Society for Sacred Sexuality – Annual Spring Equinox & Hieros Gamos Ritual

Gary Joseph · Posted: March 22, 2006

The Society for Sacred Sexuality announces
its annual Spring Equinox Celebration & Hieros Gamos Sacred Sex Ritual,
in the tradition of the ancient sacred sex societies of Babylon and Sumer.

These Middle Eastern cultures and others celebrated the Spring Equinox as their New Year, marking the beginning of the growing season and the re-emergence of Mother Earth after her winter slumber. They honored the day with a sacred sex ritual that Greek historians later called Hieros Gamos, meaning 'Sacred Marriage'. The sex rite, a public event held at the central temple, conferred the blessings of goddess Inanna (and later Ishtar) upon the reigning king, and through him to the whole society. It was also to ensure a fruitful growing season.

Sacred sex, like the seasons, moves in cycles. Each season represents a different value of fullness of the wave of sacred sex ecstasy. Spring, marking the new year and growing season, represents a new wave of sacred sex ecstasy rising up. The Society for Sacred Sexuality celebrates this new wave with its annual event.

Equinox Day, the time when the sun is in perfect balance over the northern & southern hemispheres, is an ideal day for sacred sex practice. The balance in nature is highly conducive to enjoying the balanced state of Sacred Sex Union.

Equinox Day is also a day of transition between the sun's southerly path and its northerly one. This makes Equinox Day ideal for transitioning to higher states of being.

The event will be held each year on the day of the Spring Equinox (traditionally March 21st). If the equinox falls before or after March 21 in a given year, the celebration and ritual will span the dates, continuing for 2 or more days as necessary. The exact equinox time will be posted in this Forum Message each year.

(Note the March date is for the northern hemisphere; Spring Equinox for the southern hemisphere is on or near September 21. Residents of each hemisphere are invited to participate in the appropriate celebration for their region.) Because seasonal rituals fall on the same day, yet have opposite values (i.e. Spring Equinox in the north is the same day as Autumn Equinox in the south), our worldwide sacred sex ritual creates a perfectly balanced global effect.

To maximize participation & convenience, and also to create a truly global event, we invite everyone to join the annual ritual from the privacy of their own home. With membership from countries throughout the world, the Society for Sacred Sexuality has a unique opportunity to deeply infuse love & light in global consciousness.

You can participate in the event alone or with a lover by creating a personal sacred sex ritual according to your own desire, using the lessons in the Sacred Sex Lesson Forum, or your own sacred sex practice. Include in your ritual a conscious desire to bring the blessings of the Goddess to your nation and its leaders, so that they make wise & life-supporting decisions in the coming year. For ancient flavor, you can read a portion or all of the original Hieros Gamos ritual (see link below) as part of your own rite. If weather and local law/custom permits in your area, you may even enjoy your ritual outside in nature to celebrate the Spring Season.

Members are invited to use this Forum to ask questions, share experiences and ritual practices, suggest ideas, and generally discuss this annual celebration.

You can find a translation of the ancient Hieros Gamos ritual in our Sacred Sex Text Archive.

To learn more about the sacred sex cultures that evolved this ritual, visit the Sacred Sex Tradition Forum.

I wish everyone a Sacred Sexual Union during these Sacred Rites of Spring.

Gary Joseph
Founder, Society for Sacred Sexuality

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OFFICIAL EQUINOX TIME & DATE

visit: Equinox World or Stellafane
(Southern hemisphere residents use "opposite" equinox)

Our Earliest Rituals:
(archived)

GMT = Greenwich Mean Time ("Universal Time")

2010
NORTHERN hemisphere - March 20, 5:32 (PM) GMT -- (1:32PM, US EDT)
SOUTHERN hemisphere - September 23, 3:09 (AM) GMT -- (1:09PM, AUSTRALIA EST [Sydney])

2009
NORTHERN hemisphere - March 20, 11:44 (AM) GMT -- (7:44AM, US EDT)
SOUTHERN hemisphere - Sept. 22, 21:18 (9:18PM) GMT -- (Sept. 23, 7:18AM, AUSTRALIA EST)

2008
NORTHERN hemisphere - March 20, 05:48 (AM) GMT -- (1:48AM, US EDT)
SOUTHERN hemisphere - Sept. 22, 15:44 (3:44PM) GMT -- (1:44AM, AUSTRALIA EST [Sydney])

2007
NORTHERN hemisphere - March 21, 00:07 (12:07AM) GMT -- (March 20, 8:07PM, US EDT)
SOUTHERN hemisphere - September 23, 09:51 (AM) GMT -- (7:51PM, AUSTRALIA EST [Sydney])

2006
NORTHERN hemisphere - March 20, 18:26 (6:26PM) GMT -- (1:26PM, US EST)
SOUTHERN hemisphere - September 23, 04:03 (AM) GMT -- (1:03PM, AUSTRALIA EST [Sydney])