India - In Hinduism - the ancient religion of India and begetter of many others, including Buddhism - sex is holy. Making love is a sacrament, the re-enactment of the divine love of Shiva (Male; Death; Time; Creator and Destroyer) and Shakti (Female; Consciousness; Bliss; Energy) in her most beautiful form - Parvati, Daughter of the Mountains. Clearly the idea that there is anything shameful about sex is not only alien to Indian thought but almost incomprehensible. Insofar as the Judaeo-Christian concept of guilt is understood, it approaches sacrilege and represents a denial of all that is most holy in us. Out of this attitude grew the oral tradition of Tantra, which warrants its own entry, and a vast body of litrature concerned with sexuality and pleasure within the context of Hinduism. The oldest of these 'love teachings' is Kama Sutra, written by the sage Vatsyayana in the first century AD but drawing on many much older sources. Numerous other manuals have been written since then and translations from many of them appear throughout this website. As useful as all this accumulated wisdom is at a practical level, there is a greater message within all the Indian love teachings. This is that men and women are eternally complementary and equal; (this is especially true of Tantra) with the corollary that any system or practice which denies this is a distortion. (See also: Ananga-Ranga, Erotic Literature, Erotic Art, Tantra)

Iris - The garden iris (Iris Germanica) is a perennial named after the goddess of rainbows. Some herbalists believe that the dried rhizome of the purple iris - also known as Fleur-de-Lys is the legendary aphrodisiac satyrion. An infusion can be made by steeping two teaspoons of the dried rhizome in a cup of water for about ten minutes. The rhizome should be collected in the third year of growth and ideally dug up after prolonged rainfall. It should then be peeled and dried in the sun. NEVER use the rhizome of the wild iris (Iris Pseudocorus) or Yellow Flag which is poisonous. The illustration below is of the yellow iris which should NOT be used. (See also: Wild Plants for methods and precautions)

Irrumatio - A variant of fellatio where the woman remains still and the man moves his penis in her mouth. Gentleness is important as clumsy thrusts may strike the back of the throat and produce gagging (which is unpleasant for the woman) and involuntary biting (which will serve him right). The so-called 'deep-throat' technique - where the woman is either active or passive - is a spectator sport created by the pornography industry and is to oral lovemaking what riding a monocycle is to bicycling. Professional practioners report that it is also about as comfortable as monocycling once mastered. (See also: Fellatio)

Jade Flute - The traditional Chinese and japanese term for fellatio where the woman takes the man in her mouth facing him when he is standing, sitting or kneeling. She is then in the best position for fingering the shaft of the penis (as the charming name suggests) and for stimulating the sensitive tip and underside of the glans. (See also: Fellatio)

Japan - 'The animal frenzies of the flesh ... the fury of copulation, as if transported by rage ...' so wrote Edmond de Goncourt of shunga, the erotic prints of Japan. Ironically his visit in the nineteenth century was part of the tide of Western contact and influence which was to result in the end of the most stylish and vigorous tradition of erotic art there has ever been. However, the fierce art of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries has survived and gives us a detailed record of the Japanese approach to sex. It could not be more different from Indian lovemaking. The sex depicted in shunga is not equal in any sense. Men have gigantic penises and tidal ejaculations. Orgasms are seismological (the earth always moves) and every encounter has the ferocious formalism of a samurai burying his sword in a victim rather than anything more tender. In Japan, sexual techniques and pleasures were written about as early as the ninth century AD. By the seventeenth century, when the famous 'Life of a Friend of Voluptuousness' was published, erotic books already contained a large number of toys and gadgets which have always been a feature of Japanese sexuality. Perhaps because of their fondness for bathing and scrupulous personal hygiene, anal techniques of various kinds are more prevalent in Japanese eroticism than in other traditions. The strong taboos associated with such practices in the West may be the result of inferior personal hygiene - which has only comparatively recently achieved levels enjoyed in Japan for centuries - rather than other considerations. (See also: Erotic Art, Pillow Books, Sex Toys)

