of a mortal man on one night, result, through telegony, in the semi-divine nature of Greek heroes such as Theseus and Heracles. Tantric Buddhism In Tantric Buddhism of Nepal, Bhutan, India and Tibet, yab-yum is a ritual of the male deity in union with a female deity as his consort. The symbolism is associated with Anuttarayoga tantra where the male figure is usually linked to compassion () and skillful means (upāya-kauśalya), and the female partner to 'insight' (prajñā). Yab-yum is generally understood to represent the primordial (or mystical) union of wisdom and compassion. Maithuna is a Sanskrit term used in Tantra most often translated as sexual union in a ritual context. It is the most important of the five Panchamakara and constitutes the main part of the Grand Ritual of Tantra variously known as Panchamakara, Panchatattva, and Tattva Chakra. The symbolism of union and polarity is a central teaching in Tantric Buddhism, especially in Tibet. The union is realized by the practitioner as a mystical experience within one's own body. Alchemy and Jungian psychology The hieros gamos is one of the themes that Carl Jung dealt with in his book Symbols of Transformation. Wicca In Wicca, the Great Rite is a ritual based on the Hieros Gamos. It is generally enacted symbolically by a dagger (known as an athame) being placed point first into a chalice, the action symbolizing the union of the male and female divine. In British Traditional Wicca, the Great Rite is sometimes carried out in actuality by the High Priest and High Priestess. See also Maithuna Spirit spouse Sacred prostitution Sex magic Sovereignty goddess Tantra Fertility rites References External links The Archetype of the Holy Wedding in Alchemy and in the Unconscious of Modern Man, Remo F. Roth, Ph.D. Marriage and religion Religious rituals Religious sex rituals Ancient Greek religion Marriage, unions and partnerships in Greece Inanna