Mystery of Sex Polarity - 6. SEX IN HUMAN LIFE - William Walker Atkinson

The Mystery of Sex: or, Sex Polarity - 6. SEX IN HUMAN LIFE - William Walker Atkinson.In William Walker Atkinson's *The Mystery of Sex: or, Sex Polarity* (1909), part of his Arcane Teaching series (sometimes attributed under his pseudonym Yogi Ramacharaka), Chapter VI, titled "Sex in Human Life," serves as a pivotal transition from the book's earlier discussions of sex as a universal cosmic principle—evident in plants, animals, and even inorganic matter—to its specific manifestation and profound implications in human existence. Atkinson, a prolific New Thought and occult writer, approaches the subject not with prurience or sensationalism but from an elevated, esoteric, and philosophical standpoint. He views sex as an expression of the fundamental **Law of Polarity** and the **Law of Love**, a creative force that operates across all planes of being: physical, mental, and spiritual.Building directly on the preceding chapters—particularly Chapter V on "Sex in Animal Life"—Atkinson contrasts the instinctive, largely mechanical role of sex in lower forms of life with its far more complex, conscious, and potentially transformative role in humanity. In animals, sex functions primarily as a blind urge for reproduction, driven by seasonal cycles and instinctual compulsion, ensuring species continuity without higher awareness or moral consideration. Humans, however, occupy a unique evolutionary position. Endowed with self-consciousness, reason, will, and the capacity for spiritual aspiration, human sexuality transcends mere propagation. It becomes a gateway to both degradation and regeneration, depending on how the individual directs this potent energy.Atkinson emphasizes that under natural and ideal conditions, sex in human life would be regarded as pure, sacred, and worthy of reverence—on par with its untainted expression in plant and animal kingdoms. He laments that modern civilization has distorted this natural function through ignorance, taboo, prudery, and excess. The race, he argues, has fallen into grave error by treating sex either as a shameful "beast within" to be suppressed or as an avenue for unchecked sensual indulgence. Both extremes profane what is inherently divine: the creative polarity that mirrors the cosmic act of generation itself.A core theme in the chapter is the misconception of a supposed innate "sexual instinct" in humans akin to animal drives. Atkinson challenges this notion vigorously. Unlike animals, whose sexual activity is periodic and instinct-bound, humans possess no such fixed, uncontrollable biological imperative dictating constant or indiscriminate expression. The apparent "instinct" in humanity is largely artificial—culturally conditioned, amplified by suggestion, habit, imagination, and the misuse of mental focus. When the mind dwells excessively on sensual images or gratifications, it stimulates and intensifies desire far beyond natural needs, creating a vicious cycle of craving and temporary satisfaction. This, Atkinson asserts, is not nature's plan but a deviation from it.The true purpose of sex in human life, he insists, aligns with its universal function: **procreation**—the bringing forth of new life under harmonious, conscious conditions. Reproduction is not incidental but central; it channels the creative life-force into the manifestation of higher forms. In ideal human unions—those rooted in mutual love, spiritual affinity, and purposeful intent—offspring inherit not only physical vitality but elevated qualities of mind and soul. Atkinson envisions a future where enlightened individuals approach parenthood with deliberate care, viewing conception as a sacred act of co-creation with the divine forces of polarity.Yet the chapter delves deeper into the esoteric dimensions. Human sex is not confined to the physical body. The same polar principles—masculine (projective, positive) and feminine (receptive, nurturing)—operate on mental and spiritual levels. Thought itself involves a generative process: ideas are "conceived" and "brought forth." Spiritual regeneration, a recurring motif in Atkinson's Arcane teachings, involves transmuting and raising sexual energy upward, conserving it for higher creative and illuminative purposes rather than dissipating it in lower expressions. This aligns with Hermetic, Rosicrucian, and yogic traditions he draws upon, where mastery of sex polarity enables inner alchemy and spiritual evolution.Atkinson critiques societal attitudes that contribute to distortion. Prudish suppression fosters secret vice and perversion, while licentious overindulgence leads to physical, mental, and moral depletion. Both stem from ignorance of sex's sacred nature. He warns against "satyrism" (a term he explores more fully in the following chapter), the goat-like excess of uncontrolled lust that reduces humans to lower animalistic states. Instead, he advocates balance: recognizing sex as natural and necessary but subordinating it to higher ...