Art of Seduction | Robert Greene (Full Audiobook - Part 1/3)

0:00 The Art of Seduction by Robert Greene preface thousands of years ago power was mostly gained through physical violence and maintained with brute strength there was little need for subtlety a king or Emperor had to be merciless only a select few had power but no one suffered under this scheme of things more than women they had no way to compete no weapon at their disposal that could make a man do what they wanted politically socially or even in the home of course men had one weakness their insatiable desire for sex

0:47 a woman could always toy with this desire but once she gave in to sex the man was back in control and if she withheld sex he could simply look elsewhere or exert Force what good was a power that was so temporary and frail yet women had no choice but to submit to this condition there were some though whose hunger for power was too great and who over the years through much cleverness and creativity invented a way of turning the dynamic around creating a more lasting and effective form of power these women among them Bathsheba from

1:33 the Old Testament Helen of Troy the Chinese siren she sure and the greatest of them all Cleopatra invented seduction first they would draw a man in with an alluring appearance designing their makeup and adornment to Fashion the image of a goddess come to life by showing only glimpses of Flesh they would tease a man's imagination stimulating the desire not just for sex but for something greater chance to possess a fantasy figure once they had their victims interest these women would lure them away from the masculine world of war and politics and get them to spend time in the

2:19 feminine world a world of luxury spectacle and pleasure they might also lead them astray literally taking them on a journey as Cleopatra lured Julius Caesar on a trip down the Nile men would grow hooked on these refined sensual Pleasures they would fall in love but then invariably the women would turn cold and indifferent confusing their victims just when the men wanted more they found their Pleasures withdrawn they would be forced into Pursuit trying anything to win back the favors they once had tasted and growing weak and emotional in the process men who had physical force and all the

3:04 Social Power men like King David the Trojan Paris Julius Caesar Mark Anthony King fuchai would find themselves becoming the slave of a woman in the face of violence and brutality these women made seduction a sophisticated art the ultimate form of power and persuasion they learned to work on the Mind first stimulating fantasies keeping a man wanting more creating patterns of Hope and despair the essence of Seduction their power was not physical but psychological not forceful but indirect

3:50 and cunning these first great seductresses were like military generals planning the destruction of an enemy and indeed early accounts of Seduction often compare it to battle the feminine version of warfare for Cleopatra it was a means of consolidating an Empire in seduction the woman was no longer a passive sex object she had become an active agent a figure of power with a few exceptions the Latin poet Avid the medieval Troubadours men didn't much concern themselves with such a frivolous art as seduction then in the 17th century came a great change men grew interested in seduction

4:36 as a way to overcome a young woman's resistance to sex history's first great male seducers the Duke de Losa the different Spaniards who inspired the Don Juan Legend began to adopt the methods traditionally employed by women they learned to dazzle with their appearance often androgynous in nature to stimulate the imagination to play the Coquette they also added a new masculine element to the game seductive language for they had discovered a woman's weakness for soft words these two forms of Seduction the feminine use of appearances and the masculine use of language would often cross gender lines Casanova would Dazzle a woman with his

5:23 clothes would charm a man with her words at the same time that men were developing their version of Seduction others began to adapt the art for social purposes as Europe's feudal system of government faded into the past courtiers needed to get their way in court without the use of force they learned the power to be gained by seducing their superiors and competitors through psychological games soft words a little cookery as culture became democratized actors dandies and artists came to use the tactics of Seduction as a way to charm and win over their audience and social

6:10 milieu in the 19th century another great change occurred politicians like Napoleon consciously saw themselves as seducers on a grand scale these men depended on the art of seductive oratory but they also mastered what had once been feminine strategies staging vast spectacles using theatrical devices creating a Charged physical presence all this they learned was the essence of charisma and remains so today by seducing the masses they could accumulate immense power without the use of force today we have reached the ultimate point

6:55 in the evolution of Seduction now more than ever force or brutality of any kind is discouraged all areas of social life require the ability to persuade people in a way that does not offend or impose itself forms of Seduction can be found everywhere blending male and female strategies advertisements insinuate the Soft Cell dominates if we are to change people's opinions an affecting opinion is basic to seduction we must act in subtle subliminal ways today no political campaign can work without seduction since the era of John F Kennedy political figures are required to have a

7:41 degree of Charisma a fascinating presence to keep their audience's attention which is half the battle the film world and media create a galaxy of seductive stars and images we are saturated in the seductive but even if much has changed in degree and scope the essence of Seduction is constant never be forceful or direct instead use pleasure as bait playing on people's emotions stirring desire and confusion inducing psychological surrender in seduction as it's practiced today the methods of Cleopatra still hold people are constantly trying to

8:29 influence us to tell us what to do and just as often we tune them out resisting their attempts at persuasion there is a moment in our lives however when we all act differently when we are in love we fall under a kind of spell our minds are usually preoccupied with our own concerns now they become filled with thoughts of the loved one we grow emotional lose the ability to think straight act in foolish ways that we would never do otherwise if this goes on long enough something inside us gives way we surrender to the will of the loved one and to our desire to possess them seducers are people who understand the

9:14 tremendous power contained in such moments of surrender they analyze what happens when people are in love study the psychological components of the process what Spurs the imagination What casts a spell by Instinct and through practice they Master the art of making people fall in love as the First seductresses new it is much more effective to create love than lust a person in love is emotional pliable and easily misled the origin of the word seduction is the Latin for to lead astray a person in lust is harder to control and once satisfied May easily leave you

10:02 seducers take their time create enchantment and the bonds of love so that when sex ensues it only further enslaves the victim creating love and enchantment becomes the model for all seductions sexual social political a person in love will surrender okay it's pointless to try to argue against such power to imagine that you are not interested in it or that it's evil and ugly the harder you try to resist the lure of Seduction as an idea as a form of power the more you will find yourself fascinated the reason is simple most of us have

