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believe that "a girl can only become pregnant when she binds herself to a man in her mind, and remains physically true to him." According to Elwin, "This conviction that a girl needs to bind herself to a man before she can become pregnant must have anchored itself so deep into the consciousness of the Murias that it is very effective. Until such time as a Muria girl marries, she rarely conceives, even though there is full sexual freedom. But once she commits herself to a man, then she soon becomes pregnant." Many primitive tribal people use this method of birth control exclusively, with up to 96 percent reliability, and see the mental attitude toward conception as an integral part of the process of conception itself.

Contraceptive drugs have been widely known in the East since ancient times; among the ingredients used in contraceptive preparations are carrot seeds, datura seeds, nutmeg, castor-oil plants, camphor, cloves, opium, lemon, sesame seeds, and special herbs. Recently some of these have been tested and proved effective. They work through altering glandular secretions in both male and female, through changing the Yoni secretions so that they inhibit the free movement of sperm, and through directly influencing the ovulation cycle. In India there are numerous indigenous drugs with contraceptive properties; these are referred to in the extensive Ayurvedic literature and are also known in folk medicine. Though not all these traditional contraceptive drugs are wholly effective, their use should not be discounted as "old wives' tales." Far too few of these traditional Eastern contraceptive drugs have been adequately tested by Western science.

Another form of contraceptive used in the East employs a combination of device and drug. For example, the women of ancient Sumatra molded opium into a cup-like shape and inserted it into their Yonis, fitting it over the cervix just like a modern cervical cap, but with the additional spermicide effect of the opium. Another variation known in the Orient is called Musgami, which is an oiled silky paper cervical cap, used in the same way. Other cervical caps are recorded as being made from beeswax and, simplest of all, from a half-lemon squeezed out and inserted over the cervix; the juice of the lemon is also a spermicide.

It may come as a surprise to learn that in-

trauterine devices were used in Egypt and the ancient East. The Kamaratna Tantra states that "If a piece of the root of a datura plant is placed in the uterus before cohabitation, there will be no impregnation." Other texts refer to the effectiveness of placing a coiled-up castor-oil plant root into the uterus prior to love-making.

Astrological birth control has been known in the East since ancient times. However, this is an obscure area, veiled in superstition and certainly fortified by personal belief in a particular astrologer or astrological system. There are no hard and fast rules in this area, and it may be that the effectiveness of some astrological birth control is largely psychological. Also in this category are magical methods of birth control such as the use of charms and amulets, a popular and sometimes effective method known throughout the East. A generally reliable rule in this area is that an exceptionally charismatic astrologer or magician is able to create contraceptive circumstances consistently, whereas the method alone does not produce reliable results.

Advanced Tantric couples can develop conscious control over conception, just as the advanced Yogi learns to control ejaculation. It is the mental attitude that is of prime importance. If control of the mind is linked to physical techniques such as retention, reabsorption, and breath control, contraceptive devices will play a less important role in loving.

The Pill

The contraceptive pill is the most popular birth-control method in use in the West. First developed commercially in 1960-61, using synthetic progesterone (produced after natural progesterone was found in great concentrations in a certain species of Mexican wild yam) and estrogen hormones to suppress ovulation, the pill was quickly hailed as the answer to the world's population problem. Simple to use, cheap to produce, and highly effective, the birth-control pill seemed to be a panacea.

T h e advent of the birth - control pill brought with it a revolutionary change in attitudes toward sexuality; no longer would women have to suffer continual anxiety about getting pregnant. The great advantage to the pill is that it enables a couple to make love spontaneously. Another apparent attraction

is that a woman who is "on the pill" usually has much lighter and more regular monthly periods and commonly does not have the sudden mood changes normally associated with menstruation.

Unfortunately, birth-control pills were rather hurriedly put on the market. Progesterone and estrogen are ovarian hormones that inhibit the pituitary gland, thus interrupting the natural cycle of hormone production in the body. Though research had shown that estrogen is cancer-producing, this hormone was included in the first birth-control pills in a concentration ten times greater than necessary for the required effect. Not surprisingly, numerous unpleasant and sometimes fatal side effects of the birth-control pill were recorded. Fortunately recent research has produced a marked improvement in birth-control pill formulation.

