Heavenly Husbands

No I have not taken leave of my senses. I have been reading an article called Heavenly Husbands written by a woman called Ida Craddock . She was a Victorian feminist who focused on sexual liberation for women. Ulitmatley she was persecuted, placed in a mental hospital and imprisoned for her endeavours. She committed suicide to avoid serving a 5 year prison sentence she was given when found guilty of distributing 'obscene literature' in the form of booklets that advised newly wed couples on how best to enjoy the sexual aspect of married life.

What was even more interesting was that much of what she knew about sex came from the teachings of an Angelic lover who was her heavenly husband. She was known to have had sexual relations with a couple of mortal men but cited her real teacher and liberator to be an Angel in male form who came to her at night.

Within the text that I was reading was a really interesting suggestion that religious criticism of women who wear makeup and dress in a sexually attractive way was not based solely around the 'temptation' of men but infact the real issue was the 'temptation' of Angels.

"Hurtful are women, my children; because, since they have no power or strength over the man, they act subtly through outward guise how they may draw him to themselves; and whom they (do not) overcome by strength, him they overcome by craft. By means of their adornment, they deceive first their minds, and instil the poison by the glance of their eye, and then they take captive by their doings, for a woman cannot overcome a man by force. Therefore, my children, command your wives and your daughters that they adorn not their heads and their faces; because every woman who acted deceitfully in these things hath been reserved to everlasting punishment. For thus they allured the Watchers before the flood."

From The Testament Of Ruben

The article went on to describe a time when Angels who came close to earth to watch over us were so taken by the beauty of mortal women that they took them as lovers and bore them children (Nephilem).  Physical giants that died out, however there is the strong suggestion that intellectual and spiritual giants were also born from these holy unions.  Christ is understood to have been a virgin birth. The article suggests that Pythagoras and Plato were born of mortal women but fathered by Apollo. Since within both their teachings contain universal truths this is not all that hard to believe.