10:48 known the power of having someone fall in love with us our actions gestures the things we say all have positive effects on this person we may not completely understand what we've done right but this feeling of power is intoxicating it gives us confidence which makes us more seductive we may also experience this in a social or work setting one day we're in an elevated mood and people seem more responsive more Charmed by us these moments of Power are fleeting but they resonate in the memory with great intensity we want them back nobody likes to feel awkward or timid or unable to reach people the siren Call of Seduction is

11:34 irresistible because power is irresistible and nothing will bring you more power in the modern world than the ability to seduce repressing the desire to seduce is a kind of hysterical reaction revealing your deep down fascination with the process you are only making your desires stronger someday they will come to the surface to have such power doesn't require a total transformation in your character or any kind of physical Improvement in your looks seduction is a game of psychology not Beauty and it's within the grasp of any person to become a master at the game all that is required is that you look at the world differently Through The Eyes

12:21 of a Seducer a Seducer doesn't turn the power off and on every social and personal interaction is seen as a potential seduction there's never a moment to waste this is so for several reasons the power seducers have over a man or woman Works in Social environments because they have learned how to tone down the sexual element without getting rid of it we may think we see through them but they are so pleasant to be around anyway that it doesn't matter trying to divide your life into moments in which you seduce and others in which you hold back will only confuse and constrain you erotic desire and love lurk beneath the

13:10 surface of almost every human encounter better to give free reign to your skills than try to use them only in the bedroom in fact the Seducer sees the world as his or her bedroom this attitude creates great seductive momentum and with each seduction you gain experience and practice one social or sexual seduction makes the next one easier your confidence growing and making you more alluring people are drawn to you in greater numbers as the seducer's aura descends upon you seducers Have A Warrior's outlook on life they see each person as a kind of Walled Castle to which they are laying

13:57 Siege seduction is a process of penetration initially penetrating the target's mind their first point of Defense once seducers have penetrated the mind making the target fantasize about them it's easy to lower resistance and create physical surrender seducers don't improvise they don't leave this process to chance like any good General they plan and strategize aiming at the target's particular weaknesses the main obstacle to becoming a Seducer is this foolish Prejudice we have of seeing love and romance as some kind of sacred magical realm where things just

14:45 fall into place if they are meant to this might seem romantic and quaint but it's really just a cover for our laziness what will seduce a person is the effort we expend on their behalf showing how much we care how much they are worth leaving things to Chance is a recipe for disaster and reveals that we don't take love and romance very seriously it was the effort Casanova expended the artfulness he applied to each Affair that made him so devilishly seductive falling in love is a matter not of magic but of psychology once you understand your Target's psychology and strategize to suit it you

15:31 will be better able to cast a magical spell a Seducer sees love not as sacred but as Warfare where All is fair seducers are never self-absorbed their gaze is directed outward not inward when they meet someone their first move is to get inside that person's skin to see the world through their eyes the reasons for this are several first self-absorption is a sign of insecurity it is anti-seductive everyone has insecurities but seducers manage to ignore them finding therapy for moments of self-doubt by being absorbed in the

16:17 world this gives them a buoyant Spirit we want to be around them second getting into someone's skin imagining what it's like to be them helps the Seducer gather valuable information learn what makes that person tick what will make them lose their ability to think straight and fall into a trap armed with such information they can provide focused and individualized attention a rare commodity in a world in which most people see us only from behind the screen of their own prejudices getting into the target's skin is the first important tactical move in the war of penetration seducers see themselves as providers of

17:05 pleasure like bees that gather pollen from some flowers and deliver it to others as children we mostly devoted Our Lives to play and pleasure adults often have feelings of being cut off from this paradise of being weighed down by responsibilities The Seducer knows that people are waiting for pleasure they never get enough of it from Friends and Lovers and they cannot get it by themselves a person who enters their lives offering adventure and romance cannot be resisted pleasure is a feeling of being taken past our limits of being overwhelmed by another person by an experience people are dying to be overwhelmed to

17:53 let go of their usual stubbornness sometimes their resistance to us is a way of saying please seduce me seducers know that the possibility of pleasure will make a person follow them and the experience of it will make someone open up weak to the touch they also train themselves to be sensitive to pleasure knowing that feeling pleasure themselves will make it that much easier for them to infect the people around them a Seducer sees all of life as theater everyone and actor most people feel they have constricted roles in life which makes them unhappy seducers on the other hand can be anyone

18:39 and can assume many roles the archetype here is the god Zeus insatiable Seducer of young maidens whose main weapon was the ability to assume the form of whatever person or animal would most appeal to his victim seducers take pleasure in performing and aren't weighed down by their Identity or by some need to be themselves or to be natural this freedom of theirs this fluidity in body and spirit is what makes them attractive what people lack in life is not more reality but illusion fantasy play the clothes that seducers wear the places they take you to their words and actions are slightly heightened not

19:26 overly theatrical but with a delightful edge of unreality as if the two of you were living out a piece of fiction or were characters in a film seduction is a kind of theater in real life the meeting of Illusion and reality finally seducers are completely amoral in their approach to life it is all a game an arena for play knowing that the moralists the crabbed repressed types who croak about the evils of the Seducer secretly Envy their power they do not concern themselves with other people's opinions they don't deal in moral judgments nothing could be less seductive

20:12 everything is pliant fluid like life itself seduction is a form of deception but people want to be led astray they yearn to be seduced if they didn't seducers wouldn't find so many willing victims get rid of any moralizing Tendencies adopt the seducer's playful philosophy and you will find the rest of the process easy and natural The Art of Seduction is designed to arm you with weapons of persuasion and charm so that those around you will slowly lose their ability to resist without knowing how or why it's happened it is an Art of War for delicate times

20:59 every seduction has two elements that you must analyze and understand first yourself and what is seductive about you and second your Target and the actions that will penetrate their defenses and create surrender the two sides are equally important if you strategize without paying attention to the parts of your character that draw people to you you will be seen as a mechanical Seducer slimy and manipulative if you rely on your seductive personality without paying attention to the other person you will make terrible mistakes and limit your potential consequently The Art of Seduction is divided into two parts the first half