Some women have more adverse side effects than others. One of the most common results of prolonged birth-control usage is an alteration in metabolism that creates un - wanted physical changes, such as a sudden increase in weight, larger breasts and hips, and often complex psychological changes.

A woman who is using birth-control pills is cut off from her natural lunar rhythm, both biologically and psychologically. Her whole metabolism changes. A woman on the pill is robbed of her copulins, the powerful scent of her Yoni secretions, which are very specific short-chain aliphatic acids having a definite stimulatory effect on the male sex drive. Tantric and Taoist love-making, with its emphasis on natural sexual urges, is thus threatened by the unnatural use of contraceptive pills. Synthetic hormones commonly have the effect of reducing libido. The sexuality researchers Masters and Johnson report that when a woman complains of loss of ability to come to orgasm, the first question to ask is whether or not she has been taking birth-control pills. Frequently the answer is yes. A further disadvantage of birth-control pills is that they greatly change the acidalkaline balance of the Yoni secretions, making the user more vulnerable to venereal infections. According to Barbara and Gideon Seaman, who have researched birth-control extensively, "women who take the pill with estrogen in it neither ovulate nor menstruate, but have something called 'withdrawal bleeding' which resembles menstruation." In their comprehensive book entitled Women

and the Crisis in Sex Hormones, the Seamans give valuable advice to women recovering from the cumulative adverse effects of hormone usage. Vitamin therapy, especially vitamins B 6 , B 1 2 , C, and E, is helpful in overcoming adverse symptoms in women who have been on the pill for some time. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies are common in women who use birth-control pills and ginseng is one of the most effective remedies available for counteracting these adverse reactions.

The decision whether or not to use contraceptive pills must rest with the individual woman and her doctor. Some brands are less dangerous than others, and some women can use birth-control pills without adverse side effects. Despite its popularity, there has been a growing and sensible swing away from contraceptive pills and toward other birthcontrol methods, especially with the prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Diseases.

Other Birth-Control Methods

Birth-control methods apart from the contraceptive pill include intrauterine devices (IUDs), diaphragms, cervical caps, condoms or sheaths, as well as spermicides (foams and jellies), sterilization, lunaception (the "safe period"), fertility observation, astrological birth control, Karezza, thermatic method, abortion, and other related procedures.

There are many different types of IUDs or "coils." The best-known and smallest coil available in the West is the Copper "T," which is easily fitted and, once inserted, needs no further attention. The disadvantages of IUDs are that, if incorrectly fitted, they can cause discomfort or possibly perforate the uterus, or may sometimes be expelled without the woman's knowing. They can also cause intrauterine infection and tend to increase the length and heaviness of the period. IUD users often lose several times the normal amount of iron during their periods, though copper-based IUDs may help control this loss to some extent. When fitted by an expert, the IUD is an effective, unobtrusive birth-control method.

Diaphragms, of which there are numerous types, are made of rubber or plastic. The diaphragm is fitted by a doctor, and thereafter the woman inserts it herself, before intercourse. The fitting must be good, and spermicides must be used to ensure reliabil-

ity. A woman should be refitted every year or two, or after a pregnancy. The diaphragm is held in place by the inner muscles of the Yoni. It has recently been suggested that a diaphragm may tend to slip if the woman takes a very active and superior role in lovemaking. Otherwise, the diaphragm is one of the safest and most reliable birth-control methods.

The cervical cap is a thimble-like cap of rubber or polyethylene that fits tightly over the cervix, the neck of the womb, to keep

sperm out of the uterus. It naturally adjusts

to the slight changes in shape and size of the cervix during the monthly cycle. The cap can be kept in place for 48 hours, except during menstruation, because of the risk of toxic shock syndrome and because the menstrual fluid can break the suction seal. Some women remove the cap once a day or every other day to allow cervical secretions to flow freely. The cervical cap is held in place by vacuum suction and is about as effective as a diaphragm for women who have never given birth. For women who have given birth, the cap is less effective, with only a 60 to 74 percent reliability rating. Some of this low performance may be due to the cap being dislodged during intercourse by the penis thrusting against the cervix. The cap is available in only four sizes, and so it does not fit all women. Another drawback is that doctors endorse its reliability only in conjunc-

tion w i t h the use of spermicides . In

nineteenth-century Europe women used cervical caps made from beeswax. Perhaps a cus- tom-made cervical cap will emerge that will be suited to every woman and prove reliable

without the use of spermicides.

