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Daniel Odier (author of Tantric Quest): The phallus of Shiva is erect because it is raised to full consciousness, and in full consciousness it penetrates the universe. The vulva of Shakti is open because in full consciousness she lets the universe penetrate her … At the core of their mutual penetration supreme consciousness reigns.

Graphic images and sculptured representations of genitals are worshipped as symbols for the female and male energies that together make up existence.

Yoni is a sanskrit word for the vagina that connotes sacred space or sanctum. In Tantra, the yoni is worshipped with love and respect, as the gateway to a direct experience of the divine, as well as the source of universal bliss. Yoni essence is drunk by Tantrics. At a famous temple in Assam, where in one myth the goddess’s yoni fell to earth, spring water comes through a cleft in the rock. In summer, red oxide colours the water red, and this water is drunk in honour of the menstruation of the goddess.

The lotus is another symbol for women’s genitals, which is drawn around the edge of yantras, visualization aids. The symbol for the yoni is a triangle, encircled by 16 lotus petals. Lotus petals are often visualized in the location of chakra energy centres (see here) – they represent the harmonious unfolding of enlightenment. The place associated with enlightenment at the crown of the body map of energy is depicted as a thousand-petal lotus, representing the full flowering of the individual into enlightenment.

For yoni worship the vulva of a woman, or a sculpted representation of a yoni is worshipped.

Lingam is the sanskrit term for phallus, and it’s always depicted erect. The erect lingam represents the focussed awareness of consciousness. According to writer Nik Douglas, it also stands for the universe in a state of excitement – in response to the tantalizing play of dynamic Shakti energy. The phallus has long been worshipped as a fertility symbol. In its erect state it is a celebration of male potency and virility, and a symbol of creativity and courage. The erect phallus stands for the masculine consciousness of Shiva and the retention of semen in Tantric ritual sex.

Tantrics say that inside every lingam is a yoni, and inside every yoni is a lingam – the two are inseparable. Both genitals are complementary and connected. Just as Shakti and Shiva are always entwined, so too are the yoni and lingam, represented all over India by carved yoni-lingam sculptures, representing the lingam arising out of a yoni.