21:45 the seductive character describes the nine types of Seducer plus the anti-seducer studying these types will make you aware of what is inherently seductive in your character the basic building block of any seduction the second half the seductive process includes the 24 Maneuvers and strategies that will instruct you on how to create a spell break down people's resistance give movement and force to your seduction and induce surrender in your target as a kind of bridge between the two parts there is a chapter on the 18 types of victims of a seduction each of them missing something from their lives each cradling and emptiness you can fill

22:34 knowing what type you are dealing with will help you put into practice the ideas in both sections ignore any part of this book and you will be an incomplete Seducer the ideas and strategies in The Art of Seduction are based on the writings and historical accounts of the most successful seducers in history the sources include the seducer's own Memoirs by Casanova Errol Flynn Natalie Barney Marilyn Monroe biographies of Cleopatra Josephine Bonaparte John F Kennedy Duke Ellington handbooks on the subject most notably ovid's art of love and fictional

23:21 accounts of seductions Dangerous Liaisons Soren kierkegaards the seducer's diary Murasaki shikibuz the tale of Genji the heroes and heroines of these literary works are generally modeled on real life seducers the strategies they employ reveal the intimate connection between fiction and seduction creating illusion and leading a person along in putting the book's lessons into practice you will be following in the path of the greatest masters of the art finally the spirit that will make you a consummate Seducer is the spirit in

24:07 which you should read this book The French writer deniedero once wrote I give my mind the Liberty to follow the first wise or foolish idea that presents itself just as in the Avenue de Foie are dissolute youths follow close on the heels of some strumpet then leave her to pursue another attacking all of them and attaching themselves to none my thoughts are my strumpets he meant that he let himself be seduced by ideas following whichever one caught his fancy until a better one came along his thoughts infused with a kind of sexual excitement once you enter these Pages do as didero

24:53 advised let yourself be lured by the stories and ideas your mind open and your thoughts fluid slowly you will find yourself absorbing the poison through the skin and you will begin to see everything as a seduction including the way you think and how you look at the world a quotation by laklow from on the education of women translated by Lydia Davis in The Libertine reader edited by Michelle Fair oppression and Scorn thus were and must have been generally the share of women in emerging societies

25:40 this state lasted in all its Force until centuries of experience taught them to substitute skill for force women at last sensed that since they were weaker their only resource was to seduce they understood that if they were dependent on men through Force men could become dependent on them through pleasure more unhappy than men they must have thought and reflected earlier than did men they were the first to know that pleasure was always beneath the idea that one formed of it and that the imagination went farther than nature once these basic truths were known they learned first to Veil their charms in order to awaken curiosity they

26:27 practiced the difficult art of refusing even as they wished to consent from that moment on they knew how to set men's imagination of fire they knew how to arouse and direct desires as they pleased thus did Beauty and love come into being now the lot of women became less harsh not that they had managed to liberate themselves entirely from the state of Oppression to which their weaknesses condemned them but in the state of Perpetual war that continues to exist between women and men one has seen them with the help of the caresses they have been able to invent combat ceaselessly sometimes Vanquish and often more

27:13 skillfully take advantage of the forces directed against them sometimes too men have turned against women these weapons the women had forged to combat them and their slavery has become all the harsher for it much more genius is needed to make love than to command armies accuba speaking about Helen of Troy in euripides the Trojan women translated by Neil Curry Menelaus if you are really going to kill her then my blessing go with you but you

27:58 must do it now before her looks so twist to the strings of your heart that they turn your mind for her eyes are like armies and where her glances fall their cities burn until the dust of their ashes is blown by her size I know her Menelaus and so do you and all those who know her suffer no man hath it in his power to overrule the deceitfulness of a woman Marguerite of Navarre a quotation by Alexander Von gleichen Russ form the world's lure translated by Hannah

28:44 Waller this important Side Track by which women succeeded in evading man's strength and establishing herself in power has not been given due consideration by historians from the moment when the woman detached herself from the crowd an individual finished product offering Delights which could not be obtained by force but only by flattery the reign of loves priestesses was inaugurated it was a development of far-reaching importance in the history of civilization only by the circuitous route of the art of Love could woman again assert Authority and this she did by asserting herself at the very point at which she would normally be a Slave at the man's

29:31 Mercy she had discovered the might of lust the secret of the art of love the Demonic power of a passion artificially aroused and never satiated Force thus Unchained was thenceforth to count among the most tremendous of the world's forces and at moments to have power even over life and death the deliberate spellbinding of man's senses was to have a magical effect upon him opening up an infinitely wider range of sensation and spurring him on as if impelled by an inspired dream from the art of Love by Ovid translated by Peter Green

30:16 the first thing to get in your head is that every single girl can be caught and that your catcher if you set your toils right birds will sooner fall dumb in springtime cicadas in summer or a hunting dog turn his back on a hair then a Lover's Bland inducements can fail with a woman even one you suppose reluctant will want it from on Love by Jose Ortega Gazette translated by Toby Talbot the combination of these two elements enchantment and surrender is then essential to the love which we are discussing what exists in love is surrender due to

31:05 enchantment from the Antichrist by Friedrich Nietzsche translated by R.J hollingdale what is good all that heightens the feeling of power the will to power power itself in man what is bad all that proceeds from weakness what is happiness the feeling that power increases that a resistance is overcome from seduction by jean-baudryard the disaffection Neurosis anguish and frustration encountered by psychoanalysis comes no doubt from being unable to love or to be loved from being

31:52 unable to give or take pleasure but the radical disenchantment comes from seduction and its failure only those who lie completely outside seduction are ill even if they remain fully capable of loving and making love psychoanalysis believes it treats the disorder of sex and desire but in reality it is dealing with the disorders of Seduction the most serious deficiencies always concern charm and not pleasure enchantment and not some vital or sexual satisfaction from Beyond Good and Evil Friedrich Nietzsche translated by Walter Kaufman whatever is done from love always occurs

