Pairing Swallows - A Japanese sexual posture: manual stimulation of the clitoris is necessary unless the man leans forward into a higher position.

Pallava - In this posture - which means 'bud' - the lovers 'sit' into each other. This is one of the many orgasm-delaying positions used in Tantra. (See also: Tantra)

Paprika - A mild, red spice made from sweet pepper (Capsicum annum) and used for colouring and flavouring in Hungarian cookery. Many paprika recipes are said to be aphrodisiac. (See also: Pepper)

Paravartita - A stylized version of a Tantric bandha: definitely only to be attempted by adepts.

Parsley - This well-known herb is a very important source of vitamin C when fresh and is widely used in sauces and as a garnish. Parsley has an extraordinary variety of magical and mythological associations. It has been regarded as an aphrodisiac and as an essential ingrediant in the magic which enabled witches to fly. The phallic witch's broom which was rubbed with parsley may in fact be another echo of ancient fertility ritual which seems to be the real origin of parsley's supposed powers.

Partridge - A favourite ingredient in erotic cuisine accompained by strongly spiced sauces. (See also: Erotic Cuisine, Game)

Pattes D'Araignée - To see the startling effect which this erotic massage technique can have once perfected, try a simple experiment. Stand in front of a mirror and pass a finger tip along the edge of your upper lip as lightly as you can - touching but not touching (an experiment which also indicates what kissing can be). Pattes d'araignée means 'spiders feet' and the idea is to brush your finger tips over your lover's skin surface so lightly that the microscopic hairs are stimulated as much as the skin surface itself. This is another courtesan's skill which can be learned with practice and has an electrifying effect on men and women. The technique is to use all the finger tips of an open hand (both hands if you are dextrous) and to make long strokes across your lover's body. Concentrate on the less obvious erogenous areas: the side of the rib cage, buttocks, inner thighs, inner arm. As the massage proceeds nipples and pubic hair should be included. The ideal transition from Pattes d'araignée to lovemaking is via gamahuche or fellatio. But that is a matter of taste. (See also: Massage, Skin)

Peach - Perhaps the most sensuous of all fruits: an abundance of intensely flavoured juice contained within a downy cleavage. Peaches also make all the right colour signals as a visual aphrodisiac: blushing pinks and clearly-defined red areas (once the stone is removed). The great beauty Madame Ricarnier, when she was close to death and without appetite, was given the will to live again by being fed peaches and cream. The peach, which is exeptionally rich in vitamin A and C, originated in China where it was cultivated as early as 2000 BC. It came into Europe, together with all its erotic associations, via Persia and is now grown throughout the world. (See also: Eating and Food)

Pear - The shape of pears, with their echoes of female anatomy, have always fascinated artists. Some varieties also have a blush which is an erotic signal the human male is conditioned to respond to. Pears are rich in vitamins A, B and C as well as containing a useful amount of iodine. The unique texture of the flesh, and its shape, make the pear a regular feature in erotic cuisine. (See also: Erotic Cuisine)

Pearl - The seminal pearl born - like Aphrodite herself - in the ocean has many erotic associations. The subtlety and lustrous glow of peals have made them an essential feature of great jewellery and costume at different tmes. At their first great banquet together (Anthony's place among history's great eaters is even more secure than his reputation as a lover) Cleopatra dissolved a priceless pearl in lemon juice and raised her glass to Mark Anthony. Whether this was a symbolic gesture (her skill in fellatio was legendary) or pure extravagance is not recorded.

Pearl Necklace - The descriptive popular term for a sex game which the textbooks call 'intra mammary intercourse'. The man' penis, suitably lubricated, is moved between his lover's breasts (the 'pearl necklace' refers of course to his ejakulate). It offers interesting anthropological and psychological insights and is a service which the more ample courtesans have allways offered. Pearl Necklace need not be concerned only with the man's pleasure: many women can achieve orgasm by stimulation of their breasts and nipples alone, although the technique can of course be combined with manual stimulation of her sex.

Peeping Tom - Tradition has been rather unkind to the only man in Coventry who looked when Lady Godiva rode naked through the town. Voyeurism - where watching takes the place of doing - is of course an illness, but if anyone had a problem in Coventry it was Lady Godiva. Setting out to spy on people who are naked or making love (even if you are a policeman or a priest) is despicable of course. But to deny that the occasional accidental glimpses of such things which life provide us with are both exciting and interesting in hypocrisy. Observation can also be instructive, and it is no accident that societies which have had a less repressed attitude towards these things have produced the best instructive erotic literature.

