Appreciation vs Desire

Desire could be characterized by focusing on what you want, but don't have. Pornography is a prime example of this type of activity, though rather extreme. Focusing on wanting anything, is defining yourself in a state of lack. Desire becomes its own reward, as there is a chemical release in the body that can be felt and measured. This release of hormones in the body is not dependent on the completion of the desire; in fact, desire seems to identify with not having, but wanting the experience.

Appreciation is a higher form of Second Chakra consciousness. Instead of focusing on what you don't have, you learn to take delight in what is available. Here the consciousness focuses on that which is being experienced and appreciation courses through the entire body.

David Pond, Chakras for Beginners

Further, from GS:

Pick-up = the pursuit of pleasure and sex (assumed state of lack)
Seduction = the appreciation of pleasure and sex (assumed state of abundance)

Thus pick-up becomes an endless quest because the search for pleasure is never satisfied. You're chasing the horizon. Seduction is an awareness of one's pleasure during an experience. This is the skill of recognizing any given moment as pleasurable and entering the sensation with a sense of appreciation.

From a learning standpoint, this becomes:

Pick-up = learning the process of pursuit.
Seduction = learning the process of appreciation.

I am careful to remind students that both are learned activities. You have a choice of which to learn. Using the word process implies that there is action involved and an "end" to be reached. The action of pick-up takes on the tone of manipulation from a sense of lack. The action of seduction takes on a tone of appreciation from a sense of abundance. The "end" of pick-up is endless desire, endless pursuit. Pleasure is never enough. The "end" of seduction is essentially the appreciation of appreciation. Pleasure is its own reward.

Another contrast I make in my workshops is the difference between Esteem and Confidence. This is a Third Chakra distinction. Self-esteem is essentially a belief in one's worthiness. Self-confidence is a belief in one's ability. Both have everything to do with perceived power.

Pick-up is concerned with self-confidence: How to be effective, competent, and powerful. How to gain prestige, status, and value. There is always that central theme of pursuit (because the belief is that one lacks power).

Seduction is concerned with self-esteem: Recognizing deservedness, worthiness, and integrity. Appreciating pleasure, sensation, and creativity. There is no concern with "how to get" such things because they are recognized as already there, automatic, and in the moment (because the belief is that one already possesses power).

The tone of the Second Chakra (pick-up vs seduction) and the tone of Third Chakra (confidence vs esteem) is most readily influenced by the Fourth Chakra (fear vs love). The aim of the heart chakra is to experience love. It's the drive to both give and receive love, both personally and non-personally, both physically and non-physically. The heart chakra manifests as compassion and care, and also anger and frustration. Does your heart desire or appreciate? The effect on one's sexuality is obvious: to pick-up is revealed as an act of scarcity, and to seduce is revealed an act of abundance.

One more distinction that I love to teach is Charm vs Magnetism. These are qualities that I see as the combined energies of two adjacent chakras that form a spiral of energy concentrated in different places in the body. Charm is the interplay between the Fifth and Sixth Chakras and Magnetism is an interplay between the Second and Third Chakras. They are not mutually exclusive, but we generally notice people as being more animated in their upper body or their lower body.

I consider the highest manifestation of the meeting of the Fifth Chakra (the throat -- communication and choice) and the Sixth Chakra (the mind/third eye -- knowledge and perception) to be expressed as a person's charm and charisma. Here we have a person who is delightful, persuasive, and pleasing to be around in a social context.

In the lower body, I consider the highest manifestation of the meeting of the Second Chakra (the genitals -- sexuality and creativity) and the Third Chakra (solar plexus -- emotion and power) to be expressed as a person's magnetism. Here we have a person who is alluring, enchanting, and entrancing in a sexual context.

Notice that both are forms of seduction. They are both seductive. That is, they are both qualities of being, not pursuits.

The difference is that the charming/charismatic person's attraction is primarily social and the magnetic person's attraction is primarily sexual. The charming person is known for his ideas, his perspective, and his way with words. The magnetic person is known for the way he moves, the way he looks at you, and the way his presence draws you closer.

Charm vs Magnetism is also influenced by the Fourth Chakra, though this is a matter of aim, not tone. Both can emanate the compassion, fullness, and joyfulness of the heart chakra. It's just that charm is aimed at the mind and magnetism is aimed at the genitals. Charm comes from and attracts the upper body; Magnetism comes from and attracts the lower body.

The Fourth Chakra influence manifests as such: Social charm combines with compassion to create altruistic love; Sexual magnetism combines with compassion to create romantic love. The charming person is not only social, but often quite altruistic. The magnetic person is not only sexual, but often quite romantic.

Jason Savage

PS. You don't have to believe that chakras are true energetic centers as part of the body's spiritual anatomy. These distinctions still have meaning. Seen only as a metaphor, you can still realize the different shades of awareness and intention that people express constantly through their actions.

PPS. The meta-distinction is that it is quite charming to talk about these distinctions, yet it is extremely magnetic to live them.