32:41 Beyond Good and Evil from the art of Love by Ovid translated by Peter Green should anyone here in Rome lack finesse at lovemaking let him try me read my book and results are guaranteed technique is the secret charioteer sailor oarsman all need it technique can control love himself most virtue is a demand for greater seduction Natalie Barney part one the seductive character

33:28 we all have the power of Attraction the ability to draw people in and hold them in our thrall far from all of us though are aware of this inner potential and we imagine attractiveness instead as a near mystical trait that a select few are born with and the rest will never command yet all we need to do to realize our potential is understand what it is in a person's character that naturally excites people and develop these latent qualities within us successful seductions rarely begin with an obvious maneuver or strategic device that is certain to arouse suspicion successful seductions begin with your

34:15 character your ability to radiate some quality that attracts people and stirs their emotions in a way that is beyond their control hypnotized by your seductive character your victims won't notice your subsequent manipulations it will then be Child's Play to mislead and seduce them there are nine Seducer types in the world each type has a particular character trait that comes from deep within and creates a seductive pull Sirens have an abundance of sexual energy and know how to use it rakes insatiably adore the opposite sex and their desire is infectious

35:02 ideal lovers have an aesthetic sensibility that they apply to romance dandies like to play with their image creating a striking and androgynous Allure Naturals are spontaneous and open coquettes are self-sufficient with a fascinating cool at their core Charmers want and know how to please they are social creatures charismatics have an unusual confidence in themselves stars are ethereal and envelop themselves in mystery the chapters in this section will take you inside each of the nine types at least one of the chapters should strike a chord you will recognize Part

35:49 of Yourself that chapter will be the key to developing your own powers of attraction let us say you have coquettish Tendencies the Coquette chapter will show you how to build upon your own self-sufficiency alternating heat and coldness to ensnare your victims it will show you how to take your natural qualities further becoming a grand Coquette the type we fight over there's no point in being timid with a seductive quality we are Charmed by an unabashed rake and excuse his excesses but a half-hearted rake gets no respect once you have cultivated your dominant character trait adding some art to what Nature has given you you can then develop a second or third trait adding

36:37 depth and mystery to your persona finally the sections 10th chapter on the anti-seducer will make you aware of the opposite potential within you the power of repulsion at all cost you must root out any anti-seductive Tendencies You may have think of the nine types as Shadows silhouettes only by stepping into one of them and letting it grow inside you can you begin to develop the seductive character that will bring you Limitless power the siren a man is often secretly oppressed by the

37:23 role he has to play by always having to be responsible in control and rational the siren is the ultimate male fantasy figure because she offers a total release from the limitations of his life in her presence which is always heightened and sexually charged the male feels transported to a world of pure pleasure she is dangerous and in pursuing her energetically the man can lose control over himself something he yearns to do the siren is a mirage she lures Men by cultivating a particular appearance and manner in a world where women are often too timid to project such an image learn to take control of

38:11 the male libido by embodying his fantasy the spectacular siren in the year 48 BC Ptolemy the 14th of Egypt managed to depose and Exile his sister and wife Queen Cleopatra he secured the country's borders against her return and began to rule on his own later that year Julius Caesar came to Alexandria to ensure that despite the local power struggles Egypt would remain loyal to Rome one night Caesar was meeting with his Generals in the Egyptian Palace discussing strategy when a guard entered to report that a

38:57 Greek Merchant was at the door bearing a large and valuable gift for the Roman leader Caesar in the mood for a little fun gave the merchant permission to enter the man came in carrying on his shoulders a large rolled up carpet he undid the Rope around the bundle and with a snap of his wrists unfurled it revealing the young Cleopatra who had been hidden inside and who rose up half clothed before Caesar and his guests like Venus emerging from the waves everyone was dazzled at the sight of the beautiful young Queen only 21 at the time appearing before them suddenly as if in a dream they were astounded at her daring and

39:42 theatricality smuggled into the harbor at night with only one man to protect her risking everything on a bold move no one was more Enchanted than Caesar according to the Roman writer diocasius Cleopatra was in the prime of life she had a delightful voice which could not fail to cast a spell over all who heard it such was the charm of her person and Her speech that they drew the coldest and most determined misogynist into her toils Caesar was Spellbound as soon as he set eyes on her and she opened her mouth to speak that same evening Cleopatra became Caesar's lover

40:29 Caesar had had numerous Mistresses before to divert him from the rigors of his campaigns but he had always disposed of them quickly to return to what really thrilled him political Intrigue the challenges of warfare the Roman Theater Caesar had seen women try anything to keep him under their spell yet nothing prepared him for Cleopatra one night she would tell him how together they could revive the glory of Alexander the Great and rule the world like gods the next she would entertain him dressed as the Goddess Isis surrounded by the opulence of her Court Cleopatra initiated Caesar in the most

41:16 decadent revelries presenting herself as the Incarnation of the Egyptian exotic his life with her was a constant game as challenging as Warfare for the moment he felt secure with her she would suddenly turn cold or angry and he would have to find a way to regain her favor the weeks went by Caesar got rid of all Cleopatra's Rivals and found excuses to stay in Egypt at one point she led him on a lavish historical Expedition down the Nile in a boat of unimaginable Splendor towering 54 feet out of the water including several terrorist levels and a pillared temple to the god Dionysus Caesar became one of the few Romans to

42:04 Gaze on the pyramids and while he stayed long in Egypt away from his throne in Rome all kinds of turmoil erupted throughout the Roman Empire when Caesar was murdered in 44 BC he was succeeded by a triumvirate of rulers including Mark Anthony a brave soldier who loved pleasure and spectacle and fancied himself a kind of Roman Dionysus a few years later while Anthony was in Syria Cleopatra invited him to come meet her in the Egyptian town of Tarsus there once she had made him wait for her her appearance was as startling in its way as her first before Caesar

