Personally I think it is vital to maintain a cycle of abstinence followed by release for successful manifestation. I have had the best results this way, regardless of other ritual practices I've utilized in addition to.
If you read about ancient magical history and practices, sexual abstinence (as well as fasting and other denials of luxury or comfort) was often considered critical to the success not just of magical endeavours taken on by magicians (like making sure the rain fell when the crops were in need), but also for the mundane, such as ensuring victory in a coming battle. Many ancient taboos forbid both the warriors and their wives and female relations at home from intercourse or adultery lest it prove the warriors' undoing and cost him his life.
My personal theory, sexual energy is the most readily accessible form of fuel for magical endeavours and all peoples are capable of harnessing it whether they realize they're using magic or not. Abstinence combined with intent vastly improves the odds those intentions come to fruition. The more focused and well-intuited the intent and the more concentrated the fuel, the better. Hence why I believe 90% of people unwittingly use magic when trying to find a mate, and maybe even animals are capable of this, energy grows like the pressure behind a dam and the intent focuses on exactly the person of their desire.
I'm still exploring the possibilities of this train of thought, but there are many books out there about how to utilize sexual energy effectively and efficiently.
A personal anecdote, but actual sexual intercourse leaves me less drained of sexual energy than if I were alone and watching prawn, probably because intercourse mostly exchanges energies and doesn't actually expend so much of it to the aether. I can bounce back to my magical endeavours more readily than I could when I didn't have a partner.