Many different condoms or sheaths are in use today. All have the disadvantage of cut-

love-making. A condom or sheath acts as an insulator, preventing the establishment of the natural electro-magnetic field during sexual union, and as a barrier to the blending of vital essences and secretions. Oriental condoms are generally one half to one third as thick as those in use in the West. Subsequently, there is more sensitivity with these than with Occidental varieties.

Spermicides (foams and jellies) are effective when used in conjunction with other barrier methods, but have the disadvantage of altering the chemistry of love (the subtle

secretions) as well as interrupting and limiting love-play. Oral sex and prolonged foreplay are restricted by the use of modern spermicides. Natural spermicides have been known in the East since ancient times. Many unguents and erotic ointments of the Orient are in fact spermicides. Essential oils extracted from plants and blends that incorporate sandalwood and camphor in particular alter the sexual secretions and can produce a natural spermicidal effect.

Sterilization is anathema in the Tantric tradition, and medically suspect as well. Too little is yet known about the true role of the reproductive and related glandular systems. Though sterilization has become quite common, there are disturbing side effects with this form of birth control. The technique for w o m e n involves cutting, cauterizing, or blocking both fallopian tubes so that the sperm cannot reach the ovum. After sterilization, w o m e n sometimes suffer severe menstrual complaints and psychological depression. Male sterilization, or vasectomy, is accomplished by cutting, tying, or blocking the small internal tubes (the vas deferens) that carry the sperm from the testicles to the Lingam. As a result, sperm leaks into the bloodstream and can produce, in some men, complex physiological and psychological reactions, though it is said that most men eventually develop an "immunity" to their own sperm.

Lunaception is a form of birth control that attempts to understand the lunar cycle and its relationship to ovulation. In ancient times women's cycles were generally in natural harmony with the phases of the moon, with ovulation occurring at the full moon and menstruation at the new m o o n . Louise Lacey's book Lunaception gives a concise account of how she experimented, sleeping in a lit room for three nights (the fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth nights of her cycle) to induce ovulation and regulate her periods. She found that by the fourth month her periods and ovulations kept perfect step with the new and full moons. By regulating the menstrual cycle, the "fertile period" can be precisely known and intercourse with ejaculation can be avoided during this time.

A woman has a menstrual cycle of approximately twenty-eight days. If we count the day of menstruation as the first day of that cycle, then by the fifth day (in most women) the period is over. At this time the

menstruation

Chart showing how ESP scores vary according to the phases of the moon. The highest scores occur during the full and new moon. From Beyond Telepathy by Andrija Puharich.

body temperature is slightly lower than normal. By the ninth day the so-called fertile period begins, and lasts until about the seventeenth day. The peak days, when ovulation takes place, are around the thirteenth or fourteenth day of the woman's natural lunar cycle, at which time the body temperature is slightly higher than normal. After the eighteenth day, through to the onset of menstruation, there is a so-called safe period, when love-making with ejaculation very rarely creates pregnancy.

There is some dispute as to whether the days immediately following menstruation (day five) through to the onset of the fertile period (day nine) are another safe period. The Eastern view is that the days immediately after menstruation are in fact the most conducive to conception provided that love-making is completely harmonious and that the semen of the man is potent. Since the sperm, which actually effects pregnancy, may require several days to swim up the fallopian tubes, we can clearly see that love-making immediately after menstruation has a high risk of causing pregnancy unless some type of contracep-

tive measure or retention is employed.