42:51 a magnificent gold barge with purple sails appeared on the river's sidness the oarsmen rode to the accompaniment of ethereal music all around the boat were beautiful young girls dressed as nymphs and mythological figures Cleopatra Sat On Deck surrounded and fanned by Cupids and posed as the goddess Aphrodite whose name the crowd chanted enthusiastically like all of Cleopatra's victims Anthony felt mixed emotions the Exotic Pleasures she offered were hard to resist but he also wanted to tame her to defeat this proud and illustrious woman would prove his

43:37 greatness and so he stayed and like Caesar fell slowly under her spell she indulged him in all of his weaknesses gambling raucous parties elaborate rituals lavish spectacles to get him to come back to Rome Octavius another member of the Roman triumvirate offered him a wife octavius's own sister Octavia one of the most beautiful women in Rome known for her virtue and goodness she could surely keep Anthony away from the Egyptian the ploy worked for a while but Anthony was unable to forget Cleopatra and after three years he went back to her

44:22 this time it was for good he had in essence become Cleopatra's slave granting her immense Powers adopting Egyptian dress and customs and renouncing the ways of Rome only one image of Cleopatra survives a barely visible profile on a coin but we have numerous written descriptions she had a long thin face and a somewhat pointed nose her dominant features were her wonderfully large eyes her seductive power however did not lie in her looks indeed many among the women of Alexandria were considered more beautiful than she what she did have above all other women

45:10 was the ability to distract a man in reality Cleopatra was physically unexceptional and had no political power yet both Caesar and Anthony Brave and clever men saw none of this what they saw was a woman who constantly transformed herself Before Their Eyes a one-woman spectacle her dress and makeup changed from day to day but always gave her a heightened goddess-like appearance her voice which all writers talk of was lilting and intoxicating her words could be banal enough but were spoken so sweetly that listeners would find themselves remembering not what she said but how she said it

45:55 Cleopatra provided constant variety tributes mock battles Expeditions costumed orgies everything had a touch of drama and was accomplished with great energy by the time your head lay on the pillow beside her your mind was spinning with images and dreams and just when you thought you had this fluid Larger than Life woman she would turn distant or angry making it clear that everything was on her terms you never possessed Cleopatra you worshiped her in this way a woman who had been exiled and destined for an early death managed to turn it all around and rule Egypt for close to 20 years

46:41 from Cleopatra we learn that it is not beauty that makes a siren but rather a theatrical streak that allows a woman to embody a man's fantasies a man grows bored with a woman no matter how beautiful he yearns for different pleasures and for adventure all a woman needs to turn this around is to create the illusion that she offers such variety and Adventure a man is easily deceived by appearances he has a weakness for the visual create the physical presence of a siren heighten sexual Allure mixed with a Regal and Theatrical Manner and he is trapped he cannot grow bored with you yet he cannot discard you keep up the

47:30 distractions and never let him see who you really are he will follow you until he drowns the sex siren Norma Jean Mortensen the future Marilyn Monroe spent part of her childhood in Los Angeles orphanages her days were filled with chores and no play at school she kept to herself smiled rarely and dreamed a lot one day when she was 13 as she was dressing for school she noticed that the white blouse the orphanage provided for her was torn so she had to borrow a sweater from a younger girl in the house the sweater was several sizes too small

48:17 that day suddenly boys seemed to gather around her wherever she went she was extremely well developed for her age she wrote in her diary they stared at my sweater as if it were a gold mine the Revelation was simple but startling previously ignored and even ridiculed by the other students Norma Jean now sensed away to gain attention maybe even power for she was wildly ambitious she started to smile more wear makeup dress differently and soon she noticed something equally startling without her having to say or do anything boys fell passionately in

49:04 love with her my admirers all said the same thing in different ways She Wrote it was my fault they're wanting to kiss me and hug me some said it was the way I looked at them with eyes full of passion others said it was my voice that lured them on still others said I gave off vibrations that floored them a few years later Marilyn was trying to make it in the film business producers would tell her the same thing she was attractive enough in person but her face wasn't pretty enough for the movies she was getting work as an extra and when she was on screen even if only for a few seconds the man in the audience would go wild and the theaters would

49:51 erupt in cat calls but nobody saw any Star Quality in this one day in 1949 only 23 at the time and her career at a standstill Monroe met someone at a diner who told her that a producer casting a new Groucho Marx movie lovehappy was looking for an actress for the part of a blonde bombshell who could walk by Groucho in a way that would in his words arouse my elderly libido and cause smoke to issue from my ears talking her way into an audition she improvised this walk it's May West Theater Bara and Bo Peep all rolled into one said Groucho after

50:37 watching her saunter by we shoot the scene tomorrow morning and so Marilyn created her Infamous walk a walk that was hardly natural but offered a strange mix of innocence and sex over the next few years Maryland taught herself through trial and error how to heighten the effect she had on men her voice had always been attractive it was the voice of a little girl but on film it had limitations until someone finally taught her to lower it giving it the Deep breathy tones that became her seductive trademark a mix of the little girl and the vixen before appearing on set or even at a

51:23 party Marilyn would spend hours before the mirror most people assumed this was vanity she was in love with her image the truth was that image took hours to create Marilyn spent years studying and practicing the art of makeup The Voice the walk the face and look were all constructions an act at the height of her Fame she would get a thrill by going into bars in New York City without her makeup or glamorous clothes passing unnoticed success finally came but with it came something deeply annoying to her the studios would only cast her as the

52:09 blonde bombshell she wanted serious roles but no one took her seriously for those parts no matter how hard she downplayed the siren qualities she had built up one day while she was rehearsing a scene from the Cherry Orchard her acting instructor Michael Chekhov asked her were you thinking of sex while we played the scene and she said no he continued all through our playing of the scene I kept receiving sex vibrations from you as if you were a woman in the grip of passion I understand your problem with your studio now Marilyn you are a woman who gives off sex vibrations no matter what you are doing or thinking the whole world has already responded to those

