to the base of her spine, tapping and stroking it in concerted motion. Ishvari sent energy up her spinal column until she felt a stirring in her third eye. As the aromas of the oils suffused her nostrils, the musician began to sing in a high voice– 

Wake up!   

O Goddess Kundalini,

Rise up high.

Our High Tantrika is ready,

Union is nigh.

In a delightful haze, Ishvari followed the women into an adjoining chamber, where an array of garments in shades of red, gold and violet were laid out on a wooden chest inlaid with ivory figures of playful nymphs. Ketaki dipped her index finger into a clay pot containing vermilion paste and drew a line from Ishvari’s pubis, through the cleft between her buttocks, and all the way up her spine to the top of her...

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