In the early 1880s the Theosophical Society initiated what was to become a global discourse on the Tantric energy concept known as kuṇḍalinī. In her The Voice of the Silence (1889), Blavatsky described kuṇḍalinī as ‘electro-fiery occult power’ or as ‘Fohatic-power,’ among other terms. Three decades later, this early Theosophical examination of kuṇḍalinī was carried forward by Sir John Woodroffe, who is commonly credited with its dissemination among devotees of European and American alternative religions. Woodrooffe’s The Serpent Power (1919) thus triggered a global discourse on Tantra and kuṇḍalinī and has remained influential until today. Whereas Woodrooffe was a Theosophist himself, kuṇḍalinī quickly outgrew its Theosophical confines and gained ground within popular culture, alternative religion, and other occult circles.
Kuṇḍalinī has undergone a multi-layered process of re-interpretation ever since it entered the non-Indian occult milieu in 1880. Among its many shades, kuṇḍalinī was interpreted as a sexual energy or sexual force. The set of beliefs of modern magic(k)al circles such as the O.T.O. or Dragon Rouge constitute intriguing examples of such notions. This paper aims to investigate kuṇḍalinī’s construction as sexual energy triggered by the Theosophical Society and carried forward by modern magic(k)al circles.