The term "Yoni" heralds from a culture and religion in which women have long been regarded and honored as the embodiment of divine energy and where the female genitals are seen as a sacred symbol of the Great Goddess. Ever since our prehistoric ancestors began to practice religion and art, humanity has envisioned and symbolically expressed the cosmic forces of creation, life, and death in representations of human genitalia. Fertility cults centered on phallic worship are well documented, but older and even more pervasive are the cults of the Goddess and her vulva. Yoni worship has been a part of the spiritual heritage in every part of the globe and may in fact be the most ancient religion of humanity. This book traces this primal motif from its first surviving occurrence almost 30,000 years ago in Europe to its remnants and budding renaissance in contemporary language, art, and literature. From the naturally occurring Yoni rock formations used as sacred places by indigenous Americans to the Indian temple of the menstruating Goddess, from the exhibitionist sheela-na-gig carvings of early Celtic churches to the ritual striptease found in Japan, The Yoni reveals Yoni imagery and veneration that spans many cultures and times. The author also discusses Tantric practices, Near Eastern myths, and Tibetan visualization techniques linked to Yoni reverence. Illustrated throughout with some of the world`s finest and most diverse examples of Yoni artwork-from Georgia O`Keeffe and Judy Chicago to early Aboriginal rock paintings in Arnhem Land, Australia-The Yoni celebrates this universal icon of female creativity and the Source of All. Rufus C. Camphausen has studied the religious and sociosexual mores of other cultures for more than twenty-five years. He is the author of The Encyclopedia of Erotic Wisdom and The Divine Library as well as numerous articles and essays on social anthropology, etnology, comparative religion, and gender issues. He resides in the Netherlands.