Goddess EveLynn:
Sacred Prostitute or New Age Priestess

Let's face it, Tantra is not exactly a household word. One will be rather hard pressed to find it in his or her kitchen cabinets or the latest issue of Better Homes and Garden. However, if you were to ask three people who are familiar with the word, you might not get the same definition twice. This can be especially true among those who practice the discipline. According to sources, the word Tantra is composed of the Sanskrit words for weaving and expansion. It is believed that by accepting and entering deeply into every aspect of our lives, including sexuality, our hearts and minds can expand into blissful oneness. Tantra's philosophy is that each one of us is already divine, perfect if you will. However, most of people have forgotten how to live from that place of divinity. Tantra shows people the way back to wholeness.

So, how does one become involved in Tantra? According to the priestess, she began questioning mainstream religion at the tender age of eight. Later in life, her ex-husband introduced her to nudism, open marriages and relationship redefinition. While living in a clothing optional community in Florida, she discovered "body work" and was exposed to new age spiritualism. Though still struggling with the concepts of mainstream religion, she experimented in channeling and the course of miracles. Eventually she got involved in Nudist/Naturist politics. However, she became disenchanted, feeling that nudists would not accept their sexual selves and that hypocrisy existed within the community. She wound up moving to Atlanta and took a job managing a travel agency specializing in sacred site tours to Egypt, Tibet, Peru and other destinations. It was during this time in her life she discovered Tantra.

In 1999 the goddess of sacred sensuality founded Sacred Haven, a not-for profit religious organization that is subsidized on donations and preaches an eclectic collection of spiritual philosophies. When asked, the Sacred Intimate will share her thoughts regarding Tantra, Taoism, Quodoska, Wicca, Paganism and other indigenous spiritual practices. However, it is Red Tantra that is the core of her teachings for she recognizes sexual energy as a life force. EveLynn has studied under the likes of Shantam Nityma, Joseph Kramer and Deborah Anapol. More recently she graduated from the inaugural class of Sexiological Body Work at the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality in San Francisco, California. I caught up with the new age priestess while she was conducting a Tantra workshop ("The Power of Sensual Touch") at Pleasure Grove Resort.

Alton: What lead you to found Sacred Haven?

EveLynn: Sacred Haven in all actuality is a church. I founded it because the State of Georgia and the IRS do not recognize Sexiological Body Work as a valid form of therapy. To them it is nothing more than masturbation for hire.

Alton: Are most of your clientele men?

EveLynn: Some are men, but I thoroughly screen all my clients prior to making any appointments. Many of my clients are couples looking to expand their love beyond what society has taught them.

Alton: What do you teach them?

EveLynn: Many things. It can be teaching them that there is such a thing as having an orgasm without ejaculation. Many people fail to recognize climactic sensations other than those we experience between the navel and the knees. I also teach them to use sexual energy, a life force, as fuel for spiritual development.

Alton: Your website advertises that you provide services such as Sensual Energetic Blending and Tantric Coaching, which focuses on Yoni (vagina) and Ligam (penis) massage. It uses words such as "delicious", "erotic sensual shivers" and "playful and powerful fantasy and fun". What separates Sacred Haven from a jack shack?

EveLynn: First of all, Sacred Haven is a church through which I teach Tantra, a spiritual discipline. Other establishments only offer services for physical pleasures. I, as a Sacred Intimate, counsel and teach those seeking enlightenment in order to gain a higher understanding of their true selves.

Alton: It seems as if people immediately equate Tantra to sex. Why is that?

EveLynn: Many people are familiar with Kama Sutra, an ancient technical guide for sexual enjoyment. However, there are many types of Tantra and Kama Sutra is only a small part of Tantra, which refers to sacred texts in the Hindu, Jain and Tibetan Buddhist traditions. These disciplines are for expanding consciousness and liberating ourselves through life's energies, not through just having sex.

The term Sacred Prostitute dates back centuries to pre-Christian times. Sacred Intimates, then known as Sacred Prostitutes, were essentially Temple Goddesses. They were revered as holy women. Their purpose among society was to teach sexuality and to give of themselves in sacred rites. According to author Nancy Qualls-Corbett, a mediatrix or Sacred Prostitute, is "one who stands between two persons or groups of persons either to facilitate an exchange of favors or, more often, to reconcile parties at variance." To learn more about Goddess Evelynn and Sacred Haven go to www.AwakeningBody.com.