Ancient tantra is inextricably entwined with the concept of the original tantra goddess Shakti. To be more precise, Shakti is the symbolic representation of the tantra perception of the sacred feminine. This is how an authentic tantra teacher views all women, and this is how any student of tantra must view them too. Your tanta master must teach you that there is no difference between worshiping the tantra goddess Shakti and worshiping your woman. Only then will you enter the true spirit of this ancient art of love and life.
Just as Shakti is symbolic of the tantra goddess in every woman, the yoni (vagina) is symbolic of woman herself. In many ways, it is the source and font of her divine feminineness and power. Ancient tantra considers it appropriate – and in fact mandatory – to worship the yoni as a sacred object. It is from the yoni that all life emanates, and it must be regarded and treated with that in mind.
This is where the concept of tantra yoni puja comes in. An appropriate form of yoni puja is the yoni massage. It is an act of love and obeisance to the tantra goddess in your woman. Remember, such worship does not have to be by a male alone. Tantra accepts and encompasses same-sex relationships, so a tantra yoni puja can and should be performed by a woman for her woman lover, as well. In fact, this is an extremely sacred act since it amounts to tantra goddesses venerating each other. Only a woman can truly understand another, and it is common knowledge that women share a delicate, indefinable bond that transcends male comprehension. Certainly, such a bond cannot be replicated in the world of males.
Interestingly, this woman-to-woman variant often comes across as strange to a tantra novice. Many initiates into this sacred art automatically assume that tantra is essentially a man-woman model. However, it should be remembered that though the lingam (penis) is certainly instrumental in procreation, it is the woman that nourishes life. Therefore, tantra hold woman-woman sexual relationships at least as divine as those between men and women. It is unfortunate that lesbianism has been given such a despicable status by the porn industry. It illustrates the fact that we have forgotten that woman-woman sexual relations were considered normal in ancient times, and for all the right reasons. Today, they have been reduced to a means for titillating men’s sexual fantasies.
Regarding woman as the impersonification of the sacred feminine is intrinsic and fundamental to tantra practice. A good tantra teacher will drive this truth home again and again during his tantra instructions, until it becomes second nature to his pupils. Without this mindset, it becomes impossible to grasp the deeper spiritual concepts that operate in ancient tantra. It in no way diminishes the status of the male, for no divine entity is complete without the ones that worship it. The man retains his importance in the cycle of life. However, he must abandon any pre-existing notions of inherent male superiority and concepts of women as the ‘weaker sex’.
Man – your woman is a tantra goddess. She is Shakti. Even if she is not able to produce children, her yoni is still symbolic of the sacred feminine. Tantra yoni puja or worship is how you display your acceptance of that fact. Woman – never regard yourself as less than a goddess of tantra, for this is your true nature. Your yoni is the nexus of your feminine power. Never allow it to be abused or objectified; guard its divinity as you would any sacred idol