Quite a few things, in fact. Sex has always been an important component of Western esotericism, even if not necessarily the most conspicuous one. But what do we mean by it? Sex is, of course, a very generic term, which can refer to different aspects in what is a broad area of human experience. First of all, it can relate to the concept of “eros” as a universal law of attraction (which usually implies also the opposite balancing force of repulsion). Starting especially with Plato, love understood in this general sense has often been perceived as a key factor not only in human relations, but also in the structure of the universe as a whole. In this sense, the universe is believed to function according to the same basic principles of attraction and repulsion that regulate human life, even if they are applied to a loftier level of reality. It is easy to find developments of this basic idea in important authors of the Renaissance, such as Marsilio Ficino (1433-1499) and Giordano Bruno (1548-1600), for whom the erotic principles of attraction, the occult powers of magic, and the dynamic structure of the universe, are all part of a single continuum. Similarly, the myth of the primordial androgyne, which in Western culture also has its roots partly in Plato and partly in the Biblical narration of Genesis, would be used to explain the origin of erotic attraction between men and women and the polarised nature of sexuality and even of the universe as a whole.

Another important aspect is the use of sexual symbolism in esoteric literature and visual culture. This may or may not imply a sexualised vision of the universe as I have just described. To give just one example, alchemical literature is replete with images that have an erotic connotation, such as the union of female and male principles represented by an androgynous figure or the depiction of actual sexual intercourse. These images can be interpreted as referring to particular aspects of alchemical practice (for instance, the combination of chemical elements or metals).

A third aspect of the presence of sex in Western esotericism concerns not so much sex as a subject, but rather as an object.