Jasmine - It takes more than seven million individually picked jasmine blossoms to produce a single kilogram of the absolute from which jasmine oil is made. Jasmine is the intensely feminine note in many of the world's great perfumes and has a long history as an erotic stimulant with a powerful effect on men. (See also: Essential Oils, Perfume and Scent, Sense of Smell)

Jewellery - Berber dancing girls, in common with social glitterati the world over, wear jewels as an ostentatious display of wealth and an enhancement of their beauty. The cosmetic use of jewellery is well understood and the necklaces, bracelets and other items designed to draw attention to particular features are consciously used as visual aphrodisiacs the world over. Less well-known is the Indian practice of wearing elaborate jewellery and nothing else in lovemaking - which is highly erotic to most men since it emphasizes the nudity of a woman's body while at the same time enhancing its beauty. Jewellery can also be used as a tactile aphrodisiac. Such devices are usually cosmetic as well and most involve piercing. The most common example are pendant earrings which exerts constant tugging pressure on the earlobe as well as stimulating the nerves of the neck. Visual stimulus (for those who like it) and pleasurable tugging are the purpose underlying nipple, penile and labial rings, as well as the guiche ring which originated in the South Pacific. This device is inserted in the male perineum and is tugged by his partner to hasten or intensify orgasm. Genital jewellery can also be designed to intensify pleasure for the partner. In this category are labial bells (which have been likened to copulating with a Christmas tree) and ampallang. In Indonesia some men have these ampallang beads of wood or metal inserted at intervals along their penises. The purpose is to stimulate the clitoris of their partner. (See also: Clothing and Fashion, BME-Website, Sex Toys)

Jungle Fowl - Many sexual practices in the Indian, Japanese and Chinese traditions take their name from the behaviour and appearance of animals. In China the name 'Jungle Fowl' is given to a wide range of techniques where another wife (the Chinese were traditionally polygamous) or a female servant contributes or helps. As with other birds (e.g. duck), the mating of jungle fowl often involves a third party whose intentions are not always clear to the casual observer. The presence of a third party during lovemaking is a potent aphrodisiac for some couples, even if their role is entirely passive. Others derive sexual excitement from being the third party. (See also: Peeping Tom)

Juniper - An evergreen shrub producing fleshy, purple berries which are used for medical purposes, and for flavouring a wide variety of drinks. The national drink of Slovakia, Borowicka, is more strongly-flavoured with juniper than most gins and is probably the most pleasant way of taking a berry with a long-established reputation as an erotic stimulant. (See also: Alcohol)

Kabbazah - An Arab term meaning 'a holder' and used to describe a woman who has the art of grasping with her vagina. Some women are born with this ability while others can learn it with practice. Richard Burton recorded that Arab slave dealers charged vast sums for a woman with this ability. Sheikh Nefzawi, author of The Perfumed Garden, goes so far as to suggest that it is impossible for a man to achieve real sensual pleasure unless his partner applies 'the sucker'. In some of the most improbable Indian miniature paintings where little or no movement seems possible, or the woman is showing-off by playing a musical instrument while making love, the real point is to demonstrate that she has this ability. She is in charge, and slowly and relentlessly she is milking her partner's penis with her vagina. The vaginal and pelvic muscles can be developed like any other. It is a much more worthwhile pursuit than purely narcissistic muscle training, not only for the intensification of sexual pleasure but to avoid prolapse in later life. (See also: Exercise)

