This is a cross-cultural study of the significance of the female in the philosophy and symbolism of Tibetan Buddhism. It approaches female identity through an account of the historical context of archaic images of the female, and takes a psychoanalytical perspective on the philosophy surrounding the key figure of female embodiment in Tibetan Buddhism, the dakini. Througn an examination of the unusual patriarchal system which developed in Tibet, important questions are raised concerning the meaning and relevance of the secret sexual practices of Tibetan Tantra, and the issues of power and authority as they relate to the potential subjectivity of women today.