Pepper - This includes all the fruits of the genus Capsicum which takes its name from the Greek word for 'bite'. There are two main spices: the sweet peppers (Capsicum annum) which are eaten as vegetables; and the hot, spicy peppers (Capsicum frutescens) which are eaten only as an appetizer or used to season other food. Some of the sweet peppers, notably those which are red, have been regarded as aphrodisiac food. All of the hot peppers have. The strength and flavour vary enormously depending on the type and which part is eaten - whole fresh fruit; whole dried fruit; or the seed or peppercorn, which can be black (with skin), white (skin removed) or green (immature). The common fiery substance is the alkaloid capsaicin. Pepper is so universally regarded as an aphrodisiac that an entire book could be devoted to recipes. One to try is steak au poivre, using the tangy green peppercorns and not the black which are best for grinding. Fry the steak using butter. At the last moment before serving add a dash of brandy (this can be flamed if you like theatre) a sprinkling of crushed green peppercorns and a little cream. (See also: Eating and Food, Erotic Cuisine)

Performing Arts - Erotic performances designed to have an aphrodisiac effect on the spectator have been a feature of many cultures. At its most basic and (most people find) least stimulating this consists of watching couples copulate. This is not sex except in the most basic sense and was probably as boring when staged for various European Courts or in the bazaars of North Africa as it now is in Amsterdam's red light district. Blue movies are usually boring for similar reasons - all too often no art or imagination is involved and one feels desperately sorry for the participants. More interesting is erotic dancing. Both men and women have always found this art stimulating. It includes forms as diverse as striptease, belly dancing, flamenco and the can-can. In ancient India dance was often highly erotic: its positions echoing those of lovemaking and also called asanas. In addition to its visual impact, erotic dancing involves rhythm and music, both of which can also be aphrodisiac. The theatre has an ancient erotic tradition. Pantomime in ancient Greece and Rome was far removed from the innocent entertainment which fills British theatres in the festive season. Both have people dressed in the clothes of the opposite sex, but the ancient version was more likely to feature a giant phallus than a beanstalk, and the pantomime horse tended to mount the leading lady if Martial is to be believed. The intellectual comedies of Aristophanes and his contemporaries also had sex as a dominant theme. Every possibility and perversion was dealt with in a bawdy and satirical way. In Rome, 'theatre' and 'brothel' were almost interchangeable and when the plays were over audience participation often began. Modern sex comedy seems tame compared with the razor wit and frank eroticism of theatre in the ancient world. And contemporary 'revue' is a pale and often shabby copy of the aphrodisiac entertainment once available in Alexandria or Rome. Of all the performing arts specifically erotic in intention, dance is by far the most varied and interesting. It is also, when well done, the most aphrodisiac.

Perfume and Scent - The aphrodisiac most commonly used in our society is perfume - most of us use it in one form or another as an excitant and erotic advertisement. There are many similarities between the way perfume is sold to us by the advertising industry and the way we use perfume to 'sell' ourselves: the common weapons are association, imitation and of course sex. perfume is a large and very profitable industry: it is no accident that the perfume department is the first enticement to confront prospective customers when they enter most large stores. But all this is alright. Many of the ingredients in good perfume are extremely expensive and magic is more potent when you have to pay dearly for it. Most important of all is the fact that no confidence trick is involved - perfume can work with our own bodies as an aphrodisiac. A surprisingly large part of our brain is concerned with the olfactory sense (see Sense of Smell). Perfumers mix different aromas to stimulate and please the sense of smell just as a cocktail waiter will combine different elements to appeal to our sense of taste. But the resultant intoxication is not the initial stimulation followed by depression which tends to be the action of alcohol. The intoxication which perfume can produce is part psychological, part sensual - and it continues while the scent remains. The perfumer's art is extremely subtle and infinitely more skilled than the mixing of cocktails. The perfumer must start with a good sense of smell and then train it to distinguish between the myriad of different aromas which can be combined to create a new perfume. These aromas are derived from many different animal and vegetable sources (see Essential Oils) and thelist is almost limitless. All this has only established the palette. The real skill comes in combining different elements, in different proportions, in order to create a complex aroma that is exciting, evocative, attractive and - therefore - aphrodisiac. Perfumery is both an art and a science. It involves time, study, experimentation, creativity, luck and not a little magic. In choosing a perfume for yourself do not take the activities of the advertising industry into account. They have told you that a new perfume is available - a new sensation that you can try. That is all they can do. You will never smell precisely like the girl (or man) in the advertisement - nor would you want to. You have your own scent which is unique to you (see Cassolette) to which you may or may not add the new perfume. Do not be shy about trying new perfumes from the testers, there is no obligation to buy. Treat perfume as another art: watch to se what is new. A perfume may or may not contain those aromas which are traditionally said to be aphrodisiac (e.g. jasmine) but you cannot be sure if it is going to work as an aphrodisiac for you until you try it on your skin. Very rarely - great care is taken to avoid it - a new perfume may react with something in your body chemistry and smell bad. Much more commonly it simply will not appeal to you: despite all the advertising it does not seem to fit you. Always take heed of your instincts because they are infallible. What you are doing unconsciously is comparing the new perfume with your own combined body scent or cassolette. If you have no strong feelings one way or the other, again you should reject the perfume. Your reaction may take a little time but it should be definite and positive. Not only should the perfume combine well with your own scent, it should - albeit unconsciously - evoke associations and memories which please and excite. If a new perfume is not very pleasureable, if it does not work on your imagination and make you daydream - then it is not for you. It may take you a long time to find the right perfume - it should unless you are very lucky. A perfect match with your own scent and personal aroma aesthetics (e.g. a love of the East) and memory (e.g. first kiss in a rose garden) is rare and once found should not be abandoned lightly. Some women may have two favourite perfumes, perhaps for different occasions and therefore associated with different clothes (which retain perfume). Three perfumes is also feasible but about as rare as three simultaneous loves. Having many perfumes is rather like promiscuous sex. If a perfume is right it affirms and enchaces you. When you look in the mirror and you are pleased with your appearance your confidence and attractiveness are boosted in much the same way. Looking and feeling good have a lot to do with sexual attractiveness. At this point perfume goes into overdrive, because it works with the real aphrodisiac which is your cassolette. Courtesans used to dab a little of their own sexual secretion behind their ears together with perfume. They knew by experience that this enchanced their sexual atractiveness and would have assumed it had something to do with smell. It does. We produce hormonal substances called pheromones to attract partners. Feeling 'attractive' stimulates their production. As we become sexually excited we produce even more and stronger pheromones. A woman whose perfume combines well with her own pheromones, and consequently is helping to fill the air around her with them, is as well-equipped with aphrodisiac as it is possible to be. (See also: Sense of Smell)

