SACRED SEX AND OUR ART

While it is evident that the Earth is changing rapidly and humanity is reacting in destructive and dangerous ways, less visible is the fact that a New Paradigm is simultaneously on the rise – a way of living that is caring and sustainable. As people awaken to their full potentials and discard the patriarchal system’s model of relationship, so fraught with suffering and dysfunction, it is time to look to a more workable mythos by which we may live. The Pillow Book of Venus and Her Lover – Reinventing the Myth literally paints the picture of “new paradigm relationship” for today’s world. At its foundation, it is not so much about sex as it is about balance. In the New Paradigm there are already life-affirming doctors, scientists, farmers, politicians, economists, educators, artists, and others, and their pursuits will succeed provided they are firmly rooted. The Pillow Book of Venus and Her Lover – Reinventing the Myth goes to the root – the basic belief system, or mythos, upon which we build our world view.

We believe that our essential self-concept and self-awareness affect our relationship with ourselves, each other, our Earth, and the cosmos. Through Venus and Her Lover, we portray a mythos that celebrates our rootedness in our physical bodies, our sexuality, as well as our essential spiritual natures.

Originally we, as painter and poet, simply felt inspired to express our love artistically. Although our loving relationship had the same profound beauty known to people who are in love, we sensed that our sexual union was not ordinary, because it was taking us into magical realms of power and revelation. For that reason it bore telling. Of course there are myriad ways to have a satisfying sex life; tantra is ours. As aspiring tantric practitioners, we enjoyed a healthy sexuality in a society that has trouble putting together the two concepts “healthy” and “sexuality”. Then we crossed the line of bringing to a public forum what was, literally, kept behind closed doors. For although artists may create for the pure pleasure of it, the desire arises to share the art. As Venus and Her Lover revealed itself through us, we felt driven to bring its message out into the world.

Sacred Sexuality

Tantra is an ancient spiritual tradition whose philosophy and methodology guide the aspirant toward enlightenment. Its most basic meaning from the Sanskrit is “web”, which is related to the ideas of interdependence, interwovenness, and continuity [Spiritual Sex by Douglas, p. 3]. Tantu means “thread” or “cord”. The Sanskrit root word tan = “to expand, weave, spin out”. [Spiritual Sex, p. 1]. Georg Feuerstein, in Tantra - The Path of Ecstasy, extrapolates from word etymologies that tantra is “the ‘expansive’, all-encompassing Reality revealed by wisdom.” [p.2]. Maverick to Hindu and Buddhist orthodoxy, tantra exalts the body as intrinsically holy, the world as a place to be enjoyed instead of transcended or denied, and the divinity of the Feminine as well as Masculine Principles.

Through tantric techniques, the kundalini (the powerful life force that rests coiled at the base of the spine), can be awakened, and as it ascends the spinal column, it can liberate consciousness in the chakras (energy centers of the body). The main approach of tantra, Dakshinachara or the “right-handed path”, emphasizes cultivating the disciplines of mantra, yoga, and meditation, to awaken the kundalini. The minority approach, Vamachara or the “left-handed path”, in addition to yogic practice, promotes sexual techniques, ritual, and practical magic. It is this sexual part of tantric spiritual science that has captured the attention of Westerners in recent years, which is not surprising considering how sexually repressed/obsessed we as a society are.

Vamachara Tantra invites us to fully explore our five physical senses, to achieve spiritual union with a partner, and to evolve through the physical world of separation and fear into the soulful realm of unity and love. "Enlightenment through sex!" Now there is a catchy slogan! Tantra could almost become trendy, were it not in fact a practice, which requires commitment, surrender, desire, and humility. Tantricas, as well as other devotees of spiritual traditions, learn that the time and effort invested do yield benefits beyond their wildest dreams. That is because tantra, like many spiritual practices, has the goal of personal transformation, which leads you precisely beyond your wildest dreams.

