Yoni Tantra

In the world religious and mystical literature, there is no more candid and thrilling text than Yoni Tantra. Nowhere is the divine femininity celebrated as in this small treatise in Sanskrit. As the most important object of worship for many followers of Hinduism among Shaivites and Shaktists, the yoni represents the symbol of Shakti, the universal energy personified in the image of Mahadevi (mahādevī) – the Great Goddess. Throughout India, one can see stone representations of the yoni, often alongside the lingam – the phallic symbol of Shiva, embodying the masculine principle. Typically, this is a horizontally arranged stone slab of round or square shape with a hole in the middle, in which a cylindrical lingam may reside. The cult of the yoni receives particular development in Hindu tantra, where it is perceived not only as an abstract symbol but also as the womb of any woman, so to speak, the yoni "in living form". It is precisely the practices of reverence for the female womb that Yoni Tantra is dedicated to.