Perfumed Garden - Of all theArab sex manuals, The Perfumed Garden, written for the Grand Vizier of Tunis by Sheikh Nefzawi in the early sixteenth century, is the most famous. Its notoriety is due in part to Sir Richard Burton's excellent translation which was published in 1886 and also to the burning of his revised and enlarged manuscript by Lady Burton after his death. The Perfumed Garden was not written with the same pious intention as the Hindu love manuals. Together with sound sexual advice - the importance of foreplay, of kissing - are anecdotes and stories designed to amuse and titillate. Sheikh Nefzawi's urbane work belongs with the bawdy tales of Boccaccio or novels like John Cleland's Fannu Hill rather than with Kama Sutra and Ananga-ranga. Nevertheless the author had evidently drunk deeply from life's cup and the sexual information is for the most part sound, first-hand material and no less valuable for being larded with humour.

Pestle - A technique described splendidly in one of the later Indian manuals: 'Stretched wide in the middle of the bed, she lies joined to you in lovemaking, her breathless cries mounting as you polish the jewel of her clitoris: this is mausala, the Pestle'.

Phallus - The magic-wand properties of the penis have resulted in its (almost) universal veneration in different parts of the world at different times. The awesome lingam of Shiva - often represented with the yoni of his consort - and the penis emblems which are an important feature of Shinto shrines, are contemporary examples. In ancient Greece and Rome many thousands of phalluses were erected (literally) to Dionysos, Priapus and other fertility gods. The erect penis was more than the emblem of the god, its life-like representation in statues was intended to have an aphrodisiac effect on devotees since worship often took the form of an orgy. The early Christian Church suppressed the cults and destroyed their phallic statuary with such zeal that very little of it remains. Even where the castrating Church Fathers were not responsible, there is something about an erect penis on a stone statue which invites vandalism and erosion. Although most of the art was destroyed, the phallus has reared its head again from time to time to consternation of ecclesiastical authorities. A wooden statue of Priapus with a gigantic phallus known as 'Il Santo Membro' (The Holy Member) appeared incongruously together with more familiar figures in church parades in the Kingdom of Naples as late as the eighteenth century. The regenerative capabilities of the phallus were also seen in Privece. Here the unsuspecting St. Foutin de Varaille suffered further martyrdom at the hands of revivalists who credited him with all the attributes of Priapus. His shrine was regularly found to be decorated with wax phalluses brought as offering by the pious and the wine used in libations was sold as a powerful aphrodisiac. It has been suggested that our own culture expresses its aggressive phallicism in the even-taller buildings (known increasingly as 'cloud fondlers') which dominate the skyline of many cities in the West. They may be phallic symbols, but as Freud himself said: 'sometimes a cigar is just a cigar'.