It is difficult to determine precisely when ovulation takes place, particularly if a woman is not living a natural lifestyle. However, a number of devices and methods have been developed to try to determine ovulation and, as a result, the safe period. These include ovulation predictor kits, which measure hormonal surges that occur prior to ovulation, and devices that measure mucous secretions. These devices are based on the same principles as Fertility Observation, where a woman measures her basal body temperature, Yoni secretions, and changes to the cervix. All three of these indicate hormonal shifts within a woman's body and when ovulation will occur or has already taken place. Unfortunately, only about 70 percent of modern women have a clearly discernible mucous or temperature pattern, and far fewer have a reliable twenty-eight-day cycle. Drugs, birthcontrol pills, and tranquilizers can easily throw off ovulation. Also particularly passionate love-making has been known to bring on a woman's ovulation prematurely. Nevertheless, some people have had great success using the "safe period" or Fertility Observation method of birth control.

The Tantric approach to safe-period birth control is that devices should not be needed to determine ovulation or the likelihood of conception. Conscious body awareness and knowledge of the body cycle should be sufficient for a woman to know whether or not she is near ovulation. Mental control is a highly important factor also, and it may be that in the future, with the development of self-hypnosis techniques, this method will become practical for Westerners. Sensitivity is the key to mental control. Parapsychological tests have shown that, during the time of the full moon, ESP scores rise dramatically with sensitive subjects. That ovulation in women was once linked to the full moon gives us an interesting insight into the sexual rites commonly associated with this time of the month.

Astrological birth control is still in its infancy in the West and there is some dispute as to its effectiveness. It was first presented by Dr. Jonas, a Czechoslovakian, who found a constantly repeating cycle that correlates the angles of the sun and moon to periods of fertility. He claims to have found that a woman's most fertile period is the twentyfour hours immediately preceding the sun-

moon "angle" at which the woman was born. Abstention from intercourse for about three days during the periods when solar-lunar angles are repeated (which is about thirteen times a year) is said to reliably prevent conception. In 1970 Kurt Rechnitz claimed he had verified Jonas's findings on astrological birth control and, in a study of more than twelve hundred cases, he found the system 97 percent effective. From a Tantric viewpoint, the sun-moon angle of a person's birth is tremendously significant since it determines the balance of solar and lunar energies in the psycho-organism. Since the event of birth leaves a powerful psychic imprint, it may be that the recurring cycle of solar-lunar influences programs ovulation. However, too little research has yet been completed in this area to ensure reliability.

Karezza was a technique developed by Alice Stockham and first written about by her in 1896. Her book Karezza: Ethics of Marriage outlines the basic Eastern view and teachings on retention. This method of birth control is similar to coitus interruptus, with the use of Yogic techniques of breath control, meditation, postures, and finger pressure at specific points to aid retention of semen. Used on its own, the Karezza method is not 100 percent effective, since there is the risk that small amounts of semen might be inadvertently released during love - making. Nor is the exclusive use of retention healthful, since it can cause a blockage of subtle channels in the body and lead to a buildup of sexual "pressure" in the body. Another disadvantage of this technique is that it prohibits mutual absorption. Karezza is well known in the Orient; the Arabs called it Imsak and used it effectively to overcome problems of premature ejaculation or loss of virility. However, Karezza alone is neither a complete love-making technique nor a complete birth-control method.

The thermatic method of birth control is an ancient Oriental technique that was rediscovered by Martha Voegeli and has been promoted in India since 1912. This is a temporary method of sterilization that works by elevating the scrotal temperature by just a few degrees; it has proved highly effective in some men. Voegeli's method requires that the man take a daily forty-five-minute bath in water at a temperature of 116°F. for twenty-one days consecutively. The man then remains sterile for six months, after

which time normal fertility returns. The treatment can be repeated without danger of total impotence or total sterilization. H o w - ever, it does create glandular changes that may create long-term side effects. Too little research has been completed to date to assure its safety.

Abortion is not a contraceptive, since it involves the termination of a conception. Some primitive tribes have used it as a birthcontrol method, and despite vocal opposition, it is widely available in the West today. However, the Tantric view of abortion is that it inevitably creates Karmic problems that are best avoided.

All birth-control methods involve some degree of risk, inconvenience, or chance of pregnancy. The choice of method must rest with the individual. Astrological birth control and mental birth control may someday prove to be effective and reliable if sufficient research is done on these methods.

Taoist love-posture and hand movements used to aid retention. A Chinese painting of the nineteenth century.