Boddhisattva in ecstatic union with consort. From a Tibetan thangka

The basis of sacred sexuality is one of sexual equality, so naturally our art purports a mutual acceptance within the couple. Not only do Man and Woman honor each other but also the dual natures within themselves; women characters in The Pillow Book of Venus and Her Lover – Reinventing the Myth may exhibit strength and leadership while men characters may exhibit sensitivity and obeisance.

The dogma of the world’s major religions presents us with heroes as conquerors, violent warriors, or ruling lords, and heroines as women who are long-suffering, self-sacrificing, crazy, or either saintly or evil. When we would finally stand back and look at the works, we often would find that through Venus and Her Lover, myths were being re-written in a more balanced light. The Goddess was stepping into her power once again, after having been forcibly obliterated from her place in “his-story”.

Venus and Her Lover, with its footholds in the Hindu, Buddhist, Taoist, and Western “neo” traditions of tantra, communicates its messages with the mythic symbols of Western civilization, and two of its protagonists, Venus and Mars. With an archetypal perspective on a very personal expression, we as artists move the drama of the Lovers onto a more sacred stage. As our collective imagery about the sufferings of love and the War between the Sexes dissolves, we awaken to the reality of the soul connection between Man and Woman, and the inherent complementarity of the Masculine and Feminine. Tantra opens the heart for our understanding of love as holy and sex as sacrament.

The passage that Venus and Her Lover illustrates is fundamentally that: a passage. Through it we can embark on a crossing. We leave the shore of symbols, categories, and techniques to set our sails on the winds of spirit. On this voyage, our identification with our personalities, our ego compulsions, and even the gods and goddesses eventually becomes irrelevant. The masculine and feminine talents within each of us combine forces to propel us into our full magnificence. Soaring on the truth of our souls, we need no more commentary than, “I am!”

Introductory Chapters

We invite you to use this book to explore your sexual boundaries and definitions of self. Read the first chapters with an open mind; not only do they place Venus and Her Lover in context, they examine the cultural context into which we have all been placed. Each chapter examines Venus and Her Lover through a particular lens:

- “Re-inventing the Myth” (Mythology)

- “Living the Archetypes” (Psychology & Metaphysics)

- “Humanity Revealed” (History)

- “Beyond the Couple” (Sexuality & Sociology)

Paintings and Poetry

If you, like so many in a literate society, feel your left brain is over-exercised by all these words, then by all means, give it a rest: Gaze at any of the 64 images while listening to the poetry. Let the right brain stretch out. Get together with a friend: read the poetry to each other, and when appropriate, dedicate your lovemaking to the theme or archetype you are considering.

The Pillow Book of Venus and Her Lover – Reinventing the Myth also lends itself to salon-style gatherings in which people contemplate the imagery and discuss the message of the poetry. Before the publication of this book, Venus and Her Lover went on tour and was admired and debated in theaters, halls, and people’s living rooms. Mythology and sexuality are two topics that, when rubbed together, can generate some heat! You can toss the hot coals back and forth, or warm yourselves with the glow of discovery.

“Climax – Create a More Pure Love” is the 64th piece of the project and represents, well, the climax of Venus and Her Lover. It proclaims the healing of the wounded Masculine and downtrodden Feminine, as enacted by Venus/Isis, Emmanuel/Osiris, Mary Magdalene, and Mars/Set.

Appendices

To deepen your understanding of each work, the appendices provide more detailed descriptions of its literary and artistic aspects, including historical implications and anecdotes from their production. In “The Artists’ Notes”, the painter and poet tell you what was behind the strokes of the brush and pen. The Glossary lists particular vocabulary and symbols used in the book. Several paintings portray symbols, many of which were originally associated with the Goddess but later co-opted by patriarchal religion. Since the focus of the book is on re-invented gods and goddesses, maybe you are curious about their traditional roles.

The main vehicle for the messages of the book is the re-invented gods and goddesses from various world mythologies. Maybe you are curious about their traditional roles. In the section entitled “The Way They Were”, we retell the old myths and note updated notions from recent archaeology or psychology.

