I was almost thinking of using the title 'No Condoms Here' for this post, rather than 'Sex That Was Not Magic', because with all of the exchange of bodily fluids that was promoted by Father Yod; it presented a frightening scenario of health concerns and complications resulting from the unprotected sex of an entire group of people engaging in a form of sexual 'musical chairs' where the exchange of sexual partners within The Source Family was encouraged by our leader, Jim Baker, who directed and controlled the sexual behavior of everyone in 'his family' and would continually place people with certain partners.
Yes, Father Yod was continually messing with people's lives in 'his family.' Marriages and relationships were often destroyed, due to the open relationship environment that Father Yod created. Even though Jim Baker legally married Robin Baker in 1970, that did not stop or prevent him from having sexual relationships with any of the other women in The Source Family. So, not long after his marriage to Robin when more and more women began to join 'his family', Jim Baker deconstructed the institution of marriage, in order to live out or facilitate his own acquisition of 'spiritual wives'.
The wide-eyed innocence and youthful exuberance that many of us had in joining The Brotherhood of The Source was soon lost and turned into dismay and disquiet, after being induced into adopting some of the occult practices of our newfound 'earthly spiritual father', who believed it was for our 'spiritual growth.' The most disturbing of these practices was the ceremonial 'sex magic' that Father Yod began to practice. The joyful exhilaration that many of us had in anticipation of practicing meditation to explore cosmic consciousness was soon replaced with trepidation and consternation.
When Jim Baker began reading Aleister Crowley's writings on 'sex magick' and then decided that all of 'the family' members should engage in his adaptation of ceremonial sex----things began to change dramatically. There were two acceptable ways of having sex in The Source Family----one was called *Dhyanism (a word that Jim Baker took and adapted from Dhyana in Hinduism) where the man held his semen (except to procreate), while sitting in an upright tantric yoga position, and was the most practiced 'sex magic' that Jim Baker extolled and performed with his entourage of women, and encouraged his 'sons' to practice.
But, then Jim Baker decided to take having sex to a whole other ceremonial level by adopting and using Aleister Crowley's 'sex magick' where Baker took and adopted and adapted one of Crowley's occult rituals which included semen and a woman's menstrual blood and called it qudosh. The reader can draw their own conclusions, because that's the extent of what I am willing to go on the subject. In my opinion, the practice of qudosh cast a shadow over the entire dynamic of The Source Family and was the reason that many chose to leave the group, and is also the main reason that most who engaged in this practice, under the direction of Father Yod want absolutely no affiliation with The Source Family any longer.
When Jim Baker made 'sex magick' the predominant focus of his so-called 'teachings', it created a pervasive and underlying sense of coercion and shame among the majority of former Source Family members that, in my opinion continues to this day. That is also the main reason that no one speaks openly about the 'sex magic' that was performed in The Source Family, because it is just too embarrassing for anyone to admit to having participated. Although, those who are intent on promoting Father Yod and The Source Family when asked about sex in 'the family' cautiously say that it was a kind of 'tantric sex.'
But, over forty years has passed and I feel that it's time that the truth and the reality of what really went on in The Source Family is finally revealed----even if faced with having a lifetime of regret, which is what Jim Baker threatened would happen if anyone from 'the family' divulged what the 'sex magick' was that he had imposed on everyone. When in reality, it is my opinion that the majority of former members have a lifetime of regret for ever agreeing to participate in such an unhealthy and abusive practice. Everyone whom I've ever spoken to who was in 'the source family' along with me, agree that the practice of qudosh is the biggest regret they have from the experience, especially most all of the women.
It is my belief that an unsuspecting public are now being exposed to the story of Jim Baker and The Source Family story as being representative of a 'new age' as being beacons of health, when having unprotected sex within a large group of almost complete strangers is hardly a recipe for health, in my mind. Which is probably what lead to an outbreak of hepatitis among 'the family' when we were all living at The Hilo Country Club. Several people came down with what was referred to as 'golden spell'---a friendly term for hepatitis. It is for this reason why so many people who were in The Source Family were mortified to see the story of Jim Baker and The Source Family being promoted and publicized that would be put under the scrutiny of the public----knowing full well that the awful secrets and sexual practices of The Source Family might eventually be revealed.
So what began for many with happy, joyful feelings in having found a group of like-minded people who were also intent on spreading peace and love, but soon morphed into something which ended up creating a sense of coercion, shame, resentment and embarrassment in those who were compelled by Father Yod in performing----something which nobody signed up for initially, but soon became the most important and predominant of Father Yod's so-called 'teachings' which in my opinion, began the downward spiral of the group.
The demand and expectation of his followers to obey his directive and perform 'sex magick' accordingly created an extremely stressful environment. Jim Baker's expectation for the women in 'the family' to perform 'sex magic' often with men they barely knew only added to the stress and disempowerment that so many women were already feeling, as if it was not demeaning enough that your only role in life as a woman as deemed by Father Yod was 'to serve a man', and then having the added pressure and expectation of performing 'sex magick' with men whom your only connection was that you both happened to be in The Source Family at the same time!
Breaking down the personal boundaries of individuals, especially of those between married couples is something that has been done in countless other cults, and is how Jim Baker was able to implement his version of 'ceremonial sex magic' into The Source Family. I recently found this excellent compendium about Aleister Crowley and the reasons and origins of his brand of 'sex magick' for anyone interested in gaining a better understanding of the ceremonial 'sex magic' that Jim Baker adopted and imposed on his followers in The Source Family. http://www.esoteric.msu.edu/VolumeV/Unleashing_the_Beast.htm
