What is ‘true’ love? A divine mystery?  A biological trap? Monogamous and/or heterosexual coupling is glorified as the bedrock for birthing future generations. Yet one rarely hears of married people having hot sex. Should we be looking elsewhere for beautiful Eros? Or should those who want erotic adventure never marry, never have kids?

Society shames the alternatives. A person without a partner – that businesslike term – is looked upon with increasing pity as they age; especially a woman who has not procreated. A person who has occasional sex with the same gender is regarded with suspicion by some ‘properly gay’ queers. Meanwhile, couples who permit occasional or continual non-monogamy do so because, it’s assumed, they no longer fancy each other. Certainly, they are morally dubious.

Our 14^th issue looks at alternative ways of understanding the erotic. Dr. Wednesday Martin discusses the anthropological research used in the argument of her book, ‘Untrue’, that women are not necessarily ‘naturally’ monogamous. Interfaith, queer minister Amy Firth discusses the paradoxes of ritualising love as a spiritual sacrament in the marriages she performs. Luke Turner, the bisexual son of a Methodist preacher and author of debut memoir ‘Out of The Woods’ argues with me over tenderness between men and why Nature writing doesn’t have to be sanitised or comforting.

When you share a love seat with The Demented Goddess, you can expect a few bumps.

Yours,

Soma x

Soma Ghosh, Editor. Twitter @calcourtesan.

Art by Kirsty Whiten.  Insta @kirstywhitenstudio