The Daily Mail recently an article on John Humphrey Noyes and his Oneida commune, established in upstate New York in the mid 1800’s. The Oneida community was a number of utopian undertakings that would appear to have contributed to the philosophy and technologies that would be incorporated into Ordo Templi Orientis. This was part of a spiritual revolution that viewed sexuality as sacred. Among other things the article states:
“Three hundred people joined the utopian socialist John Humphrey Noyes in his free love commune in Putney, Vermont, in 1841 that promised paradise on earth where the sexual organs were the ‘first and best channel of the life and love of God’.
“Noyes was the first to coin the term ‘free love’ and his fiery sermons talked about creating the millennial kingdom on earth that embraced sex with multiple partners and no restrictions.
“The more sex one had, the less sick one would become because sex was electric and sexual energy was the ultimate healer as it spread throughout the whole body – so he believed.
“And intercourse was the highest form of ‘spiritual interchange’.”
thanks to Soror Amy for the tip!