Philtres and Potions - The potentially consumable aphrodisiacs included in this website are either foods or recipes, or herbs which folk tradition has credited with the ability to stimulate desire. Things such as Spanish Fly, Absinthe and Mandrake are included only so that people who might be tempted to try them are reminded that they are deadly. Almost as numerous in the abundant literature on aphrodisiacs are substances and recipes which are of little interest to anyone except medievalists or students of abnormal psychology. These 'philtres and potions' have been excluded for a variety of reasons. For example there is no good reason why screech owls should be troubled by people wanting their tail feathers when there are more palatable aphrodisiacs. Other substances have been excluded because they are unlikely to appear in the inventory of even the most comprehensive health food stores e.g. crocodile semen; panther's breath. (See also: Sex Magic)

Philtrum - The groove in the centre of the upper lip below the base of the nose. In Tantra this is regarded as a highly erogenous area for women with a meridian connecting it to the clitoris.

Pillows and Cushions - Bedrooms intended for lovemaking as well as sleeping should be well-equipped with these useful items. In many of the more exotic lovemaking positions additional support is essential. In variations of the frontal positions a simple pillow under the woman which raise her middle can sometimes increase her pleasure enormously.

Pillow Books - A Japanese term for the sex manuals and aphrodisiac literature which were kept in the traditional lacquered wood pillow. (See also: Erotic Literature, Japan)

Pine Kernels - known also as 'pine nuts', these feature in many Arab aphrodisiac concoctions - usually combined with honey.

Pistachio - A delicious, sweet nut probably originating in the Levant. Pistachio was mentioned in the Bible and was recorded in Persia as the fifth century BC. Because of its delicate flavour and green skin the pistachio is popular with confectioners. As an aphrodisiac it was especially popular in Arab countries.

Pomanders - Decorated, scented oranges which seem to have been popular from the late Middle Ages. Properly prepared, a pomander can be used to perfume underclothes and linen for up to ten years. Pomanders are also love charms: maidens would concentrate on their loved one during the lengthy process of inserting the cloves. To make a pomander a thin-skinned orange should be studded with cloves. When the entire surface is covered, the orange is rolled in a mixture of orris powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and other blended spices which is firmly pushed in between the clove heads. The orange is then stored (in a brown paper bag) in a warm, dark, dry place for several weeks. When the orange is quite hard, the excess spice powders may be tapped out and the pomander decorated with ribbons.

Pomegranite - The juice and flesh of this exotic fruit are considered an aphrodisiac in most of the countries where they are grown. Part of the reason for this may be the pomegranite's association with fertility rituals: in China they were traditionally burst on the floor at wedding feasts; in ancient Greece they were eaten at Dionysian orgies. Pomegranite juice is also available as grenadine syrup.

Pompoir (See Kabbazah)

Positions - The use of different sexual positions to lend variety to lovemaking is an aphrodisiac technique common to all schools of erotology. Individual postures from India, China and Japan appear throughout this website. For the main groups of positions see: Adam and Eve (Frontal); Croupade (Rear); Cuissade (Rear straddled); and Flanquette (Front straddled). Although a variety of postures and sensations does have aphrodisiac value for most people, and sexual technique is undoubtedly important, attitude and sensivity is more important. Sexual technique - however accomplished - is only a beginning.

Postillionage - A technique of stimulating your partner's anus with a finger tip during lovemaking or just before orgasm. (See also: Bottom and Buttocks, Feuille de Rose)

Power - According to Henry Kissinger 'power is the ultimate aphrodisiac'. Unfortunately the drives involved in achieving great power (or wealth) prevent all but a few from enjoying such rewards since, like fetishes, those things tend to become an end in themselves.

Prawns - A valued aphrodisiac like most seafood: prawns appear more regularly in erotic cuisine than some other varieties, perhaps because they are a convenient size for mutual feeding. (See also: Seafood)

Pregnancy and Lactation - Women become more aware of their bodies during pregnancy - sometimes in a negative way but also positively. The sensitivity in a pregnant woman's nipples will often intensify with their increasing pigmentation, and her partner should be aware of this. Although more gentle sexual postures will become necessary (e.g. spoon fashion) pregnancy does not necessarily mean an end to sexual relations. Even if penetration is not desirable, the unique significance which sex takes on at this time for a woman lends a very special quality to all lovemaking techniques. During lactation a women may be strongly aroused by an infant sucking at her breast. Nature made the process pleasurable for sound biological reasons and it is an important reminder - particulary to men - of the complexity of the human sexual response.

Prenkha - The woman sits on her lover's lap with her foot braced against his shoulder. The slow rocking movement which is now possible is an orgasm-delaying technique.

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