In ancient India, it was considered normal for women to have intimate relationships with each other. In a wealthy household, a girl would be brought up with one or more Sakhis, female companions from poor families, who would live together with her like a sister. Close physical contact between women has always been considered normal and healthy in Eastern cultures. Sisters or woman
friends would commonly share the same bed. The word Sakhi or "girlfriend" is related to Shakti, the vital female power principle, the raw Energy of Tantra. To have a Sakhi as a companion was considered vitalizing, auspicious, and "special." It was widely believed that such sisterhoods strengthened the femininity of all participants. A Sakhi added her own qualities and experiences
to those of her "sister." Often a woman and her Sakhi were inseparable; when a noblewoman
married, her Sakhis became co-wives and assisted in ritual love-making. Sapphic activities within such sisterhoods were considered normal and are frequently portrayed in Indian art.
Sisterhoods evolved naturally in a polygamous society. Wives and concubines usually lived in close proximity, often sharing the same bed. Mutual caressing was never considered perverse; it was encouraged and idealized as an expression of real caring. The natural narcissism of woman was exalted in Oriental cultures. The Ramayana, an important Hindu epic, contains an account of a ménage in which Sapphic sex is poetically described:
There were innumerable women lying
on rugs, who had fallen asleep after
spending the night in sensual play. Their
breath was subtly perfumed with sweetened
wine. Some of the girls savored each
other's lips as they dreamed, as if they
were their master's. Their aroused passions
drove these lovely sleeping women
to make love to their companions. Some
slept in their rich garments, propped up
on bracelet-laden arms; some lay across
their companions, on their bellies, their
breasts, their thighs, their backs; clinging
amorously to one another, with arms
entwined, the slender-waisted women
lay together in sweet intoxicated sleep.
A wealthy Indian woman would normally employ a number of female attendants, whose duties included bathing, oiling, massaging, and generally beautifying their mistress. In contemporary India this is still the custom. Close contact with maidservants or Sakhis commonly develops into a Sapphic relationship, particularly with single, lonely, or widowed women. The Kama Sutra describes how women can use their mouths on each other's Yonis and ways of satisfying sexual desires by the use of
bulbs, roots, or fruits having the same shape as the Lingam. Unlike male homosexuality, Sapphism was not considered sinful and was not an offense under Hindu law. In miniature paintings of the medieval period, woman are often portrayed fondling each other intimately. Pictures illustrating themes of Krishna and the Cow girls commonly depict Gopis in sensual dalliance together.
In Buddhist and Hindu Tantric literature, there are references to the transcendental and regenerative power inherent in sisterhoods. Taoist teachings particularly emphasize this view. Five distinct categories of Sapphism are known to contemporary Hinduism. The common form of Western lesbianism, largely aggressive, and replete with sexual role playing, is the lower type. Indians view it as degenerate and far removed from the higher, more spiritual forms of sisterhood practiced in the East. There was considerable contact between Egypt and South India, which was famous for its rich silks, spices, women, and templedancers. In ancient Egyptian society, there was no law condemning Sapphism. Archaeological evidence shows that women were brought up in close contact with one another. Tomb paintings depict female attendants caressing their mistresses and show ménages in the Indian manner. In temple communities dancing girls lived together and sisterhoods were encouraged. Hebrew law does not condemn Sapphism. In Islamic society, where polygamy was very common, lesbianism has always been popular, both inside and outside the harem. It is curious that Muhammad is believed to have declared lesbianism an unlawful practice, particularly since the thirteenth-century Arab historian Abd-al-Latif al-Baghdadi wrote, "The woman who has not tasted repeatedly of the delights of another woman's body does not exist in our lands." The Arab fear of women gaining power may account for the contradiction. To the Arab mind, women are possessions and status symbols, to be controlled rather than exalted or liberated through the power of mystic sex. The enlightened view of femininity expressed in Tantras is not a part of Arabian thought. In many pagan cultures throughout the world, intimate sexual contact between women is considered natural. This is particularly so in matriarchal societies. Most tribal groups in Africa, Asia, the Pacific Islands, and South America include Sapphism as an integral part of the socio-religious system. For example, a woman of the Paia, a Bantu tribe of Africa, is only allowed to have her virginity taken by another woman. This woman is carefully chosen by her and becomes her "sister," living with her for three days every month, during which time they practice Sapphism. Luduku women of the Congo also pair off together early in life. Among tribes in New Guinea it is customary for a girl to perform oral love-making with her older female friends, in the belief that by so doing she absorbs some of their feminine wisdom. In China and Japan, Sapphism is also very common. According to Taoism, woman has an unlimited supply of Yin-essence, which i s regenerated every month with the completion of her menstrual cycle. The concept of women nurturing each other's vital essence is a fundamental principle of Taoist teaching. Sisterhoods have been greatly misunderstood in the West. Recent polls indicate that a large proportion of Western women have some form of Sapphic experience during their lifetime. Nonetheless, it is common in the West to associate Sapphism with perversity and to make no distinction among the forms of lesbianism. The most renowned of Western female homosexuals was the Greek poet Sappho. The majority of herwritings were destroyed in A.D. 1073 on the orders of Pope Gregory VII. Sappho lived on the island of Lesbos during the sixth century B.C. The words lesbianism and Sapphism derived directly from her reputation as a lover of women. According to Socrates, she was uncommonly beautiful. Plato regarded her as the "Tenth Muse," and Ovid recommended that all girls read her works. Only with the advent of Christianity did her name become infamous. Sisterhoods need not involve sex between women. However, if sexual contact evolves spontaneously, there are a variety of ways in which women can satisfy one another. Esoteric teachings emphasize the importance of the kiss between women. The watery element evoked during kissing is associated with the moon, which governs womanly cycles. Taoist teachings emphasize oral stimulation of the mouth, Yoni, and breasts as the way for woman to nurture their natures. Eastern teachings endorse and encourage loving relationships between women. However, the modern Western woman seeking to explore her sexuality with another woman should be aware that Sapphism is not an alternative to heterosexual love. The exclusive practice of Sapphic love is not promoted by Taoist or Tantric teachings, which give supreme significance to the male/female unit, the cosmic couple. A Sapphic or sisterly relationship requires real caring and generosity. The modern woman is often conditioned to view other women as competitors rather than allies. Women of the ancient East knew sisterhood and solidarity. Contemporary women can gain insight into the real meaning and practice of women's liberation from the Tantric tradition.