52:54 vibrations they come off the movie screens when you're on them Marilyn Monroe loved the effect her body could have on the male libido she tuned her physical presence like an instrument making herself reek of sex and gaining a glamorous Larger than Life appearance other women knew just as many tricks for heightening their sexual appeal but what separated Maryland from them was an unconscious element her background had deprived her of something critical affection her deepest need was to feel loved and desired which made her seem constantly vulnerable like a little girl craving

53:41 protection she emanated this need for love before the camera it was effortless coming from somewhere real and deep inside a look or gesture that she did not intend to arouse desire would do so doubly powerfully just because it was unintended its innocence was precisely what excited a man the sex siren has a more urgent and immediate effect than the spectacular siren does the Incarnation of sex and desire she doesn't bother to appeal to extraneous senses or to create a theatrical buildup her time never seems to be taken up by work or chores she gives the impression that she lives for pleasure and is

54:27 always available what separates the sex siren from the courtesan or is her touch of innocence and vulnerability the mix is perversely satisfying it gives the male the critical illusion that he is a protector the Father Figure although it is actually the sex siren who controls the dynamic a woman doesn't have to be born with the attributes of a Marilyn Monroe to fill the role of the sex siren most of the physical elements are a construction the key is the heir of schoolgirl innocence while one part of you seems to scream sex the other part is koi and naive as

55:12 if you were incapable of understanding the effect you are having your walk your voice your manner are delightfully ambiguous you are both the experienced Desiring woman and the innocent gameen your next encounter will be with the Sirens who bewitch every man that approaches them for with the music of their song the Sirens cast their spell upon him as they sit there in a meadow piled high with the mouldering skeletons of men whose withered skin still hangs upon their bones Cersei to Odysseus in The Odyssey Book

55:58 12. keys to the character the siren is the most ancient seductress of them all her prototype is the goddess Aphrodite it is her nature to have a Mythic quality about her but don't imagine she is a thing of the past or of Legend and history she represents a powerful male fantasy of a highly sexual supremely confident alluring female offering endless pleasure and a bit of danger in today's world this fantasy can only appeal the more strongly to the male psyche for now more than ever he lives in a world that circumscribes his aggressive Instincts by making

56:44 everything safe and secure a world that offers less chance for adventure and risk than ever before in the past a man had some outlets for these drives Warfare the high seas political intrigue in the sexual realm courtesans and Mistresses were practically a social institution and offered him the variety and the chase that he craved without any Outlets his drives turn inward and gnaw at him becoming all the more volatile for being repressed sometimes a powerful man will do the most irrational things have an affair when it is least called for just for a thrill the danger of it all

57:32 the irrational can prove immensely seductive even more so for men who must always seem so reasonable if it is seductive power you are after the siren is the most potent of all she operates on a man's most basic emotions and if she plays her role properly she can transform a normally strong and responsible male into a childish slave the siren operates well on the rigid masculine type the soldier or hero just as Cleopatra overwhelmed Mark Anthony and Marilyn Monroe Joe DiMaggio but never imagine that these are the only types the siren can affect Julius

58:18 Caesar was a writer and thinker who had transferred his intellectual abilities onto the battlefield and into the political Arena playwright Arthur Miller fell as deeply under Monroe's spell as dimangio the intellectual is often the one most susceptible to the siren Call of pure physical pleasure because his life so lacks it the siren doesn't have to worry about finding the right victim her magic works on one and all first and foremost a siren must distinguish herself from other women she is by nature a rare thing Mythic only one to a group she is also a valuable prize to be

59:04 rested away from other men Cleopatra made herself different through her sense of high drama the empress Josephine bonaparte's device was her extreme lingerousness Marilyn Monroe's was her little girl quality physicality offers the best opportunities here since a siren is preeminently a sight to Behold a highly feminine and sexual presence even to the point of caricature will quickly differentiate you since most women lack the confidence to project such an image once the siren has made herself stand out from others she must have two other critical qualities the ability to get the male to pursue her so feverishly

59:51 that he loses control and a touch of the dangerous danger is surprisingly seductive to get the male to pursue you is relatively simple highly sexual presence will do this quite well but you must not resemble a courtesan or whom the male May pursue only to quickly lose interest in her instead you are slightly Elusive and distant a fantasy come to life during the Renaissance the great Sirens such as Tulia daragona would act and look like Grecian goddesses the fantasy of the day today you might model yourself on a film goddess anything that seems Larger than

1:00:39 Life even awe-inspiring these qualities will make a man chase you vehemently and the more he chases the more he will feel he is acting on his own initiative this is an excellent way of disguising How Deeply you are manipulating him the notion of danger challenge sometimes death might seem outdated but danger is critical in seduction it adds emotional spice and is particularly appealing to men today who are normally so rational and repressed danger is present in the original myth of the siren in Homer's Odyssey the hero Odysseus must sail by the Rocks where

1:01:24 the sirens strange female creatures sing and beckon Sailors to their destruction they sing of the glories of the past of a world like childhood without responsibilities a world of pure pleasure their voices are like water liquid and inviting Sailors would leap into the water to join them and drown or distracted and entranced they would steer their ship into the rocks to protect his Sailors from the sirens Odysseus has their ears filled with wax he himself is tied to the Mast so he can both hear the sirens and live to tell of it a strange desire since the thrill of

1:02:10 the sirens is giving in to the temptation to follow them just as the ancient Sailors had to row and steer ignoring all distractions a man today must work and follow a straight path in life the call of something dangerous emotional unknown is all the more powerful because it is so forbidden think of the victims of the great Sirens of History Paris causes a war for the sake of Helen of Troy Caesar risks an Empire and Anthony loses his power and his life for Cleopatra Napoleon becomes a laughing stock over Josephine DiMaggio never gets over

1:02:56 Maryland and Arthur Miller can't write for years a man is often ruined by a siren yet cannot tear himself away many powerful men have a masochistic streak an element of danger is easy to hint at and will enhance your other siren characteristics the touch of Madness in Maryland for example that pulled men in Sirens are often fantastically irrational which is immensely attractive to men who are oppressed by their own reasonableness an element of fear is also critical keeping a man at a proper distance creates respect so that he doesn't get close enough to see through you or

