Ears and Earlobes - The erotic possibilities of ears and their sensitive lobes are often ignored. An early Japanese manual recommends stimulation of the outer ear and canal with a pointed tongue, slowly following the outer convolutions before plunging into the centre. It is better to hold your breath while doing this or you will sound like a hot air balloon which is getting painfully close. Freud regarded compulsive earlobe tugging (your own) as a substitute for masturbation. In fact some women can climax simply by having their lobes sucked and nibbled. The heavier type of pendant earring is as much concerned with stimulating the ear and neck as with fashion and display.

Eating and Food - This entry is not concerned with recipes but with the physical and social business of eating and drinking. There is a very old saying that 'if you want to know the way a person is in bed, watch them eat'. A disturbing observation for the primly over-fastidious; the messily gluttonous, or those who attend to their own plate but ignore the needs of others! Eating and sex are equally important to the survival of the species, which is why they are such strong drives with a large amount of pleasure attached to them. It is quite logical to see how a person approaches a sensual pleasure pursued in public in order to deduce their approach to one which in our culture seldom is. Eating, like sex, should be enjoyed. Of course every meal cannot be a major production. Everyone has to eat the occasional sandwich standing at a railway station, but the quick event can be enjoyable too (as can the hurried sexual event between stations). At every opportunity make the most of a meal. It is not by accident that the vocabulary of both food and sex is full of French words. They understand that both create an opportunity for ritual, drama and of course sensual pleasure. The physical act of eating is intensely pleasurable: lips and tongue are stimulated, as are tastebuds and the sense of smell. Dining also provides tactile and visual pleasure. Gourmets might argue about it, but the delights of the table are only exceeded by those of the bed. Whenever possible let the one follow the other - but not too precipitately, and try not to over-indulge in the first pleasure in case it affects the second. (See also: Alcohol, Erotic Cuisine)

Egg - Arab erotology makes much of eggs as an aphrodisiac. In most of the recipes they are strongly spiced with pepper and sometimes cinnamon. Eggs and Brandy whipped together with milk, honey and a pinch of salt to make an egg flip has acquired a twentieth-century reputation as a sexual stimulant.

Elephant - A rear entry asana where the woman arches her back, while her lover moves in her with a slow, insistent rhythm. (See: Croupade)

Entwined - A flanquette posture with straddled legs. Excellent for clitoral stimulation, especially if her middle is thrust forward by a supporting cushion.

Erotic Art - Sexually inspired images - such as the so-called 'Venus of Willendorf' of around 30.000 BC - are among the earliest evidence of human culture. By the period 2000 to 1500 BC the variety of sexual postures depicted in the art of Mesopotamia and Egypt suggests that the artists (and therefore their patrons) had a sophisticated interest in the pleasures of sex as well as in rituals associated with fertility. By the late Greek period there is no longer any possibility of misinterpreting the artist's intention. Superbly painted Attic vases, cups and bowls - often given as gifts to courtesans - depict every kind of sexual pleasure. This is fully-fledged erotic art, designed to celebrate sexuality and to instruct and inspire those who look at it. Roman erotic art did not approach the quality achieved by the Greeks, but there is a cheerful vitality about the numerous amulets, charms and figures (where they have survived) reflecting the Roman preoccupation with the phallus which was influenced by both Greeks and Etruscans. The murals from the Pompeii brothel, which are purely aphrodisiac in intention, have a naive charm all of their own. After the Fall of Rome, Europe had to wait for the Renaissance before artists could explore erotic themes more openly. Even then female nudes were usually 'Venus', males 'David'. Such incidents from Classical mythology as 'Leda and the Swan' were also popular as were biblical episodes like 'Susannah and the Elders'. Woe betide those who flouted this convention or overstepped the mark. Raphael's gifted pupil Giulio Romano had to flee after his drawings honestly depicting lovemaking positions were engraved and published as illustrations to Aretino's sonnets. The same essentially hypocritical attitude has prevailed in Western art up to the present time. Some artists concerned with erotic themes had the fortune to be born during periods of greater enlightenment: (Rowlandson, Klimt) others not. Many artists - and many great ones including Raphael, Rembrandt, Goya and Turner - still managed to deal with erotic subjects. Eduard Fuchs said: 'Art has treated erotic themes at almost all periods, because eroticism lies at the root of all human life'. Tourists who have spotted the carving of a couple happily engaged in 'soixante-neuf' in Toledo cathedral will know that sex, like love, usually finds a way. The East - notably India and Japan - has produced considerably more erotic art than the West. China experienced repeated waves of censorship over a very long period and although Chinese landscape painting is sublime (and rich in erotic symbolism) little of the erotic art compares with that of India or Japan. In Hinduism sex is sacred, it is the animating principle within everything. The Judaeo-Christian idea that sex is something to feel guilty about is incomprehensible to a Hindu. Consequently India has by far the richest tradition of erotic art in the world. From the very earliest times the sub-continent has produced an infinite variety of art: in the stone and wood carving of its temples; in its bronzes, and in its many schools of painting. If Indian erotic art is the most varied and sublime any civilization has produced, then the shunga, or erotic print, of Japan is certainly the fiercest. japanese erotic art has no religious meaning and no purpose beyond the celebration of sexual pleasure. The use of perspective, the strong line, the patterned fabrics, the exaggerated genitals - everything works towards the creation of an image which is intended to be strongly aphrodisiac. (See also: China, India, Japan)

