Dance - When we dance we become more than ourselves: in that, and in many other respects, dance is like sex at its very best. Academics have written a great deal about what is probably the oldest human art but Isadora Duncan explained it better: '... I feel the presence of a mighty power within me which listens to the music and then reaches out through my body ... sometimes it raged and shook me until my heart nearly burst from its passion!' Her description is strikingly similar to the ecstatic state which is the object of the sexual practices in Tantra. And of course the great Hindu god Shiva, the male principal, is Lord of the Dance. He created the world out of his dancing and will one day destroy it in the same way. Dance has as many faces as sex, and many of them correspond. Salome's Dance of the Seven Veils, the ancient Greek Cordax, and good striptease, are all aphrodisiacs. Disco dancing is a more stylized form of sexual display. Much traditional ballroom dancing is gentle courtship, whereas the polka and the more energetic forms of modern dancing are closer to foreplay. And, like sex, dance at its best can be an expression of love. (See also: Music, Performing Arts)

Dates - A sadly underrated food. For many people in Africa and the Middle East dates are the staple food. The fruit contains vitamins A, B, C and D and approximately as many calories per hundred grams as beefsteak. Some writers have included dates themselves in aphrodisiac recipes, but 'palm wine' which is made by fermenting juice tapped from the crown of the tree, is reported to have embarrassed some male travellers by its immediate effect on their anatomy.

Deep Throat - (See Irrumatio)

Deer - A posture described in the Hindu love manual Five Arrows: 'If your lustful lover buries her face in the pillow and goes on all fours like an animal, and you rut upon her from behind as though you were a wild beast, this coupling is Harina, the deer'.

Dewberry - One of various species of bramble which are generally grouped together as 'blackberry' (Rubus fruticosus). The dewberry comes earlier than most blackberries which is an important distinction since dewberries are thought to be a sexual stimulant in some English rural communities. But all blackberries found after the end of September are said to 'belong to the Devil' who sometimes takes delight in reversing the effect.

Dildo - These artificial penises are included because they are not only used as substitutes but also in foreplay and for display. The motif of a woman using one is a common image in erotic art and is obviously exciting to some men. Shakespear refers to dildos and the dissolute Earl of Rochester (´not sober from one year end to the next') wrote poems about them and even imported them. The ancient manufacturing centre for 'olisbos' was at Miletus in Asia Minor. From the late Middle Ages Italy became the major producer in the West. The dildo has also been called a 'godemiche'; in Japan the word is 'harigata'. (See also: Sex Toys)

Dill - This herb is often associated with fish, which has tended to increase its reputation as an aphrodisiac (see Seafood). But dill is also considered an aphrodisiac in its own right, especially among gypsies. Both seeds and shoots can be used in a wide variety of ways.

Distillate of Love - The old name for the clear, slippery substance secreted by glands surrounding the urethra, which seeps from the penis during the earlier stages of sexual excitement. More plentiful in some men than in others it can be a useful lubricant in some foreplay games and in masturbation. Distillate of Love has also been used in magic potions to cure frigidity. Sheikh Nefzawi in The Perfumed Garden writes cleverly about this aspect of male physiology: 'As soon as it stands it begins to weep; if it sees a pretty face, it weeps; if it touches a woman, it weeps. It even at times weeps tears of remembrance'. Although Distillate of Love precedes male ejaculation it often contains sperms and can, therefore, cause pregnancy.

Dog - As with all croupade positions the woman enjoys stimulation of the perineum (the sensitive area between the vulva and anus) but may need additional attention paid to her clitoris if she is to achieve orgasm.

Dolita - The name of this asana means 'swing' because for the woman the internal sensations are said to be similar to those experienced while swinging. (See also: Swings)

Dreams and Fantasy - All of us use fantasy in our sex lives: we can pleasurably imagine or recall sexual situations when engaged in something else; or while masturbating or making love we can fix strongly stimulating images in our minds. In Kama Sutra there is a description of 'transferred love' which is the practice of making love to one person while thinking of another. No doubt beds everywhere are more crowded than is ever suspected: film stars and rock idols are probably kept most busy, but all of us will make the odd nocturnal visit to someone else's bed quiet innocently on our part. There is no need for any feeling of guilt about having these fantasies. Eash of us carries more psychological baggage than any airline would ever accept. These half-remembered thoughts, memories and daydreams are us, they are part of the person who gets into bed. And while making love (to another who has a similar but different collection of psychological baggage) anything can be dislodged and fall out of the suitcase, from a passing lust for a film star to a major obsession. Sexis nature's own therapy as well as being many other things. Dreams (the kind we have while sleeping) are less within our control and are often forgotten on waking. For this reason some lovers keep a sort of dream diary as a means of tuning-in to each other's fantasies, with the idea that this makes their lovemaking more imaginative. These games can be useful and enjoyable, but if you find these explorations of your unconscious disturbing you should discontinue the practice or in cases of real distress seek the advice of a psychiatrist.

Du Barrie - In this sexual posture the woman assumes a head or shoulder stand - supported against the side of the bed, possibly on cushions - and her partner steps over her, penetrating her from a standing position. Additional clitoral stimulation with her partner's thumb will be necessary but many women find an orgasm in this inverted position particularly intense. The origins of this position and its name are obscure but a Folklorist records that an enterprizing cooper, who manufactured clothes pegs from the offcuts of his trade, took inspiration from the way that two pegs fit together and named his erotic discovery after the most notorious courtesan of the day.

Durian - This large and extremely pungent tropical fruit is a prized and expensive delicacy in Indonesia and Singapore. Its aphrodisiac properties are legendary but many people find the aroma of Durian unbearable and it is not permitted on aircraft or public transport. Like it or loathe it: once tasted, Durian is never forgotten!

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