Narrative

We, as poet and painter, took a leap and invoked archetypes. Take a look at what happened then! If you are curious about our personal experiences in producing Venus and Her Lover , refer to the narrative section. You will not only be able to step into our shoes (or step out of our clothes. . .), but also see the process from the perspective of those who participated: photographers, models, and others who were touched by the work. Invoking archetypes is not as difficult or mysterious as you might think. After all, we do it every day! All over the world, millions of God-fearing people invoke an angry, punitive, war-making deity or idea . . . and look where it has gotten them! (Clue: turn on CNN). So should you choose to explore the archetypal powers within you, let go for the ride of your life!

When we consciously surrendered to archetypal forces, our lives became rather unpredictable! It is as if we stepped into a canoe traveling down a rushing river. Sure, we occupied ourselves paddling, but the truth is that the river cuts its own course, so that we found ourselves floating past magnificent cliffs, idyllic meadows, through the rapids, and sometimes over the waterfall. Hence we were yanked out of our preconceived ideas of a home life, and produced Venus and Her Lover while living in Puerto Rico, Tuscany, Hawai’i, New Mexico, and India. It is only with hindsight that we see our mission of depicting a planetary mythology has taken us on a voyage through the four elements.

Along the way, we were called out to do pilgrimages (to Crete and Peru, to name just two). Thus the narrative of Venus and Her Lover can also be read as a travelogue.

The Pillow Book and Tantra

Whereas a coffee table book is intended to show off to friends over coffee and pie, a pillow book is a tome that resides in the bedroom, to be perused by lovers in private. In this case, the purpose is not just polite conversation, but the education and stimulation of the lovers – words and images they can share together (unlike pornography, which is often examined alone). While the most well-known pillow books are from Japan – notably The Pillow Book of Sei Shōnagon (Shōnagon was a lady of the court in 10th century Heian Japan who jotted down her observations of royal activities) – books of erotic illustrations, poetry, and advice were also common in China, Nepal, and India, where they were treasured. The loving couple/group would keep their pillow book in a box made of sandalwood, silk brocade, jade, and other precious materials. The Pillow Book of Venus and Her Lover humbly joins the volumes on that venerable shelf of history.

Unlike many Oriental pillow books, however, this book is not a tantra instruction manual. There are several excellent how-to books already published and workshops led by tantric teachers, sexual healers, and sex therapists. To learn more about tantra, do check them out. Our book is, in a way, an illustrated diary of a tantric lifestyle. It is not just about sex, but about a whole way of being. We do not have to have sex to enjoy our sexuality. Much religious dogma, in suppressing or denying our sexuality, does the same to our sensuality, our physicality, and therefore, our very beingness. We found, by living according to tantric principles, the inverse to be true: by consecrating our lovemaking, we felt more physically grounded in our bodies, more spiritually expansive, and mentally clearer. The veils through which we had peered at the world are parting. Finally . . . the veils are parting. Archetypal truths and mythological characters that wafted in through our art cast current events in a stark light. More and more we feel out of the loop of the daily headlines trumpeting fear, suffering, and chaos. It is as if we have discovered a new world, in which compassion, pleasure, cooperation, and peace are workable strategies for living. We have met many other brave souls who are also proving the functional validity of these principles. That is why we say this book documents a tantric lifestyle. Venus and Her Lover, while a most personal expression, also addresses society as a whole. Even while everyone has their own approach to life, when we uphold basic ideals of equality, freedom, respect, compassion, balance, and unity, we all connect and forge a lifestyle that supports us and can be supported by the planet. In this sense: Tantra is a true World Wide Web!

The Pillow Book of Venus and Her Lover- Reinventing the Myth is an invitation to reinvent ourselves. Through this book, the two of us present our evolving interpretations of Woman and Man. We do not presume to do this for anyone else. The rebirthing of the myth - the re-emergence and strengthening of divine forces in our lives - can only come through each one of us. In fact, myths have always been made by us. They are our invention.

The imagery and poetry of Venus and Her Lover are honest offerings to the grand experience of unconditional love and the principle of balance. It is our hope that you look beyond the images and words, and let the feelings seep into you. With affairs of the heart, it is best to let feelings speak.

Becca & James