The official definition of Tantra (a Sanskrit word meaning "woven together") is a "doctrine of enlightenment as the realization of the oneness of one's self and the visible world; (Tantra) combines elements of Hinduism and paganism including magical and mystical elements like mantras and mudras and erotic rites; especially influential in the Far East."
First practiced in ancient India sometime between 7000 and 5000 BC, the origin of Tantra can be traced back at least 20,000 years, to markings on cave walls. The practice is an esoteric form of art and science, blending physiology, psychology and philosophy.
At an undisclosed location in Southern California, the adult Net is finding a new niche in Tantra: cyber-sexuality featuring twelve beautiful "goddesses" and their partners demonstrating the Kama Sutra and the joys of Tantric sexuality. For those unfamiliar with Tantra, these practices might be called just another clever marketing ploy, another way to peddle sex on the Net. But for those who practice Tantra regularly, these experiences are sacred and profound.
"Blue Star" and his wife "Divinity" created the exotic, twenty-room Temple of Divine Pleasure in an upscale neighborhood a little over three years ago. Divinity is schooled in the arts of Tantric sex, Tantric yoga, holistic massage, and "multidimensional energy work," having spent time in India learning the arts in an ashram. In affiliation with Astral Ocean Cinema, the couple has opened a live webcam site, Divine Pleasure (www.divinepleasure.com), where they hope to teach surfers and other adult Netizens "reverence for women, to celebrate and honor the 'goddess' energies in all women, and to offer role models of young women who are owning their goddess nature."
And most importantly, the site offers Net porn consumers an alternative to the plethora of adult sites already out there. "DivinePleasure.com offers a more sacred and reverent approach to sexuality, sensuality, the human body, and relationships," says Blue Star, who has been practicing Tantra for over 15 years. "We are not condemning anything that is already available on the Web, we are simply offering more choices, both for viewing and for life and relationships." To this end, the goddesses have received specialized training in the arts of Tantric yoga, sexual counseling, meditation and sensual massage, sacred dance, Kama Sutra, and body painting.
The Temple itself is sensually adorned in flowing carpets, hanging cloths, and luxuriant pillows, as well as pictures and statues of various traditional goddesses, with 12 individual webcams capturing the action throughout. There is a "Temple Room," where couples and group activities take place every day, such as spontaneous play, sensual yoga classes, erotic dance, photo shoots, and late night Tantric dates. There's the "Love Den," where the goddesses and their friends hang out on the telephone, watch TV and conduct "playful touching" sessions. There are also five bedrooms where "anything goes," a dressing room, session rooms (where goddesses massage each other and share exotic healing work), and the Mermaid/Dolphin Spa, a fantasy room decorated in blues and greens, and equipped with a spa which is used for work and play.
There are also private rooms, where the goddesses conduct sessions on sensual play, sacred love rituals, Kama Sutra, Tantric instruction, sacred erotic dance, erotic massage, and chat in a 24-hour live forum. These private healing sessions, where some of the steamier lovemaking goes on, are sold on a pay-per-view basis. The good news for members, though, is that the pay-per-view costs only about a buck a minute.
"Divinity has a major background in the healing arts, and I've done stage and television movie productions," says Blue Star. "DivinePleaure.com was a sort of natural extension of merging the media and Tantra. The difference here is that though there are a number of sites that teach the principals of the Tantra, there are virtually none that provide live, erotic demonstrations. Our site features very beautiful, well-trained women. Members will be getting to know our goddesses and their lovers. We are the ultimate voyeur site because what we are providing is real, and for most people, very mind-blowing."
The Temple is also a part-time home to anyone who is affiliated with the Tantric community. Internationally renowned instructor Robert Frey, who has taught Tantra for 20 years, recently moved into the Temple to devote his teachings to the site on a full-time basis. In mid-June, famed teachers Kutira and Raphael, who make their home in Maui, Hawaii, were scheduled to visit the Temple. Another possible visitor is Margo Anand, whose instructional books, The Art of Sexual Ecstasy and The Art of Sexual Magic, are huge sellers in the Tantric community, and have even found popularity in the mainstream.
Blue Star is hoping the unique concept of Divine Pleasure will attract surfers to both the site and also the ways and workings of the Tantric life; at press time, the couple was planning a tour of daily talk shows to promote the site. In fact, the couple is so convinced of the success of this first site, that they have purchased 100 other "divine"-themed URLs, with the intention of expanding the niche. "We want to be able to offer different entry points for the Divine viewers and fans, so we've got things like DivineTravel.com, DivineCuisine.com and anything related to DivinePleasure.com," says Blue Star. "Eventually, we want to have a resort, preferably in Maui, where those that get to know us can have extensive sessions with the goddesses. Each [goddess] has a unique history and background. We only invite goddesses into our home who are sincere, spiritual, and on a path of awakening. Together we are all on the path of discovering the meaning and experience of divine pleasure."
