. For a quick idea what they are about, watch this video.

Corruption of the Tao of Loving first appeared during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE). Males became more and more privileged politically, sexually and socially and female equality disappeared. The Tao began to be debased into more male-centric "techniques," a debasement from a philosophical concept into a style, a technique, of lovemaking. Books written in this time were exclusively for men on how to use their women or ‘Yin’, though some core principles of female satisfaction persisted. From the Sui Dynasty (581–618 CE) onward through the Tang (618–907 CE), Song, Yuan, Ming, and later dynasties, it further deteriorated into superstition, fear of women, warlike "battle of the sexes" ideas, and vampiric myths, which Chang likens to our Western concept of the femme fatale, losing its original esteem.

During the Tang dynasty, 618-906 AD, Taoism as a philosophy, and the Tao of Love with it, became very popular, yet immediately after this period, the binding of feet for women was introduced. Women were playthings, toys to be used and disregarded by men. Love had become a battleground.

Suppression and near-disappearance of the Tao of Loving occurred during the Mongol and Ch'ing or Manchu dynasty periods.

Chang calls our modern age the "Age of Agony and Frustration," where there’s much dissatisfaction in loving. Nearly everywhere the theme of female dissatisfaction has been fundamental to modern sexual enlightenment. Western studies found that in general, love-making within marriages is sparse and that for three quarters of all men in the US, love-making lasts 2 minutes. The discussion focuses on how in the West, native women now have generally 0-2 children, and how in a country like South-Korea, increasing accumulation of wealth leads women to be fully independent and to not have children at all. Throughout the West, the divorce rate is around 50%. Furthermore, the economic situation, e.g. no housing for starters, uncertainty in the world and the job environment, inflation, destruction of the family as pillar of society, etc. is not exactly conducive to start and raise families these days.

Next week we will cover Chapters 8, 9 and 10. See you then :flowers:
 
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