"It takes one step to start a journey of a thousand miles" . . . so goes the saying by Confucius. James and I took a fateful step when we innocently decided to create erotic art. Just as a child in a control room might delete data or launch missiles while saying, "What happens if I push this button?", we set in motion a chain of events that would irrevocably change our lives. Unbeknownst to us, we had stumbled into an enormous task. With Venus and Her Lover, we embarked upon an art venture that would churn up waves wherever it went.

Originally we 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.

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(1). Tantu means "thread" or "cord". The Sanskrit root word tan = "to expand, weave, spin out".(2) Georg Feuerstein, in Tantra - The Path of Ecstasy, extrapolates from word etymologies that tantra is "the 'expansive', all-encompassing Reality revealed by wisdom."(3) 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. 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.

The basis of tantric 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 Venus and Her Lover may exhibit strength and leadership while men characters may exhibit sensitivity and obeisance. At the same time, Mars exemplifies the masculine warrior and Venus embodies feminine love and beauty. Because egalitarianism between the sexes is such an odd concept in today's masculine-dominated societies, Venus and Her Lover delves into the mythological underpinnings of our gender roles. Our own loving relationship found no paragon in the guilt of Adam and Eve, the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, the obliquity of Tristan and Isolde, or the irrelevance of Sleeping Beauty and Prince Charming. Through our creative work, a new imagery emerged that is sex-positive, pro-partnership (instead of the dominator/submissive model), extolling freedom of expression, and celebrating wholesome beauty. 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. Venus and Her Lover literally paints the picture of "new paradigm relationship" for today's world.

Even as Hindu tantra explains that the world arises from the divine interplay of the femimine principle (Shakti) and the masculine principle (Shiva), it emphasizes the importance of the feminine: "Shiva without Shakti is a corpse," goes the Hindu saying. In tantric ritual, honoring the goddess is foremost, and in tantric sexual practice, the woman sets the pace. Because of a man's quick response time and a woman's more measured energy-building, female timing and male ejaculatory control lay the foundation for delicious sexual dalliance. Such respect for the woman calls up her divinity and allows the man to explore his. Through our tantric practice our lovemaking felt sacred; in one sense we had been transported to Mt. Olympus and now romped among the gods and goddesses. Our own identification with Venus and Mars led us into the dwelling place of archetypes, and as our project progressed, other mythological characters appeared in the works: Kali, Ganesha, Pan, Bacchus, Adonis, Lilith, Adam, Kwan Yin, and others. Not only did they want to be part of our work, they begged for a revised portrayal of themselves. 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. 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 become 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!"

The Pillow Book of Venus and Her Lover is not a tantra instruction manual. There are several excellent how-to books already published and workshops led by tantric teachers 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 our book documents a tantric lifestyle. Venus and Her Lover, while a most personal expression, also addresses society as a whole. Even though everyone has their own approach to life, when we uphold basic ideals of equality, freedom, respect, and compassion, 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!

Venus and Her Lover - Reinventing the Myth is an invitation to reinvent ourselves. Through our art, 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 paintings and poetry of Venus and Her Lover are honest offerings to the grand experience of unconditional love. 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.

(1) Douglas, Nik, Spiritual Sex – Secrets of Tantra from the Ice Age to the New Millennium (Pocket Books, 1997), p. 3
(2) Douglas, Nik, Spiritual Sex, p. 1.
(3) Feurstein, George, Tantra– The Path of Ecstasy (Shambhala, 1998), p.2.