In this guest post, Herne shares the story of how he came to hold space for "the beauty and raw power" of men's erotic ritual. As he says below, "What makes anything sacred is the intention to make it so."
Herne is an initiate and teacher of the Unnamed Path, a pagan and shamanic tradition that works with the energetic current of men who love men. He practices an embodied spirituality and believes that authentic erotic connection can be deeply healing. You can contact him at HerneMtl@gmail.com, or through his profile on Bateworld.
Cock works in mysterious ways.
And when we listen to its guidance, it can pull us into new discoveries. For me that has included stepping into the role of leader in cock worship sessions--something I didn't intentionally set out to do. Yet in being invited, things unfolded and evolved on their own. Much like the slow, inexorable swelling of an erection when it's pulled to something that excites us, there’s no denying the call.
Things started for me at a Montreal Jacks group masturbation event. In a room surrounded by men stroking, I exposed my bate and was seen in my practice of mindful and spiritually connected masturbation. I walk a shamanic path and commune with the horned gods of nature that embody unashamed erotic expression. So my bating is an offering and moment of immersion in this energy. It must have been palpable, because a few men around me felt the pulsing of this. The next day, a member reached out to me through Bateworld and invited me to lead a gathering of men in a mindful masturbation practice.
And so I took on the role of a guide, creating ritual space for men to come together in brotherhood. At first I asked myself, who was I to assume such a role. I could feel myself going into performance mode, but I leaned into the current into which cock was guiding me and trusted the call. I saw myself not as an authority, but as a brother on the path, simply sharing with others what I had discovered. So doing, I could feel the desire from men who wanted to go deeper into their connection to cock and to their brothers.
It’s been a privilege to hold ritual space and welcome men in cock worship sessions--in large part simply setting the scene and creating the conditions for men to discover their own way of worshipping cock. I’ve learned that what makes anything sacred is the intention to make it so. So setting up a space with an altar that expresses appreciation of cock (a large phallus statue, cock rings, candles, popper bottles) is a good beginning.
As men arrrive, we begin with a ritual of undressing and unveiling cock to self and others. There is a moment to release daily tensions and become more embodied--much of the time, so many of us live in our heads. I guide men to connect heart to cock and to begin charging their individual erotic energy. Then in a large circle we build the community of brothers and charge the container with our collective cock energy. I encourage mutual eye contact, seeing and being seen in our enjoyment of stroking.
There is some form of prayer and gratitude that then trickles into the session as men are guided to say “Hail penis” or “Thank you penis” when waves of bliss overtake them.
Through all this emerges the brotherhood: the simple, completely undefended bonding of men together, openly sharing a common experience. As we step into an integrated state of being, into connection within the self and with each other, healing happens. Bodies soften, stress and worries fall to the wayside. The primal magic of cock has full invitation to reveal itself. Beauty and raw power emerge in these moments--sometimes as vulnerability and tenderness; sometimes as the bestial parts of us allowed shameless expression at last.
I step back at this stage of the ritual into the role of sacred witness and allow things to unfold. My heart fills in seeing men shed their layers and come together authentically. And I've seen in my own life how this ripples out into the world and touches others.
I'm amazed how simple it can be to shift into an expanded state of consciousness by going through phallus. I don’t think this experience has fully vanished from our modern world: echoes of phallic worship trace back in many cultures through time. More men are discovering this. The many mindful/tantric/spiritual masturbation groups on Bateworld demonstrate men's need for connection between the erotic and spirit.
Cock has given me the profound gift of sharing this live, in person with other men. I’ve seen and experienced how the release of shame, being fully embodied, and connecting to brotherhood and something larger than us, benefits everyone. To those who feel called to experience this, I can only say, seek out the opportunities. Cock will lead the way.