1:03:43 notice your weaker qualities create such fear by suddenly changing your moods keeping the man off balance occasionally intimidating him with capricious Behavior the most important element for an aspiring siren is always the physical the siren's main instrument of power physical qualities Ascent a heightened femininity evoked through makeup or through elaborate or seductive clothing act all the more powerfully on men because they have no meaning in their immediacy they bypass rational processes having the same effect that a decoy has on an animal or the movement

1:04:29 of a cape on a bowl the proper siren appearance is often confused with physical Beauty particularly the face but a beautiful face does not a siren make instead it creates too much distance and coldness neither Cleopatra nor Marilyn Monroe the two greatest sirens in history were known for their beautiful faces although a smile and an inviting look are infinitely seductive they must never dominate your appearance they are too obvious and direct the siren must stimulate a generalized desire and the best way to do this is by creating an overall impression that is both distracting and alluring

1:05:17 it is not one particular trait but a combination of qualities The Voice clearly a critical quality as the legend indicates the siren's voice has an immediate animal presence with Incredible suggestive power perhaps that power is regressive recalling the ability of the mother's voice to calm or excite her child even before the child understood what she was saying the siren must have an insinuating voice that hints at the erotic more often subliminally than overtly almost everyone who met Cleopatra commented on her delightful sweet sounding voice which had a mesmerizing

1:06:03 quality the empress Josephine one of the great seductresses of the late 18th century had a langerous voice that men found exotic and suggestive of her Creole Origins Marilyn Monroe was born with her breathy childlike voice but she learned to lower it to make it truly seductive Lauren Bacall's voice is naturally low its seductive power comes from its slow suggestive delivery siren never speaks quickly aggressively or at a high pitch her voice is calm and unhurried as if she had never quite woken up or left her bed

1:06:49 body and adornment if the voice must low the body and its adornment must Dazzle it is with her clothes that the siren aims to create the goddess effect that baudelaire described in his essay In Praise of makeup woman is well within her rights and indeed she is accomplishing a kind of Duty in striving to appear magical and Supernatural she must astonish and bewitch an idol she must Adorn herself with gold in order to be adored she must borrow from all of the Arts in order to raise herself above nature the better to subjugate hearts and stir Souls a siren who was a genius of clothes and

1:07:36 adornment was Pauline Bonaparte sister of Napoleon Pauline consciously strove for a goddess effect fashioning hair makeup and clothes to evoke the look and air of Venus the goddess of love no one in history could boast a more extensive and elaborate wardrobe Pauline's entrance at a ball in 1798 created an astounding effect he asked the hostess Madame permo if she could dress at her house so no one would see her clothes as she came in when she came down the stairs everyone stopped dead in stunned silence she wore the headdress of a bakant

1:08:23 clusters of gold grapes interlaced in her hair which was done up in the Greek style her Greek tunic with its gold embroidered hem showed off her goddess-like figure below her breasts was a girdle of burnished gold held by a magnificent Jewel no words can convey the loveliness of her appearance wrote The Duchess de brontes The Very Room grew brighter as she entered the whole ensemble was so harmonious that her appearance was greeted with a buzz of admiration which continued with utter disregard of all the other women the key everything must Dazzle but also be

1:09:11 harmonious so that no single ornament draws attention your presence must be charged Larger than Life a fantasy come true ornament is used to cast a spell and distract the siren can also use clothing to hint at the sexual at times overtly but more often by suggesting it rather than screaming it that would make you seem manipulative related to this is the notion of selective disclosure the revealing of only a part of the body but a part that will excite and stir the imagination in the late 16th century Marguerite de valois the infamous daughter of Queen

1:09:57 Catherine de medicis of France was one of the first women ever to incorporate decolletage in her wardrobe simply because she had the most beautiful breasts in the realm for Josephine Bonaparte it was her arms which she carefully always left bare movement and demeanor in the 5th Century BC King gojian chose the Chinese siren see she from among all the women of Israel to seduce and Destroy his rival fuchai king of Wu for this purpose he had the young woman instructed in the arts of seduction

1:10:44 most important of these was movement how to move gracefully and suggestively she sure learned to give the impression of floating across the floor in her Court robes when she was finally Unleashed on Fu chai he quickly fell under her spell she walked and moved like no one he had ever seen he became obsessed with her tremulous presence her Manner and nonchalant heir fuchai fell so deeply in love that he let his kingdom Fall to Pieces allowing gojian to march in and Conquer it without a fight

1:11:29 the siren moves gracefully and unhurriedly the proper gestures movement and demeanor for a siren are like the proper voice they hint at something exciting stirring desire without being obvious your air must be langerous as if you had all the time in the world for love and pleasure your gestures must have a certain ambiguity suggesting something both innocent and erotic anything that cannot immediately be understood is supremely seductive and all the more so if it permeates your manner dangers no matter how enlightened the age no

1:12:16 woman can maintain the image of being devoted to pleasure completely comfortably and no matter how hard she tries to distance herself from it the taint of being easy always follows the siren Cleopatra was hated in Rome as the Egyptian that hatred eventually led to her downfall as Octavius and the Roman army sought to extirpate the stain on Roman manhood that she came to represent even so men are often forgiving when it comes to the sirens reputation but danger often lies in the Envy she stirs up among other women much of Rome's hatred for Cleopatra originated in the resentment she provoked among the city's Stern matrons

1:13:04 by playing up her innocence by making herself seem the victim of male desire the siren can somewhat blunt the effects of feminine Envy but on the whole there is little she can do her power comes from her effect on men and she must learn to accept or ignore the Envy of other women finally the intense attention that the siren attracts can prove irritating and worse sometimes she will pine for relief from it sometimes too she will want to attract an attention that is not sexual also unfortunately physical Beauty Fades although the siren effect depends not on a beautiful face but on an overall