Erotic Cuisine - Those with a serious interest in aphrodisiac cooking should consult La Cucina dell'Amore (Omero Rompini, Catania, 1926); La Table et L'Amour (M.E. Saillard, Paris, 1950) and Venus in the Kitchen (Norman Douglas, London, 1952). between them the books cover the two great European gastronomic traditions as well as including some interesting dishes from around the world. Other individuals have made their contribution to the subject, especially courtesans. The splendid, if expensive, soup devised by Ninon Lenclos is included in the entry on courtesans. madame du Barry also experimented with aphrodisiac cooking after the death of the Marquise de Pompadour. The dishes with which she attempted to excite Louis XV included a soup of shrimps in chicken stock flavoured with dill; Capon stuffed with chestnut purée, and an omelette containing tiny pieces of fresh ginger.

Erotic Literature - Books about sex can be divided into two broad categories: instructional and descriptive. The instructional books all have the same general aim which is to help people get more from sex. This can be achieved in a variety of ways. Some of our contemporary manuals begin from the premise that people have sexual problems and set out to solve these based on the techniques of sex counselling. The Hindu love manuals were written out of religious conviction: by imparting knowledge they attempted to give sex its rightful place in the scheme of things. In his excellent 'Joy of Sex' and its sequel - to which all subsequent Western books on the subject (including this website) owe a considerable dept - Alex Comfort has roughly the same intention as the Hindu writers but in place of religious conviction is a desire to brush away cobwebs such as inhibition and guilt. He also gives sound advice on choosing instructional about sex, which is to avoid those written 'by nonplaying coaches'. The descriptive category consists of novels, short stories and satires, and poetry. Erotic writing of this kind is either good or bad, but it is also either erotic or pornographic. It is a very difficult area, with no absolute rules, but some distinctions can be made between erotica and pornography - it is not simply a matter of good or bad pornography. If a book is concerned with one particular sexual activity to the exclusion of all others, if it is violent or cruel and involves subjection, if it is bleak in tone, then it is pornography. If the subject of a book happens to be sex, then it is erotica. This is not an argument for banning pornography although most people would have no compunction in banning some of it, especially if its production involves cruelty or subjection. On the other hand who would be mean-minded enough to ban a book on say, rubber fetishism which is not going to harm anyone but presumably gives pleasure to rubber fetishists? Not enough is known about pornography and its effects and more research is needed as a matter or urgency. In the meantime those who would ban all books dealing openly with sex create a corresponding body of opinion which says that nothing should be banned. This could mean - and in countries where there are no restrictions may already - that some corrosively evil material is published. The history of erotic literature from the Classical period to the present follows the same pattern as the visual arts (see Erotic Art). While Giulio Romano fled to Mantua for illustrating his sonnets, Pietro Aretino fled to Venice. Aretino was an important figure in the history of literature: a huge man with huge appetites and a talent to match. His sonnets and other erotic work were no more than a celebration of his favourite activity after making political mischief. Just as major artists produced erotic work so did many important literary figures. Among these were Shakespear, Donne, Oscar Wilde, James Joyce and of course D.H. Lawrence. (See also Ananga-Ranga, China, Japan, Kama Sutra, Perfumed Garden, Pillow Books)

