Louis T. Culling

Louis T. Culling was an American occultist who, in the 1960s, published works on sex magick, drawing inspiration from Ida Craddock's writings. His publications, "The Complete Magickal Curriculum of the Secret Order G.'.B.'.G.'." and "Sex Magick," detailed a curriculum that included practices such as "Dianism." This practice, as described by Culling, involves sexual intercourse without climax, where participants are encouraged to view their partners as divine manifestations. Culling's work contributed to the dissemination of esoteric sexual techniques within Western occultism, linking them to concepts of spiritual development and magickal practice. His writings offered a specific framework for understanding and applying these techniques within a structured occult system.

Louis T. Culling, an occultist active in the 1960s, published two significant works that presented a curriculum for sex magick: "The Complete Magickal Curriculum of the Secret Order G.'.B.'.G.'." and "Sex Magick." These books were influenced by the earlier work of Ida Craddock. Culling's teachings included specific practices, notably "Dianism," which he defined as sexual congress conducted without reaching climax. Within this practice, participants were instructed to perceive their partners not as ordinary individuals but as divine or angelic presences. This approach integrated sexual activity with a spiritual or magickal framework, aiming to elevate the experience beyond the purely physical.

Culling's concept of Dianism aligns with the broader practice of coitus reservatus, also known as sexual continence or karezza. This involves engaging in sexual intercourse while intentionally withholding ejaculation. While the source material notes that Alice Stockham coined the term karezza and that the practice existed in various forms across different traditions, Culling integrated it into his specific system of sex magick. His interpretation emphasized the transformative potential of controlled sexual energy, viewing the withholding of climax as a method to enhance spiritual connection and magickal efficacy, rather than solely for procreation or pleasure.

“Dianism is "sexual congress without bringing it to climax"”

“each participant is to regard their partner, not as a "known earthly personality" but as a "visible manifestation of one's Holy Guardian Angel.”