1:13:51 impression past a certain age that impression gets hard to project both of these factors contributed to the suicide of Marilyn Monroe it takes a genius on the level of Madame de pompadour the siren Mistress of King Louis XV to make the transition into the role of the spirited older woman who continues to seduce with her non-physical charms Cleopatra had such an intellect and had she lived long enough she would have remained a potent seductress for many years the siren must prepare for age by paying attention early on to the more psychological less physical forms of coquetry that can continue to bring her

1:14:37 power once her beauty starts to fade in conclusion here are some further Reflections on the siren from Homer's The Odyssey Book 12. in the meantime our good ship with that perfect wind to drive her fast approached the sirens Isle but now the breeze dropped some power lulled the waves and a breathless calm set in rising from their seats my men Drew in the sail and threw it into the hold then sat down at the oars and churned the water white with their Blades of polished Pine meanwhile I took a large round of wax

1:15:24 cut it up small with my sword and needed the pieces with all the strength of my fingers the wax soon yielded to my vigorous treatment and grew warm for I had the Rays of my Lord the son to help me I took each of my men in turn and plugged their ears with it they then made me a prisoner on my ship by binding me hand and foot standing me up by the step of the Mast and tying the ropes ends to the Mast itself this done they sat down once more and struck the gray water with their oars we made good progress and had just come within call of the shore when the sirens became aware that a ship was swiftly

1:16:09 bearing down upon them and broke into their liquid song draw near they sang illustrious Odysseus flower of a kian's chivalry and bring your ship to rest so that you may hear our voices no seamen ever sailed his black ship past the spot without listening to The Sweet Tones that flow from our lips the lovely voices came to me across the water and my heart was filled with such a longing to listen that with nod and frown I signed to my men to set me free from plutarchs makers of Rome the charm of Cleopatra's presence was

1:16:56 irresistible and there was an attraction in her person and talk together with a peculiar force of character which pervaded her every word and action and laid all who associated with her under its spell it was a delight merely to hear the sound of her voice with which like an instrument of many strings she could pass from one language to another from jean-baudryard's de la seduction the immediate attraction of a song a voice or scent the attraction of the panther with his perfumed scent according to the Ancients the panther is the only animal who emits a perfumed

1:17:43 odor it uses this scent to draw and capture its victims but what is it that seduces an ascent what is it in the song of the sirens that seduces us or in the beauty of a face in the depths of an abyss seduction lies in the annulment of signs and their meaning in pure appearance the eyes that seduce have no meaning they end in the Gaze as the face with makeup ends in only pure appearance the scent of the panther is also a meaningless message and behind the message the panther is invisible as is the woman beneath her makeup the sirens

1:18:28 too remained unseen the enchantment lies in what is hidden from ovids cures for love we're dazzled by feminine adornment by the surface all gold and jewels so little of what we observe is the girl herself and where you may ask amid such plenty can our object of passion be found the eyes deceived by Love's smart camouflage from the Greek myths by Robert Graves he was hurting his cattle on Mount gargaris the highest peak of Ida when

1:19:15 Hermes accompanied by Hira Athena an Aphrodite delivered the golden apple and Zeus's message Paris since you are as handsome as you are wise in Affairs of the heart Zeus commands you to judge which of these goddesses is the fairest so be it side Paris but first I beg the losers not to be vexed with me I am only a human being liable to make the stupidest mistakes the goddesses all agreed to abide by his decision will it be enough to judge them as they are Paris asked Hermes or should they be naked

1:20:00 the rules of the contest are for you to decide Hermes answered with a discreet smile in that case will they kindly disrobe Hermes told the goddesses to do so and politely turned his back Aphrodite was soon ready but Athena insisted that she should remove the famous magic girdle which gave her an unfair Advantage by making everyone fall in love with the wearer very well said Aphrodite spitefully I will on condition that you remove your helmet you look hideous without it now if you please I must judge you one at a time announced Paris

1:20:46 come here Divine Hera will you other two goddesses be good enough to leave us for a while examine me conscientiously said Hira turning slowly around and displaying her magnificent figure and remember that if you judge me the fairest I will make you Lord of all Asia and the richest man alive I am not to be bribed my lady very well thank you now I have seen all that I need to see come Divine Athena here I am said Athena striding purposely forward listen Paris if you have enough common sense to award me the prize I will make you victorious in all your battles as

1:21:33 well as the handsomest and wisest man in the world I am a humble herdsman not a soldier said Paris but I promise to consider fairly your claim to the Apple now you are at Liberty to put on your clothes and helmet again is Aphrodite ready Aphrodite sidled up to him and Paris blushed because she came so close that they were almost touching look carefully please pass nothing over by the way as soon as I saw you I said to myself upon my word there goes the handsomest young man in phrygia why does he waste himself here in the wilderness hurting stupid cattle well

1:22:19 why do you Paris why not move into a city and lead a civilized life what have you to lose by marrying someone like Helen of Sparta who is as beautiful as I am and no less passionate I suggest now that you tour Greece with my son Eros as your guide once you reach Sparta he and I will see that Helen Falls head over heels in love with you would you swear to that Paris asked excitedly Aphrodite uttered a solemn oath and Paris without a second thought awarded her the golden apple from Gottfried Von strasberg's Tristan

1:23:08 to whom can I compare the lovely girl so blessed by Fortune if not to the sirens who with their lodestone draw the ships towards them thus I imagine did his older attract many thoughts and hearts that deemed themselves safe from Love's disquietude and indeed these two anchorless ships and stray thoughts provide a good comparison they are both so seldom on a straight course lie so often in unsure Havens pitching and tossing and heaving to and fro just so in the same way do aimless desire and random love longing drift like an anchorless ship This Charming young princess discrete

1:23:55 and courteous is older Drew thoughts from the hearts that enshrined them as a lodestone draws in ships to the sound of the siren song she sang openly and secretly in through ears and eyes to where many a heart was stirred the song which she sang openly in this and other places was her own sweet singing and soft sounding of strings that echoed for all to hear through the kingdom of the ears deep down into the heart but her secret song was her wondrous beauty that stole with its rapturous music hidden and unseen Through the

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