Karezza - The most commonly-used term for various techniques designed to delay the male orgasm while taking full advantage of the ability which many women possess of enjoying one after the other. many of the Hindu lovemaking postures - particulary the Tantric bandhas - are specifically intended to minimize male stimulation for this reason, although there are other ritualistic reasons as well. In hermetic Chinese texts it is known as 'Unenddurable Pleasure Indefinitely Prolonged'. There is evidence that taken to extremes these practices are not good for the male prostate, but some skill in the technique is essential if a man is to be a satisfactory lover. There are women who orgasm very quickly but they are rare. Normally the man is fast and a woman slow to respond. Correcting this almost universal mismatch is an example of where Art can definitely improve on Nature. It may be better for the man to stimulate his partner manually or orally to a point just before or at the beginning of orgasm and then penetrate her. If he has trouble remaining erect she can help or he can keep himself primed. Tantrists recommend breathing exercises and meditation which amount to much the same thing. By concentrating the mind on anything other than the in-and-out movements of his penis the man can delay until it is time to rejoin the party. Some people find anaesthetic sprays useful, others find them unaesthetic. There are practised lovers who have a first orgasm, continue foreplay until their erection returns, and take their partner to orgasm with their longer 'second wind'. Variations of all these techniques are worth experimenting with. Premature ejaculation is a major cause of sexual unhappiness and if all else fails do not hesitate to consult a reputable sex therapist through your doctor. Their success rate is very high. (See also: Tantra)

Karkata - This sexual asana translates from Sanskrit as 'the Crab'. As with many Indian lovemaking postures it is less comfortable if the man is not used to the Eastern practice of resting by squatting on the ground with knees raised. A lifetime's practice of resting on haunches means that the joints are used to it and the blood supply to the legs is not affected.

Kingfisher - A Chinese flanquette posture where the man controls friction and sensation for both partners by raising or lowering the woman's leg.

Kiss - Kissing is like cooking - everyone can do it after a fashion, the simplest is often the best but also the most abused, and masters of the art can have almost anything they want. Kissing is the aphrodisiac skill worth perfecting before all others. Both men and women should be skilled, but especially men. Lips and tongue are the basic equipment but they can and should be applied in many different ways, and these should be varied so that the effect is a symphony of sensation and not the oscular equivalent of a vacuum cleaner. The entire body is the object to be kissed, and if you have not kissed your partner just about everywhere then now is the moment to begin because ou are both missing one of the natural wonders of the world. And that is how to approach the body of your lover - as if you were exploring the world. Use your lips as a brush, and your tongue tip in the same way. Suck gently with your lips, suck violently, probe with your tongue. Suit the approach to the place, and vary both. Change pace, pursue an advantage when your lover responds - use your imagination. Mouth kissing is an explosive aphrodisiac which can be used anywhere. But do not confuse it with the 'mouth pressed hard with deep-tonguing' technique beloved of Hollywood which is maraichignage - a different thing needing a different explanation (See that entry). Proceeding straight to deep tonguing can be mutual and spontaneous - so can instant genital penetration with hard thrusting - but usually both should be worked up to. Try wetting your lips with your tongue and gently taking your lover's upper lip between yours with the lightest suction. Pull away infinitely slowly until you are apart. Then take the lower lip and slowly repeat the pattern. Explore tentatively with your tongue at first, withdraw, invite reciprocation. Kama Sutra devotes a long chapter to kissing which all lovers should read. In 'The Perfumed Garden' Sheikh Nefzawi also stresses the importance of kissing in lovemaking and is well worth reading. He also mentions saliva exchange which we have in common with other mammals, imaginatively anticipating modern zoology by four hundred years. japanese pillow books also tell lovers to enjoy the taste of each other's saliva, but Sheikh Nefzawi has the last word: 'a kiss is one of the most potent stimulants that a man or woman can indulge in ... and is more intoxicating than strong wine'. (See also: Butterfly Kiss, Maraichignage)

Knee-Elbow - A lovemaking position described in the Hindu love manual Ratiradnapradipika: 'If you lift the girl by passing your elbows under her knees and enjoy her as she hangs trembling with her arms garlanding your neck, it is called Janukurpura, the Kne-Elbow'. Like all fully-supported standing positions it is potentially hazardous for the man and best attempted in water unless he is very strong and sure-footed.

Knot of Fame - The Chinese name for this position is Soaring Butterfly. It has always been favoured by courtesans because the woman has total control and the man maximum visual and genital stimulation.

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