Erotic Trigger Points - (See Massage)

Eryngo - The roots of this plant, resemble testicles in shape, have been regarded as an aphrodisiac from very early times. In seventeenth-century England the demand for eryngos became so fierce that an apothecary maned Burton opned a factory in Colchester to process them. John Dryden describes libertines: 'Who lewdly dancing at a midnight ball For hot eryngos and fat oysters call.' Eryngo - which is also known as Sea Holly - was also eaten in candied sweets or pulverised, mixed with egg yolk and stirred into a glass of Madeira. (See Wild Plants for methods and precautions)

Essential Oils - These substances, whose original function is not yet understood, occur naturally within approximately two thousand of the quarter of a million known flowering plants. From the very earliest times essential oils, which are extracted from plants in a variety of different ways, have been used in the manufacture of perfume. These are the 'notes' which a perfumer blends together to make a perfume. Essential oils are now generally available and it is pleasant to experiment with the wide range of different aromas by adding a few drops to a bath or to an unperfumed massage oil. But even when they are derived from culinary plants NEVER USE ESSENTIAL OILS IN COOKING. Essential oils are highly concentrated and powerful substances: for example Oil of Thyme is an antiseptic ten times more powerful than carbolic acid. Therefore you should NEVER PUT UNDILUTED ESSENTIAL OILS ON YOUR SKIN. Never use more than one drop of essential oil per millilitre of massage oil. Always mix the essential oil with the base oil before applying to the skin. If you are subject to allergies try your chosen massage preparation on a small area of skin to see if you experience any reaction. This will normally occur within 24 hours. In the bath the maximum number of drops is four, which should be added to the hot water after it has been run, and mixed into the water to break-up the droplets. Always follow additional instructions which appear on the bottle. Those aromas which perfumers have traditionally regarded as exciting for women are Jasmine, Rose Bulgar and more recently Ylang-Ylang. Men respond better to Vetifer, Sandalwood or Mace. These are the stimulants. For gently relaxing, women should try a few drops of Fennel in a hot bath. (See also: Massage, Perfume and Scent, Rose Bulgar, Sense of Smell)

Exercise - It is now widely accepted that regular exercise is essential to good health, which is in turn important if you are to have a good sexual appetite and enjoyable sex. There are also certain exercises specifically designed to improve your sex life. It is interesting that those recommended for women in the Tantric tradition are strikingly similar to the 'Kegel Exercises' pioneered by Dr. Alfred Kegel and now widely accepted by gynaecologists as a means of helping to prevent prolapse of the womb and associated problems. Tantrists also believe that these exercises increase the strength of a woman's orgasm and - in time - can enable her to grip her partner's penis, a much-prized ability. The basic exercise is very simple and consists of repeatedly contracting and relaxing the vaginal muscles. In Tantric Yoga this is often combined with clenching and unclenching the buttock muscles (gluteus maximus) in the old ballet strengthening exercise. male Tantrists also exercise in this way. Both men and women can combine buttock clenching with outward groin thrusts simulating the movements of sex. All these exercises have a sound medical basis. The Kegel exercise is of particular value to women and can be done anywhere at any time. Tantric groin thrusts are however liable to misinterpretation and are not recommended for the office or while waiting for buses. (See also: Kabbazah)

Eyes - Looks given and recieved by our most eloquent means of expression after speech can be so powerful that nineteenth-century scientists conducted experiments to see if an electrical charge was involved. The 'look of love' is one of the most effective aphrodisiacs of all.

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