Tantra: A Story Told In Art
12th April 2024
I was having a Google research moment. On top of reading about an MP that has a tantric massage agency running out of one of his properties. And then reading about a former children’s character switching careers by becoming a tantric therapist.
I stumbled across an article from the Guardian written in 2020. This was written around the time when the British Museum first revealed their Tantra collection.
This focuses on some of the darker rituals of the ancient tantra. It also portrays how the West have embraced tantra since the 20th century.
Of course when I say the word Tantric, even Google Assumes “Tantric Sex” but it’s not really. Tantra’s literal meaning in Sanskrit is “to Weave”. Going back to the spiritual philosophy that dates as far back as India in 800 AD. The tantric belief sees the world imbued with a divine feminine energy “shakti”. Shakti is needed to access our own ego and reach an enhlightened liberation.
It does then go on to talk about sexual rites and doing strange things like covering themselves in funeral ash and drinking blood to confront their own revulsions. But this was over 1200 years ago.
You can read the full Guardian Article here . It tackles how tantra was portrayed and how it should be portrayed now: An alluring philosophy to help us all reach an enlightened liberation.
Postmodern Tantra Art
Moving a lot closer to the latter year, the free love movement in the 1960s adhered to the tantric identity. Jazz singers started referencing tantric chants in their music. Also the Beatles stayed in an Indian Ashram. But the biggest fact of all, was the Rolling Stones Logo is fashioned on the protuding tongue of Kali (one of the non-caste goddesses).
Tantra at the British Museum is still on display and contains an array of historical artefacts. It also includes a few modern artefacts from Post-independent artists.
As long as it doesn’t involve an American children’s TV character.